Rural

Administration can't terminate grants just because of changing priorities, judge rules

noah@agri-pulse.com — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:11:09 -0400

The Trump administration cannot cancel grants that have already been awarded simply because “program goals and agency priorities” have changed, a federal judge ruled Friday in a case affecting billions of dollars in grant funding to states.

Brazil shows why U.S. biofuel markets are critical, Johanns says

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:19:00 -0400

Former U.S. Agriculture Secretary and Senator Mike Johanns discusses the future of American agriculture and farm bills.

U.S. unit train of soy oil ships for first time, AGP says

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:29:30 -0400

AGP Processing says it successfully loaded the U.S.'s first-ever long-haul rail train of soy oil, the latest evidence of an ongoing surge in demand for crop-based fuels.

Daybreak July 8: CRP is 2.2 million acres in 2026

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:11:03 -0400

The Agriculture Department has agreed to enroll 2.2 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program this year out of the 2.5 million acres offered by landowners under all three program signups. The National Corn Growers Association is calling for heightened transparency from agricultural input companies as it releases a new study that shows U.S. farmers paying substantially more for seeds and pesticides than their counterparts in Brazil.

High-stakes 45Z rules stoke hopes for farm economy revival

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:11:00 -0400

The stakes for farmers in the pending 45Z tax credit rules are high as financially struggling crop growers seek to tap expanding low-carbon fuel markets.

Q&A: Brashears outlines USDA’s food safety priorities amid screwworm response

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:09:00 -0400

USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears sits down with Agri-Pulse to discuss the agency's response to the spread of New World screwworm, as well as its broader agenda that includes Salmonella reform, line-speed regulations, support for small meat processors and expanded use of Product of USA labeling.

High input costs remain top concern as farmer sentiment continues to drop

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:08:00 -0400

Farmer sentiment declined by six points, reaching its lowest level since January, according to the most recent analysis from the Purdue University-CME Ag Economy Barometer.

Pork Checkoff allocates research funding for swine diseases

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:07:00 -0400

The Pork Checkoff’s Swine Disease Research Task Force recently funded new research projects to improve understanding of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV).

U.S. farmers pay more for inputs than Brazil, corn group says

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:00:00 -0400

A new report from the National Corn Growers Association shows U.S. farmers are paying much more for farm inputs like seeds and pesticides than their biggest rivals in Brazil.

Daybreak July 7: Soybeans soar on speculation

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:17:50 -0400

Soybeans climbed the most in nearly a year Monday amid concern about extreme weather and hopes of fresh Chinese purchases of U.S. crops. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is holding a series of multiday hearings to determine the future of proposed Section 301 tariffs this week.

U.S. counties are bracing for SNAP cost impact

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:10:00 -0400

Counties on the hook for SNAP cost shifts are seeking delays as senators say they are working to find a solution.

Rural areas scramble as redistricting leaves them with little voice in Congress

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:06:00 -0400

Scenarios are emerging across the country on both sides of the political spectrum as rural areas are paired with more urban ones to dilute one or the other party’s votes.

New FSA program to streamline crop acreage reporting

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

USDA’s Farm Service Agency announced Monday a new pilot program aimed at streamlining the crop acreage reporting process.

Biogas broadly popular, recent survey finds

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:02:00 -0400

A new survey commissioned by the American Biogas Council found that expanding biogas capture is broadly popular among Americans, with 77% supporting the measure.

Thompson unveils sweeping ag labor reform bill backed by broad farm coalition

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:31:14 -0400

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., has unveiled legislation to significantly expand and modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program with the backing of more than 400 farm organizations, setting up what supporters hope will be the most significant opportunity for ag labor reform by Congress in years.

Boozman signals openness to delaying state SNAP cost-share

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:41:20 -0400

Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman, who has consistently said he doesn’t want to touch the state SNAP cost sharing requirements enacted in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tells Agri-Pulse Newsmakers he’s open to providing some relief to states working to comply.

Fordyce says no hiring freeze at FSA as Democrats decry cuts

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:39:32 -0400

Undersecretary Richard Fordyce said USDA isn’t in a hiring freeze, as lawmakers pressed him on staffing reductions at FSA and NRCS during a House Ag Committee hearing.

Trump hosting Rose Garden dinner to honor farmers during Great American State Fair

lydia@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:26:08 -0400

On the first day of the Great American State Fair Thursday, President Donald Trump will host a White House Rose Garden dinner honoring farmers, ranchers, cattlemen and growers from across the country and featuring appearances by top administration officials and lawmakers.

Daybreak June 24: E15 discussions intensify

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:43:48 -0400

Discussion on the potential for Senate passage of an E15 bill swirled on Capitol Hill Tuesday after the release of a draft farm bill that doesn’t include the pro-ethanol measure. A bill to expedite Emergency Conservation Program payments to producers whose land has been damaged by wildfires cleared the House Tuesday with a 386-19 vote. It now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.

Demand boom seen driving high oleic soy acres up as much as 600%

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:04:00 -0400

After about a decade of research that's still ongoing, demand from the dairy and food service industries is seen fueling big growth in U.S. plantings of premium soybeans known as high oleic.

GAO: USDA, EPA should improve support for rural water projects

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:01:00 -0400

The Government Accountability Office released a report calling for USDA and EPA to improve how they support rural communities seeking water‑infrastructure assistance.

Boozman sees ‘stars aligned’ on E15, momentum on farmer aid

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:23:44 -0400

Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., is optimistic on the prospects for E15 and additional farmer aid to pass Congress.

Boozman unveils farm bill draft that sidesteps thorny issues

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:29:20 -0400

The Senate Agriculture Committee's five-year "farm bill 2.0" would bolster key farm and rural development initiatives while sidestepping the most controversial food and ag issues of the day.

Daybreak June 23: E15, Prop 12 among AFBF’s farm bill issues

noah@agri-pulse.com — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:43:16 -0400

As policy watchers await a draft farm bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, lawmakers also need to focus on passing year-round E15, weighing in on California’s Proposition 12, and getting more economic aid into the hands of crop growers, American Farm Bureau Federation’s John Newton says. The Trump administration’s record-high biofuel-blending rules are a clear economic win for rural America, says Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen.

New soy plant makes Midwest more 'trade-war-proof,' company says

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:09:50 -0400

A new soybean crushing plant in Illinois will help reduce U.S. farmers' reliance on Chinese demand, attendees at Incobrasa's ribbon-cutting ceremony said on Monday.

Daybreak June 22: Strait’s status unclear as talks commence

noah@agri-pulse.com — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:18:04 -0400

U.S. talks to end the war with Iran advanced over the weekend even as uncertainty hung over the status of trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Even in the best-case scenario for resuming key cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz, it will take time for disrupted energy and fertilizer markets to recover, says Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute.

N.C. farmer fuels Democrats' hopes of retaking the House

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:40:05 -0400

A fourth-generation farmer from western North Carolina is stoking the hopes of Democrats seeking to regain majority control of Congress next year.

Will sustainable aviation fuel take off for American farmers?

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:08:00 -0400

Sustainable aviation fuel is widely hailed by corn, soybean and ethanol groups as a future boon to the ag industry, but a raft of policy and market challenges must be overcome.

California lawmakers consider strict controls on data centers

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:05:00 -0400

As debate ramps up nationwide over the impacts of data centers, California legislators may impose strict controls on how new ones would operate in the state and who would pay to power them. The legislation comes as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and high-capacity cloud computing is accelerating data center development nationwide.

Corn faces grim outlook without new biofuel markets, study says

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:04:27 -0400

Demand for major U.S. crops like corn is waning while harvests get bigger, creating an urgent need to develop new new biofuel markets for American agriculture producers, a new study says.