A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

Every two years, the United States Championship Cheese Contest is held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The "Dairy State" has hosted the biennial competition since 1981, where entries are evaluated by judges from across the nation. While Wisconsin cheesemakers had an impressive showing this year, taking home 54 "Best of Class" awards, the most prestigious honor of U.S. Champion Cheese was ...
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Today, we officially celebrate "National Ag Day." In addition, this is also "National Ag Week." The celebration this year runs March 18-22. The theme for National Ag Day 2025 is “Agriculture: Together We Grow.” Both celebrations are about recognizing - and celebrating - the contributions of farmers and agriculture in our everyday lives. It was back in 1973 when the ...
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New Zealand startup “BioLumic” is ready to bring its light-treated seeds to market. The company earlier this month launched its first commercial “Trait Activation System” (aka xTrait), at Gro Alliance’s seed production facility in Cuba City, Wisconsin.The BioLumic xTrait platform uses UV light to regulate genetic expression. That’s right, they just use light - no genetic modification necessary. Unlike traditional ...
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Recently appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has instructed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to tighten food safety rules. The move could eliminate a key provision that allows companies to self-affirm that food additives are safe, which could have far reaching implications for the entire U.S. food supply chain.The rule in Kennedy’s ...
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The rules around E15 continue to be more complicated than seems necessary. Some Midwestern states are permitted to sell the 15% ethanol blended fuel year-round thanks to special waivers, while others pull E15 from pumps during the summer. Farm state leaders and industry stakeholders that have long sought to allow year-round E15 nationwide are once again calling on Congress to ...
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A piece of Texas agricultural history is on the market as heirs to the “Big Valley Pecan Farm” decide to write a new chapter. The 2,650 acre property, listed for $25 million, has been growing pecans for some 70 years, a venture started by Obadiah Leonard as a side-project to his main department store business, the eponymous “Leonard Brothers.”Listed by ...
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At the Winter Policy Conference for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, members passed an action item supporting the United Nations’ resolution declaring 2026 (next year) as the ” International Year of the Woman Farmer.” NASDA says the action “acknowledges the vital contributions of women farmers and supports programs that enhance access to critical tools and opportunities. NASDA ...
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Boston-based Brown Foods, a Y Combinator-backed startup company, has unveiled “UnReal Milk,” reportedly the first lab-made whole cow milk. The company says its “milk” matches the taste, texture and nutrition of conventional cow’s milk, and also can be transformed into butter, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products — without the cows.According to its founders, UnReal Milk is made by ...
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Ongoing cattle herd contraction and the continued struggles of the poultry industry - particularly egg producers - against bird flu are two prominent themes set to impact the livestock industry in 2025, according to USDA’s Agricultural Outlook for Livestock and Poultry. One positive takeaway is an expected decline in feed prices, continuing the trend that began in 2023. Below are ...
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Virtual Soil Testing (VST) continues to make inroads, providing farmers and agronomists with rapid, data-driven insights into soil nutrient levels without the need for extensive physical sampling. This innovative technology offers a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional soil testing methods. VST employs machine learning models to predict both surface and subsurface nutrient levels, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and ...
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