Articles by Noah Wicks

The Food and Drug Administration will no longer rely on state feed control officials for help with animal food ingredient approvals after choosing not to renew a long-standing agreement that supported one of its primary review pathways.

Government-run “wellness stores,” modernized irrigation systems, and programs to expand production of beans, rice and white corn are among a slate of policies unveiled Tuesday by Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. 

In what appears to be a response to claims amplified by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the dangers of modern agriculture, nearly 270 farm groups from across the country are warning leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees about the importance of inputs such as pesticides.

The Agriculture Department is launching an effort to better utilize conservation programs to create corridors for wildlife to pass through, Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday. 

USDA is relying heavily on outside groups and federal retirees to help farmers use the billions of dollars in new conservation funding for climate-smart practices. Based on data provided to Agri-Pulse under the Freedom of Information Act, the Natural Resources Conservation Service now employs about 5,000 people a year who work for partner organizations. 

Partnership staff are integral to the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s strategy to meet an expected surge in demand for conservation planning and design work after seeing a $19.5 billion infusion into conservation programs through the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating farm equipment giant John Deere over its repair practices, according to a civil investigative demand (CID) newly made public.

The goal of turning corn ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel is a little closer with the announcement that Gevo has secured a conditional, $1.46 billion loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. It’s the department’s first such commitment for an alcohol-to-jet fuel facility. 

USDA estimates nearly 1.2 million households could be eligible for disaster SNAP benefits following Hurricane Helene. 

Farmers and agriculture departments in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota have spent the past few weeks scrambling to figure out what to do with roughly 2 million chickens left behind by Pure Prairie Poultry, which stopped paying for feed on Sept. 30 amid financial struggles that ended with the plant being shuttered.