New World Screwworm enters the U.S.

NWS infestations were discovered just days apart on calves that grazed
roughly 5.6 miles from each another. (Photo via Hoosier Ag News) 

Despite ongoing efforts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Mexican government and on-the-ground teams along the U.S.-Mexico border, last week the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed two cases of New World screwworm in Texas livestock, reports Jennifer Carrico of Progressive Farmer. In both cases, the flesh-eating blowfly larvae were discovered in young calves about 6 miles apart in Zavala County, Texas.

After the second case was confirmed, Texas Governor Greg Abbott "issued an updated statewide disaster declaration for the NWS infestation," Carrico writes. At a news conference, Abbott encouraged the use of "all state resources to combat the NWS." Additionally, the executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission, Budd Dinges, reminded the public that NWS isn't a threat to consumer food safety but rather poses a threat to livestock production. 

In response to the infestations, APHIS has "deployed mobile response trailers, and sterile fly releases are underway with 2 million aerially and 4 million released on the ground per week," Farm Journal reports. "Movement control zones have been activated at a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) radius around each site."

Both NWS cases were found in Zavala, Texas, 
in red above. (Wikipedia map)

The discovery prompted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to place "temporary restrictions on livestock imports from Texas," reports C.J. Miller of Hoosier Ag Today. "Under the order, cattle, horses and other livestock that originated in Texas or were present in the state within 21 days before entering Canada will be denied entry."

Although the USDA intensified its battle to prevent the NWS from reentering the U.S. including banning Mexican livestock from entering the U.S. beginning in July 2025, some ranchers don't think the government's response was enough.

"On Friday, about 100 ranchers in mud-splattered boots and cowboy hats packed a small high school cafeteria for a Texas Animal Health Commission briefing on screwworm, peppering officials with questions and venting frustration over what they saw ​as a slow federal response,” reports Heather Schlitz of Reuters. 

Even as the USDA works to contain NWS infestations, they are likely to spread throughout the summer months, Miller reports. Prior to last week, the NWS hasn't been found in the U.S. for at least 60 years.

Quick hits: SS Edmund Fitzgerald mystery remains; internet carriers team up; complex beef pricing; what to wear for extreme-weather reporting

At 729-feet, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the longest ship traveling through the Great Lakes
before it was 'swallowed' by Lake Superior. (Wikipedia photo) 

It's still a story investigative reporters are exploring: What caused the massive SS Edmund Fitzgerald to sink 17 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin? "On November 9, 1975, the ship left Superior, Wisconsin, with more than 26,000 tons of taconite pellets aboard. By the next evening, Lake Superior had swallowed the Edmund Fitzgerald whole," reports Andrew Daniels of Popular Mechanics. "One answer may be the ship’s cargo hatches. Ric Mixter, who visited the Fitzgerald wreck in the 1990s, said that if he could return, he would take photos of every hatch clamp and investigate where the taconite ended up." Read Pop Mech's deep dive on the famous ship's final voyage here. Listen to Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad about the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald and its 29-member crew here. 

It's expensive for U.S. ranchers to increase their herds.
(Photo by Daniel Quiceno M, Unsplash)

Why can't farmers just raise more cattle so the price of beef will come down? "Ranchers say it's not that simple," reports Jack Dura of The Associated Press. "It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger. … The dwindling number of cattle is a key reason the average price of all uncooked ground beef in the U.S. was $6.86 per pound in March." Even with high beef demand and high prices, ranchers still have to consider the cost of adding to their herd. Livestock owners are already paying more for the cattle they do have because drought and wildfires have left ranchers no choice but to pay for additional feed and water to be delivered to herd sites. 

Despite efforts to get the entire country online, many U.S. residents still live in areas without internet access, but that problem could soon change. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Communications announced that they are "setting aside their differences and forming a joint venture that will help end wireless dead zones across the U.S., especially in rural and underserved areas," reports Connor Hart of The Wall Street Journal. "The companies said the initiative will help the U.S. extend its global leadership in wireless communications technology … "

Handwritting letters is good for the human brain.
(Photo by T.D. Aran, Unsplash)

Handwriting letters may seem more than a trifle old-fashioned, but revisiting the aged tradition of letter, pen and stamp can reap benefits. Elizabeth Passarella of The New York Times writes, "Research shows that writing by hand lights up multiple parts of your brain — areas that are associated with creativity, memory and your senses — in a way that emailing does not. … Unlike chatting, writing makes you slow down and decide which details of your life are meaningful enough to share." Readers interested in tips to get started with a letter-writing habit can click here.

Whether it's tornado, wildfire or hurricane season, journalists need to be ready to hit the natural disaster beat. But first, preparations need to be made, and extreme-weather reporter Judson Jones is here to help reporters look good no matter what Mother Nature blasts. "Shortly after returning from a trip to chase hailstorms, Jones gave me a rundown of his core outfit packing list that keeps him ready for any assignment," reports Kyle Fitzgerald of Wirecutter. "We talked about why the way he unpacks is as important as the way he packs, as well as the need to bring multiple hats." After years of trial and error, Jones has even found a jacket that keeps him dry during hurricane rain and winds and is stylish enough to wear to dinner post-storm reporting. Read his picks and tips here. 

The world loves American cheese and butterfat products.
(Photo by Edward Howell, Unsplash)

Global cheese and butterfat demand continues to climb, helping American dairy farmers slice off profits even as milk production continues to increase. Cheese exports in March broke records with "over 63,435 metric tons exported, which is an all-time high for single-month exports," reports Sarah Jungman of Dairy Herd Management. The 2026 gain represents a 29% jump in cheese exports over March of 2025. "Butterfat and anhydrous milk fat exports also set a single-month record at 17,074 metric tons shipped, 109.9% higher than March of 2025." During the first quarter of 2026, Mexico exported the largest chunk of American dairy products. 

Ag round-up: Nearly 70% of farmers can't afford fertilizer; union and JBS reach deal; real help for stressed farmers

Share of farmers unable to afford all required fertilizer. (American Farm Bureau Federation graph)

Nearly 70% of American farmers report they can't afford all the fertilizer they need this season because of increased input prices due to the war in Iran and an already stressed farm economy, according to an April survey of 5,700 farmers by the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Farmers in the Southern region reported the greatest difficulty securing fertilizer, with 78% unable to afford all needed inputs this season," reports Faith Parum of AFBF. "Producers in the Northeast and West also reported significant challenges, with 69% and 66%, respectively, unable to afford all required fertilizer, compared to 48% in the Midwest.”

In an effort to drill down into why fertilizer prices have increased so dramatically since 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is "working with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission on ongoing investigations into fertilizer and other agricultural input costs," reports Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden has "continued his criticisms about concentration in the fertilizer industry, calling out The Mosaic Company for announcing it will close phosphorus mines in Brazil. . . . Vaden argued the global market is signaling a need for more supply -- not less. He questioned why a major producer would scale back output under those conditions."

The Greeley plant can process roughly 6,000
cattle per day. (Photo by L. Angharad) 

The local union representing roughly 3,800 beef plant workers in Greeley, Colorado, and meatpacking giant JBS announced a new labor contract agreement early this week, reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. Beef plant workers went on strike on March 16, "seeking higher wages and other workplace changes. . . . The Colorado plant can slaughter about 6,000 cattle a day, representing roughly 5% of U.S. beef-processing capacity." The new agreement includes worker wage increases through 2027 and protects employees from having to pay for their own required protective equipment. The last slaughterhouse strike happened at a Minnesota Hormel plant in 1985. 

Despite the multiple pain points for American soybean farmers in 2026, some of the rising input costs and sinking soybean prices have evolved over the past several years -- only to be exacerbated by tariff levies and the war with Iran, report Eric Ferkenhoff of Lee Enterprises and Josh Kelety of The Associated Press. "Costs, such as equipment, have crept up over time while soybean prices have stayed low." Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer, told reporters, "Our biggest struggles are our inputs, be it fertilizer, seed, chemical or parts. There has been so much drastic markup in all of these. And I just kind of feel like the farmer’s kind of painted in the corner." Many Midwest soybean producers share Bartek’s worries.

Real Farmer Care wants to give farmers the means to
care for themselves. (Graphic by A. Dixon, Offrange)

Are you a farmer in need of some downtime? Do you know a stressed-out farmer who might be forgetting to care for themselves because they're tending to everything else? If either answer is yes, consider nominating yourself or another farmer-in-need-of-care for one of Real Farmer Care's $200 microgrants, writes Nicole Caruth for Offrange. "Think a stress-relieving massage, a pair of sturdy work boots, or just a dinner outing with friends. The grants are small, but can potentially have a big impact." From squeezing tariffs to eye-popping fertilizer costs, U.S. farmers are having a rough year. The brief nomination form is here. 

Meatpacker strike at one of the county's largest slaughterhouses continues as negotiations fizzle

JBS Foods is the leading beef producer in the world.

As nearly 3,800 JBS meatpackers at Swift Beef Company in Greeley, Colorado, remain on strike for the third week, the possibility of disruption to the U.S. beef supply and increased beef prices grows.

"Negotiations between the company and union representatives have stalled," reports Tony St. James for RDF TV. "The strike, which began on March 16, centers on allegations of unfair labor practices, wage concerns, and workplace conditions."

JBS is the nation's biggest beef supplier, and the Greeley plant is one of its largest slaughterhouses, which, in many cases, would bring JBS to the bargaining table to get workers back on the line. But in today's economy, where meatpacking companies have been losing money due to "excess slaughter capacity," JBS has little incentive to move negotiations forward, report Matthew Brown and Colleen Slevin of The Associated Press.

With the Greenly plant nearly shut down, and other slaughterhouse "capacity reductions — including the closure of a major Tyson Foods’ plant in Nebraska — JBS and other companies are seeing profits increase," AP reports.

The economic timing may mean the strike drags on until JBS sees some economic benefit to discussing any concessions. St. James writes, "Union officials say the company has not returned to the bargaining table, while workers are seeking higher wages that better reflect inflation. The dispute follows months of negotiations" in which JBS offered a 2% wage increase.

The last slaughterhouse strike happened at a Minnesota Hormel plant in 1985. AP reports, "That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters."

JBS beef meatpackers in Colorado plan strike over pay and company charges for protective equipment

JBS is the number one beef producer in the U.S.
(JBS photo)

American consumers are paying at or near record prices for beef, while nearly 3,800 workers at a JBS beef meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado, say little of the extra cash Americans are shelling out is going into their wallets, and they're planning to go on strike next week, reports Tom Polansek of Reuters.

The planned strike ‌"pits a workforce made up largely of immigrants against the world's largest meat company, and it has already driven ranchers to deliver cattle to alternate facilities," Polansek explains. "Meatpackers, including JBS, benefit from climbing prices but also must pay ​record costs to buy cattle to slaughter."

Despite livestock costs, JBS is still posting significant profits. Polansek notes, "JBS in November reported third-quarter profit of $581 million, ⁠down from $693 million a year earlier.

Kim Cordova, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union that represents workers in Greeley, told Reuters, "While customers are paying more than they ever have, none ​of that is trickling down to the frontline worker that's actually doing all the heavy work."

Cordova said JBS fails to adhere to labor laws and has "not negotiated fairly on a new contract over the past eight months," Polansek reports. She told Reuters that workers want a wage that helps them keep up with inflation, and they "want the company to ​stop charging them for replacing protective equipment they wear to do their jobs safely."

For now, JBS has denied Cordova's claims and is standing by its contract offer. JBS told Polansek, "It is strong, fair, and consistent with the historic national contract reached in 2025."

Meanwhile, cattle feeders are moving where they plan to sell their livestock. One feeder told Polansek, "We've ​got way more kill space than finished cattle ready ​to slaughter."

20% of beef purchases today are from "beef-on-dairy" cattle

Roughly 20% of beef purchased by U.S. consumers is from
beef-on-dairy cattle. (Photo by Austin Santaniello, Unsplash)

Many Americans may not know that about 20% of their beef today comes from beef-on-dairy cattle, Taylor Leach reports for Dairy Herd Management.

Beef-on-dairy, which originates from female dairy cattle being bred to male beef cattle, has allowed for improved, higher-quality calves that benefit the dairy, beef and consumer sectors, Leach explains.

While beef-on-dairy started out as just a mechanism for reproduction in dairy cattle, Leach reports, the genetic advantages have proven to aid in the beef industry long-term, causing farmers to be more intentional with their sire selection.

Three of the major genetic improvements found to make beef-on-dairy better resemble native beef cattle include “fertility and calving traits for dairies, feed efficiency and growth traits for feedyards, carcass merit and consistency traits for the packers," Leach reports.

Not only is beef-on-dairy a better process for farmers, but the beef has proven to be good for consumers as well. Over the past five years, Matthew Cleveland of ABS Global told Leach, the quality grade has continuously improved. “Back in 2021, these animals graded 80% Choice or better. Today they’re leveling at about 92% Choice.”

Nick Hardcastle of Cargill North America similarly told Leach that from a marbling perspective, about two-thirds of beef-on-dairy cattle could qualify for upper two-thirds Choice. He also said they’re “grading well, adding stability to supply and proving they can hold their own in a system that demands both consistency and performance.”

High beef prices are 'the new normal' for Americans

After years without profits, U.S. cattle ranchers resist
growing their herds. (Photo by K. Sikkema, Unsplash)

Even as U.S. consumers keep complaining about high beef prices and government officials, including President Donald Trump, have pressured cattle ranchers to lower their prices, American livestock owners have a message for both groups: Get used to paying more for red meat. Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal reports, "High prices are the new normal in the U.S. beef market."

Roughly five years ago, livestock owners were barely scraping by as they contended with high input prices, drought, wildfires and paltry payments from meatpacking companies. To cut costs, they reduced their herd sizes.

Now that beef prices have consistently risen, and consumer demand has remained robust, "ranchers are reluctant to erode their strongest profits in decades by increasing the size of their herds," Thomas explains. "As a result, the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest level in 75 years."

In January, "ground-beef prices were up 17% from a year earlier, compared with a 2.1% rise for all other groceries over that time," Thomas writes. Beef remains a protein favorite for many Americans who continue to purchase it despite price hikes.

Cattle ranchers, who are finally seeing some profits, have opted to channel money into long-stalled repairs and paying down debts. Other ranchers are investing in breeding plans "that could yield juicier steaks — and possibly land them bigger paydays," Thomas explains. But most don't plan to increase their herd sizes.

All told, U.S. consumers can expect to pay more for beef in the foreseeable future. Thomas adds, "Meatpacking companies have signaled that a smaller beef supply is here to stay."

Bulk-beef purchases require an investment, but they can help family grocery budgets, cattle farmers and butchers

Graphic by Adam Dixon, Offrange

Whether it's juicy burgers, a tender tri-tip roast, or the rich flavor of grilled steaks, many Americans love their beef. But affording red meat -- even ground beef -- has become trickier for many household budgets. For some families, purchasing a whole or part of an entire cow could be the answer to beef dinners that don't empty the grocery wallet, reports Emma Glassman-Hughes for Offrange. 

Today's meat industry has accustomed most U.S. consumers to choosing beef cuts from grocery store shelves lined with plastic-covered trays, offering a variety of cuts at a wide range of prices. "But with increasing social, political, and economic instability, some [experts] are predicting more Americans will attempt to insulate their pantries. . . by buying their meat in bulk directly from farmers," Glassman-Hughes explains. 

Bulk beef purchases cost more upfront, and consumers pay one price per pound for all cuts. However, the initial cost of half a cow (also known as a side of beef) can be $1,300, which can be cost-prohibitive, even though the price per pound ranges from $6.50 to $7.00, which is a significant savings for family grocery budgets. To offset the costs, some families opt to go in together when purchasing a side of beef and then divide the spoils. Sharing a side of beef purchase also helps consumers reduce the freezer storage space needed. 

A direct-sale bulk meat purchase also helps cattle producers and local economies. Michele Thorne, who heads up the nonprofit, the Good Meat Project, which focuses on helping Americans afford more ethically produced meat, told Offrange, “I enjoy supporting a local farm, because I know that my money is staying in the community, in the state."

While some cattle farmers handle the butchering for their customers, in more remote locations, cow-purchasing customers have to arrange their own butcher, which sometimes requires planning months in advance. Glassman-Hughes explains. "This country’s butchering industry has been shrinking for the last half-century, stretching the remaining butchers to their limits."

Even with the initial planning for upfront costs, freezer space and a butcher, the "experience of buying meat directly from a farmer instead of shrink-wrapped at the grocery store would seem to outweigh the negatives for many," Glassman Hughes adds. "Thorne believes that, if nothing else, buying directly from farmers and butchers goes a long way toward strengthening the overall community fabric."

Find step-by-step "buying half a cow" tips and instructions here. 

New World Screwworm inches closer to the Texas border; flesh-eating larvae can be deadly to cattle

Brahman cows graze near Mercedes, Texas, about 11 miles 
from the Mexico border. (Photo by J. Carrico, Farm Journal)

After a few months of reduced sightings, the New World Screwworm is making news again. "Mexican authorities confirmed an NWS case in a seven-year-old bovine and a 6-day-old calf both on Jan. 5," reports Jennifer Carrico of Progressive Farmer. Both infected animals were less than 220 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Despite efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Mexican authorities, NWS has inched closer to the Texas border. The parasite has spread north even as Mexico has strictly limited cattle movement across the country.

Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller told Carrico, "The screwworm now may be moving closer on its own, with no apparent link to commercial animal movement. Texas producers must act now -- stay informed, stay vigilant, and prepare immediately. We cannot drop our guard for even a moment."

NWS flesh-eating larvae can be deadly to cattle and other warm-blooded animals, including sheep, horses and dogs. Female NWS deposit their eggs in an animal's open wound, and once the larvae hatch, they eat away at the host's flesh, which can cause infection and decay. "The larvae can kill an animal in just four to seven days if not quickly detected and treated," reports Stump Denton of Farm Journal.

Since female NWS mate only once in a lifetime and store their fertilized eggs, releasing millions of sterile male NWS has been the best way to eradicate harmful larvae production. Carrico explains, "The USDA eradicated NWS from the United States in 1966 using the sterile insect technique, and it was used successfully again in 2016 in the southern Florida Keys when found in deer."

A sterile fly distribution facility at Moore Airbase in Edinburg, Texas, is expected to be up and running early this year.

Small Nebraska town tries to steady itself after Tyson Foods announces meat processing plant closure

The Tyson Foods beef processing plant in Lexington, Nebraska, wasn't just a slaughterhouse that offered good wages and steady employment; it was the rural town's hub. The company's announcement in November that it would be closing the plant due to financial losses in the meatpacking industry in early 2026 shocked the community," report Scott Calvert and Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. 

Once a town of roughly 6,600 residents, with a small Hispanic population, the 35-year-old Tyson plant helped Lexington's population grow and its demographics change. Calvert explains, "By 2000, its population rose to 10,000, half of them Hispanic, a share that now stands at 65%."

Once the plant closes later this month, an economic and social domino effect is likely to change the town again. "An exodus of residents would slash local school enrollment and the customer base for area businesses," the Journal reports. "Truckers, feedlot operators and cattle ranchers face hits to their bottom line without the Lexington facility." 

Location of Lexington within Nebraska 
and Dawson County (Wikipedia map)

Lexington’s city manager, Joe Pepplitsch, remains optimistic that the town can rebound from Tyson's closure. He told the Journal, "There’s a hell of a lot of positives here."

Government officials want Tyson to retrofit or sell the plant. They don't want the sprawling buildings sitting idle. Calvert writes, "A Tyson spokeswoman said the company is assessing how it can repurpose the facility."

Some plant workers have already quit and relocated to work at the JBS meatpacking plant about 90 miles east in Grand Island, Neb., while others have taken packing positions at Sustainable Beef in North Platte, Neb.

Opinion: Virtual cattle fencing offers a multiple-benefit solution for ranchers and helps migrating wildlife

Ranchers can easily move herd grazing lands with an app. 
(NoFence photo)

Western ranches in the United States include thousands of miles of barbed wire fencing, which has both positive and negative effects. GPS fencing could help ranchers strike a healthier balance while cutting business costs, writes Bruce M. Beehler in his opinion for The Washington Post.

Rangeland fencing is "an important tool for managing herds, rotating grazing areas, protecting environmentally sensitive wetlands and stream corridors, and keeping cows off highways," Beehler points out. "But it’s also harmful to wildlife populations, including deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and elk, as well as game birds such as the greater sage-grouse."

The idea behind GPS-based virtual fences is similar to "Invisible Fence," which uses buried wire to keep dogs in their yards. Similarly, virtual cattle fencing "uses GPS, cellular technology and a mapping app that allows ranchers to draw cow-proof fence lines on their computer or tablet," Beehler explains.

While the new system requires an initial investment in collars and cell service to install, Beehler believes it offers ranchers enough benefits to justify the initial price tag. For one, they won't have to repair nearly as much fencing, which is time-consuming and expensive for farmers and tax payers. 

For wildlife, removing barbed wire fencing from migration corridors will prevent animal suffering and death. Beehler adds, "One study in Montana found that, on average, one wild ungulate got tangled in fencing every 2.5 miles of fencing per year."

While the system is designed to keep herds within designated grazing lands, it offers a huge secondary benefit. Beehler writes, "With a glimpse at the mapping app, ranchers can see the exact location of every one of their cows in real time."

Virtual fencing collars could be replaced with ear tags.
(Photo by Chad Boyd via USDA)

Virtual fencing won't replace all physical fencing, "especially along highways and to keep bulls from wandering into a neighboring herd," Beehler explains. 

But for every mile of barbed wire that virtual fencing replaces "costs will decline. . . and as a result the annual cost of maintaining a herd will fall, increasing profit margins," Beehler adds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers more insight on virtual fencing benefits for farmers, the environment and wildlife here. 

Tyson Foods plans to shutter one of the country's biggest beef processing plants in rural Lexington, Nebraska

The Lexington plant could process 5,000 head of cattle
per day. (Tyson photo)

Even with national beef prices at historic highs, Tyson Foods was still losing millions from its massive processing plant in rural Lexington, Nebraska. To stem its losses, Tyson announced  plans to close the facility "at a time when a cattle shortage in the U.S. squeezes meatpacking companies," reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. 

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, "blasted the decision," reports Cindy Gonzalez of the Nebraska Examiner. Fischer told reporters, “As the single largest employer in Lexington, Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region and our state." The plant employs nearly 3,000 people, and the small town has roughly 10,300 people.

While Tyson is the biggest of the four meatpacking companies that process 85% of beef in the U.S., it will be the first "to close a major plant during the current cattle supply crunch," Thomas explains. "Meatpackers have been losing hundreds of millions of dollars processing beef because of the lowest amount of cattle on U.S. pastures since the 1950s."

The announcement comes after months of pressure from the Trump administration to lower beef prices for consumers. Thomas writes, "President Trump said earlier this month that the Justice Department was investigating the meatpacking companies for conspiring to drive up prices."

Tyson also announced it is "moving its Amarillo, Texas, beef plant that can slaughter about 6,000 cattle a day to a single shift, down from two shifts a day," Thomas adds. The Nebraska plant could slaughter nearly 5,000 cattle per day. Tyson's plant closure and Texas shift change could further tighten U.S. beef supplies and push grocery store beef prices higher.

U.S ranchers and GOP lawmakers in farming regions denounce Trump administration plans to import beef

Many American ranchers see Argentina beef as a major
competitor. (Carol Highsmith's America photo)

American cattle ranchers and GOP members from farming states have a beef with President Donald Trump's plan to import meat from Argentina to help decrease U.S. beef prices.

Several GOP senators were "completely blindsided by the president’s announcement that he was looking into a deal with one of American ranchers’ biggest competitors," report Meredith Lee Hill and Rachel Shin of Politico. "Those GOP lawmakers are now facing intense blowback from angry ranchers and beef trade groups."

In her social media post, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer wrote, "The U.S. has safe, reliable beef, and it is the one bright spot in our struggling ag economy. Nebraska’s ranchers cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they’re just getting ahead or simply breaking even."

Other livid GOP members point out that the beef deal with Argentina wasn't a good way to solve grocery store beef prices and that Trump's plan did not "put America first."

While Trump touted Argentinian beef imports as an immediate way to lower beef costs for U.S. consumers, Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled "plans to open up new lands for cattle ranching and support new beef processing plants as part of a broader effort to lower beef prices for consumers," reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "The effort would also include incentives for production of new, smaller processing plants."

Cattle ranchers concerned about Walmart’s impact on U.S. beef industry

Photo by Tyler Delgado, Unsplash

Walmart’s new beef processing plant in Kansas has raised concerns among cattle ranchers that Walmart “will soon look to drive down the price it pays for cattle,” John McCracken reported for Investigate Midwest.

The U.S. beef industry is already struggling. There is a dwindling domestic herd, and four companies control most of the nation’s supply of beef, which makes it hard for independent ranchers to remain in the market.

Additionally, America imports a large amount of beef from JBS, a Brazilian meat processing company, which just went public on the New York Stock Exchange. To Mike Callicrate, a rancher and an advocate for family farms, the entry of JBS into the American stock market is a sign that independent ranchers are going to go out of business.

Big companies, with no other competition, will be able to set the prices as they see fit, completely dominating the market.

An example of this was when Walmart opened a milk-processing plant in Indiana in 2018. As a result Walmart milk prices rose, according to former Walmart CEO of American stores Greg Foran.

“The writing is on the wall,” CEO Bill Bullard of R-CALF said in an interview with McCracken. “We will continue to see more ranchers exit the industry, and we will continue to see fewer cows in the U.S beef cow herd. Walmart is simply just another step in the road to fully integrated, industrialized food production.”

Closing the border for cattle trade hurts American and Mexican livestock managers

Cattle handlers on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border
are struggling. (Photo by Marc Hardy via Farm Progress)

The resurgence of the New World screwworm blowfly and its flesh-eating larvae over the summer prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to shut down live cattle trade between the U.S. and Mexico in July. The closed border has hobbled businesses in both countries.

Feedlot owners in Texas, who make their living caring for Mexican cattle after they pass through the U.S. port of entry, have seen their herd sizes and incomes dwindle. Jennifer Carrico of Farm Progress reports, "Mark Rogers, owner of Rogers and Sons, Ltd. Custom Cattle Feeders in Dimmitt, Texas, has fed Mexican cattle for over 25 years. The border closure has lowered his cattle number to 70% of the feedyard's capacity compared to a year ago."

On the Mexican side of the border, Omar Gonzalez, who is Rogers' cattle broker, is also struggling. He told Carrico, "Screwworm isn't a problem up here in the Northern Plains of Mexico, and now we are having to find a place to put these cattle that normally go to the U.S."

Mexican ranchers aren't just looking for lots to hold cattle, but also for corn to feed them and packing facilities, which have typically been managed once the cattle were in the U.S.

As long as the border remains shut, the "decrease in cattle coming to the U.S. not only affects the feedyards but many others in the industry," Carrico writes. "Those who find themselves out of a job include truckers, employees at the ports of entry and those who help expedite getting the cattle to the border on the Mexican side and to the feedyards on the U.S. side."

Business owners in the U.S. and Mexico worry that the border will remain closed. Rogers told Carrico, "I'm not sure what I will do or my neighbors (will do) if the border doesn't reopen."

U.S. ranchers finally see profits: Thin herds and high demand have beef prices climbing

There's no quick fix for low herd numbers pushing beef prices higher.
(Graph by Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University)

After years of hard work and economic struggle, U.S. ranchers are making bank on beef.  "Business hasn’t been this good for cattle ranchers in decades, maybe ever," reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "Cattlemen are now making a record profit of more than $700 per animal, up from $2 five years ago, according to some industry estimates."

Demand for beef is high and herd counts are at historic lows, creating a market where prices have surged for "everything from ground beef to steaks," Thomas explains. "Retail ground-beef prices set a record in August, up about 13% from the same month last year."

U.S. beef cattle numbers began shrinking during recent droughts that decimated grazing lands, and pandemic-era meatpacking backups. Ranchers couldn't afford their herds and opted to thin them to stem their losses.

Farmers are using their new income to reinvest in their herds, pay off debts and purchase more sophisticated equipment. But no one knows how long higher prices will continue. Thomas reports, "Executives of Tyson Foods and JBS — two of the world’s largest meat companies — have projected that cattle supplies could tick up in 2027 or 2028."

Some ranchers don't think increasing herd size is a good business model and are choosing to invest in better genetics instead of more cattle. Thomas writes, "The idea is to produce cattle that can yield juicier steaks — and fetch higher prices."

Texas cattle owners remain on 'high alert' as a human infection of New World screwworm is confirmed

A sterile male screwworm fly is numbered to study fly dispersal.
(USDA photo via PBS)

Despite focused efforts to prevent the flesh-eating New World screwworm parasite from entering the U.S., a human case of screwworm was confirmed on Sunday. The parasite was "detected in a person in Maryland who returned to the U.S. after traveling to El Salvador, according to the Department of Health and Human Services," reports Rebecca Falconer of Axios. 

While the HHS does not consider screwworms a significant threat to humans, American livestock farmers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are preparing for the parasite. Cassandra Garrison, Tom Polansek and Leah Douglas of Reuters report, "Industry cattle ranchers, beef producers and livestock traders [are] already on high alert for potential U.S. infestations as screwworm has moved northward from Central America and southern Mexico."

Since November, the USDA has worked with Mexico to contain the aggressive parasite from nearing the U.S.-Mexico border, including closing cattle trade ports and having massive sterile fly releases. Last week, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to build a sterile fly facility in Texas to combat screwworm infestations.

Most experts believe that Texas is the most likely place for screwworms to enter the country. Reuters reports, "The USDA has estimated a screwworm outbreak could cost the economy in Texas, the biggest U.S. cattle-producing state, about $1.8 billion in livestock deaths, labor costs and medication expenses."

For a more in-depth explanation of screwworms, click here.

A rural community bets on a beef slaughterhouse dedicated to changing the industry to attract American workers

The Sustainable Beef plant is the size of 10 football fields.
(Sustainable Beef photo)

In a bid to oust the slaughterhouse industry's bad reputation and attract American workers, Sustainable Beef opened a brand new plant in rural North Platte, Neb. 

The old rail town needed the financial lift and the "company believes the gleaming plant will appeal to locals who never would have considered doing such work," report Scott Calvert, Arian Campo-Flores and Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "Town officials are pinning their hopes on [the] slaughterhouse, which promises an economic jolt but represents a risky bet. . ."

A shiny building isn't the only benefit Sustainable Beef offers -- the company has upended some slaughterhouse mainstays to increase its appeal. "The facility’s single daytime shift lets employees attend their children’s sports games after work," the Journal reports. "The company touts ergonomic work stands and individual lockers — even the plentiful toilets are an upgrade from typical meat plants." Pay starts at $22 per hour, which is average for the area.

Even with its upgrades and no third shift, Sustainable Beef faces stiff competition, possible worker shortages and a tight beef market. The company is "taking on the Big Four meatpackers —JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef — that control 85% of the beef industry," according to the article. "Nebraska faces persistent labor shortages, as workers age out or leave. . . . Cattle herd sizes have hit a 75-year low."

Location of North Platte, Neb.
(Wikipedia map)

But the company's investors have a shared goal of giving the industry's "Big Four" a run for their money. The new plant is "the size of 10 football fields, aims to process 1,500 head of cattle daily, with most of the beef going to Walmart, a minority stake investor in the project," the Journal reports. "The plant expects to hire about 850 workers by year’s end, which would make it the city’s third-largest private employer."

Fearing the possibility of crime brought on by immigrant workers, some North Platte residents pushed against the deal, but city leaders planned for predictable changes. Calvert, Campo-Flores and Thomas write, "The city is offering developers incentives to build housing, and up to 2,000 units are in the pipeline. Schools are boosting English as a Second Language instruction. The police department has outfitted officers with portable translation devices."

WSJ's full story includes Sustainable Beef's colorful beginnings in North Platte and details on how this plant is pushing competitors to upgrade their employment offerings.

Ag updates: Celebrate Beef Month; handling farm stressors; 'regenerative' farming limits; what is 'acequia' irrigation?

"Round-up scenes in Belle Fouche" by John C. H. Grabill. (Library of Congress photo via Ag Clips)

May is National Beef Month, and possibly the best time to look back at the country's short but impactful cattle drive history, which began around 1866 and ended in the 1890s. "The biggest legacy of the cattle drives exists in popular culture. The cattle drives occurred in a time when the United States was shifting from an agrarian-based society to a more industrial and urban society," reports Morning Ag Clips. "Because of this shift, the cowboys and ranch life were looked on with nostalgia as 'simpler times,' and they became a popular subject for stories and songs."

With tariffs, weather, bird flu and hi-input costs, U.S. farmers are unsurprisingly stressed. Burnout and depression can easily follow emotions run ragged by an ever-changing commodities landscape. "This sort of chronic stress complicates decision-making and other aspects of managing a farm or ranch," reports Raylene Nickel for Successful Farming. "If you recognize signs of stress and burnout, do these six things to help yourself cope or recover: Take care of your physical self, surround yourself with good people, take charge of your thoughts, build spiritual capital, find ways to reduce stress, seek help. 

In a letter to Ford President and CEO Jim Farley, a coalition of U.S. corn growers asked Farley to reconsider the company's move away from flex fuel vehicle production and to "reengage in advancing renewable fuel technologies that support rural America," reports Jesse Allen for American Ag Network. "The letter highlights the critical role American-grown ethanol plays in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening energy independence, and supporting local economies."

Regenerative farming may not be as
"green" as it sounds. (New Lede photo)

"Regenerative" agriculture may be healthy farming's new buzzword, but food producers and buyers should be aware of the label's limitations. "Proponents of regenerative farming say the practice can mitigate harmful climate change, reduce water pollution, and make foods more nutritious as farmers focus on improving the health of soil, water, and ecosystems," reports Carey Gillam for The New Lede. "That momentum comes with a dirty dark side, according to a new report [that] asserts regenerative programs, which generally allow for the use of weedkillers and other chemicals, are being used to 'greenwash' routine use of several dangerous pesticides on farm fields. . . .Corporations that sell such pesticides are entwined with the movement. . ."

An illustration of how acequias work.
(Drawing by Jerold Widdison via Civil Eats)

Southwestern farmers grappling with arid conditions brought on by climate change revived the ancient 'acequia' irrigation system to address water shortage problems. "Time-tested solutions like this one could hold the key to mitigating the worst impacts of climate change, especially in rural communities," reports Samuel Gilbert for Civil Eats. "In the San Luis Valley, in south-central Colorado, 130 gravity-flow ditches irrigated 30,000 acres of farmland and 10,000 acres of wetlands." Devon Peña, founder of The Acequia Institute, told Gilbert, "This is an incredibly productive, resilient, and sustainable system."

A cold case of cows gone missing. So many are gone and rustling doesn't fully explain it.

The Uncompahgre Plateau includes about 2,290 square miles in five counties: Delta, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, and San Migue. The San Juan Mountains stand in the background. (PeakVisor photo)

When nearly 200 cows don't come home, ranchers expect to find evidence that points to what became of their cattle. That just isn't the case in Montrose County, Colorado, where 187 cows disappeared without a trace and a comprehensive investigation yielded only more mystery.

A week before Thanksgiving 2024, the first losses were tallied: "Twenty-nine cows and calves, a rancher told a state agriculture official, hadn’t come home," reports Karin Brulliard of The Washington Post. "One week later, three more reports from three other owners: 46, 38 and 31 head of cattle, all gone. Three days after that, rancher Kelly Burch also alerted authorities. She had counted her herd and come up 43 animals short."

All of the missing cows spent the summer grazing on the Uncompahgre Plateau, "rugged country where some animals always fall victim to predators, illness or weather," Brulliard writes. "But never this many and not without leaving lots of carcasses behind. Also unusual: The vast majority were calves."

Location of Montrose County in
Colorado. (Wikipedia map)

With the demand for U.S. beef at near-record highs, Colorado law enforcement first theorized that the missing bovines were taken by rustlers. Chuck Searcy, who is leading the Montrose County Sheriff’s investigation, "spent the winter fielding tips about suspicious characters and even theories about alien abduction," Brulliard reports. "He is convinced it’s at least partially a theft case."

The state and county responded to threat of rustlers with a rigorous investigation "involving sheriffs, a multiagency task force, search planes, a $10,000 reward and a bull rider turned cowboy who has scouted the area on horseback," Brulliard adds.

But the cow rustling theory has holes. "No semitrailer could reach the hardscrabble, unpaved altitude where these cattle were spread, the kind of range even experienced ranch hands don’t know by heart," Brulliard explains. "Typically, mother cows separated from their calves would show distress. A mass die-off, perhaps from poison weed, would produce bodies."

Whatever the cause, the missing cows "raised alarm at sale barns across Colorado. At one of the busiest, Centennial Livestock Auction in Fort Collins, the brands of the missing cattle are posted on the bulletin board of inspector Jesse Phillips’s office," Brulliard reports. "In the meantime, the case got a break of sorts. Tony Mendes, a former pro bull rider, found 17 of the missing cattle. . ." still out in the grazing area. 

Read Brulliard's full story here.