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.

USDA breaks ground on New World Screwworm sterile fly facility in Texas. So far, efforts have kept NWS out of U.S.

The NWS blowfly has not crossed into the U.S.
(USDA photo)

As part of U.S. efforts to keep the aggressive New World Screwworm out of the country, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins celebrated the groundbreaking of the USDA's domestic sterile fly production facility last week at the Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas, reports Jennifer Carrico of Progressive Farmer.

The new facility will add to the USDA's ongoing arsenal aimed at keeping the blowfly and its flesh-eating larvae from entering the U.S. from Mexico and infecting livestock, other warm-blooded wildlife, pets and even humans.

"Rollins said a year ago, the models showed NWS would have moved into the U.S. by now, but it has not and keeping the pest out has been a huge undertaking for all involved," Carrico writes. "Since last July, USDA has monitored over 7,000 fly traps on the border and has collected over 51,000 fly specimens, with all being negative for NWS."

Sigrid Johannes, senior director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, told reporters, "The facility in south Texas will help give us a high enough inventory of sterile flies to fight NWS and hopefully eradicate it."

As NWS has moved closer to the U.S., with the closest case just 90 miles away, treatment has been top of mind for U.S. livestock producers. 

The flesh-eating larvae are not "a food safety concern, but rather an animal welfare concern. There would also be immediate trade implications for live animals," Carrico explains. The USDA also has a "Screwworm Response Playbook that outlines science-based strategies for officials at the federal, state, and local levels with how to coordinate response operations."

Carbon credits create a way for farmers falling into debt to keep their land

Carbon credits can provide cattle farmers with a new
source of income. (Photo by Bernd Dittrich, Unsplash)

Farmers facing drought, inflation or labor shortages often sell their generational land rather than go into debt, reports Yusuf Khan of The Wall Street Journal. In some states, cattle producers are filling financial gaps by using regenerative farming techniques that generate farm income through carbon credit payments. 

Frates Seeligson, who farms outside of Nixon in south Texas, told Khan he has seen cash-strapped ranchers sell their land to developers rather than go into the red.

“If you look at the business model of agriculture it’s somewhat broken,” Seeligson told Khan. “It’s capital and labor intensive with a very small return, and then you’re subject to the whims of nature." Texas has been facing drought conditions in many regions since 2021.

To combat ranchers' ongoing financial struggles, a carbon credit developer Grassroots Carbon is paying cattle farmers like Seeligson to use regenerative agriculture techniques aimed at trapping carbon in their soil, Khan explains. Backed by companies like Microsoft, Nestle and Chevron, Grassroots sells carbon credits for between $40 and $65 per ton, which have a lifetime of 100 years. 

One of the techniques Grassroots promotes is rotational grazing to keep livestock from overgrazing, Khan explains. “Rotational grazing is a common practice in farming, but Grassroots suggests ranchers rotate more often, sometimes daily and on smaller properties, multiple times a day.” For example, Seeligson now uses 28 temporary pastures, as opposed to his previous nine permanent ones.

The benefits aren’t limited to just storing carbon, though, according to Allen Williams, a researcher and rancher studying regenerative agriculture. Healthier grasses also make for healthier herds, growing herd pregnancy rates. Additionally, a “1% increase in soil organic matter can help soils to hold up to roughly 20,000 additional gallons of water per acre, an important factor in avoiding flooding,” a study from 2021 shows.

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. 

Quick hits: The American baked potato; rural deputies get EMS training; 6 states ban lab-grown meat sales; building homes in small town Vermont

American-grown potatoes are still affordable and 
delicious. (Idaho Potato Commission photo)

In a time when going to the grocery store can be both expensive and discouraging, it's good for Americans to reignite their love for the humble, versatile and still affordable baked potato. "The baked potato has always been big and great," writes Eric Kim of The New York Times. "These days, a long Idaho tuber, split down the middle like a hot dog bun to reveal fluffy white starch, a pat of butter nestled into the left side, is still big and — more important — great, with its perfect creamy-crunchy-fresh combo of sour cream, chives, cheese and bacon." Find recipes here. 

A rural sheriff in Montana is working to help the region's emergency responders by using "some of his department’s budget to restart a first responder medical training and certification program for deputies to be able to supplement emergency medical providers and help provide care when they are first to the scene of an incident," reports Blair Miller of the Helena Independent Record. Often, when accidents occur in rural Montana, law enforcement arrives well before medical emergency teams. In his announcement, Sheriff Tom Grim said he believes that if deputies could provide medical assistance to victims before an ambulance arrives, their additional training could save lives. 

Six states have passed laws banning cultivated meat.
(Graphic by Adam Dixon, Offrange)

Where's the meat? According to several states, only animals are meat. "Livestock powerhouse Nebraska became the sixth state to preemptively ban the sale of cultivated meat," reports Jaclyn De Candio for Offrange. Nebraska joined the "beef with cultivated meat" by joining states that already ban the sale of lab-grown meat, including Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Montana and Indiana. "Florida was the first to pass such a law, and in several cases, companies like UPSIDE Foods already filed lawsuits challenging these restrictions on constitutional and commerce grounds. . . . While laboratory meat products are indeed made from real cattle cells, they give pause to many."

Power grids across the country need upgrades, and areas of the Midwest will get them. "The Department of Energy closed a $1.6 billion loan guarantee for transmission upgrades in the middle of the country — a move that comes as the Trump administration slashes funding for other grid improvements, including a separate transmission megaproject in the Midwest," reports Alexander C. Kaufman of Canary Media. The financing will enable a subsidiary of American Electric Power to "overhaul around 5,000 miles of power lines across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia."

A bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken may be a game-day crowd-pleaser, but the chain has been struggling against competitors that offer on-the-go chicken. "Consumers eat 26% of their fast-food orders in their cars," reports Heather Haddon of The Wall Street Journal. To recapture its market share, the company is revamping its menu to compete with newcomers like Chick-fil-A and Canes. "KFC this month brought back its Original Honey BBQ sandwich, introduced in the late 1990s, at a discounted $3.99 price. The announcement swiped at Chick-fil-A while championing its own sandwich: 'bigger than Chick-fil-A’s AND available on Sundays.'"

Jonah Richard’s first development project was once home to a post office. It now consists of eight apartments and a coffee shop. (Photo by David Littlefield, Vermont Public Media)

Despite the daunting challenges of building affordable housing in New England, a homegrown Vermonter found a way to get it done. "Not so long ago, Jonah Richard spent his days working for a white-collar consulting firm in New York City. Now, he fills his time bopping between construction sites in the corner of Vermont where he grew up," reports Carly Berlin of vtdigger. "His philosophy of trying to squeeze more housing into any possible nook and cranny in a building, and in a town – guides all of the projects that Richard takes on through his small construction company and development business. . . . State officials want to clone Jonah Richard."

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.”

Quick hits: Using a pay phone; hated Halloween candy; oral health is part of overall health; dude ranches for all

Finding and using a pay phone is a modern curiosity.
(Photo by Darin Epperly, Flatwater Free Press)

Smartphones may be the way of today, but pay phones still exist, and a call can cost a mere quarter. "Lane Handke called his wife to tell her he was bringing home the shelves they needed to finish their cabinet. The call cost him 25 cents," reports of Kevin Warneke of Flatwater Free Press. "Then, he phoned a friend just to say hello. . . . Handke made his calls from a pay telephone standing outside the Pierce Telephone Co. building. He felt drawn to this pay phone by curiosity. Pulled toward it by nostalgia." He told Warneke, “I hadn’t used a pay phone in decades. People were looking and wondering what I was doing. I thought it was kind of cool.”

While wind, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels are all part of the U.S. energy grid, geothermal power may be the next source to enter the mix. "The promise of new engineering techniques for geothermal energy – heat from the Earth itself – has attracted rising levels of investment to this reliable, low-emission power source that can provide continuous electricity almost anywhere on the planet," writes geophysicist Moones Alamooti for The Conversation. "That includes ways to harness geothermal energy from idle or abandoned oil and gas wells. . . . In the first quarter of 2025, North American geothermal installations attracted $1.7 billion in public funding – compared with $2 billion for all of 2024."

Do you know which Halloween candies are the most
disliked? (Adobe Stock photo)

As Halloween gets closer, adults and kids out shopping are met with store shelves packed with chewy eyeballs, glow-in-the-dark worms, bat-shaped candy bars, corn that's not real corn, and festive fall packaging. But some people find the  sweet, sticky world of Oct. 31 candy disgusting -- so much so, there's a list of the 10 most despised Halloween candies. Guesses go here.

Oral health and overall health are closely linked, and some "practitioners think dentistry should no longer be siloed," reports Lola Butcher for Knowable magazine. "Dentistry and medicine have operated as parallel fields: Dentists take care of the mouth, physicians the rest of the body. That is starting to change. . . . Dental hygienists have started working in medical clinics; physicians and dentists have started a professional association to promote working together; and a new kind of clinic — with dentists and doctors under one roof — is emerging. . . . The list of connections between oral health and systemic health — conditions that affect the entire body — is remarkable."

Triangle X Ranch, inside Grand Teton National Park, has been in the Turner family for nearly a century. 
(Triangle X Ranch photo via The New York Times)

Saddle up or relax at one of these six dude ranches. "All-inclusive guest ranches let you connect with nature, as well as your inner cowpoke, on the trail, around the campfire and under the starry skies," reports Ruffin Prevost for The New York Times. Whether honing horse skills, seeking majestic views, or simply wanting to leave technology and stress behind by heading out to the American West, Prevost's list offers suggestions and resources for a rural getaway.

Here a seed, there a seed, everywhere a company selling or consolidating to sell seeds. "Keeping track of [seed] brands — especially corn and soybeans — can be daunting," reports of Chris Torres of Farm Progress. "Knowing who owns what can provide crucial insights into what companies are behind the brands you buy, how they source and develop genetics, and what sorts of technology may be available to you." A compact seed chart and a listing of university variety seed trials are found here.

Each piano was tuned slightly differently to produce 11,000 Strings.
(Photo by Stephanie Berg via the Smithsonian)

When 100 pianos at the Hailun piano factory in China were all played together to test their performance before being shipped out, conductor Peter Paul Kainrath was there to experience the "massive sound," reports Ella Feldman for Smithsonian magazine. "The cacophonic scene left Kainrath so inspired that he called Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas to discuss its potential. . . .The next morning, Haas told Kainrath that if he brought him 50 pianos, he would compose a piece. The resulting composition is Haas’ 11,000 Strings."

Flora & Fauna: Chunk, the Fat Bear Week winner; learning bird songs; deterring wolves; nabbing feral pigs

Chunk's broken jaw didn't stop him from feasting on sockeye salmon and gaining hundreds of pounds this summer. 
(Photo by Christine Loberg, NPS)

During this year's Fat Bear Week, many Alaskan brown bears made the salmon run at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park the place where they packed on the pounds eating as much sockeye salmon as possible. But there was one bear that was more dedicated to getting his unfair share of salmon: Chunk. "A bear weighing in at over 1,200 pounds — with a broken (but healing) jaw — is the 2025 Fat Bear Week champion," reports Ava White of NPR. "It’s the first time number 32, or as he’s aptly nicknamed Chunk, has been dubbed the fattest bear in Katmai National Park and Preserve."

An unlikely union between two plants created the potato, affectionately known as the spud. "The origin of the potato has long puzzled scientists. Genetically, it is a close relative of the tomato. But in appearance, it resembles three potato-like species found in South America known as Etuberosum," reports Aylin Woodward of The Wall Street Journal. "The problem is, Etuberosum don’t have tubers — the parts of the potato plant that grow underground, and that we eat baked, mashed or fried. . . . An examination of these DNA sequences revealed that between eight million and nine million years ago, Etuberosum and an ancient tomato exchanged genes." And today's spud was born.

Watching and listening to birds is a delightful hobby that can be enhanced by learning to identify birds by their songs. "Learning bird songs is the difference between 'hearing' and 'listening,'" writes ornithologist Chris Lituma for The Conversation. "Listening requires full attention and limiting distractions. It means using your ears to pick up different patterns in the sounds that birds make. Every person has the capacity to listen and learn patterns in sound." Read all of Lituma's tips for learning bird songs and sounds here.

In this remote arctic town, it's too cold for trees, but strawberries grow by the dozens. "A high-tech greenhouse brings fresh produce to Gjoa Haven, an Inuit hamlet in Canada’s Arctic whose residents have little experience growing plants," reports Norimitsu Onishi of The New York Times. "The greenhouse, researchers hope, will eventually provide an alternative to perishable goods flown in at great cost from southern Canadian cities — and a healthier diet for the Inuit, the only people who have lived in Canada’s Arctic for centuries."

The wolves have learned to associate the drones
with people. (Illustration by A. Dixon, Offrange)

In most states, gray wolves are protected, which means livestock owners have had to find creative ways to keep wolves from preying on their cattle. While human presence and voices remain the most effective wolf deterrent, it's often not feasible, so some ranchers are experimenting with drones combined with human voices from speakers to deter wolves from grazing cattle, reports Rose Garrett for Offrange. Dustin Ranglack, predator project leader for the National Wildlife Research Center, told Garrett, "The wolves in this area have had exposure to the drone, and they will often already be moving away when we approach them. They’ve already come to associate the drone with people, and we’re not necessarily having to use the human voice."

When feral pigs invade the countryside, they go hog wild, eating farm crops, tearing up the ground, prolifically reproducing and spreading diseases. States have been under pressure to find ways to oust unwanted swine, but few have been as successful as Missouri. "Alan Leary, the feral hog coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation, says since 2016 the state’s population of feral hogs has dropped 80%," reports Chris Six of Farm Progress. The state formed a multi-agency partnership that "uses traps, drones, helicopters and more to find and eliminate the feral hogs."

New World screwworm detected roughly 70 miles from the Texas border as USDA efforts intensify

New World screwworm was found roughly 70 
miles from Laredo, Texas. (USDA photo)

 

The New World screwworm and its flesh-eating larvae have made their way through Mexico to hover fewer than 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. "The case was reported near Sabinas Hidalgo in Nuevo Leon," reports Joshua Baethge of Farm Progress. "That city is close to a major highway connecting Monterrey, Mexico’s second-largest metro area, and Laredo, Texas."

Screwworm larvae were discovered in "an 8-month-old cow that was moved to the area from southern Mexico, which has active NWS cases," Baethge writes. Concerned lawmakers and livestock owners would like Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to persuade the Mexican government to restrict cattle movement to contain the pest.

While NWS larvae will eat the flesh of any warm-blooded animal, female screwworm flies most often lay their eggs in the open wounds or scratches of sheep or cattle. The larvae are considered a threat to U.S. livestock and rancher economies as well as the U.S. food supply.

Rollins said "protecting the U.S. from New World screwworm is a 'national security priority," Baethge reports. Rollins added that "U.S. farmers and ranchers should know that the U.S. 'will not rely on Mexico' to defend the cattle industry, the food industry or 'our way of life.'"

State of Nuevo León within Mexico
(Wikipedia map)

The USDA and Mexican authorities have been working together to push the NWS away from both countries' livestock herds through sterile fly releases, animal surveillance and fly trapping and testing work. 

Since July, the USDA and Mexico "have been monitoring almost 8,000 traps across Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico," reports Jennifer Carrico of Progressive Farmer. "Currently, all the 13,000-plus screening samples have detected no NWS flies."

While the latest detection in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, appears to be limited to one cow, the USDA is still investigating. "Rollins said the U.S will be 'taking no chances,'" Baethge reports.

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."

USDA announces a new Texas facility to push screwworms from U.S.; the insidious larvae threaten the beef industry

Screwworm infestations eat their living host's flesh.
They are painful and can be deadly. (Adobe Stock photo)

In an effort to combat the threat parasitic screwworms pose to U.S. livestock and wildlife near the U.S.-Mexico border, the Department of Agriculture announced it will "spend up to $750 million to build a facility in Texas that produces sterile flies to fight the flesh-eating livestock pest," report Tom Polansek and Leah Douglas of Reuters. The production plant will be built in Edinburg, Texas, at Moore Air Base.

USDA scientists and agricultural partners have been working diligently with Mexican authorities to push the blowfly and its flesh-eating larvae southward; however, the newly announced facility signals that those efforts may not be enough to protect U.S. cattle. Texas ranchers are "anticipating the return of screwworm for the first time in decades," Reuters reports. "The U.S. eliminated screwworm in the 20th century by flying planes over hotspots to drop boxes packed with sterile flies."

The new facility is expected to "produce 300 million sterile screwworm flies per week, according to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins," Polansek and Douglas write. Mass numbers of sterile male blowflies work to create a buffer by out-competing the fertile male flies. Female blowflies only mate once, so when they mate with a sterile male blowfly, no screwworms can be produced.

Rollins previously predicted that "such a facility would take two to three years to build," Reuters reports. During the facility's construction, the "USDA will spend another $100 million on technologies to combat screwworm. . . and hire more mounted officers to patrol the border for infested wildlife. . . The USDA has also invested in a sterile fly production plant in Mexico that is slated to open next year."

Should screwworms return to the U.S., they could devastate the cattle industry. Polansek and Douglas explain, "An outbreak could further elevate record-high U.S. beef prices by reducing the U.S. cattle supply. Rollins told Reuters, "All Americans should be concerned."

Analysis: Rural Coloradans feel ignored and 'looked down on.' A policy expert looks at how and why.

Colorado ranchers asked the state’s wildlife commission to delay wolf releases in 2024. 
Their petition was denied. (Photo by Hyoung Chang, Getty Images via The Conversation CC)

In a tale as old as the American West, farming and ranching Coloradans resent being ignored and dismissed as "dumb" by city folk. "Many rural Coloradans, especially in agricultural communities, feel looked down on by their urban counterparts," writes policy scholar Kayla Gabehart for The Conversation. "One cattle rancher I spoke to put it plainly: 'It’s an attitude. . .We are the idiots. . .We are the dumb farmers . . . We don’t really matter.'"

To help understand attitudes and cultural differences between rural and urban Coloradans, she began by looking at each group's response to certain policies. Gabehart explains, "A designated day to forgo eating meat. . . and the ongoing wolf reintroduction. . . .These policies, while specific to Colorado, are symptoms of something larger. Namely, an ever-urbanizing, globalized world that rural, agricultural citizens feel is leaving them behind."

The "MeatOut Day" was declared by Colorado's governor as a way to draw attention to the health and environmental impacts of farming food animals by abstaining from a day of eating meat. The day received minimal attention from more urban Coloradans, but those from rural areas were incensed. Gabehart writes, "Neighbors in Elbert County promptly responded with outrage, flying banners and flags declaring their support for agriculture and a carnivorous diet. . . . There are nearly 36,000 cattle in Elbert County. This is relatively typical of a rural Colorado county."

Wolves were hunted into extinction in Colorado during the 1940s. And yet, in 2020, urban voters, who were by geography unlikely to encounter or be economically impacted by wolves, voted for wolf reintroduction. "Rural residents voted decidedly against the initiative. Despite much legislative and grassroots action to oppose it, wolves were reintroduced in December 2023," Gabehart adds. "Several cattle have since been killed by wolves."

"Rural residents in Colorado have told me they feel excluded. This is not new or exclusive to Colorado, but a story as old as America itself,” Gabehart explains. The American caste system "is entirely constructed and designed by the American upper class to intentionally exploit resentment of working-class white people. . . .The result is what sociologist Michael M. Bell calls a 'spatial patriarchy' that characterizes rural America as dumb, incapable, racist, poor and degraded."

When it comes to who American rural voters support, maybe part of it is tied to which candidate mirrors some of the resentment and isolation of rural living. "Rural communities have the distinct feeling that urban America doesn’t care whether they fail or flourish," Gabehart writes. "Nearly 70% of rural voters supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election. He won 93% of rural counties. Rural Americans feel left behind, and for them, Trump might be their last hope."

Farm updates: Eradicating screwworms; air detecting for bird flu; John Deere suit continues; Farm Dog of the Year!

Tusk-like mandibles can rasp the flesh of living warm-
blooded animals. (USDA photo via Successful Farming)

Despite its eradication from the U.S. in 1966, the New World Screwworm has returned to Mexico, which means the aggressive, flesh-eating flies could re-enter the U.S. 

While the NWS could prey on any warm-blooded animal, its return would be devastating for the U.S. cattle industry. Angie Stump Denton reports for Farm Journal, "The larvae can kill an animal in just four to seven days if not quickly detected and treated."

Experts believe Texas would be the most likely place for NWS to enter the U.S. from Mexico. In late April, after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins threatened to suspend cattle imports from Mexico to the U.S. as she did in November 2024, the two countries were able to agree on a strategy to control the NWS. Listen to more details on the NWS and USDA approaches for "complete eradication" here.

New bird flu detection sensors are fast. By testing air from exhaust vents, the systems monitor for
 bird flu 24/7. (ASC Publications graphic)

Bird flu remains a significant concern for egg and poultry industries as well as backyard and small chicken or turkey farms. The virus presents numerous difficulties, one of which is a lack of "any 'early warning' system," reports Alfred Poor for Offrange. "Testing requires a lab and can take days to deliver results. … A new detection technology can produce results in minutes and is designed to be installed on-site, right in the flock housing buildings, to provide continuous monitoring. … The system samples air from the exhaust vents from the animals’ housing. The researchers have described their results in a paper in ACS Sensors."

The new detection technology doesn't require any technical training to run and it's accurate. Poor adds, "According to the team’s own published results, the system’s results showed a 90% correlation with the standard PCR lab results."

Even though U.S. farmers can now legally repair their tractors, a lawsuit addressing John Deere's past repair policies and tactics with farmers will still make its way through the court system. "The Agriculture equipment giant must face a lawsuit by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission accusing the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network and driving up their costs for parts and repairs," reports Mike Scarcella of Reuters. "U.S. District Judge Iain Johnston in the federal court in Rockford, Illinois, ruled for now to reject Deere’s effort to end the lawsuit."

Deere countered the suit saying that "it does not compete in the market for repair services," Scarella reports. "The company also challenged the lawfulness of the structure of the FTC. … Deere alleged that restrictions against removing FTC commissioners illegally bar the president from exercising lawful oversight."

We don't know how we missed it, but it's our pleasure to introduce "Sirius," the amazing and lovable 2025 Farm Bureau Dog of the Year. "Livestock guardian dog Sirius is a 'hero behind the heroes' – a herd of miniature therapy horses that bring comfort to those who have experienced traumatic events," the American Farm Bureau Federation reports. 

The mini-horses that Sirius and his fellow Maremma sheep dogs help protect from behind the scenes have given people joy during some of their worst experiences. They visited families after the Sandy Hook school shooting and comforted victim families and first responders after the Pulse Nightclub shooting. They make people smile and laugh in children and veteran hospitals wherever they go. 

While Sirius and his fellow canine guardians stay home at the farm, they help owners Jorge and Debbie Garcia-Bengochea know the horses are safe. Jorge told FB, "The Maremma breed is intended to bond with the herd. When these dogs are on alert and watching the herd, I feel like it's a  24/7 security system."

Farmers are encouraged to enter their tremendous farm dog here for the 2026 award.

Conservation pays off for Oklahoma farmers: clean streams, healthy cattle, lower costs and visiting eagles

Horse Creek Cove, Grand Lake, Oklahoma.
 (grandlake.com photo)

Making the tough decision to protect private property water sources helped Oklahoma farmers address contamination, produce healthier livestock and save money. "A big part of the solution was simple: Give cows clean drinking water and keep them out of the streams," reports Cara Buckley of The New York Times. "About 100 Oklahoman streams once polluted by runoff predominantly from farmland have been restored to health. That’s more than in any other state, according to the Environmental Protection Agency."

The choice to restrict farm animals from streams took farmers like Grant Victor, who wanted to clean up his property's creek, even if it meant breaking with ranching tradition. Buckley writes, "Working with a conservation program, he installed fencing around Horse Creek, creating a protective riparian buffer, even though it meant keeping his animals off 220 acres, about 6% of his family’s land."

He waited and nature did not disappoint. "The benefits of a healthier waterway exceeded his hopes," Buckley reports. "Within just a couple of years, the banks were transformed into verdant corridors of grasses and shrubs. Wildlife appeared, including white-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes and bald eagles that return each year to a sprawling nest to rear their young."

But that's not all. Victor was rewarded with healthier cattle. Buckley adds, "Victor installed pipes and wells in the pastures, allowing his cattle to drink water unsullied by sediment and their own waste. They put on more weight and suffered fewer respiratory ailments, and that resulted in lower veterinary bills."

Other Oklahoma farmers have adopted methods that support nature while increasing farming profits. Steve Glasgow, a recently retired Oklahoma state resource conservationist, "estimates that nearly a third of Oklahoma’s crop farmers employ conservation practices, up from roughly one-fifth 25 years ago. . . . Conservation practices can also increase yields and reduce labor and fuel costs."

Victor knows some of his neighboring farmers remain conservation skeptics and scoff at his choices but he's OK with that. He told Buckley, "I’m sure at the coffee shop, they were all laughing at me. . . . My dad always taught me there’s some things you can’t afford to do and there’s other things you can’t afford not to do. This was one of the things I couldn’t afford not to do."

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."

Opinion: Americans should be alarmed at the 'dangerous idea' Congress is floating, which could 'kill' rural America

A couple cares for fencing in Dark Sky, Oregon, an area
that is mostly comprised of public lands. (Instagram)

 

Inside a recent congressional budget reconciliation discussion, an alarming suggestion was made: Allow Congress to sell public lands to private investors, writes Tim David in his opinion for The Daily Yonder. Although lawmakers indicate sale proceeds would increase federal revenue, the loss of public lands would devastate some rural economies "where public lands aren’t just a backdrop, they’re the backbone of the economy and the way of life."

Even as lawmakers say they care about rural livelihoods, selling public assets would harm many rural communities, particularly those in the West. "From grazing and outfitting to hunting, fishing, and tourism, these lands sustain small businesses, support working families, and keep rural economies afloat," David explains. "If Congress truly wants to support rural America, it can start by investing in the agencies that manage these lands, not liquidating the lands themselves."

Congress has spent years asking the Bureau of Land Management "to do more with less," David writes. "Some of the loudest voices criticizing the BLM are the same ones voting to strip its funding. It’s a political double standard: criticize the agency for being slow or ineffective, then gut the very budget that allows it to function, and turn around and blame it again when things don’t get done."

Considering its ever-shrinking budget, it's unsurprising that "public lands and the rural communities that depend on them are feeling the strain," David adds. "Across the West, deteriorating roads, neglected infrastructure, and staff shortages are leaving public access routes impassable and economic opportunities squandered. Local businesses are losing revenue right when tourism and recreation seasons should be ramping up."

What those in Washington may see as a budget line that needs reduction, are real Americans working and serving in the communities where they live. "These are folks who know every rancher by name, who raise their families in the same towns, and who show up for volunteer projects and community events," David explains. "When Congress cuts funding, it’s not just abstract numbers. It’s fewer people to maintain campgrounds, issue grazing permits, support outfitters, and help prevent wildfires. It’s not the agency that suffers, it’s rural America."

Congress needs to seek out different solutions. "If Congress truly wants to help rural America, it starts with two things: fund the BLM like it matters, and keep our public lands public," David writes. "If Congress continues to underfund the BLM and entertains a wholesale sell-off of public lands, it won’t just hurt rural America. It will kill it."

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.

High beef prices could spike further if agricultural tariffs go into effect. Imports are holding beef costs in check.

The price for an all-American beef burger has
continued to climb. (Adobe Stock photo)

Got milk? Yes. Got beef? Well, that depends on how much you want to spend. American "beef has been rising in price for years now . . . And [with] proposed tariffs, it may be about to get much worse," reports The Economist. "Since January 2020, the average price of a pound of beef mince has risen from $3.90 to $5.60. That is a 45% increase, almost double the general inflation rate."

Rising beef prices stem from Americans' high demand for beef and a shrinking domestic supply. U.S. livestock herds are smaller than they were a decade ago, but American beef consumption has remained steady or, in some cases, increased. The imbalance has led suppliers to import beef to meet demand without further price escalation. The Economist reports, "Last year imports totaled 2 million head of live cattle. . .a record high."

While imports helped put the price brake on current beef costs, the Trump administration's tariffs could cause prices to rise again. The Economist explains, "On April 2nd, [Trump said] he will be imposing hefty new tariffs on agricultural imports. That will probably include beef. Farmers, he said, should 'get ready' to grow food to sell to Americans, and 'have fun.'"

If hefty import tariffs are levied on beef, the cost of meat is expected to spike, leaving U.S. farmers more likely to "sell down their stocks" rather than grow their herds, the Economist reports. Steve Sunderman, a rancher in northeast Nebraska, told the Economist, “We’re trying to be in a rebuilding phase for the herd. So it’d be a great thing for price, but probably a horrible thing for the industry."

Residents and ranchers in Canadian, Texas, are still recovering a year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire

Heavy smoke crossing a road on the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Feb. 27, 2024. (Wikipedia photo)

It has been a year since the Smokehouse Fire burned millions of acres across the Texas Panhandle. The blaze took the lives of three people, killed thousands of cattle and left a trail of scorched earth that was once bucolic lands.

In Canadian, Texas, a town of 2,300 residents in the Panhandle's northeast corner, where the fire decimated thousands of acres, residents are still working through the disaster's trauma and what the town's future might look like, reports Jayme Lozano Carver of The Texas Tribune. "As resilient as Canadians are, they are coping through trauma — and have been for a long time. The latest fire challenged residents to once again find a way to recover — mentally, physically, and financially."

Wendie Cook, a Canadian council member, told Carver, "It feels as if there’s a shadow. We all know it’s coming. Some days it’s just harder to take in than others.” Carver adds, "It’s difficult to focus on the future when you’re haunted by the past. Black scorch marks cover the splintered trees for miles. . . .Bundles of melted chairs and broken glass are scattered outside what was a community center."

Most of the time when communities are hit by natural disasters, they can begin clean-up and recovery processes immediately. That's not an option for Canadians. Carver explains, "Visitors can't go to Lake Marvin Lodge, a community center that once sat in the Black Kettle National Grasslands Park. The damage from the fire hasn’t been cleaned up. . . . It’s federal property, and local officials are not allowed to rehabilitate it."

Even as life goes on, it isn't the same Canadian. It was "business as usual two weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of the wildfires," Carver writes. "Ranchers in the Panhandle were getting ready for the annual bull sale. . . There were about 217 people there, but a big portion of the usual customers were absent. James Henderson, a Memphis rancher told Carver, "Our customers lost a lot. So they weren’t here to buy bulls. They don’t need bulls, they don’t have any fences.”