…historical markers of perseverance, expansion, and the American farming spirit. That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Sponsored Content Let’s Talk Livestock Risk Protection For Those Beef On…
USDA Unveils 7-Point National Farm Security Action Plan
…Action Plan. Announced by USDA Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the plan outlines seven key priorities aimed at protecting American farmland, food systems, and agricultural innovation from both foreign threats…
Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin Revolutionized American Agriculture
…that could clean cotton as fast as 50 people working by hand. This invention—the cotton gin—revolutionized cotton processing in the United States. The impact of the cotton gin on American…
Hilton Slams Solar on Farmland, Pledges Support for California Ag
…agriculture, energy policy, and how he plans to restore common sense to Sacramento. With growing frustration across the state’s ag community, Hilton’s remarks resonated as both a critique of current…
Border Closure Halts Livestock Trade Amid Screw Worm Threat
…the discovery of the New World screw worm in Mexico. The pest, located just 375 miles from the U.S. border, poses a grave threat to American cattle, bison, and horses….
John Deere’s Steel Plow Revolutionized Midwestern Farming
In today’s American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold takes us back to one of the most pivotal innovations in U.S. farming history—the invention of the steel plow. John Deere’s Steel…
AgNet News Hour Thursday, 07-10-25
…most vocal candidates in California’s upcoming gubernatorial race, Steve Hilton. It’s a high-energy episode packed with policy critiques, hard-hitting interviews, and a call to action for California’s farming communities. Hilton,…
American Butter Institute Challenges Country Crock “Butter” Label
The American Butter Institute (ABI) is raising serious objections to Country Crock’s new dairy-free butter alternative, arguing that the use of the term “butter” on the product’s label is misleading…
America’s First Turnpike Sparked Rural Expansion in 1794
Mark Oppold shares a fascinating piece of history in today’s American Agriculture History Minute—a look back at the first organized road improvement in the United States. America’s First Turnpike Sparked…
AgNet News Hour Wednesday, 07-09-25
…show is the USDA’s unveiling of the National Farm Security Action Plan. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins rolled out a sweeping federal initiative designed to safeguard U.S. agriculture from foreign…
Immigration Plan Proposed to Keep Undocumented Farm Workers
…his remarks, Trump suggested that farmers should be “put in charge” of determining which undocumented workers are essential to their operations and should be permitted to stay. The plan would…
“One Big, Beautiful Bill” Delivers Tax Relief for Ag Producers
…provision helps reduce capital gains taxes and simplifies the estate planning process, offering much-needed clarity and financial consistency for producers. Stability for Small Agricultural Businesses The bill permanently enshrines the…
Steamboats, Settlers Drove American Agriculture Westward
…million, an overwhelming 90% of Americans were farmers, forming the backbone of the nation’s economy and expansion. Steamboats, Settlers Drove American Agriculture Westward Just a decade later, wagon trains and…
Walnuts Deliver Year-Round Shelf Life, Says Jameson
…“When we put the dates on walnuts, as far as the shelf life, it’s over a year long,” said Jameson. He noted that major retailers often plan their walnut supply…