Photo by Kirsten Bühne/Pexels image Chickens: The Early Livestock Staple of Pioneer Farms Cattle and hogs are widely recognized today as major livestock staples on American farms and ranches. However,…
Robert McCormick and the Birth of American Agricultural Innovation
…grain into flour, providing an essential staple for the farm and its surrounding community. Robert McCormick and the Birth of American Agricultural Innovation The McCormick farm also raised sheep, which…
Ticks to Tech: The Evolution of Cattle Ear Tags
A Persistent Pest Problem in the Mid-20th Century In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, cattle producers across the southern United States faced a major challenge: the Gulf Coast…
HELP Act Would Aid Livestock Transporters
NCBA Supports Bill to Ease Livestock Hauling Mandates The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is voicing strong support for the Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection (HELP) Act, a new bill…
USDA Pays Millions to California Dairies Amid Bird Flu Milk Losses
…2024. The virus has infected cattle and caused severe declines in milk production across the region. Report by Lorrie Boyer for AgNet West: USDA Pays Millions to California Dairies Amid…
USDA July Cattle Report Reveals Continued Decline in Herd Size
…AgNet West: USDA July Cattle Report Reveals Continued Decline in Herd Size National Cattle Inventory Down 1.3% As of July 1, 2025, the total number of all cattle and calves…
AgNet News Hour Tuesday, 07-29-25
…BSE (mad cow disease) concerns, American beef is now welcomed back under new science-based guidelines. This is a huge development for U.S. cattle producers and represents a growing trust in…
Red Meat Production Slips in June as Beef Output Declines
…Live Weights Increase The number of cattle slaughtered in June fell by 4% to 2.43 million head. However, live cattle weights increased by 26 pounds year-over-year, reaching an average of…
Australia Reopens Market to U.S. Beef After 20-Year Ban
Historic Breakthrough for American Beef Producers For the first time in two decades, American cattle producers will now be able to export fresh and frozen beef to Australia. The National…
Ground Beef Prices Hit Historic Highs Amid Supply Chain Strains
…reduction in U.S. cattle herds, a consequence of multi-year drought conditions spanning from 2021 to 2022. Courtney Schmidt, sector manager at the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, notes that the industry…
Tariff Disrupts U.S.-Brazil Beef Trade
…uncertainty has already led to a sharp reduction in cattle purchases by Brazilian meat companies. Brazilian Market Response The announcement has disrupted Brazil’s cattle market, as exporters pull back on…
Nick Foglio on Hay Markets, Water Scarcity, and the Future of California Ag
…hundredweight—and bolstered by a strong beef market. Yet replacement cattle remain expensive, and many operations lack the in-house heifer programs to meet demand affordably. Foglio noted some dairymen are paying…
Beef Industry Backs USDA Farm Security Plan
…Security Plan Ongoing Threats to U.S. Cattle Production According to Woodall, cattle producers are under constant threat from foreign animal diseases and invasive pests—challenges that are often invisible to those…
Boosting Beef Demand Through Sustainability and Consumer Trust
…good thing for the cattle producer.” The Power of Sharing the Producer’s Story Nichols also encourages cattle producers to be proactive in telling their stories. While it might seem like…