College students hacked into tractors. Manufacturers wanted them to do it
The CyberTractor Challenge is a weeklong event for university students to learn about cybersecurity for agricultural equipment.
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The U.S. sold this tribe’s land illegally. It’s now the latest Native group to get its home back
There are more than 500 miles between the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s tribal reservation in northeastern Kansas and 1,500 acres of mostly prairie in northern Illinois.
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Beef prices are at an all-time high. Here’s why it’s gotten so expensive
Shoppers are seeing record high beef prices at the grocery store. That’s in part because the number of cattle in the U.S. is at an all-time low, while consumer demand has remained strong.
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Chinese researchers charged with smuggling ‘agroterrorism weapon’ to infect Midwest crops
The FBI and Department of Justice hailed the arrests and charges as crucial in protecting national security and public safety.
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Federal funding for these ag research labs ended. Now the search is on for new support
The Trump administration paused funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development in January, followed by a near-complete dismantling of the agency this spring, including the Feed the Future program.
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Ranchers may have to relearn how to fight an old enemy — the New World screwworm
New World screwworms used to be a constant concern for ranchers, until they were eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960’s. Now that they’re on their way back, those who remember dealing with them have warnings about their impact.
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Midwest pork producers hope for a profitable year, but trade tensions could complicate that
While the U.S. pork industry has grown significantly in the past two decades, producers have struggled to make a profit in recent years. Industry leaders are looking for new markets abroad and at home.
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A federal bill would make it easier for farmers to kill protected black vultures
Black vultures have a reputation for killing newborn livestock, which can be a problem for ranchers in the Great Plains and Midwest. Legislation efforts aim to remove permit requirements for farmers to shoot or capture the birds.
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Farmers are taking on more debt. Some worry more financial stress could be ahead
Farmers continued to take on more debt through the first quarter of 2025, prolonging a trend from last year. That’s as farm incomes have shrunk over the last couple of years, and some worry President Trump’s tariffs could make economic conditions tougher.
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After DOGE gutted AmeriCorps, rural communities stand to lose education and preservation help
AmeriCorps members were working on environmental education and habitat restoration at parks and nature centers in rural areas across the country. Now federal cuts have eliminated many of those positions.
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Soil conservation in the U.S. started with this agency 90 years ago. Now its future is uncertain
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is dealing with job losses, massive proposed budget cuts and talk of consolidation.
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U.S. truck drivers will need to prove English proficiency under new executive order
Supporters of the mandate say it will help to make roads safer, but some are worried about how it will impact immigrant drivers.
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The Trump administration pauses a moonshot push to grow biofuel crops with less fertilizer
10 days after taking office, the Trump administration decided to hold off on a $38 million investment that the energy department had previously boasted could save farmers $6 billion in fertilizer spending.
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Rent a chicken? More people take a crack at creating their own egg supply
People are flocking to backyard chickens this year, in part due to the sky-high cost of eggs at the grocery store.
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Tariffs impact what crops some U.S. farmers are choosing to plant this year
Farmers are planning on putting fewer acres of soybeans in the ground this spring amid retaliatory tariffs from China and higher production costs.
