While testifying on Capitol Hill, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins spotlighted efforts to defend farmers and ranchers, including the dismissal of charges against South Dakota ranching family Charles and Heather Maude, and how USDA launched a new portal to report similar injustices, receiving over 100 submissions in just days.
The government has dropped federal criminal charges against the couple, which had been placed by the previous administration, claiming that they stole federal land for personal use.
Now, the matter is returned to where things stood before charges were brought.
Roger McEowen with the Washburn School of Law spoke with RFD-TV’s Suzanne Alexander about the Small Tracts Act, how it benefits producers, and the big takeaways for rural landowners.
Higher yields are cushioning lower acreage, but reduced production could support firmer potato prices into 2026.
December 23, 2025 11:22 AM
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Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct will take effect on Jan. 1, a goodwill effort to promote fairness and transparency between retailers and support farms that sell directly to stores.
December 22, 2025 02:54 PM
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Small, locally focused wineries are finding resilience through direct sales and regional loyalty rather than scale alone.
December 22, 2025 02:05 PM
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Pork producers warn that proposed definitions of “ultra-processed” food in guidelines from the “Make America Healthy Again” plan could negatively impact industry-standard bacon, sausage, and feed practices.
December 22, 2025 01:38 PM
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Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease are fueling a long-standing legal battle between Minnesota regulators and deer farmers. The case could soon reach the state’s Supreme Court with broader implications for agriculture.
December 22, 2025 01:31 PM
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
December 22, 2025 01:23 PM
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