Spencer Chase

Oscar Gonzales has a new role at the Department of Agriculture, and there are new faces at several key food and ag positions in Washington.

The dairy industry is teaming up with a major agribusiness and an environmental group to “develop a replicable program and toolset to scale the adoption of best management practices in feed/forage production and feed efficiency.”

A new analysis of Department of Agriculture data shows the average price for beef in grocery store shopping carts hit an all-time high in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic reshaped consumer behavior and eating trends.

About a year after the onset of the most pronounced economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, consumer spirits are back to where they were before the virus hit American shores.

Producers of conventional and cultured seafood products are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to make sure consumers know what they’re buying once products ultimately hit the market.

Exports of American beef and pork were lower in the first month of 2021, a result the U.S. Meat Export Federation says is due to “COVID-related obstacles and significant transportation and labor challenges.”

The Biden White House has hired Wisconsin native Kelliann Blazek as a special assistant to the president for agriculture and rural policy.

On Tuesday, Vilsack took part in a wide-ranging interview with Agri-Pulse from his home in Iowa, touching on subjects ranging from helping farmers through the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the “cumulative effect of discrimination over a long period of time.”

Leaders of the American Soybean Association tasked the organization with action on climate, conservation and trade policy as part of the group’s recent policy process.