What would it take to change the mind of the president of the United States? That is what numerous agricultural organizations, ranchers, farmers, and elected officials are trying to figure out after President Donald Trump announced that he would temporarily drop tariffs on ground beef imports to try to provide cost relief for families.

The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) is collecting information from members to help with the investigation into how imported lamb may be harming domestic production. This follows the launch of an investigation by the International Trade Commission in July, an investigation triggered by ASI’s request. There are approximately 100,000 sheep farmers in the United States. But they are part of a much different industry today that generations past. Demand for wool and lamb

There has been added attention on the financial strain on many rural farmers, questions about whether diminished incomes will eventually weigh down increases in land values, and whether the Trump administration will eventually find trade deals that make finances better – not worse – for America’s farmers and ranchers. All those issues are critical, no doubt. But as many rural towns shrink in population, they don’t just lose growth potential. They also lose the potential workf

The return of the New World screwworm (NWS) may have younger or newer ranchers and farmers searching for information since the past few generations haven’t had to worry much about the potentially fatal parasitic pest. The confirmation this month of seven cases of NWS (6 in Texas and 1 in New Mexico) put the greatest focus on livestock and possibly pets. The parasitic fly can cause severe – potentially fatal – infestations with its unique ability to target living issue rather

Newer generations of cattle ranchers may have never envisioned that they are now searching for whatever information they can about New World Screwworm, a highly infectious parasite that had largely been eradicated in the United States for more than 60 years. And it has triggered tension between local and state leaders in Texas and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. A calf near La Pryor in South Texas – about 50 miles from the border with Mexico – has ignited the na

Tyson Foods’ decision last month to shut down one of its largest beef-processing plants in Lexington, Nebraska, has organizations scrambling to support the thousands of employees who will soon be out of work and cattle ranchers wondering what is ahead. The company is the nation’s largest meat supplier. It plans to close the 3,000-employee facility—which can process nearly 5,000 head of cattle per day—in January. The shutdown comes as an historic cattle shortage continues to s