AMES, Iowa (AP) — At first glance, it looks like an unassuming farm. Cows are scattered across fenced-in fields. A milking barn sits in the distance with a tractor parked alongside. But the people who work there are not farmers, …
Between hail, strong winds, floods and plant disease, US corn crops were put through some tough times this summer. But somehow, the fields of green blanketing America’s heartland have proved to be ever resilient. Those are the findings heading into …
The U.S. bird-flu outbreak in dairy cattle is much larger than official figures suggest due to farmers’ reluctance to test their animals and risk the economic consequences of a positive result, according to Reuters interviews with dairy experts, veterinarians, and …
Three employees of the largest agricultural research facility in the U.S. have filed federal whistleblower complaints alleging that the facility’s conditions are hazardous to workers and undermine their research, even as farmers are facing pressing issues like climate change, according …
America’s wheat fields have become so plagued by drought that farmers are now poised to abandon crops at the highest rate in more than a century. Producers are expected to harvest about 67% of their planted acres, the US Department …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking into vaccines as an option to protect poultry against deadly bird flu, the agency’s chief veterinary officer said as the country faces its worst outbreak since 2015. Supporters say vaccines could help keep …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is changing some rules around crop insurance for hemp, including making the insurability requirements more flexible. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has also added a new requirement for producers who grow direct-seeded hemp and is …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working on a proposal for a waiver system for hog plants forced by a federal court to slow processing lines, Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday. Waivers to allow plants to speed up processing …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release more than $1 billion in payments over the next several weeks starting June 15 for agricultural producers who suffered losses in 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. The payments are going to farmers …
A food workers’ union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block Trump administration waivers that allow poultry plants to operate production lines at a faster pace, arguing the higher speeds endanger employees. The suit challenges the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
