The Latest

  • Heavy rains caused record massive flooding and damage on Sept. 28, in Asheville, North Carolina.
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    Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images
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    ‘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.

  • A farmer holds a coffee plant bearing fruit
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks buys more innovation farms to create climate-proof coffee

    Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will test drones and hybrid crop varieties as the company aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.

  • French fries from Lamb Weston on a tray with other food.
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    Courtesy of Lamb Weston
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    French fry maker Lamb Weston to close Idaho potato processing plant

    The restructuring comes as the food producer sees a slowdown in demand at restaurants and retailers.

  • A photo illustration of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shoulder to shoulder facing away from each other. The background is a purple wave with a grid gradient.
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    Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

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    Deep Dive

    Election 2024: Where Trump and Harris stand on agriculture

    Higher food prices, trade relations with China and other farm issues are becoming more central to party platforms.

  • Hundreds of turkeys stand in a barn in California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    One of California’s major agricultural regions could ban ‘factory farming’

    Residents in Sonoma County are divided on Measure J, which farmers say could yield unintended economic consequences if passed.

  • A scientist is seen reaching for a banana plant inside a greenhouse
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    Courtesy of Chiquita Brands International
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    Column

    Agtech seedlings: Chiquita unveils ‘breakthrough in sustainable banana production’

    Also in this week's farm technology news: Biopesticide startup AgroSpheres raises $37 million for sustainable crop production, and Syngenta adds generative AI to its Cropwise platform.

  • Dockworkers strike outside of the Port of Newark in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports agree to suspend strike

    The International Dairy Foods Association said “it will take weeks to clear the backlog” from the three-day work stoppage.

    Updated Oct. 3, 2024
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Cal-Maine profits soar, driven by higher egg prices and supply demands

    The largest U.S. egg producer is rebuilding its flocks and supplies following bird flu outbreaks at some of its facilities.

  • A group of chickens are seen inside a barn
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Former poultry growers sue Cooks Venture execs for operating ‘defacto ponzi scheme’

    The failed startup, which positioned itself as a "next-generation food company," left farmers to pick up the pieces after the company shuttered last November, a lawsuit alleges.

  • 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.