The Latest

• 

  Deere lays off more workers in Iowa, Illinois as farm slump hits sales

  The tractor manufacturer said the move is due to declining demand and unrelated to plans to shift some production to Mexico.

  Technology

• 

  Hershey invests $500M to improve cocoa farming struggles

  The confectionery giant is working with cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire to partner with growers as a way to standardize cocoa cultivation and lift profits.

  Crops

• 

  Organic crop farming faces shrinking profits

  A recent study shows that average net returns for organic commodity crops has plummeted to the lowest ever recorded.

  Crops

• 

  More snacks to include fruit and vegetable ingredients: report

  As consumers' eating habits evolve, so has the way food manufacturers think about ingredients and their placement in products.

  Crops

• 

  Chicken processor recalls nearly 12M pounds of meat over listeria concerns

  BrucePac, a producer of precooked meat and poultry, has recalled hundreds of ready-to-eat food items available in grocery stores, schools and restaurants.

  Meat

• 

  Pecan farmers suffer devastating blow from Hurricane Helene

  The recent storm shows why farmers and manufacturers need to be proactive for the next disaster, according to the CEO of pecan milk brand PKN.

  Crops

• 

  Understanding EPA’s new rules protecting farmworkers from pesticide exposure

  Changes controversially expand the boundaries for “application exclusion zones” to include areas outside the farm.

  Crops

• 

  Fresh Del Monte boosts regenerative agriculture 11% across farms

  The produce giant said it's met a number of sustainability targets ahead of a 2030 deadline and also introduced new goals to improve human rights in agriculture.

  Crops

• 

  Clemens Food Group to close Pennsylvania pork plant

  The closure affects a plant acquired from Kunzler & Co. with production set to be moved to another facility in the state.  

  Meat

• 

  US farms on track to harvest record corn and soybean crops

  Latest production estimates from USDA contribute to expectations of sharp profit declines for growers. 

  Crops

• 

  Cal-Maine plans $40M investment to expand cage-free egg production

  The U.S.' largest egg producer also said it's working with growers to add more free-range hens as it converts a former Tyson facility in Missouri.

  Meat

• 

  From a small apple farm to a $54M cider business: Charting the rise of Blake’s Hard Cider

  A third-generation farmer has grown his family’s Michigan orchard into a multi-million dollar operation with a national footprint.

  Crops

• 

  Helene damage to Georgia agriculture tops $6B in preliminary estimate

  "The future is uncertain for thousands of Georgia farmers," the state's agriculture commissioner said, with poultry growers and pecan farmers facing years of recovery from widespread destruction.

  Crops

• 

  Mormon Church pays $289M for dozens of US farms

  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' real estate arm is acquiring more than 41,000 acres of land with the intention of leasing it to farmers. 

  Crops

• 

  Moldy motel rooms, unlicensed drivers: Farm banned from H-2A program after labor violations

  Harvest Plus LLC is paying more than $250,000 in fines after the Department of Labor said the company illegally withheld wages and transported temporary farmworkers in “dilapidated” vehicles.

  Regulations

• 

  Column

  Agtech Seedlings: Deere launches dairy sustainability tool with DeLaval

  Also in this week's farm technology news: Cibo Technologies partners with Scoular to prepare for biofuel tax credits, and AcreShield raises $2.5 million to help farmers with seed selection.

  Crops

• 

  USDA prepared to issue subpoenas in beef price-gouging investigation

  The department is exploring the impact of food system consolidation as it looks to "more vigorously enforce" competition rules in the meat and grocery industries.

  Meat

• 

  How Chomps’ grass-fed beef sticks became the fastest growing snack in the US

  The meat company is preparing to open its first dedicated manufacturing facility in collaboration with Western Smokehouse Partners.

  Meat

• 

  Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida’s Citrus Belt

  The life-threatening storm could also wreak havoc on the state's phosphate industry, keeping fertilizer prices elevated.

  Crops

• 

  McDonald’s sues Tyson, JBS and other beef producers for allegedly fixing prices

  The fast food giant, which is the world's largest buyer of beef, alleges major meat companies conducted illegal acts to drive down supplies. 

  Meat

• 

  Vegetable grower settles claim that HR staff required harassment victim to obtain restraining order

  A female employee at Pero Family Farms Food Company repeatedly attempted to report a male co-worker’s sexual harassment and physical threats, federal investigators alleged.

  Crops

• 

  Court denies petition for stronger EPA regulation of large livestock farms

  A lawsuit brought by Food & Water Watch would have required farmers to have Clean Water Act discharge permits for their operations.

  Meat

• 

  Drought shrivels cotton, delays wheat planting in US Plains

  Dry conditions are challenging production in states like Texas and Oklahoma, a stark contrast to the destructive flooding from Hurricane Helene that has waterlogged fields across the Southeast.

  Crops

• 

  Meatable eyes new funding as it looks to bring cultivated beef to the meat industry

  The startup’s CEO sees working with farmers and processors who could use a percentage of cultivated meat in their products as a solution to many of the industry’s issues.

  Meat

• 

  ‘Decades of progress gone in a single instant’: Assessing the farm damage from Hurricane Helene

  With billions of dollars in damages expected, the USDA is deploying "surge teams" to assist with recovery efforts as farmers and food giants work to rebuild local communities.

  Crops

More stories