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Along the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to repeal parts of the Biden administration's landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. Now facing a second Trump administration, industry groups are hopeful broad bipartisan support for biofuels and conservation programs in Congress means these initiatives will remain in place. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending several measures to reduce the risk of farmworkers being infected with bird flu as well as testing of poultry and dairy employees who may have been exposed to the H5N1 virus, even if they do not show symptoms of illness.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday he will play a significant role in the Trump administration, floating the idea that he would be a “health czar” operating out of the White House. He also indicated he wanted to use his role to push for adoption of regenerative ag practices. 

Donald Trump has reclaimed the presidency, and Republicans will take charge of the Senate in January. Those results have big implications for a lot of issues, including trade and immigration as well as tax and regulatory policy that are critical to agriculture.

Donald Trump is headed back to the White House and he could have a sizable Republican majority in the Senate to help him confirm nominees and move his legislative priorities, notably an extension of expiring tax cuts. Trump predicted Republicans would hold on to the House.

Animal veterinarians are pushing USDA to move quickly in testing milk nationwide to get a handle on where the H5N1 virus is located so it can be controlled.

Dry weather has helped speed Midwestern and Southern farmers through most of this fall’s corn and soybean harvest while also limiting the amount of grain they could send down the Mississippi River. As many park their combines for the year, they are hoping rain storms can replenish soils parched and waterways shrunk by months of drought.

Soil conservation has always been the foundation of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which for nearly 60 years was known as the Soil Conservation Service. But NRCS is having trouble finding candidates with the right set of qualifications to fill its ranks.

The fourth installment of a five-part series, “Getting Grounded,” that examines the nation's conservation delivery system and the challenges facing farmers in getting the advice they need to select, plan and implement new practices. University efforts to craft classes and degree programs that appeal to a wider range of students may be making it harder for USDA to hire the soil conservationists needed to help farmers.

USDA plans to sample milk in states where dairy herds have been infected with avian flu, in an effort to stamp out the virus, which was first confirmed in Texas in March before spreading to herds in 14 states.