Agriculture

Legislation in Congress would expand a federal grant and loan program that helps producers of biofuels and other biomanufactured products build and expand their facilities.

The United States has imported $20 billion more in agricultural products than it exported — putting the sector on pace to run a record deficit. A look at what’s behind the numbers.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture report found “socially disadvantaged producers,” especially Black farmers, operate at a higher risk level compared to their white counterparts and are less likely to receive government payments.

The agriculture department’s annual projections show a slowing economy and lower crop prices for the upcoming year. The USDA also looks ahead to the next decade, showing rising crop yields but a competitive job market.

The holiday season is evergreen trees’ time to shine. But one tree — the eastern redcedar — has come to be considered a nuisance as it spreads across the Great Plains.

Over 100 billion pounds of food goes to waste every year in America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to Food Bank is trying to cut down on that waste by connecting local farmers and food pantries, but its future depends on how much funding is included for the program in the next farm bill.

Meteorologists and climatologists often have a tough job explaining climate change to the public, especially in places where audiences may be more skeptical of the science. In the Midwest and Great Plains, strong resistance has pushed some out of the field.

As some states move to put stricter regulations on the meat and eggs sold within their borders, the agricultural industry and lawmakers are figuring out how to respond. That’s after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld California’s law earlier this year on animal confinement for pork sold in the state.

A new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children was underutilized. In 2021, it served only about half the number of people that qualified.

Farmers got a slightly smaller percentage of what consumers spent on food last year than the year before, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In most cases, Thanksgiving staples return cents on the dollar to farmers.