USCA Reiterates Dire Concerns of Forced and Child Labor in Meat Processing

In light of the Department of Labor’s agreement with JBS USA Food Co. to address child labor, the United States Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) reiterated their commitment to challenging exploitation a...

Governor Gianforte Selects Jillien Streit to Lead Montana Department of Agriculture

Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the appointment of Jillien Streit as Director of the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA). Streit currently serves as the financial controller at Flat Acre F...

American Lamb Board Focused On Helping Sheep Producers Profitably Grow Their Operations

One of the groups meeting this week here at the American Sheep Industry Association's Annual Convention in Scottsdale, AZ is the American Lamb Board. ALB Chair and Kansas producer Jeff Ebert says that...

American Lamb Board Release 2024 Annual Report

The American Lamb Board is committed to sharing the story of American Lamb with consumers through targeted marketing initiatives and strategic partnerships. In 2024, ALB launched a series of successfu...

ASI President from Wyoming says New Farm Bill Top Priority for 2025

This week, Scottsdale, Arizona is once again hosting the American Sheep Industry Association Annual Convention.
ASI president and Wyoming rancher Brad Boner says like other industry organizations pass...

Federal Trade Commission Sues John Deere Over Right to Repair

The Federal Trade Commission today, along with the Illinois and Minnesota Attorneys General, sued agricultural equipment manufacturer Deere & Company (Deere) over its use of unfair practices that have...

MSU Rodeo Team Selected for Presidential Inaugural Parade

January 14, 2025 The Montana State University (MSU) Rodeo Team has been honored with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C., on Januar...

CPW ag reps vote against ag groups

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission met this week in Denver and heard over 100 comments, many attacking ranchers, about the petition filed to pause further wolf releases in the state until the...

USDA Expects More Winter Wheat in 2025

Planted winter wheat area for harvest in 2025 is estimated at 34.1 million acres, up 2% from 2024 but down 7% from 2023. A record-low planted area is expected in Utah. Seeding of the 2025 acreage was...

NWSS junior livestock shows' new home in 2026

The livestock shows will move to their new home in the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center in The Yards. The 30-acre facility will host events year-round, including the green carpet the junior marke...

Legal Battle Over Beneficial Ownership Rule Intensifies as GOP States Defend Injunction

The attorneys general for 25 Republican-led states have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court defending a court injunction against enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act and the law's requi...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Denies Grizzly Bear ESA Delisting

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a new and comprehensive approach to long-term grizzly bear recovery in the lower 48 states and the concerns of those living with and near bears. The Se...

Potato Growers Applaud USDA Increase in Payment Limitations to $900,000 for Aid to Specialty Crop Growers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that specialty crop producers have an additional two days to apply for assistance to help offset higher marketing and production costs. Most not...

DNR: Colorado meets compact obligations for Republican River

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources announced Monday that the state has met its obligation to take out of irrigation some 10,000 acres of farmland on the south fork of the Republican River.

American Lamb Summit Headed for Idaho in July

The American Lamb Summit is scheduled for July 22-25, 2025, at the University of Idaho. This biennial industry event addresses critical strategies to improve the sheep industry’s competitiveness and p...

Bureau of Land Management Finalizes Western Solar Plan

The BLM has finalized their Western Solar Plan, to expand the 2012 plan to now include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The updated Western Solar Plan identifies more than 31 million ac...

Take a Bite Out of the Bison - Slider Recipe for Bobcat Fans

December 30, 2024 -
As the Montana State University Bobcats get ready to take on the North Dakota State Bison in the FCS Championship Football game, it’s time to prep the perfect game day snack. Whet...

NFU Remembers President Jimmy Carter, Last Farmer to Occupy White House and Farmers Union Award Recipient

National Farmers Union (NFU) today expressed condolences to the Carter family on the passing of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. Carter, the most recent farmer to occupy the Whit...

Court Ruling Again Halts Corporate Transparency Act, Offering Temporary Relief for Cattle Producers

December 29, 2024 In a surprising turn of events, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), granting cattle producers and...

Santa’s Reindeer Cleared For Arrival in Montana

December 23, 2024 - The Montana Department of Livestock has received a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for Santa’s reindeer, and they are cleared for arrival on rooftops and lawns across Mo...

Funding Bill: What did Congress Include for Agriculture?

December 22, 2024- The legislation also includes more than $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in economic aid to farmers, as well as extension of the farm bill through Sept. 30, 2025. Overal...

Corn Growers Win Dispute with Mexico Over GM Corn Ban

In a major win for the nation’s corn growers, a dispute panel ruled today that Mexico violated its commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement when it issued a decree that banned genet...

U.S. Congresswoman Boebert Calls on Haaland to Update RMPs, Pause Additional Colorado Wolf Releases

In a letter sent Dec. 13, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert insisted that the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and other offices that operate under Federal Land Policy and Management...

Thriving in Uncertainty: Beef Demand and Cattle Prices

December 15, 2024 - Dr. Nevil Speer, a renowned industry consultant, shared his insights on the state of beef demand, tightening cattle supplies, and the critical role of global trade.

Stockgrowers Launches Leadership, Legacy and the Land Video Series in Partnership with Stockman Bank

December 13, 2024 - The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA), in partnership with Stockman Bank and Western Ag Network, today launched a new video series Leadership, Legacy and the Land which showc...

High number of lost and stolen cattle in western Colorado

In western Colorado, an unusually large number of cattle have turned up missing this fall and five producers have reported lost or stolen cattle to brand inspectors. According to Colorado Brand Commis...

Biden Administration Wants to Protect Monarch Butterfly With Endangered Species Act

The Biden administration wants to protect the monarch butterfly and has proposed listing it as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, announcing on Tuesday the opening of a public hear...

Will Winter’s Wrath be Unleashed in 2025?

December 9, 2024 - Lane Nordlund sits down with agricultural meteorologist Brian Bledsoe who shares a forecast into what farmers and ranchers can expect across the western U.S. in 2025.

Ag's Global Game: Trade and Trends with Gregg Doud

December 9, 2024 - During the 140th Montana Stockgrowers Association Annual Convention, attendees were treated to an impressive lineup of speakers, including former U.S. Trade Representative for Agric...

RMFU Convention in the books

Franke said there was ample discussion about President elect Trump’s nominations for his cabinet, including the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec. of the Interior North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Federal Judge in Texas Blocks Federal Corporate Reporting Rules

A federal court in Texas has blocked rules for the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), including the provisions that required farmers, ranchers and other businesses to provide their ownership informatio...

Biden Administration proposes 7,700-sq. miles in Colorado for critical lynx habitat

The proposed critical habitat rule is subject to a public comment period through Jan. 28, 2025. The Southern Rockies proposal includes portions of the following counties: Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee,...

Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Declines – Remains Higher Than Pre-Pandemic Levels

Cooking a Thanksgiving feast for your friends and family will cost less than last year but will still be more expensive than before the pandemic. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 39th annual Than...

Minnesota Turkeys Pardoned by President Biden

National Turkey Federation (NTF) Chairman John Zimmerman presented the National Thanksgiving Turkeys named Peach and Blossom to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today during the National Thanksgiving Tu...

U.S. Halts Mexican Cattle Imports Due to New World Screwworm

Given the severity of the threat from NWS, APHIS has restricted the importation of animal commodities, including live cattle, from or transiting Mexico effective immediately. USDA eradicated NWS from...

Trump Names Policy Leader Brooke Rollins As USDA Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named Brooke L. Rollins as the country's next Secretary of Agriculture. A native of Texas, Rollins, 52, is the founder and CEO of the America First Policy Inst...

UW Sheep Program Launches Sheep Innovators Exchange to New Zealand for Young Ranchers and Entrepreneurs

The University of Wyoming Sheep Program, in partnership with the Wyoming Wool Initiative, Wyoming Business Council, and the UW Global Engagement Office, has recently created a program entitled “Sheep...

Celebrating Leadership: Montana Farm Bureau ACE Graduates 2024

November 18, 2024 - The Montana Farm Bureau Federation celebrated the Class of 2024 graduates of their ACE (Advocate. Communicate. Educate) Leadership Program.

Stabenow Releases Last Minute Farm Bill

November 18, 2024 - Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on Monday released the text of the farm bill she hopes can get through Congress before the end of the year and pus...

Farm Progress Announces Return of Clint Peck to BEEF

Farm Progress and BEEF are excited to announce that after a 14-year hiatus, Clint Peck returns to BEEF, focusing on global markets, beef demand and production expertise. His journalism career began as...

Illinois Farm Bureau Ousted by AFBF

The Illinois Farm Bureau sued the American Farm Bureau Federation on Wednesday after the national group voted to oust the Illinois chapter and its 70,000 farmer members. The lawsuit seeks to halt the...

Lion hunting opponents focus on upcoming CPW Commission in Lamar

Despite the significant loss at the ballot box and previous efforts at the State Legislature and CPW Commission, proponents of the measure to ban lion hunting have pivoted their focus back to the CPW...

Agriculture Advocate Thune to Lead Senate GOP

November 13, 2024 - In the agricultural sector, Thune has been a steadfast advocate for farmers and ranchers, particularly in his home state of South Dakota.

Trump Picks Former NY Rep. Zeldin to Head EPA

Lee Zeldin has been selected as the next administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday. Zeldin is a former Republican congressman from New...

Interior Department Proposes Strengthened Protections for Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat

The Department of the Interior announced today that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has published proposed updates to strengthen conservation and management of greater sage-grouse habitat on publi...

IRS Extends Relief to Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by Drought

The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance providing tax relief for farmers and ranchers in applicable regions forced to sell or exchange livestock because of drought conditions. The tax relie...

Slaughterhouse, Fur, Lion Hunting Bans All Rejected by Colorado Voters

The management of big cats will remain in the hands of the wildlife biologists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The proposed mountain lion and bobcat hunting ban passed in only six counties —Arapahoe,...

U.S. Ag Organizations Congratulate President-Elect Trump

U.S. agriculture organizations are congratulating President-Elect Donald Trump after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday's Election.

National Wheat Yield Contest 2024 Winners

The National Wheat Yield Contest has announced the 26 national and 94 state winners for 2024-the ninth year of the contest. This year’s contest had 516 entries, the most ever. “The new website, along...

USDA Implementing Bulk Milk Testing to Curb Spread of H5N1 in Dairy Herds

USDA is planning to test raw bulk milk nationally for the H5N1 bird flu virus because of the growing number of cases during the past month in California dairy herds and the finding of a different stra...

Matsushima's story bound for classrooms in expanded program

Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom will be bringing the story of Dr. John Matsushima to classrooms this spring. Written by Western Ag Network's Rachel Gabel and illustrated by Liz Banman Munstertei...

Excitement Grows for 2024 Montana Ag-Tech Innovation & Investment Summit in Bozeman

October 30, 2024 - The 2024 Montana Ag-Tech Innovation & Investment Summit is set to take place on November 6, drawing together a dynamic blend of agriculture, technology, and investment leaders to Mo...

Cattlewomen Wrap First Round of Filming Pasture Gate to Dinner Plate Video

The Logan County (Colorado) Cattlewomen have presented their Steve the Steer beef byproducts lesson and their Flat Rancher program in schools across the region to supplement agriculture education in e...

All Eggs Sold In Colorado Starting in 2025 Will Be Cage Free

Starting January 1, 2025, all eggs sold in Colorado must be from a cage-free facility. All egg producers in Colorado housing more than 3,000 egg-laying hens will need to comply with the requirements o...

Still Time for to Enroll in Climate-Smart Grant Producer Program

The American Lamb Board (ALB) has received a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant to measure the benefits of targeted sheep grazing on carbon sequestration, soil health, and related ecosystem services...

McDonald's Sliced Onions Suspected in E. Coli cases

An E. Coli outbreak in Colorado and Nebraska is being tied to McDonald’s, and some menu items have been removed temporarily while an investigation takes place.

NCBA Slams Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Recommendations

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) slammed the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s unhinged recommendations that propose replacing high-quality proteins like beef with beans,...

Conservation Reserve Program Acreage is Highest in a Decade

Total acreage enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is now the highest level in a decade as the program evolves and focuses more on grazing acres than at any time in its history. Checks f...

BLM Seeks Nominations for Public Lands Rule Advisory Committee

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations for a new Federal advisory committee that will help inform how the Bureau implements the Public Lands Rule. The Committee will advise on outreach a...

Thousands of Farmers Could Unknowingly Face Federal Fines or Jail Time

Time is running out for thousands of farmers who may face steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file their businesses with the federal government. Jan. 1, 2025, is the deadline to file Ben...

Colorado FFA adds auctioneering CDE contest, camp

Colorado FFA students may now add auctioneering to their Career Development Event lineup. The Colorado FFA Auctioneering CDE Camp and Contest at the National Western Meat and Greet in Denver on Nov. 1...

Angus Tour Highlights Montana’s Global Genetic Impact

Last month, the 50th annual Montana Angus Tour drew over 400 attendees to central Montana, including a notable delegation of 37 participants from Austria, Finland, Estonia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. West...

Bioceres Affirms Commitment to U.S. Biotechnology Commercialization Principles

October 10, 2024 - In its public statement following USDA’s deregulation of the HB4® drought-tolerance trait from Bioceres Crop Science on Aug. 29, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) noted that it would cont...

NRCS Sets Conservation Program Funding Application Dates

October 10, 2024 - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Reg...

NCGA President Calls for Action During Meeting at White House

October 9, 2024 - National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Kenneth Hartman Jr. today told Biden administration officials that farmers are living through difficult economic times, but the adm...

McDonald's Files Lawsuit Accusing Beef Giants of Price Manipulation

October 9, 2024 - McDonald's alleges Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods and other companies conspired to fix beef prices by limiting supplies starting in January 2015, in a new lawsuit filed in a federal court...

Cattle Producers Slam Biden-Harris Administration for Holding “Pep Rally” as Producers Face Hurricane and Fire Damages

October 8, 2024- White House Organizes a “Pep Rally” While Producers Face Hurricanes and Fire Damages.

Let ASI Know About Your Shearing School

October 7, 2024 - The American Sheep Industry Association is excited about upcoming shearing schools that will take place this fall and in the spring of 2025. The schools provide an important opportun...

The Big Reveal on Montana Wheat and Barley Variety Surveys

October 4, 2024 - Every year, the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee (MWBC) funds the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Montana wheat and barley variety surveys. The 2024 report released i...

Survey on Wolf Depredation Compensation

October 2, 2024 - Oregon State University’s (OSU) Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences is seeking input from livestock producers to understand their perspectives on wolf-livesto...

Montana Farmers Union President Calls Out Congress for Lack of Responsibility to American Farmers

October 1, 2024 - Congress has unnecessarily left farmers in limbo as they wait for either a reauthorization or yet another extension of the Farm Bill, Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitze...

USDA Releases Small Grains Summary

October 1, 2024 - All wheat production totaled 1.971 billion bushels in 2024, up from the 2023 total of 1.811 bb. All wheat yield came in at 51.2 bushels per acre, up from 48.7 bushels from 2023.

Tractor Tuesday Boosts Collegiate Athletes from Ag

Under the NIL rule, athletes can be essentially paid by companies wishing to use their name, image, and likeness. Zach Bosle at Farm Athletes is a former collegiate athlete and was a walk on, as many...

Public Lands Council is Invaluable to Ranchers

September 23, 2024 - Since 1968, the Public Lands Council has actively represented the cattle and sheep producers who hold public lands grazing permits. During the PLC's annual meeting in Grand Juncti...

BLM Announces Winners of the 2024 Rangeland Stewardship and Innovations Awards

September 19, 2024 - This week during the PLC Annual Meeting in Grand Junction, Colo., the Bureau of Land Management announced the winners of the 2024 Rangeland Stewardship and Rangeland Innovations a...

Public Lands Council Advocating for Western Ranchers

September 18, 2024 - The Public Lands Council Annual Meeting is underway in Grand Junction, Colo. This week, ranchers from across the West who utilize America's public lands for grazing are discussing...

Farmers Hope for Interest Rate Relief as Operating Loan Demand Climbs

September 17, 2024 - The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut interest rates for the first time since its inflation battle began in 2022, but what's uncertain is the size of the cut, whether it's...

New Lawsuit by Environmentalists Targets Malathion

September 16, 2024 - A final biological opinion that led to national restrictions on the pesticide malathion is the target of a new lawsuit filed this week that alleges the decision by the U.S. Fish a...

Ranchers ask feds to manage Colorado wolves, another wolf dead

“It is very evident that Gov. Polis is at the helm of all decisions regarding wolf management. Recent comments by the first gentleman on his Facebook reinforce what is already known, that management d...

Nebraska's Blackshirt Feeders poised to be most environmentally friendly in world

“I had just returned home from Kazakhstan and was planting corn when the idea for Blackshirt Feeders was hatched,” he said. “I had just gotten back from a trip all around the world and was literally i...

Harris and Trump Outline Agricultural Priorities In Farm Bureau Survey

September 13, 2024 - Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump revealed their priorities for American agriculture in responses provided by their campaigns to a questionnaire distr...

99th Montana Ram and 11th Montana Ewe Sale Results

September 12, 2024 - On September 11 and 12, Miles City hosted the Montana Ram and Ewe Sales at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds. The offering included over 400 commercial ewes, and 257 rams from consi...

Cattle Sale with a Cause: Supporting Duchenne Research

September 12, 2024 - On September 19, 2024 the Heaton family will be hosting their annual Calves to cure DMD cattle sale at Billings Livestock Commission to raise funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystroph...

Safeguarding American Soil

September 12, 2024 - Legislation seeks to tighten oversight on foreign attempts to purchase U.S. farmland, specifically targeting countries like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran.

Montana Rancher Promotes U.S. Beef on Trade Mission to Japan

September 11, 2024 - Potomac, Montana rancher Justin Iverson is currently in Japan on a beef trade mission with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, representing the Montana Beef Council.

National Farmers Union and USDA Announce Agreement to Strengthen FSA County-Level Operations

September 9, 2024 - National Farmers Union (NFU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address staffing levels and improve customer service...

South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson Requests Briefing on Chinese Drones

September 9, 2024 - U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) and twelve members of Congress asked the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security...

Up to $7,000 Available for Sheep Producers Selected for Climate-Smart Grant

September 5, 2024 - The American Lamb Board received a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant to quantify the impacts of targeted sheep grazing. The program is designed to measure and report carbon sequ...

The Producer Partnership Helping Remington Wildfire Victims

September 5, 2024 - The Producer Partnership would like to help the counties affected by the devastation the Remington fire has caused by picking up animals from ranchers that have been injured from t...

Checkerboard, Montana Hosts America's Smallest Labor Day Parade

September 4, 2024 - For over 30 years, the small community of Checkerboard, Mont. has held America's smallest parade as part of it's annual Labor Day weekend celebration. And this year's turnout of pa...

Wyoming Confirms Anthrax in Carbon County Cattle

September 4, 2024 - Anthrax has been confirmed in multiple beef herds located in Carbon County, Wyoming. This is the first confirmed anthrax in Wyoming cattle since the 1970s.

The Cattlemen's Wife: A Tribute to Babe Goggins

September 3, 2024 - A new documentary, "The Cattlemen’s Wife" recently debuted. The story centered around the life and legacy of Babe Goggins, wife of the late Pat Goggins, offers a unique glimpse int...

Kendra Santos Chronicles Heartbreaking Tragedy at Beutler Ranch

September 1, 2024 - Journalist Kendra Santos has reported on a devastating tragedy at the Beutler Ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma, where nearly 70 horses have died due to a catastrophic feed contamination...

DEKALB Partners with the Field of Dreams Movie Site

August 30, 2024 - DEKALB is proud to announce its new partnership as the official corn seed for the Field of Dreams movie site in Iowa. DEKALB corn surrounds the filming site of the iconic 1989 Field...

USDA Launches Online Debt Consolidation Tool

August 30, 2024 - The USDA is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm opera...

Auctioneer Randy Searer’s Battle for a New Liver: A Journey of Strength and Hope

August 28, 2024 - Auctioneer Randy Searer, diagnosed with end-stage liver failure in April 2024, has been placed on the liver transplant list after a series of medical tests and treatments. Despite th...

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Capturing and Relocating Depredating Wolf Pack

August 27, 2024 - Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced late last night that they will be rounding up the mating pair and three pups that make up the Copper Creek Pack. CPW said the capture and reloca...

U.S. Wheat Industry Applauds USDA Approval of Drought Tolerant Wheat Trait

August 28, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it plans to deregulate the HB4 drought-tolerant trait from Bioceres Crop Solutions. Access to drought-tolerant wheat like...

Wildfire Relief Fund: MT Stockgrowers Foundation Launches Donation Hub

August 27, 2024 - The Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) is seeking donations for its Wildfire Relief Fund to aid Montana livestock producers impacted by the devastating Remington Fire in southeast...

Western Ag Network Excited for New Television Partnership with Cowles Media

August 26, 2024 - Western Ag Network’s Russell Nemetz and Lane Nordlund are thrilled to announce they’ve accepted an invitation from Cowles Media to provide ag news on Wake Up Montana NonStop Local. B...