The Latest

  • The Department of Agriculture (USDA) building in Washington DC.
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    Art Wager via Getty Images
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    Farm bill expires again. Here’s what it means for farmers.

    The delay upends some USDA farm conservation and trade promotion programs while setting up costlier disruptions beginning at the year’s end.

  • Front sign of FDA building
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    Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
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    What to know about the FDA’s reorganization

    The new structure could mean more thorough inspections for food giants, according to experts.

  • Attendees roam the grounds of the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
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    Courtesy of National Farm Machinery Show
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    Top agriculture conferences in 2025

    As attendance increases at farm-related shows, some events are relocating to larger venues to accommodate more exhibitors and programming. Here’s an early look at some of the biggest upcoming shows.

  • A man is seen putting up a cardboard sign warning of road closures next to a logo for Hickory Nut Gap Farm
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    Sean Rayford via Getty Images
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    Hurricane Helene devastates farms across the Southeast

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said "every commodity in the state has been damaged," with cotton farmers anticipating hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

  • A stack of ocean containers stacked at the Port of Baltimore.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Biden declines to intervene as East Coast port strike freezes shipping

    The administration is warning ocean carriers not to implement costly surcharges as the work stoppage drags on.

  • Farm Bill
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    We need a Farm Bill for all farmers – not the few. Here’s how we get there.

    The House’s proposed bill would only benefit wealthy farms while adding to the deficit and cutting food assistance, experts with the Environmental Working Group argue.

  • A group of people holding picket signs are seen
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    East Coast and Gulf ports shut down as dockworkers strike

    The USDA does not expect “significant changes to food prices or availability in the near term” due to the work stoppage, though exporters have warned of shipment delays and higher costs. 

  • Plant seedlings are seen in plastic soil containers
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    How a new type of ‘smart soil’ can capture water out of thin air

    A hydrogel developed by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin could give plants the power to feed and water themselves, allowing farmers to rely less on irrigation.

  • DairyX team in the lab
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    Permission granted by DairyX
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    DairyX makes breakthrough advancement in cow-free casein

    The Israeli startup developed a method to recreate the “primary building blocks of dairy products,” which it says paves the way for tastier cheese and yogurt alternatives.

  • Democrats propose paying livestock producers to transition away from ‘factory farming’

    The plan is a gambit to ensure Inflation Reduction Act funding goes to climate-smart agriculture practices that would have the biggest environmental impact.

  • In an aerial view of containers sitting idle at an inland port.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Farm groups call for White House intervention as East Coast port strike nears

    East Coast and Gulf Coast seaports are extending hours and sharing contingency plans as they prepare for disruption.

  • Strawberries grow from a tower attached to a ceiling.
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    Courtesy of Plenty Unlimited
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    Column

    Agtech Seedlings: Plenty opens ‘world’s first’ indoor berry farm

    In other farm technology news, Ginkgo Bioworks partners with a Missouri-based firm on cost-effective animal feed, and Minnesota’s Ag Innovation Campus closes after one year.

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    Matthew Stockman via Getty Images
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    JBS accused of abusing immigrant workers at Colorado beef plant

    As many as 500 French-speaking immigrants were allegedly subject to human trafficking and forced to pay hundreds of dollars for poor living conditions, job applications and transportation.

  • Cranes stand over shipping containers at the Port of Newark.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    East and Gulf coast port strikes: A shipper’s guide

    A potential dockworker strike starting Oct. 1 would upend meat and grain trade and bring new supply chain slowdowns. Here’s how to prepare.

  • A wave violently crashes onto shore
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Hurricane Helene threatens crops in the Southeast

    Cotton, peanut and citrus growers are preparing for a potentially catastrophic storm that could bring widespread damage to farms in Georgia and Florida.

  • Former President Donald Trump sits at a table next to two men. In the background, a John Deere tractor is seen.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Trump threatens Deere with 200% tariffs if it shifts manufacturing to Mexico

    The tractor giant's plan to move some production south of the border is tied up in election politics as the economy becomes more central to campaign messaging.

  • A stack of molded fiber containers.
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    Permission granted by Renw
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    New molded fiber company will use industrial hemp as main feedstock

    Renw seeks to minimize reliance on forestry assets in packaging through partnerships with farmers to adopt industrial hemp as a rotational crop.

  • Dairy cows wade in water at a farm in Turlock, California in 2006.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Colombia ends ban on US beef imports

    The South American country was the only nation to restrict trade in response to the bird flu outbreak in dairy cows.

  • Aldi
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    Courtesy of Aldi
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    Aldi to fund farm sustainability pilots as it targets net-zero by 2050

    The grocer’s parent company said it will work on projects to cut emissions in dairy and meat supply chains as it unveils lofty climate goals around deforestation and sourcing. 

  • A farmworker in protective layers bends over to pick produce.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Ag employer group sues to block rule strengthening H-2A worker protections

    The rule, which bars employers from retaliating against organizing efforts among temporary farmworkers, has already been overturned in 17 states.

  • A person stands in a field with his back to the camera
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    StockSeller_ukr via Getty Images
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    USDA creates network to better serve financially distressed farmers

    The department is collaborating with farm advocates and land-grant institutions to provide agricultural producers with custom-tailored assistance to regain their financial footing.

  • A yellow train is seen moving on a track
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Mexico rail backlogs disrupt grain shipping

    BNSF and Union Pacific have paused shipments as demand outpaces capacity, setting up transportation challenges for exporters ahead of fall harvest.

  • A dairy cow is seen standing on grass
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    Pierre Crom via Getty Images
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    Higher dairy prices reverse trend of declining profits

    Shrinking feed costs are lifting profit margins to record highs for farmers.

  • A White Castle at night. The sky is dark. The store is not.
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    Courtesy of White Castle
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    White Castle to shutter Indiana meat processing plant

    The hamburger restaurant chain is also closing a retail food facility in Kentucky as it looks to consolidate its manufacturing efforts.

  • Header image for "Tyson CFO Arrested, Reviving Critics’ Concerns Over Inexperience, Conflict of Interest"
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    CFO Editorial Staff
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    Tyson sued over ‘climate smart’ beef and other ‘greenwashing’ claims

    The meat company’s sustainability commitments are deceiving consumers, according to the Environmental Working Group.