The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recent $700 million initiative for regenerative practices has drawn a mixed review, David Murray writes.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced Texas A&M University former student and former Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agricultural economist Justin Benavidez, Ph.D., as the chief economist for the U.

Since the USDA announced last month that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) would provide $11 billion through a one-time bridge payment to American farmers, with an additional $1 billion available for additional commodities, producers wondered how the assistance payments would be divided among crops.

A New Regenerative Pilot Program worth about $700 million dollars to farmers will start in 2026. The goal is to help farmers with regenerative farm practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, increase food nutrition, and help farmers remain profitable long-term.

The USDA updated its dietary guidelines every five years, and the New Pyramid will replace "My Plate," which has been the guideline since 2011. The New Pyramid prioritizes "real food," emphasizing the importance of eating protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoiding ultra-processed foods.

The January USDA reports have been historically a huge market mover and a great deal of the focus will be on final yields and production.

The wheat complex spent the Friday session squaring up ahead of the Monday USDA reports. Chicago SRW futures were fractionally lower, with March up 10 ¾ cents this week. KC HRW futures closed with steady action,

United Way Suncoast said about one in eight households in the Tampa Bay region don’t have enough food to put on the table, yet how hunger is measured in the U.S. is changing.