Arguably the best thing that the swine industry can do today to plan for the future is to get the next generation interested in agriculture. With less families having a background in agriculture today than in past generations, it is much more difficult to introduce children to the swine industry. In today’s episode with Dr. Joel DeRouchey, we talk about the importance of this subject and the opportunities we need to utilize to attract the bright minds of the future.

What you will learn:...

Despite an outbreak in neighboring Indonesia, Murray Watt – minister for agriculture – and an Australian industry task force confirmed that African swine fever (ASF), foot and mouth disease (FMD), and lumpy skin disease (LSD) are not present in the country.

• The group intends that Australia maintains its disease-free status but noted it will require vigilant inspection and testing of imported food products and travelers.
• Mr. Watt is confident he’s getting the advice on biosecurity he needs, a...

Cal Poly's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences was awarded $39.5 million in one-time state funding to build long-term stability for food, forestry, and agricultural systems in the face of intensified weather events and changing climate patterns. 

• The funding will help provide the infrastructure needed to build programs to teach future generations sustainable agriculture practices.

Andrew Thulin, dean of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences,...

In a letter addressed to the Senate, the Agriculture Workforce Coalition urged senators to pass the agriculture workforce reform bill, which provides the solution American agriculture needs to defend national security through the protection of domestic agricultural production and the reduction of rising food costs for consumers.

• The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would establish a program allowing agricultural workers in the U.S. to earn legal status through continued agricultural employmen...

The Illinois Pork Producers Association is offering a tree buffer grant program for farmers to implement fresh landscaping on their pig farms – and it has already been utilized across the state during recent years. 

• A buffer is an area of trees that are strategically placed to provide a windbreak, recycle clean air, and provide curb appeal to the landscape. 

The incentive is one of the best management practices that pig farmers are embracing to benefit the environment, says Jennifer Tirey,...

The record-breaking heat in Europe isn’t the only incendiary situation right now. The European countries, the Netherlands in particular, have been dealing with the country’s farmers pitted against government plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030.

• The reason for all this fire is that the major target is nitrous oxides – of which agriculture contributes about half. But farmers contend the efforts will force many producers out of business.

Protests have escalated with tra...

How do tariffs placed on goods going from one country to another really work? Why is it that some tariffs might be canceled or reduced now, such as those on goods coming to the U.S. from China? And now, the million-dollar question: don't tariffs contribute to inflation? If you’ve been asking yourself these questions, here are the answers to them, according to John Phipps. 

• First of all, tariffs are taxes paid by buyers – American consumers – not sellers in China. So, the trade imbalance didn’...