Activists can be relentless in their attacks against animal agriculture, but last year’s ballot measures were shot down.
National Pork Producers CEO Bryan Humphreys reflects on the wins for agriculture.
“There was a ballot measure in Sonoma County, California, and one in Denver, Colorado — the one in Sonoma County was going to ban confined animal feeding operations, and 85% of the folks there voted against that and with American farmers,” Humphreys explains. “In the state of Colorado, in Denver, there was an effort to ban harvest facilities, and 65% of Denver voters voted with American agriculture to stop that ban. A couple of bright spots over the election, where the voters stuck with American agriculture.”
Humphreys was especially encouraged by these efforts to stop the bans, calling the grassroots agriculture efforts heartwarming.
Key signs of the U.S. beef herd’s recovery are improved pasture conditions, lower feed costs, and increased regulatory alignment and support for producers to implement targeted grazing practices.
October 07, 2025 12:35 PM
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Dr. Mark Svoboda with the National Drought Mitigation Center discusses a new global drought report and resources to help operations increase drought resilience.
October 07, 2025 11:58 AM
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Treat financial stress as a health risk—know the warning signs, normalize conversations, and connect farm families to local and national support early.
October 07, 2025 11:29 AM
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Congress has just over a month of working days left for the year. Plan for uneven USDA service until funding is restored, and closely monitor Farm Bill talks, as avoiding Permanent Law before January 1 is the single biggest risk to markets and milk prices.
October 07, 2025 11:09 AM
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Mexico’s tougher, two-step treatment and added checkpoints are catching cases before they can spread—good news for producers near the border.
October 07, 2025 10:55 AM
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Focus on home radon testing—not changing your diet—because background sources vastly outweigh any exposure from naturally radioactive foods.
October 06, 2025 01:29 PM
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Jack Daniel’s will end its Cow Feeder Program, which served around 100 livestock operations near the distillery, and redirect spent grains to its anaerobic digester.
October 06, 2025 12:33 PM
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Prepare for acute UAN risk and a brief urea shock; maintain steady ammonia and phosphate plans, and monitor potash basis on the coasts.
October 06, 2025 11:56 AM
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“A government shutdown impacts all Americans and has serious consequences, including for farmers. It just adds additional uncertainty, disrupts critical services.”
October 06, 2025 11:23 AM
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