Environment

U.S. beef cattle woes put spotlight on water management push

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:12:00 -0400

Ranchbot aims to expand "materially" in the U.S. with its remote water sensing and tracking technology as the ag industry turns to bigger investments in water management.

Forest Service proposes rescinding 'roadless rule'

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:09:00 -0400

The Trump Administration is proposing to rescind a 2001 rule limiting new road construction and commercial timber cutting on a large swath of U.S. Forest Service lands.

RFK’s STREAM program aims to tackle weed control, pesticide monitoring

sara@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:08:00 -0400

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says the Health and Human Services is launching a new era of agricultural innovation as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

Low-water crops for SGMA meet high-cost reality

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:04:00 -0400

PPIC panelists warned that low-water crops may help growers adapt to SGMA, but they won’t erase the financial pressures reshaping San Joaquin Valley agriculture.

Reclamation lays out framework for managing Colorado River past 2026

noah@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:38:04 -0400

The Bureau of Reclamation on Friday released its final plan for operating the shrinking Colorado River after 2026, clearing the way for Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico to see as much as 3.6 million acre-feet of drought-related cuts each year through 2036.

Daybreak July 29: USDA clarifies wetlands rule

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:24:07 -0400

Farmers can rely on wetland determinations issued as far back as 1990 under a USDA rule taking effect Wednesday, ending more than two years of legal uncertainty for producers planning drainage or land clearing. Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman, R-Ark., said on Tuesday the committee will “hopefully” hold a farm bill markup next Thursday.

EPA reduces regulation on islanded power facilities, paving path for data centers

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:13:00 -0400

The EPA announced on Monday that power generation facilities that are unconnected to the public electricity grid will be exempt from the Clean Air Act’s Acid Rain Program, paving the way for data center development off the grid.

Nature Conservancy awarded grant for grassland conservation project

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:12:00 -0400

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research has given a $3.1 million grant to the Nature Conservancy for use in grassland conservation efforts across the U.S. and Canadian Great Plains, the organization announced Monday.

As golden mussels spread, California wrestles with who pays — and who gets to say no

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:01:00 -0400

As golden mussels spread through California’s water system, lawmakers are scrambling to contain the invasion — and battling over who should bear the cost of keeping the destructive species out.

Grizzly bill charges forward with ranchers caught in the path

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

California lawmakers are moving ahead with a plan to study restoring grizzly bears, despite ranchers’ warnings that the state is still struggling to manage wolves and compensate livestock losses.

Cap-and-invest report underscores ag’s stake in climate funding

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:03:00 -0400

California’s cap-and-invest program has steered hundreds of millions of dollars into farm equipment, dairy methane, water efficiency, healthy soils and rural resilience projects, underscoring agriculture’s stake in future climate funding.

Eastern broccoli could buffer California drought losses

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:01:00 -0400

A Cornell study finds that expanding East Coast broccoli production could help offset California drought losses while cutting freight costs and food miles.

Trump administration finalizes rule narrowing Endangered Species Act protection

noah@agri-pulse.com — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:38:23 -0400

The Trump Administration on Friday finalized a rule narrowing the prohibition against "taking" endangered species by removing regulatory language allowing federal wildlife agencies to consider how species are harmed by habitat destruction.

Proposed EPA rule seeks to end DEF deratements

noah@agri-pulse.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:23:50 -0400

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to stop requiring that diesel trucks automatically reduce power when their emissions exceed certain limits under a proposed rule that would also do away with a Biden-era plan to increase how long manufacturers must provide warranties for emissions equipment.

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.

Coexistence bill offers ranchers a framework, but no new money

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:04:00 -0400

SB 1135 would establish a permanent framework for wildlife coexistence and wolf compensation, but ranchers are still waiting for the state funding needed to make the programs work.

Progress made toward voluntary nitrogen reductions

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 06:05:00 -0400

Progress is being made toward voluntary goals to reduce nitrogen loads into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, but the “dead zone” in the Gulf is projected to be larger than average this year.

USDA unveils rule aimed at boosting farmers through biofuels

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:42:09 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced long-awaited regenerative ag rules aimed at helping farmers fully benefit from biofuel markets.

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.

California Farm Bureau warns legal ruling could chill nonprofit advocacy

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:03:00 -0400

California Farm Bureau is backing CropLife’s bid for state Supreme Court review, warning a ruling exposing nonprofit intervenors to major attorney’s fees could chill advocacy in public law cases.

Oversubscription in EQIP, CSP increased in fiscal 2025, analysis finds

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:03:00 -0400

Two of the agriculture department's most popular conservation programs have struggled historically to keep pace with producer demand despite their billion-dollar budgets. But last year, the percentage of applications that won funding fell even further, according to a new analysis of Agriculture Department data by the Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy, a think tank.

Center for Biological Diversity sues USDA to get glyphosate EO info

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued USDA to release records about potential behind-the-scenes interests of President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase production of glyphosate.

Water board order puts ag communities at center of nitrate cleanup

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:03:00 -0400

The Central Valley water board’s first nitrate management zone order starts a decades-long cleanup effort around Modesto, promising continued drinking water help for rural households while giving farms, dairies and cities time to reduce groundwater contamination.

Water board drafts new dairy order as industry warns of farm losses

brad@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:01:00 -0400

California water regulators are drafting a new dairy order that would tighten nitrate rules in the Central Valley. Dairy groups warn the proposal could add costly mandates for family-owned farms already under pressure.

Daybreak June 10: Ag labor draft bill would expand H-2A

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:51:52 -0400

House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., is calling to broaden a U.S. temporary agricultural worker program under an early draft of a proposed ag labor bill.

Winemaking weather woes muddle vineyard economics, study shows

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:05:00 -0400

A new Cornell University study examines the tradeoffs involved for wine grape growers when trying to adapt to more extreme weather versus completely changing grape varieties or picking up and moving elsewhere.

Lawsuit goes after grazing in Arizona conservation area

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

The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Bird Alliance are suing the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service over the impacts of cattle grazing in southern Arizona's Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.

Daybreak June 3: School meal proposals coming this year, Vaden says

noah@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:06:37 -0400

The Agriculture Department will seek comment later this year on proposals aimed at aligning new federal dietary guidelines with school meal standards, Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden says. Rep. Randy Feenstra suffered a surprising defeat in Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial primary Tuesday, losing to businessman Zach Lahn despite a late endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Farm Journal releases report on dairy industry

grace@agri-pulse.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 06:02:00 -0400

Farm Journal released its annual State of the Dairy Industry report, detailing both the challenges and triumphs of the past year for dairy operators.