FFA announces new National Officers
Source: National FFA Organization news release Indianapolis, IN -- The 2025-26 National FFA Officer Team was elected during the final session of the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis on Saturday. The National FFA Officer Team from 2025-26. From left-to-right: Trey Myers (Oklahoma), National President; Lilly Nyland (Michigan), National Secretary; Joey Nowotny (Delaware), Eastern Region Vice President; Jael Cruikshank (Oregon), Western Region Vice President;
Farm Credit Council Women's Initiative announced
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer, Farm Credit Council has announced an initiative to provide leadership development training to women leaders across the Farm Credit System: Advancing Women in Agriculture through Resilience & Distinction (AWARD). Participants will take part in a groundbreaking leadership experience at Gettysburg in the summer of 2026. Each of the 55 Farm Credit Associations and four banks, representing all 50 st
Biosecurity efforts intensify in GA as HPAI is found on commercial broiler operation
Source: GA Farm Bureau On Oct. 24, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA - APHIS), confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) at a commercial poultry operation in Gordon County. This is the third confirmed HPAI case in a commercial operation and the fifth overall detection in the state this year. Since the nationwide avian influenza outbreak began in 2022, mo
Training exercises prepare first responders for livestock transport accidents
LEXINGTON, VA — Traffic accidents are already stressful, but when livestock are involved, they can quickly become chaotic and dangerous situations. With hundreds of thousands of farm animals transported on U.S. roadways every day, crashes involving livestock trailers are inevitable. Not only do these incidents pose a host of unique challenges, but many responding personnel may have limited experience handling farm animals. That’s why Virginia Farm Bureau Federation hosted a s
Reports: China to import U.S. soybeans
by Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois' FarmDoc project Urbana, IL - Bloomberg's Jeff Sutherland and Ilena Peng reported that "China has agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of soybeans this year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, providing some relief to US farmers who have anxiously awaited the resumption of exports to the Asian nation. For the next three years, China has agreed to buy a minimum of 25 million tons annually, Bessent said Thursday on Fox Business." Ima
Farm Credit of the Virginias awards $43,000 through Agricultural Career Enhancement Grant Program
October 30, 2025 - Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced the Association would award a total of $43,000 in grant funding to eligible postsecondary education institutions through the second funding cycle of the Agricultural Career Enhancement (ACE) grant program. One of the grant recipients is the East Coast Horseshoeing School, a farrier program in Henry County, Va. - Image credit FC of V
USDA promises to strengthen the beef industry
Washington, D.C. - Today, October 23, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced a suite of actions to strengthen the American beef industry, reinforcing and prioritizing the American rancher's critical role in the national security of the United States. Since 2017, the United States has lost over 17% of family f
KY chefs advocate for farm-to-school-program
Source - KY Dept. of Agriculture FRANKFORT, KY – For nearly 30 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (DoD Fresh) has worked to increase access to farm-fresh produce for school children through various funding sources. Operating through a partnership between the USDA and the DoD Defense Logistics Agency, as well as the state distributing agencies in each participating state, DoD Fresh has programs in 49 states, inc
New England farms suffering from Extreme Drought
by Jeff Ishee, On the Farm Radio The most recent report from the U.S. Drought Monitor (October 23) indicates that a large area of New England is now officially experiencing Extreme Drought Conditions. This includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. As of October 21, categorical designations included: New Hampshire - 53% in extreme drought; 29% in severe drought Vermont - 59% in extreme drought; 29% in severe drought Maine - 36% in extreme drought; 57% in severe
Virginia FFA State Forestry Field Day featured timber competitions and exposed youth to industry careers
Source: VA Farm Bureau DOSWELL, VA — You could follow a trail of sawdust across the grounds at the State Fair of Virginia to find hundreds of Virginia FFA students participating in Department of Forestry timber sports competitions. The annual event is hosted by the Virginia FFA organization in partnership with DOF. This year’s competition, held at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County on Sept. 30, featured various timber sports including crosscut saw and bow saw use, log
