Podcasts about farm bills

In today's podcast Paul has a conversation with Wes Davis of Meridian Ag Advisors. Wes is an Ag economist who works with a variety of clients to research farm related items. We discuss some of the key "black swans" that Ag is facing, the overall ag economy, thoughts on Farm Bill 2.0 and other related items.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ty Higgins of the Ohio AGNET talks crops, food safety, and the struggle to get the farm bill passed

In April, the House of Representatives passed their 2026 Farm Bill. Now the US Senate is working on their iteration of the massive legislation package, the first since 2018. But while Congress debates, many small farmers are still reeling from the second Trump administration's blitz of the federal bureaucracy in early 2025. Reporter: Noah Abrams, Northern California Public Media A federal judge has ordered major changes at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County. It comes as part of a lawsuit in which detainees have claimed that conditions at the facility violate their Fifth Amendment protections. Reporter: Sergio Olmos, CalMatters A new federal law seeks to regulate college programs that offer poor returns on investment. The policy requires that colleges and universities nationwide prove their graduates earn at least the median wage of workers with only a high school diploma. Reporter: Alex Echelman, CalMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington’s Aug. 4 primary election is coming up. Here on Soundside, we’re diving into this year’s most competitive races, like the 3rd Congressional District in Southwest Washington. This area includes Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum and Skamania Counties. It also covers a small part of Thurston County. It’s a purple district where voters have backed Donald Trump in recent presidential elections. But it’s also where a Democrat has repeatedly defeated a Trump-backed opponent. We heard from that Democratic incumbent who has held this seat for the past two terms. She has positioned herself as a champion of the working class and someone who’s willing to work across the aisle. Guest: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a U.S. representative for Washington's 3rd Congressional District Related links: House Speaker Mike Johnson fundraises for Joe Kent in Vancouver | Washington State Standard Trump backs Joe Kent in Washington state | KUOW Gluesenkamp Perez’s Farm Bill banana amendment draws mixed reaction | The Seattle Times Gluesenkamp Perez thinks the Democratic Party needs to change, not her | Washington State Standard Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to donate.kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soil health continues to be an important conversation in agriculture as farmers look for ways to improve their operations, protect their resources, and build long-term sustainability. On this Ohio Ag Net Podcast, powered by Ohio Corn and Wheat, learn about the Farmers for Soil Health program and the opportunities it is providing for growers who want to take the next step in conservation. Plus, bringing some certainty back into agriculture is something that could happen if some policies are passed in Washington. With items like the Farm Bill, year-round E15 and fertilizer availability and prices on the cusp of becoming law, farm groups are pushing hard to get Congress to move. Get an update from Ohio Farm Bureau.

The California wine industry is navigating one of its most challenging periods in decades, but growers are focused on adapting, advocating and positioning the industry for long-term success. Those issues were the focus of today's  episode of the AgNet News Hour, featuring Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). Collins recently returned from Washington, D.C., where she joined a delegation of California winegrape growers to meet with lawmakers on issues including the Farm Bill, trade, appropriations and the overall health of the state's wine industry. She said those face-to-face conversations help policymakers better understand the challenges growers are facing across California. One of the industry's biggest concerns is declining wine consumption, which has contributed to the smallest California wine grape crush in two decades. Collins said the downturn has resulted in vineyard removals, winery closures and difficult decisions for many multi-generational farming families. Despite those challenges, she believes the industry has a path forward. "I think we are looking at focusing on how we as an industry talk about wine, how we market wine, and how we appeal to broad demographics and different age groups," Collins said. CAWG is encouraging the industry to make wine more approachable for younger consumers through new packaging options, expanded marketing efforts and wine tourism, while reminding consumers that there is no "right" wine—only the wine they enjoy. Another priority is ensuring California growers can compete fairly against imported bulk wine. Collins highlighted Assembly Bill 1585, legislation sponsored by CAWG that would have required any bottle labeled simply as "American" wine to contain 100% American-grown grapes, rather than the current federal standard allowing imported wine to make up part of the blend. Although the proposal advanced unanimously through the California Assembly, it ultimately stalled in the Senate. Collins said California growers are willing to meet the state's high regulatory standards but need policies that recognize the higher cost of producing grapes domestically. She also encouraged consumers to support local agriculture by looking for wines labeled with California appellations, such as California, Napa Valley, Sonoma County or Lodi. "When you choose California wine, you know who grew those grapes and the families behind them," Collins said. Looking ahead, Collins expects California's wine grape harvest to begin earlier than normal after a warm growing season. She said the industry continues investing in precision agriculture, mechanization, new wine styles and consumer outreach while remaining optimistic about the future. "We're a resilient industry," Collins said. "We're going to come back, but it's going to take all of us working together." Listen to the full interview below or on your favorite podcast app.

*The Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers annual meeting is this week.   *USDA is accepting comments on a proposal to update its prime beef grading standard.   *Some important crop insurance deadlines for forage producers are coming up this week. *The Texas Panhandle had a dismal winter wheat crop this year.  *The Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting is underway in Denver. *Congress is discussing Daylight Savings Time and the Farm Bill.*Heat stress can have a negative effect on your cattle.  

Congress is back in session after the July 4th recess with Senate ag leaders resuming efforts to pass a new farm bill.

 On this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak welcomes back Mindy Patterson, President and Co-Founder of The Cavalry Group, for an in-depth discussion on protecting agriculture through legislative advocacy, grassroots action, and informed leadership. Mindy explains how The Cavalry Group's Legislative Flash Map is helping farmers, ranchers, and animal owners stay informed about legislation affecting their livelihoods at the local, state, and federal levels, while providing practical tools to help citizens engage with lawmakers before it's too late. The conversation highlights why showing up at committee hearings and town halls can make a real difference, and why grassroots involvement remains one of the strongest tools for protecting agriculture and the future of American farming. The discussion also covers the latest Farm Bill developments and several pieces of legislation that could significantly impact livestock producers, including the Puppy Protection Act, Better Care for Animals Act, SAFE Act, Goldie's Act, and other proposals that Mindy says are often presented under appealing names while carrying far-reaching consequences for agriculture and animal ownership. Chrissy and Mindy discuss the increasing influence of animal rights organizations in legislative processes, the ongoing efforts to ban working animals such as horse-drawn carriages, and why producers should pay close attention to these issues.The episode also revisits the Biden Administration's 30x30 initiative, conservation policies, and the continued importance of protecting private property rights. Mindy explains why she believes producers must remain vigilant, even as some initiatives appear to have slowed, and discusses the role of public-private partnerships and federal agencies in shaping future land use policies.Throughout the conversation, Mindy offers practical advice for farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners on how to become more involved in the legislative process, attend local meetings, build relationships with elected officials, and protect the future of American agriculture. She leaves listeners with an encouraging message that informed, organized citizens can and do make a difference when they choose to engage.To learn more about The Cavalry Group, become a member, or explore the Legislative Flash Map, visit TheCavalryGroup.com.Send us Fan MailSchedule a demo today at ecorobotix.com Introducing FarmNewsDaily.com - your source for agriculture news!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

Disease pressure is back in the dairy market conversation. New World screwworm has moved into the U.S. Avian flu is still lingering in dairy herds. Foot-and-mouth disease is also back in the conversation after a recent Dutton Ranch storyline raised questions about what an outbreak would mean for U.S. cattle and dairy. So, we got together the experts and asked: is U.S. dairy ready? Listen to the episode. Listen here. Also available on: Amazon Music Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube In this episode: In The Milk Check episode 101, host Ted Jacoby III is joined by Jamie Jonker, chief science officer and vice president of sustainability and scientific affairs for the National Milk Producers Federation, and Sarina Sharp, market analyst for the Daily Dairy Report and Risk Manager at Ag Business Solutions. We break down what these disease risks mean for dairy cattle, milk production, farm-level disruption and market economics. We cover: How screwworm could disrupt individual dairy farms Why the closed border with Mexico is changing feeder cattle flows, beef prices and dairy farm economics Where avian flu stands today, and why current cases are not affecting dairy like they did in 2024 Why foot-and-mouth disease remains a low-risk, high-consequence threat for U.S. livestock Get up to speed on what animal health risks mean for milk production, dairy markets and farm-level decision-making Listen to The Milk Check episode 101: Screwworm, Bird Flu and Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Is U.S. Dairy Ready? Got questions: We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check TMC-Intro-final Ted Jacoby III: Coming up on the Milk Check. Sarina Sharp: The border is shut, and it doesn’t look like it will open anytime soon, so we just have this vacuum of Mexican beef cattle. Ted Jacoby III: Welcome to the Milk Check from T.C. Jacoby & Co., your complete guide to dairy markets, from the milking parlor to the supermarket shelf. I’m Ted Jacoby. Let’s dive in. Ted Jacoby III: Today we are excited to have two special guests. First, we have Jamie Jonker, chief science officer and vice president of sustainability and scientific affairs for the National Milk Producers Association, And second, we have Serena Sharp, the excellent market analyst who does our weekly market report. Serena, Jamie, thanks for joining us today. We’re excited to have you. Jamie Jonker: Thank you for having me here. I think we’re gonna have a number of things that are quite timely to talk about today. Sarina Sharp: Thanks for having me again. Ted Jacoby III: In addition to those two, we have some of our usual suspects. We have Mike Brown, our VP of dairy market intelligence. We have Jacob Menge, our VP of trading strategy and risk management. We have my brother Gus, president of the dairy fluid group. We have Josh White, our VP of dairy ingredients. And we have Tristan Suellentrop on our sales and marketing team, and Manuel Polzer, who is part of Jake’s risk management team. Guys, thanks for joining us today. So the topic we’re gonna be discussing today, there are three different diseases that have been gaining news in terms of how it might be affecting milk production and dairy cows. The first would be screwworm which has come across the border from Mexico, the second is avian flu is back. And of course, the third is Dutton Ranch recently had an episode that talked about foot-and-mouth disease on their cattle farm in Texas. And so of course, we’re getting questions about that. But we’ll start with the one that’s probably getting the most attention, and that is screwworm coming across the border from Mexico. It is now in Texas, and it is in New Mexico. Jamie, why don’t you just give us a brief background on what is screwworm, and how does it affect dairy cattle versus beef cattle? Jamie Jonker: Yeah. Great question, Ted. New World screwworm is a fly that, lays its eggs in mammals. It was eradicated from the U.S. in the mid-1960s, and by 2002, it was eradicated all the way down to what’s called the Darien Gap in Panama. That is a forested area about 50 miles wide, where there are no official roads going through it. And so that was really great news about the many decades process to get it down there. What’s happened is starting in ’23, it started creeping back up through Central America through the movement of people and people moving with their animals. Got into Mexico in ’24. Started really taking off in Mexico in ’25, and then just this past June 3rd, we had our first official case in Texas. Today there are 27 confirmed cases in the U.S. 25 in Texas. Out of those about 16 are cattle, most of those are calves castrated males. There is at least one adult cattle in that. So far, all of those are beef cattle. What happens is the New World screwworm fly lays its eggs in any open wound. And when we think about a wound, I want people to understand that can be as small as a tick bite, so it doesn’t have to be a large gash on an animal. It’s very tiny. And what is very unique about the New World screwworm larvae, and also quite devastating, is that the larvae eat live tissue of the So when the eggs start hatching, and the female lays 200 to 300, it very quickly becomes an animal health and welfare issue for that individual animal. Unlike viral and bacterial diseases though, this is not directly transmissible from one animal to another. Obviously, as the larvae mature and become flies of their own, then they can continue to spread it in that area. But unlike what we’ll talk about in a little bit, the H5N1, which was highly transmissible between cows in an individual herd, this does not necessarily transmit from animal to animal. It’s when the larvae become flies, mate, and then the next generation can lay eggs in new animals So, what happens when it gets into these animals, in particular, newborn calves are highly susceptible because of the open umbilical area, they get in there, and, if left untreated, the mortality in newborn calves can approach fifty percent. However, highly recoverable if caught early and treated. Out of those twenty-seven animals, so far that have been identified at least one actually has been euthanized because that was the right decision for that animal. Where we are today, no dairy cattle so far as of June twenty-ninth when this is being recorded. But it is growing in terms of the geography where they’re finding domestic animals in Texas that have it. It’s a growing potential risk for dairy farmers that are in the Southwest. Ted Jacoby III: Jamie, sticking with beef cattle, does the beef industry handle infected cattle with screwworm right now? Jamie Jonker: Animals that have an infestation, essentially you have to clean out the larvae, then you treat the wounds. The other thing that you do is you wanna make sure that you do prevention treatment to prevent infestation from happening in other animals. Because once you have one animal infested, there’s likely a reproducing fly population there, and so there’s a higher risk for other animals in that location. There’s a number of products that are approved for prevention purposes. And they have withdrawal times, ranging, on the beef side, withdrawal times, thirty-plus days in some cases. Some of those products are also approved for use in dairy cattle. There’s a distinction that FDA does through its emergency use authorization and conditional approval processes that typically breaks between growing cattle and lactating cattle. For FDA purposes, lactating dairy cattle are twenty months of age or older, even if they’re not lactating. There’s only one product that’s approved for prevention in lactating dairy cattle at this point in time. That’s DECTOMAX. It’s an injectable product that has a nineteen and a half day milk withdrawal period and a thirty-plus day meat withdrawal period. Ted Jacoby III: Once these cows are infected and then treated, if it’s beef cattle, for at least 30 days they couldn’t be sold to a slaughterhouse, correct? Jamie Jonker: That’s correct. And we want to encourage folks to work with their veterinarian and only use those products that have been approved through the FDA processes. Because if you’re using other products, the withdrawal period is unknown; you’re setting yourself up to potentially have a residue issue. Ted Jacoby III: And how is National Milk right now working with dairy farmers in the United States to prepare for the possibility that we will have a infected dairy cow in the U.S.? Jamie Jonker: We are pulling together resources. We actually have a resource page on our nmpf.org website. And there’s a big pop-up right, right on top for New World screwworm resources for dairy farmers. We have some of our own resources. Obviously, there are lots of people putting together really great resources. We don’t need to recreate things that are done well, so we have links to other resources. We’re also keeping a keen eye on what’s happening as we get new detections in Texas, and potentially as the summer goes on, potentially in other states as well, and working with USDA, Texas Animal Health Commission, and others on keeping preparedness top of mind. Ted Jacoby III: It sounds like if you have a cow infected with screwworm, it’s reportable, and so the U.S.DA is keeping a register of where all the cows are that have been infected. Is that true for dairy as well? Jamie Jonker: Yes. If A dairy animal is found to have an infestation , the first thing we recommend, if you see something that you think might be New World screwworm in any of your dairy animals, contact your veterinarian. Because what we wanna have is an official sample taken so that they can determine whether or not it truly is New World screwworm, because some of these larvae and some of these flies, they look pretty similar, and you just can’t tell by a quick glance at them. But we get that official determination from USDA. What that does is that triggers a response, and that response is important because it’s the response to that individual animal, it’s a response to help mitigate the risk of spread on that farm and spread in that area. And when you have one or more animals that are found to have an infestation, a 20-kilometer zone is set up around them. That’s called the infested zone. There’s strict requirements on the ability for moving animals out of that zone. Then beyond that is another 20-kilometer surveillance zone. And the Texas Animal Health Commission has a great map that shows the zones in Texas, and as they’ve had an increasing number of domestic animals found to have infestations, some of those areas are starting to merge into a pretty large geography there close to the border. Ted Jacoby III: Is my understanding correct that if a beef cattle were to get infected within a 20-mile radius of a dairy farm, you couldn’t move the cattle out of that dairy farm either? Jamie Jonker: You would be able to move the animals, but you have to move them under permit. There’s inspection of the animals to ensure that they don’t have any infestations. Depending upon where they’re moving, there could be requirements for prevention treatment. That’s not necessarily that it happens 100% of the time. If they’re moving within the state of Texas, there might be requirements that are different than if the animals are moving, say, from Texas to elsewhere. And we certainly know that a lot of dairy animals spend part of their life in Texas and move elsewhere. We saw that starting in March of 2024 with the H5N1. Ted Jacoby III: So Jamie, is there a protocol set up for exactly how the milk from a dairy cow that would be infected with screwworm is handled, and how that herd would be managed if that were to happen, and what is that protocol? Jamie Jonker: Yeah, so if you have a dairy animal that is infested, you wanna get that animal isolated. You wanna have that wound where the larvae are cleaned out and then treated. There are a couple of additional products that are approved for lactating dairy cattle for treatment of the infestation itself, so Dectomax is the only one approved for prevention purposes. There’s a topical spray and a topical gel that are approved for an animal that has an infestation. You clean it out, you treat it with that, you isolate them and then, if you’re not doing additional treatments of animals in the herd, if the determination is you’ve got an isolated case and you don’t need to do a broader prevention process, that milk from all those other animals continues to flow. You wanna make sure that you’re not incidentally transferring flies in the cab of the milk truck because that is one way that you can move these flies quite a long distance by just accidentally trapping them in your vehicle. But unless the requirement is to do a broader prevention treatment in the herd, any animal that is not treated with an animal health product, its milk is perfectly sellable, so long as they’re continuing to meet the having no residues from other antibiotics. Ted Jacoby III: So, to be clear, milk from a cow that might be infected with screwworm, the milk itself is still absolutely fine and healthy unless You’re treating the cow with a medicine to get rid of the screwworm. Jamie Jonker: An infestation is an animal health and welfare issue. It’s not a food safety issue for meat or milk. Ted Jacoby III: Do you anticipate that we are going to have issues with screwworm in dairy cattle soon? Jamie Jonker: Soon is difficult to define. I would say that we have an elevated risk that it will occur at some point in time on a facility with dairy animals, a commercial dairy facility. And I say that because New World screwworm grows well in temperatures like we’re experiencing throughout a lot of parts of the U.S. right now. It’s very cold intolerant, and if you get three or four days at twenty degrees Fahrenheit, that kills most of the flies, so that’s great. But we are just at the end of June, so we have many months yet with temperatures that are very conducive for the flies to be active. And I think the other thing is that as we look at a growing geography in Texas of where we are finding screwworm infestations in domesticated livestock we probably don’t have enough New World screwworm sterile flies being produced today to respond to that. That is why USDA has worked with Mexico in renovating a fruit fly production facility there to produce New World screwworm sterile flies. I believe it was just announced late last week. That facility is up and running and at full production capacity probably towards the end of the year. That’s another hundred million flies to complement the hundred million that are being produced at the facility in Panama. And then there was, in April of this year, the announcement of a domestic plant being built on a military base in Edinburg, Texas. The target date for that is to be November of next year to produce three hundred million flies once it’s fully operational . You’ve heard Secretary Rollins discuss they are looking at ways to move that timeline faster. But I think when you consider we started off with a hundred million in Panama, we’re gonna be another hundred million sterile flies in Mexico by the end of the year, and then another three hundred million in Texas when that is up and running. That’s a realization that this is gonna be a multi-year process, and that it’s unlikely that it’s just gonna stay in a geography near the border. So, long way of saying, yes, I think it’s probably a matter of when it gets to a dairy facility and not if. Ted Jacoby III: Serena, do you think screwworm, if and when it starts to affect dairy cows, is going to materially affect milk production in the U.S.? Sarina Sharp: I guess it depends how widespread it is, but I generally don’t think so. I think that it’s gonna be a huge headache at the very least for an individual dairy producer who has to deal with it and for his livestock. But it’s not gonna be material in terms of how many dairies in the U.S. it’s likely to impact. And especially, if you look at where the beef cattle are and the typical temperatures in those areas versus where dairy cattle are in the United States, three days of cold is very common in a lot of dairy areas. And then thirdly, a lot of the beef cattle that have it now are in ranch country. They’re not in an operation where the cattle grower is hands-on, up close with these animals every single day. And on a dairy, that’s not the case. When you are milking cows every day, and bottle-feeding calves, and checking on your heifers, that’s a very hour-to-hour interaction with your livestock, and so it’s a lot easier to contain an infestation in that environment than it is on this vast ranch country with scrub brush in the southern plains. Ted Jacoby III: That makes a lot of sense ’cause you can go days without inspecting beef cattle, but you rarely go hours without inspecting a dairy cow. Sarina Sharp: Yeah. So, when I look at the market impact of screwworm on the dairy industry, I’m not focused on milk production at this point at all. I’m looking at its impact on beef prices and how that changes economics on the dairy farm Ted Jacoby III: How do you think it’s gonna change beef prices? Sarina Sharp: It has already changed beef prices because the United States closed the border with Mexico to live mammal imports. And so, the primary way that’s impacted us is we typically take hundreds of thousands and slightly over a million Mexican feeder cattle. So, that’s young beef livestock from Mexico into the United States, feed and finish them in the United States, and then they help increase our beef cattle supplies. That border has been shut for quite a while now, and for the first months of this screwworm infestation in Mexico, when it was not in the United States and not in northern Mexico, then there was a constant hope, “All right, they’ll get this under control, and we’ll reopen the border, and those feeder cattle imports, we’ll be able to bring them in again.” The border is shut, and it doesn’t look like it will open anytime soon, so we just have this vacuum of Mexican beef cattle. That means that the U.S. dairy industry is positioned to continue to supply beef crossbred calves to the beef cattle industry. That’s beef on dairy calves. At times when we have extra heifers, which is not right now, we’ll just place true dairy animals in feedlots. The price might incentivize us to consider that, although right now they’re so valuable as dairy animals, that’s not happening, at least not at scale. And then, it impacts the dairy cull cow price as well. So, I was talking to a producer last week who sold one full truckload of dairy cull cows at an average price of $3,500 per animal. That’s just an unheard-of price in the past, and it is really adding up to a lot for dairy producers’ bottom lines. For several days here, we were looking at $15, $16 milk and $4.30 corn, and the math wasn’t working out, but when you add a beef crossbred calf check and a dairy cull cow check into that mix, things are looking a lot better when you talk to your banker. Ted Jacoby III: So, it sounds like to me that even though from a public relations standpoint this is going to be a bit of a headache and we have to make sure we get the word out of exactly how screwworm is affecting the dairy industry and how we have protocols in place and plans to make sure that it doesn’t affect the milk supply, for the dairy farmer from a cashflow perspective, at the end of the day it’s probably a positive. Sarina Sharp: It is a positive. I do want to stress that there’s no less beef in the world because of screwworm. What we’ve changed is where those animals are, and the longer that the border stays closed, the more resources that the Mexican cattle industry is gonna pour into facilities to finish the cattle that are staying there, and then also beef packing facilities so they can just process them right there. So we are not importing Mexican feeder cattle. We are importing Mexican beef. So, that’s a positive for dairy producers who are supplying young livestock. In the long run, it’s a negative for the U.S. beef industry who would love to raise those cattle here and process them here. And every day that we don’t is a day that Mexico is investing in not sending them here and sending us the finished beef. Ted Jacoby III: That makes a lot of sense. Jamie Jonker: I think the one thing I would add is I don’t think there’s gonna be a milk disruption issue. But at an individual farm level, it could be very disruptive. So nationally, you probably won’t really notice much, but at an individual farm level, depending on what happens, it could be very disruptive. In contrast to H5N1, which was really a big issue in so many different places. This is something that is gonna be at the individual farm level. Ted Jacoby III: Do dairy farmers have insurance for events like this? Sarina Sharp: So I know that with H5N1, you were able to file for some insurance protection related to your lost milk revenue, and you also registered that as an event for your dairy RP. I imagine that if you’re not gonna lose milk production at scale, that it’s not insurable Ted Jacoby III: That makes sense. ​ Ted Jacoby III: Everybody, we will be right back after these messages. Diego Carvallo: I’m Diego Carballo with T.C. Jacoby & Co.. T.C. Jacoby & Co. specializes in international dairy markets. For new customers that haven’t done business with Jacoby, I would tell them that we can provide them with many of the powders, dairy products that they consume, not only with the physical product, but we can also help them mitigate their risk. We know dairy. We know the main players. We know the main providers for the whole value chain. We are one of the strongest players in the U.S. market because we have contact all the way from the farmer moving the liquid milk all the way to the end users that buy the end products. I am Diego Carballo with T.C. Jacoby & Co., and we bring dairy to the world. Ted Jacoby III: Jamie, where are we at with avian flu? Is it affecting the dairy industry as badly this year as two years ago, and how do you expect it to play out this year? Jamie Jonker: It is not affecting the dairy sector like it was in 2024. In 2024, there were 917 dairy farms officially identified as having H5N1 on their farms, probably some more that were not officially listed. Last year, in ’25 was only 171, and so far this year, halfway through the year, only 64. So, we’re seeing a downward trend but what we are seeing here is some lingering issues with H5N1 on dairy farms this year. There have been two dairy farms in Texas, three in Utah, and the remaining fifty-nine are all in Idaho. And based upon my conversations with USDA for the farms where they have the genotyping done, these are all B3.13 strains (HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13) so far, so no new spillover events. It’s a circulating one. And they are all related to a lineage of B3.13 that are circulating in Idaho. And so, it’s still kinda hanging out there. When I look at it, it’s not gonna have the big impact on overall milk production. When I say big, I think when we looked at 2024, it’s probably about a 1% reduction in production. That’s not huge but not inconsequential. Unless there was movement of this to places where there hasn’t been virus before. And you can think about large production areas around the Midwest into the Northeast where there hasn’t been this virus before. And so, that’s the risk, is that this virus moves to places where we haven’t had it before. And that’s why I think it’s important that we do our best to see if we can eliminate this B3.13 strain entirely from the U.S. dairy cattle population because the only reason we picked up the three spillover events with the D1.1 strain is because we had the mandatory surveillance. Based upon my discussions with folks that some of those herds and veterinarians that are dealing with those herds, if you weren’t testing for it, you probably wouldn’t have known that you had an outbreak of bird flu in your cattle. Unlike this B3.13, which was just so devastating, most herds that got it, ten to twenty percent of their herd had very severe clinical symptoms . And, you could see starting in September of ’24 into January, February of ’25, what it did on milk production in California. California had over seven hundred dairy farms in those months that, that were impacted by it. Ted Jacoby III: So if I’m hearing you correctly, this strain is far milder than the strain that affected us in 2024, and as a result it’s unlikely to have a major effect on milk production. Jamie Jonker: This is the same strain as 2024 that has affected the vast majority of those dairy farms. But right now, it’s occurring In places where that strain has already probably impacted most of these dairy farms in some capacity. And so, when they’re getting it in their farms, they’re being picked up as part of the mandatory surveillance process. And they’re not getting that big outbreak in a two-week period where ten to twenty percent of the herd needs to be in a hospital. Ted Jacoby III: Is some of the reason why it’s having less of an effect because, like with human viruses over time, cows build up immunity to it and just don’t get as sick the second, third time they might get sick with the same virus? Jamie Jonker: That appears to be part of that process. In most of our farms, we’re turning over, a quarter to a third of our animals every year, so you have a new naive population coming in. And some of these farms, what they’re really experiencing are they’re just constantly bringing in new naive animals, and they get like a rolling infection. But you’re not having 10% to 20% of the herd all at once. Ted Jacoby III: Thanks, Jamie. Now let’s move on to the last subject we had: foot-and-mouth disease. Jamie, what is the status of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States today? Jamie Jonker: Hollywood likes to glamorize things and I’m happy to say it’s been nearly 100 years since we’ve had a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the U.S., and I sure hope that we don’t have one in my lifetime, it can be quite devastating. But no FMD in the U.S. since an outbreak in California in the late 1920s. And importantly, there’s a lot of work that’s being done on preparation in case of an outbreak . Back in the 2018 Farm Bill, dairy, beef and swine lobbied really hard to modernize our U.S. FMD vaccine bank. And there was a significant amount of new monies that were put into that, and that has been modernized. We have the secure food supply plans, including the secure milk supply and secure beef supply plans, and secure swine supply plans that are in place to help us deal with how we continue continuity of business if an outbreak occurs in the U.S. And ,so we’re much better planned today than we were even ten years ago. That being said, FMD is a risk. We see that it moves around a lot more than we would like it to in other areas of the world. And the example that I’m gonna give, there’s seven different serotypes of FMD, and a whole bunch of subtypes. There’s one called South African type. That is typically a Sub-Saharan African type and has been quite devastating in South Africa over these past two years. In 2023, they had an outbreak of SAT 1 Type 1 in the African horn that moved into Middle East in 2025 and through the end of 2025 into 2026, an SAT Type III actually broke out starting in Asia, moving into India and China. And although not officially listed, probably also into Russia. And so it’s moved into places where they routinely vaccinate for FMD but they don’t vaccinate for this serotype. And unfortunately, the vaccines that they use do not have cross protection for the SAT types, and so it’s been a really big issue in those areas. And it’s a demonstration of how quickly animal diseases can move these days. It’s very much on my radar and of concern to me about how quickly they move. Obviously, we have several oceans on both sides of us that help keep some things at bay. But boy, there’s a lot of flights that come into the U.S. from places where FMD is every day. And we have ships that are coming to container ports that come from those areas as well. It’s not a zero risk. I would say it’s a very low risk. But we wanna make sure we keep it on our radar that we continue to be prepared. It’s better to be prepared for something that doesn’t happen than be unprepared and have an outbreak . I have fire insurance on my house not because I want a fire to happen. I have it just in case, and I hope I never use it. Ted Jacoby III: Why do you think the U.S. has been so much more successful than, let’s say, Europe at staying FMD free? Jamie Jonker: I think part of it is that bit of geographic isolation. The vast majority of the Western Hemisphere is free of foot-and-mouth disease. There may be some in Venezuela, but their political issues over the past decade, their instability , their reporting of disease has been a bit spotty, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they still had a little bit circulating there . But everywhere else in South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay those places have all gotten rid of FMD, and they’ve done it through vaccination campaigns and culling. Essentially eliminating it from the Western Hemisphere, our risk is much lower than Europe, which has direct geographic connections to places where it’s endemic. Ted Jacoby III: That makes a lot of sense. Serena, I’ve got one last question for you. What is the thing that keeps you and your family’s farms what keeps you guys up at night in terms of a disease or an outbreak in the U.S.? Sarina Sharp: Foot-and-mouth disease would be terrible, but it doesn’t feel like that’s imminent. I think that another round of avian influenza feels much more likely to have a devastating impact on an individual dairy. It’s not something that’s keeping us up at night every night, but it is something that when you hear, “Yep, there’s 50-plus cases in Idaho,” it feels could happen right here, kind of no matter where in the US right here is. So I think that one is forefront of dairy producers’ minds. But I just don’t think that disease pressure is keeping dairy producers up at night in the way that it did in 2024 when it was a mysterious virus. We were trying to figure out how to treat it. We weren’t sure how it was spreading, and the impact on animal health was so severe. And it feels to me like how we treat the flu and, to a lesser extent, COVID today compared to how we did in 2020. I think that’s how dairy producers generally feel about disease pressure in general today. I don’t want myself or my kids to get COVID or the flu, and we sure don’t want avian influenza on any of our farms Ted Jacoby III: I’d have to agree with that sentiment. This is what I’ve heard today. I’ve heard that screwworm, we are well prepared to deal with it if it does get on a U.S. dairy, but in general, it’s not something we’re terribly worried about affecting milk production in the United States. Avian flu is something maybe we’re a little bit more worried about affecting milk production, but the strain that’s out there today is one that’s been out there before, and we seem pretty well prepared for it. And foot-and-mouth disease is not in the United States, and we’ve got a lot of protocols in place to really keep it at bay, and we’re in a pretty good place in terms of making sure that foot-and-mouth disease stays away from this country. Jamie, hey, thank you very much for joining us today. I really appreciate it. I learned a lot today, and thank you so much for your time. Jamie Jonker: Yeah. Thank you for having me. Ted Jacoby III: Thanks, guys. Thanks, Serena. Thanks, guys. Jamie Jonker: Thank you. Thank Sarah Olson: you, Serena. Jamie, thank Jamie Jonker: you. Yes, see you. Bye, guys. Ted Jacoby III: Coming up next time. Scott Briggs: Yeah, the US is really in a great position to drive global dairy markets over the next five to 10 years. Ted Jacoby III: Tune in next time when we have Scott Briggs from Bridgescape Commodities joining us, talking about milk production on the global scale and how the US is positioned to be competitive against the major global exporters moving forward

Among the national news stories; Language is released from the Senate Farm Bill, a new legal defense avenue for farmers, and the USMCA trade deal halted by President Trump.In Federation news; we get a report from the beef tour and farmers appointed to the state's STEM Council.Finally, we'll get a field report from David Heflin, news on commodities from Maggie Gaddy, and a look at the markets with Chris Prevatt.Find out more about our sponsor, Alabama Ag Credit, and also about Alabama Farmers Federation. 

Host and American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan (www.eastleighfarm.com) examines some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing today's farming community. The conversation takes a closer look at several important legal, legislative, and economic developments affecting family farmers across the country. The discussion begins with proposed legislation in Oregon related to animal husbandry practices and what those changes could mean for livestock producers and agricultural operations. Doug also explores the impact of recent legal rulings involving seed patents, highlighting how intellectual property laws continue to influence farmers' rights, seed availability, and long-term agricultural independence. The episode addresses the growing challenge of rising production costs driven by global supply chain disruptions, including increased expenses for equipment, fuel, fertilizer, and other essential farm inputs. Doug explains how these economic pressures are affecting farm profitability and management decisions across multiple sectors of agriculture. He also discusses the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in pesticide-related lawsuits and the broader implications these cases may have for farmers, manufacturers, and future agricultural policy.In addition to policy and legal updates, Doug shares information on weight management strategies involving Calotren and the importance of maintaining health and wellness within the farming community. The episode concludes with a look at current market trends and agricultural policy updates, offering listeners valuable insight into the issues shaping the future of American family farming and the decisions producers must navigate in an increasingly complex agricultural landscape. Key takeaways from the episode include the potential impact of proposed Oregon legislation that could restrict or criminalize routine animal husbandry practices relied upon by livestock producers. Doug also explains that while the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling involving Roundup affects legal liability and product warning requirements, it should not be interpreted as a determination of the product's safety. The discussion reinforces that rising costs for seed, fertilizer, fuel, and other farm inputs continue to place significant financial pressure on family farms, while ongoing legal disputes over seed patents and the influence of large agricultural companies raise important questions about farmer autonomy and increasing production costs.Finally, Doug emphasizes the importance of understanding the Farm Bill and other agricultural policies so farmers and consumers alike can advocate for legislation that supports the long-term success of America's family farms. For more on the American Family Farmer…Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.comSocial Media: @GoodDayNetworks

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot joins Karl Wiggers for a post-convention conversation following the 104th Annual Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans.Fresh off his reelection to a third term, Fontenot reflects on a convention marked by record attendance, strong energy, youth involvement, policy discussions and the multigenerational Farm Bureau family that continues to shape Louisiana agriculture. He shares what stood out from the week, from the great youth competitions to the lawmakers, USDA leaders and industry stakeholders who came to listen, learn and work alongside farmers.The conversation also turns to the serious challenges facing producers across the state, including flooding impacts in parts of central Louisiana, tight margins, input costs, labor concerns, the Farm Bill and the importance of strong agricultural policy. Through it all, Fontenot points back to the people, families and volunteers who make Louisiana Farm Bureau “the voice of Louisiana agriculture.”Show Notes:Learn more about Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers hereFind a Louisiana Farm Bureau office in your parish here.Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

Welcome to Inside D.C., where we break down how decisions in Washington shape the tools you use on your farm. This week, Brownfield's Carah Hart talks with ag economists Brad Lubben and David Widmar about USDA's base acre updates and what they mean for farm program payments. Learn more about what's happening in the agriculture markets here: https://brownfieldagnews.com/markets/Find more agriculture news here: https://brownfieldagnews.com/Connect with Brownfield Ag News:» Get the latest ag news: https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/» Subscribe to Brownfield on YouTube: @BrownfieldAgNews » Follow Brownfield on X (Twitter): https://x.com/brownfield» Follow Brownfield on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrownfieldAgNewsSubscribe and listen to Brownfield Ag News:➡︎ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/dz/podcast/brownfield-ag-news/id1436508505➡︎ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qoIHY9EYUV9sf5DXhBKHN?si=a4483aaa1afd445eBrownfield Ag News creates and delivers original content across multiple media platforms. Brownfield is the largest and one of the oldest agricultural news networks in the country carrying agricultural news, markets, weather, commentary and feature content.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last week the Supreme Court ruled seven to two in favor of Bayer-Monsanto, and it changes the rules for anyone who gardens, farms, or eats food grown in this country. Notice they did not go to the highest court in the land to prove Roundup is safe. They went to argue that even if it causes cancer, you are no longer allowed to sue them in your own state for failing to warn you. In this episode I walk you all the way through it. Not the headline, the whole thing. What the ruling actually says and why the legal logic is so slippery. The real story of who Bayer even is and why a drug company bought a pesticide company. The billions already paid out in cancer settlements, and the trap door that just closed. And then, because despair is just laziness in a nicer outfit, exactly what you and I do about it, starting today, with our hands and our habits and our dollars. You have more power here than you have been told. Let's use it. What We Cover Who John Durnell is, and the twenty-plus years of Roundup use behind this case What the ruling actually says, in plain English: FIFRA, the EPA, and the "Uniformity" clause that decided everything Why the legal reasoning is so slippery, and what the bipartisan dissent from Justices Jackson and Gorsuch warned about The honest version of the science fight: what the World Health Organization said versus what the EPA says Three branches of government, one year, moving in the same direction, and the one piece the people actually stopped Why a pharmaceutical company bought a pesticide company, and the structure underneath "create the problem, sell the cure" The settlement numbers, and the question they cannot answer: why pay billions for a product you swear is safe? What this precedent means for every other industry going forward What practical steps you can take right away The Receipts A few of the numbers and facts from this episode, so you have them: The case is Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, decided seven to two on June 25, 2026. Justice Kavanaugh wrote the majority. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch. The ruling reversed a Missouri jury's verdict that had awarded John Durnell one point two five million dollars on a failure-to-warn claim. In 2015, the World Health Organization's cancer research arm classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. The EPA has concluded it is not likely to cause cancer when used as directed, and never required a warning label. In 2020, Bayer agreed to pay nearly eleven billion dollars to settle around a hundred thousand cancer claims. The company has spent well over ten billion total, and proposed another settlement of seven and a quarter billion in February 2026. In February, the President signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to boost glyphosate production, though experts question whether it even reaches these lawsuits. A push to shield pesticide companies from these lawsuits in the Farm Bill was stripped out in late April by a bipartisan vote of two hundred eighty to one hundred forty two. The people stopped that one. What You Can Do Lower your toxic load where you can. Start with personal care products, the things you put on your skin every day. Skip drinking from, storing food in, and especially microwaving plastic when you have a glass or steel option. Know where your food comes from. Rinse and soak your produce before you eat it. This is the produce wash/soak product I use.  Grow some of your own, even a little. One tomato plant on a balcony is more food sovereignty than most Americans have. Start absurdly small. Just start. Support local farms, and then ask the question. Find a farm you trust, and kindly ask them about their spraying practices. Give your money on purpose to the people who opt out. Support your body's own systems. Sweat regularly, move consistently, and give your gut real breaks between meals. Move, sweat, rest, repeat. None of this is medical advice or a substitute for your doctor, it is everyday support for a body built to handle a tough world. Resources and Links The produce wash and soak method I use:  https://amzn.to/4xWl2DI Want to read the ruling yourself? Look up Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, decided June 25, 2026. Find a local farm or market near you and start the conversation about how your food is grown.  

Nearly half the nation's vegetables and more than three quarters of the country's fruits are grown right here in California? That means Californians have a big stake in what happens with the farm bill, which is overdue for renewal and in front of the Senate now. Reporters: Amy Mayer, KAZU and Samantha Rangel, KVPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the AgNet News Hour, two major issues shaping agriculture's future took center stage: efforts to modernize the nation's farm labor system and new USDA initiatives designed to strengthen American agriculture. American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President of Public Policy and Economic Analysis John Newton discussed bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the H-2A guest worker program, while USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce outlined several federal initiatives supporting farmers and ranchers. Newton said agriculture has gone more than four decades without meaningful updates to its labor system, making the recently introduced Securing Agricultural Workforce Act one of the most significant labor proposals in years. The bipartisan legislation would provide greater certainty for growers by creating a more predictable H-2A wage formula while expanding visa eligibility for year-round agricultural sectors such as dairy. He pointed to recent Farm Bureau data showing that agriculture's labor shortage remains severe. During fiscal year 2025, growers submitted more than 415,000 H-2A applications, while only 182 domestic workers applied for those positions. "That shows these are jobs Americans simply are not filling," Newton explained, adding that reliable access to legal agricultural labor remains essential for maintaining the nation's food supply. Newton also urged lawmakers to continue work on a new Farm Bill, year-round E15 legislation, disaster assistance, and economic support for farmers facing elevated production costs. He encouraged growers to stay engaged with members of Congress while legislators are home during the July recess. The program's second featured interview focused on USDA priorities with Richard Fordyce, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. Fordyce discussed USDA's newly announced SPUR initiative, designed to strengthen small and medium-sized beef processors that play an important role in local and regional food systems. He said supporting independent processors now will help ensure sufficient processing capacity as the nation's cattle herd begins rebuilding from historically low levels. Fordyce also provided an update on USDA's response to the New World screwworm, saying the department is expanding sterile fly production while working closely with Mexican officials to prevent the pest from spreading farther north. He expressed confidence that increased surveillance and coordinated international efforts will successfully push the pest back toward southern Mexico. Another topic of discussion was implementation of provisions contained in the recently passed federal reconciliation package. Fordyce said USDA is moving quickly to implement improvements affecting crop insurance, disaster assistance, conservation programs, and the agricultural safety net. "I think the provisions in this legislation are historic for agriculture," Fordyce said, noting the package expands producers' ability to purchase stronger crop insurance coverage while improving several long-standing farm programs. Fordyce also emphasized USDA's continued commitment to California agriculture, recognizing the state's unmatched diversity of crops and encouraging growers to remain engaged with USDA programs and resources available through Farmers.gov and local USDA service centers. Together, the interviews highlighted two of agriculture's most pressing priorities: ensuring farmers have access to a dependable workforce while strengthening the federal programs that help producers manage risk, invest in their operations, and remain competitive in an increasingly challenging farm economy. Listen to the full interview below or on your favorite podcast app.

The 2026 House Farm Bill — a $1.4 trillion piece of legislation — contains a provision called the Save Our Bacon Act that would wipe out every state-level animal welfare standard for farm products in the United States, current and future. It passed the House 224–200 and is now heading to the Senate for debate in July. This episode explains what's at stake, who it affects, and exactly how to make your voice heard before it's too late.TAKE ACTION — US LISTENERSThe most important thing you can do right now is contact your senators directly. https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htmEnter your state and you'll get your senators' phone numbers, email contact forms, and office locations. A phone call takes two minutes. A message through their contact form takes five.What to say: "I am calling to ask Senator [Name] to oppose the Save Our Bacon Act — the preemption provision in the 2026 Farm Bill (H.R. 7567, Section 12006). Please protect state animal welfare standards."Capitol Switchboard (they'll connect you to your senator's office): (202) 224-3121Find and contact your senatorsYour contact matters most if you live in one of these statesThese states have senators on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is where the bill is being shaped:Arkansas · Mississippi · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Alabama · South Dakota · North Dakota · West Virginia · Nebraska · Minnesota · New Jersey · Illinois · California · Pennsylvania · Michigan · Colorado · New Mexico · Georgia · VermontPre-made action alerts (they do the work for you)These organizations have built easy contact tools — you can send a message to your senators in under five minutes: Humane World for Animals — Stop the Save Our Bacon Act https://humaneaction.org/protect-state-laws ASPCA — Oppose Attacks on Animal Protection Laws in the Farm Bill https://secure.aspca.org/action/fsfp-act Animal Legal Defense Fund https://aldf.org/project/oppose-the-farm-food-and-national-security-act-of-2026-house-farm-bill-federal/ BACKGROUND AND FURTHER READINGWhat is the Save Our Bacon Act?  https://www.humaneworld.org/en/news/whats-happening-california-prop-12-farm-bill-save-our-bacon-actWhy the Farm Bill is no place for this provision (Civil Eats op-ed, May 2026)  https://civileats.com/2026/05/28/the-farm-bill-is-no-place-for-big-porks-save-our-bacon-act/ASPCA on the federal attack on state animal welfare laws  https://www.aspca.org/news/federal-attack-farm-animals-and-states-rights-revivedSenate Agriculture Committee — signs of resistance  https://sentientmedia.org/senate-ag-committee-set-to-spare-this-animal-welfare-law/The 2026 House Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) — full text on Congress.gov  https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7567 INTERNATIONAL LISTENERSUnited Kingdom The UK-US trade deal (2025) opened British markets to US beef produced under welfare standards that would be illegal in the UK — putting British farmers who invested in higher welfare practices at a competitive disadvantage. Compassion in World Farming — UK trade deal and animal welfare: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/other-campaigns/trade-and-animal-welfare/European Union The EU's Farm to Fork strategy promised to phase out cage farming across member states. Those commitments have been dropped from the 2026 Commission Work Programme after years of delays. EU Animal Welfare Intergroup — warning on 2026 Work Programme: https://www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu/news/intergroup-warns-against-omission-animal-welfare-proposal-2026-work-programmeCanada Animal Justice published a national vision report in 2026 calling for stronger federal animal welfare standards. Animal Justice — National Framework for Farmed Animal Protection: https://www.animaljustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Vision-Report-2026.pdf

Judith McGeary, founder of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA), joins us to explain how one massive piece of legislation quietly shapes nearly every aspect of our food system—from the seeds farmers plant to the food that ends up on our plates. She breaks down the history of the Farm Bill, how it evolved from supporting soil conservation and family farms to favoring consolidation and industrial agriculture, and why consumers should pay attention. Judith also discusses the controversial effort to grant pesticide manufacturers liability protection, the challenges facing regenerative farmers, the loss of seed diversity, and the regulatory barriers that make it difficult for local food producers to thrive. Along the way, she offers practical solutions for rebuilding resilient local food systems and explains why meaningful change often begins with ordinary citizens making a phone call to their elected representatives. Whether you're concerned about food quality, farmer livelihoods, regenerative agriculture, or the future of America's food supply, this conversation offers an eye-opening look at the policies shaping our agricultural landscape—and what each of us can do to help create a healthier future. WAPF Ad- RealMilk.com- Visit RealMilk.com Visit Judith McGeary's website to learn more Join the Nourishing Our Children closed Facebook group Check out our sponsors: Visit Paleovalley to receive 15% off your first order. Goddess Vitality from Optimal Carnivore. "Use code WESTON10 for 10% off."  

AlabamaSen. Tuberville says Fauci and Obama should be in jailAG Marshall applauds SCOTUS ruling on case out of Hawaii re: gun rightsNebius data center is getting economic incentives, Birmingham mayor silentAL Court of Criminal appeals sides with John Harris over rental licensingMobile County Democrats pull Pamela Lafitte from running in sheriff's race1819 CEO Bryan Dawson warns that UK rape gangs in US are not far fetched if we refuse to stand upNationalPresident Trump disputes NY Times reporting on war with IranRFK Jr. and Dr. Oz take on fraudsters within ObamacareUS senate Farm Bill for 2025 prohibits foreign contracted research that allows for cruelty to animals Dr. Anthony Fauci exposed for being the Dwarfish Dr. Death during Covid 19

Sixty percent of Medicare's mental health workforce is made up of clinical social workers — and they're being reimbursed at 75 cents on the dollar compared to clinical psychologists. That's not a footnote. That's a workforce crisis hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Jamie sits down with Dr. Jimmy Williamson — social worker, NASW Vice President, and seasoned Capitol Hill advocate — for one of the most practical, non-partisan conversations about politics and healthcare you'll hear anywhere. Jimmy just returned from a full day of lobbying on the Hill, and he breaks down exactly what that looks like, what's at stake, and why every healthcare employee — not just the C-suite — has a role to play. You'll hear: Why clinical social workers are fighting to move their Medicare reimbursement rate from 75% to 85% — and how it would actually save Medicare $420 million How the Department of Education's reclassification of nursing and social work is quietly capping the next generation's borrowing limits and shrinking the workforce pipeline The Farm Bill's Hot Foods Act and why a working single mother's ability to buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store is a healthcare issue Why politicians want to hear from constituents — and how to get your voice in front of the right people without spending hours doing it The first move anyone can make this week to stop being a bystander and start being a citizen This episode won't make you angry. It'll make you want to make a phone call. www.YourHealth.Org

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We have the traditional Friday Free-for-all back...it's live and features Jim Wiesemeyer of Wiesemeyer's Perspectives podcast and Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture. Topics include recapping another busy ag news week starting with Supreme Court's ruling on pesticides, Farm Bill in the Senate, Iran, special dinner celebrating ag at the White House and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top agriculture headlines this week include the Senate's Farm Bill draft, trade developments that could lead to impacting U.S. exports and the latest updates from the field. The Senate released its long-awaited Farm Bill draft this week, marking the first major step toward reauthorizing the legislation in nearly three years. This week's headlines also include new developments in global trade, as a proposed agreement with Iran could create additional export opportunities for U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat. We'll also cover the latest crop conditions, growing disease pressure across the Corn Belt, New World screwworm response efforts and other stories impacting agriculture as producers head into the heart of the growing season. This week's interview features Duane Stateler, immediate past president of the National Pork Producers Council and an Ohio pork producer. He discusses the ongoing debate surrounding California's Proposition 12, how it continues to create challenges for U.S. pork producers and what the industry is watching as Congress works through the Farm Bill. Stateler also shares the producer perspective on why a federal solution remains a priority for the pork industry. Stay connected with us for daily agriculture content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, along with our weekly videos!

It's Friday, June 26. Here are today's top stories around Central Indiana. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org and follow us on social media to get local news every day. WFYI News Now is hosted by Barb Anguiano and produced by Zach Bundy. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Agri Financial: https://linkly.link/2iQk2Thanks for coming! Produced by Atlas AG Media Solutions:https://www.atlasmediagroup.usFollow Clayton:https://www.instagram.com/clayton.atlas/Find Neil on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/neil_denton_farms/Subscribe to @Atlas-Agriculture

In this Farm4Fun episode, the crew is joined by North Dakota farmer and social media creator Beet Farmin' Mitch, along with Arts Way's Jim Cronk, for a deep dive into the world of sugar beet production. Mitch shares the story of his family's six-generation farming operation in the Red River Valley, where they grow sugar beets, wheat, corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and edible beans. He explains how sugar beets are planted, managed, harvested, stored, and ultimately processed into the table sugar Americans use every day. The conversation covers: The history of Mitch's family farm dating back to an 1800s wagon train from Iowa to North Dakota What makes sugar beets different from traditional row crops How sugar beet seed is produced and planted Disease, insect, and fertility management in sugar beet production The unique harvest process involving defoliators, lifters, and pilers Why sugar beet harvest becomes a 24-hour operation How sugar beets are stored through North Dakota winters The role of American Crystal Sugar Cooperative Sugar beet pricing, quotas, and marketing Why sugar policy matters to American farmers The difference between beet sugar and cane sugar The challenges facing today's sugar industry Social media, agriculture advocacy, and telling agriculture's story Listeners will also hear about the specialized equipment used during harvest, including Arts Way sugar beet harvesters and defoliators, along with some entertaining stories about sugar beet crews, harvest culture, and life in the Red River Valley. Whether you're a farmer, consumer, or simply curious about where sugar comes from, this episode delivers a fun and educational look at one of agriculture's most misunderstood crops. Most importantly, Mitch shares how faith, family, and farming continue to guide both his operation and his mission to educate consumers about modern agriculture. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sen. John Boozman — One-on-One with the architect of Farm Bill 2.0. GR Farm Shop in Attica, Michigan features a load of last year's hay headed to auction. Bovinevetonline.com Brand Leader Andrea Bedford goes in depth on a herd loss at a Kansas farm and what producers can do to keep it from happening to themSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Farm Bill's to international market access, the National Association of State Departments of Ag encompasses it all. Pam Jahnke talks with CEO, Ted McKinney, about how they navigate a diverse member population (Democrats and Republicans) while still doing the most for production agriculture and agribusiness in their individual states. He says their priority now is to get a finished Farm Bill. Wow - wet, wild weather in Wisconsin overnight. Stu Muck runs down rainfall totals, along with contributions from the Mid-West Farm Report Talk/Text line. Green Bay ended up with streets flooded. Other areas saw minor hail. It's all gone now, though with pleasant weather ahead. This year's 4th of July picnic is going to cost as much as it ever has according to the WI Farm Bureau Federation's Market Basket Survey. Feeding 10 will cost over $75 in total. Beef is the big leader on price increases, up over 23% compared to a year ago. Explaining that high price on beef is exactly what they'll be focused on in the Beef Tent and WI Farm Technology Days. The state's largest outdoor farm show will happen at Redetzkes’ No Joke Dairy in Marathon County. Although it's a dairy operation - the beef tent will at the show will help attendees understand what's happening with beef production in the state and beyond. Kiley Allan visits with Dennis Breneman, Chairman of the Beef Tent and a member of the State Executive Committee @ Farm Technology Days. He's managing his herd of Scottish Highland cattle and happy for the opportunity to educate consumers. Another 2% increase in milk production announced for the month of May. Jenny Wackershauser, dairy analyst with EverAg says that's what the market has come to expect. She notes that the U.S. cheese price remains competitive globally, and we'll need the international sales to stay robust. She also notes that major dairy processing facilities are finding a way to pay the bills by offsetting lower cheese prices with the high value whey the process produces.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspect in custody following fatal shooting in Morrilton; Victim ID'd in Hector homicide; Med-Tech adding to fleet amid high call volume; SCCSD reports improved K-2 ATLAS scores; Local project to benefit from AARP Community Challenge grant; Boozman introduces "Farm Bill 2.0"; AAA dead period underway; Jerry Smith with the Conway Co. Bicentennial Committee discusses County Roadshow Kickoff

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U.S. Senator John Boozman, also chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, delivers Farm Bill 2.0 to his colleagues for debate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Senate Ag Committee released a draft version of farm bill text this week.

Your Nebraska Update headlines for today, Jun. 24, include: Republican Gov. Jim Pillen and Democrat Lynne Walz are each claiming edge in campaign fundraising ahead of election, judge says USDA broke law by approving SNAP benefit restrictions like those adopted in Nebraska, Congress took another step toward passing new Farm Bill as Senate advanced its version of legislation, Nebraska wildfires are pushing some beef producers to sell calves earlier than normal, last passengers quarantined after hantavirus cruise ship incident have returned home after 42 days, students competed in Nebraska's inaugural Civics Bee with winner advancing to national competition, Memorial Stadium is hosting golf event aimed at generating revenue for Nebraska Athletics, Raptor Woodland Refuge is sanctuary for unique and eclectic birds.

*More screwworm cases are confirmed in Texas.  *Texas dairies produced more milk last month, while the dairy herd grew.  *Texas Corn Producers has a new executive director.  *Senate Ag Committee leadership released a draft of the Farm Bill.*What could a Super El Nino mean for the Texas High Plains? *The future is bright for cotton technology.  *Bermuda grass growers in Texas have several pests to fight. *Low starch diets are important for many horses.  

Mushrooms! It's another crop from Wisconsin. Bob Bosold learns a little more about mushroom production, the varieties that are popular and how they grow! Steve Scholtz, a mushroom grower in Eau Claire explains how he produces his crop indoors to avoid contamination. He's finding a vibrant market for his product in many different areas. Rain is drifting into Wisconsin and will stay for most of the day. Stu Muck says as we move through Wednesday, we'll move closer to dry weather and sunshine. The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee released its text of the Farm Bill on Tuesday. One group that's paying close attention is the NASDA - Nat'l Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Ted McKinney's their CEO. He tells Pam Jahnke that agriculture has been a bipartisan gathering spot in Washington, D.C. He says while many elements of the Farm Bill were dealt with in the Big Beautiful Bill, the policy side has gone unattended. That's what McKinney says is needed now. Farm bankruptcies look just as robust this year as last, which is not good news. Austin Peiffer, an attorney with Ag and Business Legal Strategies in Hiawatha, Iowa, is tracking the numbers. He says in the first quarter of 2026, there were approximately 158 Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings. He says the tough part is that many of those farms filed early, and may have received more bad financial news when they started planting, impacted by high fuel prices and escalated fertilizer costs. The NASDA is holding its summer meeting in Madison, which wraps up today. While each state faces unique challenges, data centers seem to be a common denominator. Brian Baldrige is the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. He says they've got about 200 data centers in the state now, and they hope tools like farmland preservation help buffer where future centers are located.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Hands in the Soil, we sit down with Andrew Flachs, associate professor of anthropology at Purdue University and author of two books that ask some of the most clarifying questions in food systems discourse: Cultivating Knowledge: Biotechnology, Sustainability, and the Human Cost of Cotton Capitalism in India and his most recent, Feeding the World as if People Mattered: How Small Farms Produce Value Beyond Yields. Andrew grew up in a small Pennsylvania town with a grandmother's garden he admittedly didn't love as a kid, and found his way into this work through a chance encounter with urban gardening research, a student meal cooperative, and an advisor who sent him to India at exactly the right moment. Andrew brings the kind of rigor to this conversation that comes from years in the field with farmers across three continents, combined with a willingness to question the assumptions baked into how we talk about food. Tune in to learn more about:How Andrew went from hating picking beans as a kid to becoming a leading anthropologist of food and agricultureWhy the fight to prove that small farms can match conventional yields is the wrong fight entirelyThe "iceberg economy" and all the care work, infrastructure, and labor that lies beneath the visible surface of our food systemWhat his research across the US Midwest, Bosnia, and South India revealed about what small farming families actually share across different contextsThe explosion of GM cotton seeds in India, from three brands in 2002 to over a thousand by 2012, and what that did to farmers' knowledge, livelihoods, and mortality ratesWhy farmers on organic cotton programs kept farming even when the economic math didn't add up, and what that reveals about what farming is actually forThe true costs of "cheap" food: what isn't being counted in environmental degradation, public health, labor exploitation, and soil lossWhy efficiency is often a trap, and how efficient technologies without systemic change just lead us to do more of the same harmful thingHow the current Farm Bill debate and the Iran war oil disruptions reveal the fragility of just-in-time global supply chainsWhat a resilient food system would require, and what we already know how to doBooks & Resources MentionedBy Andrew Flachs:Feeding the World as if People Mattered: How Small Farms Produce Value Beyond Yields(Use code AZFLR for 30% off. If cost is a barrier, email Andrew directly.)Cultivating Knowledge: Biotechnology, Sustainability, and the Human Cost of Cotton Capitalism in IndiaInteractive Story Map: Cotton in Indiahttps://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/20f488863e4a41a892f0dd7a346180c0Referenced in conversation:Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered - E.F. Schumacher (1973)The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need School Food and How to Get It - Jennifer GaddisBeginning to End Hunger: Food and the Environment in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Beyond - Dr. Jahi ChappellConnect with AndrewWebsite: andrewflachs.comInstagram: @drflachsophoneEmail: aflachs@purdue.eduUniversity of Arizona Press: @azpress on InstagramConnect with Hannah: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hannahkeitel ⁠⁠⁠

Greg Peterson – Machinery Pete – is back this week and he catches us up with various auction prices including his Pick of the Week. And with all the volatile weather happing we decided to have an extended conversation with Bret Walts of BAMWX.com. And Jim Wiesemeyer of Wiesemeyer's Perspectives podcast reports on what's going on with Iran and also the Farm Bill in the Senate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural healthcare is facing one of its most pivotal moments in decades. With major Medicaid changes, a historic $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund, workforce shortages, and growing pressure on hospitals and providers, the decisions being made in Washington today will shape the future of rural communities for years to come.In this episode, we sit down with a leading policy expert from the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to unpack the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape and what it means for rural providers, patients, and community leaders across the country.From Capitol Hill politics to federal funding opportunities, our guest breaks down the key healthcare issues dominating the national conversation, including Medicaid reform, Medicare Advantage challenges, workforce shortages, telehealth expansion, AI in healthcare, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, and the long-awaited Farm Bill. We also explore the Rural Health Transformation Program—one of the largest federal investments in rural healthcare in generations—and what states must do to secure and sustain funding.The conversation dives into the realities facing rural hospitals and clinics, the impact of federal policy changes on healthcare access, and the innovative solutions emerging across the country to strengthen rural health infrastructure and improve outcomes.Whether you're a healthcare executive, policymaker, provider, educator, or advocate, this episode offers valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of rural health.If you care about the future of healthcare access in rural America, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Tune in for an inside look at the policies, funding, and innovations that could redefine rural healthcare for the next generation.The CSRHA has been a go-to resource for rural healthcare and community leaders since 1995. The CSRHA brings an accumulation of actionable insights to the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. For more behind the scenes of this podcast follow @CSRHApodcast on Twitter or @csrha.advocate on Facebook.If you enjoy This Is Rural Health, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this!Learn more about the CSRHA at csrha.org.

There's a campaign targeting public elected officials who support California's Prop 12 fix in the Farm Bill and it will expand. Rob Brenneman, president of the National Pork Producers Council joins us to explain the situation. And we have a Farmer Forum with Ron Suppes of Kansas and Scott Berger of Iowa. Topics include crop conditions in the midst of a lot of rain, wheat harvest report, thoughts on ag economy and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With growing economic pressures and continued farm bill discussions, insurance priorities and risk management programs remain at the center of important policy decisions. Host Dave DeCapp and special guest Tara Smith from the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) discuss the latest news on the Farm Bill, updates from Washington, and key issues farmers and agents should watch.

The American Farm Bureau Convention remains one of the most important gatherings for farmers and ranchers across the country, bringing together agricultural leaders, producers, and industry advocates to discuss the issues shaping the future of agriculture. During a recent AgNet News Hour interview, American Farm Bureau Federation Communications Manager Bailey Corwine discussed the organization's upcoming convention, farm policy priorities, mental health resources, and efforts to engage the next generation of agricultural leaders. Corwine reflected on the success of the organization's 2025 convention in Anaheim, California, which attracted thousands of attendees from across the nation. The event provided opportunities for networking, educational workshops, policy discussions, and a large trade show featuring agricultural innovations and industry partners. She noted that planning for the next convention begins almost immediately after the previous event concludes. The next American Farm Bureau Convention is scheduled for January 2027 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Corwine said attendees can expect keynote speakers, workshops covering topics ranging from farm policy and succession planning to consumer engagement and agricultural advocacy, along with extensive networking opportunities. A major focus of the discussion centered on federal agricultural policy. Corwine explained that Farm Bureau continues advocating for passage of a new Farm Bill, year-round E15 access, and improvements to labor programs. These issues remain top priorities for farmers facing a challenging farm economy that has persisted for several years. Mental health in rural communities was another important topic. Corwine highlighted Farm Bureau's Farm State of Mind initiative, which provides resources and support for farmers and ranchers experiencing stress and uncertainty. She emphasized the importance of talking openly about mental health challenges and seeking help when needed. "It's OK to not be OK, but it's not OK not to talk about it." Corwine encouraged producers to connect with trusted friends, family members, or professionals when facing difficulties, noting that reaching out for support is a sign of strength rather than weakness. The conversation also touched on youth involvement in agriculture through organizations such as FFA and 4-H. Corwine, herself a former FFA member with an American Degree, emphasized the role these programs play in developing future agricultural leaders and helping young people understand the many career opportunities available throughout the industry. As agriculture continues to evolve through technology, automation, and changing consumer expectations, Corwine said Farm Bureau remains committed to supporting farmers while ensuring agriculture's voice is heard in Washington and across the country.

Congressman Jim Costa represents California's 21st Congressional District, encompassing Fresno and Tulare counties. A senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, he has played an instrumental role in shaping the 2008, 2014, and 2018 Farm Bills, forging bipartisan partnerships to strengthen food security, support agricultural producers, and invest in rural communities. A dedicated advocate for the San Joaquin Valley, Congressman Costa has led efforts to secure reliable water resources and advance critical infrastructure investments, including projects such as the B.F. Sisk Dam, Friant-Kern Canal, and Sites Reservoir. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Costa is committed to promoting democratic values and advancing U.S. interests abroad. His extensive international engagement has included visits to Ukraine, Armenia, and the Middle East, where he has worked to strengthen diplomatic relationships and support global stability. Prior to his service in Congress, Costa spent 24 years in the California State Legislature, representing the San Joaquin Valley in both the California State Senate (1994–2002) and California State Assembly (1978–1994), building a distinguished record of public service focused on agriculture, water policy, economic development, and infrastructure.More

You can't understand the modern food system without understanding the policy that shaped it. And you can't understand US food policy without understanding the Farm Bill.Judith McGeary is an attorney, farmer, and the founder of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, a national organization that supports independent family farmers and fights corporate consolidation of the food system. In this conversation, Judith breaks down what's actually in the Farm Bill, adds some needed nuance to the subsidy debate, and explains what's at stake as the bill moves through the US Senate right now - and how you - yes you! - can help shape it.In this episode, we dive into: What the Farm Bill actually is and why it touches nearly every aspect of our food system Why the Fam Bill has become a divisive political issue after years of bipartisan support The pesticide liability shield and what corporate overreach looks like in practice Opportunities for regenerative funding through direct farmer advocacy Where the Farm Bill stands right now and what's at stake in the Senate Concrete ways you can show up and influence the outcome before it's too lateMore about Judith McGeary and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance:Judith McGeary is an attorney, activist, and sustainable farmer. After earning her BS from Stanford University and her law degree with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin, she clerked for a Federal Appeals Court and went on to private law practice. After seeing how government regulations benefit industrial agriculture at the expense of family farms, she founded the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance to promote common-sense policies for local, diversified agricultural systems. She and her husband raise sheep, chickens, and cattle on their farm outside of Austin, Texas.Find more and take action at the links below: Farm Bill Action Hour Toolkit — get involved now News about the House-passed version of the Farm Bill: Farm Bill UPDATE: A Major Win & Setbacks - Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance Deep dive into the issue of fair prices/ price supports for farmers from National Family Farm Coalition: Fair Prices for Farmers - National Family Farm Coalition IATP for deep dives into several Farm Bill topics: Agriculture & Food Systems | IATPAgrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O'Doherty.

This is a week packed with animal rights wins and sobering setbacks. Jasmin & Mariann open with a review of The Sheep Detectives, a fun animated film with some meaningful (if imperfect) animal messaging, then dive into a string of legislative victories: Portland’s foie gras sales ban, New York State’s octopus farming ban headed to the governor, and promising momentum around…

Since the 1980s, Ray McCormick has seen that the major benefits of no-till include saving fuel, curbing erosion, building soil organic matter, boosting wildlife numbers and protecting the environment for future generations.

This week on the Hemp Show, Larry Smart returns to talk about Ursa Alta, the new low-THC hemp variety that Cornell AgriTech has released for commercial production. The variety has been seven years in the making. "We had come up with a new cultivar that was distinct, uniform and stable. That's our definition of a cultivar," Smart said. Ursa Alta, which means tall bear and is named for the Cornell mascot, is a fiber variety with low THC and a high hurd ratio. While bred for conditions in New York state, Smart said the variety excels in southern latitudes as well. "This variety does grow very well in Texas," Smart said. "My collaborator, Calvin Trostel, is based in Lubbock, at about the same latitude as where they're growing for Panda Biotech. So we think it will grow quite well in that area and yield quite well for them." Panda Biotech, owner of the second largest hemp processing facility in the world, is based in Wichita Falls, TX. Cornell has licensed seed multiplication to Condor Seed Production in Yuma, Arizona. Condor has a deep history of vegetable seed production — onions, artichokes, brassicas — and brings more than 40 years of experience to the work. Smart provided Condor with 110 pounds of breeder seed to start the multiplication process, with an ambitious target ahead: "to scale up the seed from 110 pounds of breeder seed to hopefully by next year, somewhere between three and 400,000 pounds of seed. And then they can start really selling it," Smart said. Listen to show to learn more. Learn More  Condor Seed Production https://condorseed.com Cornell AgriTech Hemp Breeding Program https://cuaes.cals.cornell.edu/stations/cornell-agritech/ AOSCA — Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies https://www.aosca.org USDA Plant Variety Protection Office https://www.ams.usda.gov/plant-variety-protection HempWood https://hempwood.com Sponsor Links IND Hemp — Fort Benton, Montana. Fiber, food, feed. https://indhemp.com Forever Green — Distributors of the KP4 Hemp Cutter. https://hempcutter.com Summary: In this episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock speaks with Dr. Larry Smart, plant geneticist and director of hemp breeding at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York, about the official release of Ursa Alta, a certified low-THC industrial fiber hemp cultivar developed over seven years of research and field trials. The conversation covers the cultivar development process, AOSCA seed certification, Plant Variety Protection, and the URSA trademark, offering growers and industry professionals a detailed look at what it means to release a new hemp variety in today's regulatory environment. Larry Smart explains the seed multiplication process that took Ursa Alta from 110 pounds of breeder seed to a projected 300,000 to 400,000 pounds of certified planting seed, with Condor Seed Production in Yuma, Arizona playing a central role. The episode details the agronomic challenges of desert hemp seed production, including heat-related pollen failure, photoperiod complications, and extreme weather events, and explains why the September-to-January growing window in Arizona emerged as the viable solution for large-scale seed multiplication. The episode also addresses hemp cultivar intellectual property, seed licensing, and the contrast between open-source wheat breeding culture and the more restricted IP environment in hemp. Larry Smart discusses end markets for Ursa Alta fiber including hempcrete construction, textile applications, and industrial fiber processing, with growers in Montana, Texas, and South Dakota identified as early adoption targets. Additional topics include the Farm Bill's certified seed provisions, zero-cannabinoid hemp variety development, and the role of AOSCA-certified seed in navigating hemp's evolving federal regulatory landscape. The episode opens with a tribute to Dr. Bob Pierce of the University of Kentucky, a pioneer in American hemp agronomy, and closes with a seven-year callback to Larry Smart's first appearance on the show in 2019, when the vision for what would become Ursa Alta was first discussed publicly. This episode is essential listening for hemp farmers, seed producers, plant breeders, fiber processors, and anyone tracking the development of industrial hemp as a certified, scalable agricultural commodity in the United States.

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa joins guest host Michelle Rook to talk about the New World screwworm situation plus provide an update to the Senate's work on the new Farm Bill. More New World screwworm coverage on AgriTalk with a conversation with Dr. Russ Daly, extension veterinarian at South Dakota State University. Jeff Jackson is an alfalfa and forage specialist with CROPLAN by Winfield and he shares information on drought issues.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American family farm is being systematically wiped out, and corporate monopolies are taking over our food supply. I'm joined by Joe Maxwell of the Farm Action Fund to unveil the newly launched Bipartisan Rural Independence Initiative and discuss how decades of disastrous federal policies, loose money from the Federal Reserve, and corporate wealth extraction have pillaged rural America. Whether you live in a city, a suburb, or the country, the loss of our food sovereignty impacts you directly. Maxwell is trying to bridge the political divide by finding diverse candidates who commit to reversing the Farm Bill policies that have created monopolies and have put us at the mercy of foreign and unhealthy sources for our food.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Laux is the Permanent Habitat Protection Manager at Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. John & Travis discuss recent news in the upland world, USFWS to open up 92 million acres of land to public hunting, a new PF land acquisition in MN, a Farm Bill update, PATH program updates and optimism for more acres, a once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity creates more habitat in ND, more Build a Wildlife Area properties coming soon, General CRP vs Continuous CRP signup, dream hunts, and a whole lot more. ND Elk tag info - ndpf@pheasantsforever.org | @pheasantsforever @quailforeverPresented by: Walton's (waltons.com/), OnX Maps (onxmaps.com/), GAIM Hunting & Shooting Simulator (https://alnk.to/74wKReb), Black Gold Explorer Dog Food (blackgoldpet.com/), Hunt Fish SD (huntfishsd.com/), Aberdeen SD (aberdeensd.com/), RuffLand Kennels (rufflandkennels.com/), Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club (horseandhunt.com/), & Hoksey Native Seeds (https://hokseynativeseeds.com)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.