Technology

Texas cattle country has a new neighbor at the fence line: the cloud, which apparently also wants water, electricity and a whole lot of land. Server pasture: At the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, ranchland experts warned that data centers are becoming a bigger topic as rural land gets eyed for digital infrastructure. Texas already loses about 1,000 acres of farm, ranch and forest land each day, and servers do not exactly graze gently. Resource roundup: The concern is not

Venture capital meets work boots: The Farmers Innovation Fund has been certified as a Rural Business Investment Company, which gives ag tech another lane for private capital. The twist is that farmer testing is not treated like a polite afterthought. Companies receiving investment are expected to work directly with producers across real operations before broader adoption. Field trip, but make it finance: The fund is designed to move tools from the drawing board to the field f

USDA just handed biofuels a carbon calculator, because apparently the road to regenerative agriculture runs through a spreadsheet wearing a safety vest. The department finalized its rule for regenerative agricultural biofuel feedstocks, laying out how carbon intensity should be quantified, reported and verified for domestic crops. Carbon math: The Federal Register version gives the program its official policy backbone. The practical goal is to create a more consistent way to

USDA is sending a fresh coat of funding to agricultural research, and not the kind where a university building gets one new chair and a “please enjoy innovation” memo. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced a $125 million annual investment for the Research Facilities Act program. Lab report: The program is aimed at the unglamorous stuff that makes discovery possible: better controlled environments, safer labs, u

Texas wine grapes are leaving Earth, which is either a bold research project or proof that even grapes need a vacation from 2026. Blast off: Researchers with Texas A&M AgriLife are sending hundreds of wine grape seeds to the International Space Station for about six months of cosmic radiation exposure. When the seeds come home, they will be planted alongside Earth-bound control seeds so scientists can study growth, genetics and vine performance. Student-powered: The experimen

Farm solar has become a side hustle with actual kilowatts. But H.R. 7567, the House-passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 could make some projects tougher to finance, especially ground-mounted solar on prime farmland. Because apparently even sunshine has to pass committee. Power struggle: Some farmers have used USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program grants to cut electric bills and add income, including dairy operations that turned barn roofs into power plants

Traceability is the name of the game when it comes to animal health. But Canada has delayed its changes to beef traceability regulations after big pushback from cattle producers. Rewind: Before the 2003 Mad Cow Crisis, Canadian cattle traceability efforts started to note where infected animals were from and where they went. At the national Cattle Traceability Summit in 2011, the Cattle Implementation Plan was created, then adopted and endorsed by 19 organizations in 2016. Thr

The sweet solution: A miracle for beekeepers facing historic hive losses has emerged from the fields at Washington State University and Belgium’s APIX Biosciences NV after almost a decade of research. Researchers developed a new food source to sustain bees without pollen: basically a Power Bar for bees.

The Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub are on a $27.4M mission to reduce global methane emissions from livestock through selective breeding. Grant $ for genetics: Using the power of genetics, 50 partners from 25 countries will receive funding for a new Global Methane Genetics Initiative, which aims to breed climate-friendly cattle across four continents. Initiative leaders call low-emitting cattle “one of the most elegant solutions” to climate change.

Farming is an around-the-clock job, but technology is taking that to the extreme. Carbon Robotics announced the new Carbon AutoTractor autonomous system, designed to keep the tractor running without stopping. Here’s the plowdown: The autonomy system aims to help farmers with productivity while reducing labor dependency. Tasks the tractor can perform include tilling, plowing, cultivating, ripping, discing, listing, mulching, and mowing.

Grain exports are back in (the) Black… Sea—maybe. Renewed talks between the U.S. and Russia could revive the old Black Sea Grain Initiative. Reviving the deal is a part of recent negotiations for a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Rollback: The original deal was signed in the summer of 2022 after a five-month blockade inhibited Ukraine’s ability to export grain, following Russia’s invasion of the country’s eastern border.

Farmers are laser-focused on protecting their flocks from the main carriers of bird flu: wild birds. Betcha didn’t know:Minnesota farmers are implementing technology that protects farms from avian influenza with bird-repellent laser beams. Soundbite: “Green is the brightest spectrum of light for birds. While humans see a green dot, birds perceive a moving laser beam as a predator. It scares them off, keeping them away from critical areas.” — Craig Duhr, Bird Control Group S

The Purge isn’t just a horror movie. It’s also happening IRL. But…in terms of website content, to be clear. If you erase it, it’s like it...

"You’re fired!" Again?! None of us could have guessed how often we’d be using this phrase within Trump’s first few weeks back in office....

U.S. farms that have sold commodities to USAID are in limbo following a 90-day suspension and stop-work order on U.S. foreign aid. ...

Data is becoming increasingly more valuable throughout different industries. Agriculture is no exception. Harvesting data: But all that...

It’s a good thing it’s hunting season, because the Federal Trade Commission has a big Deere in its sights. The FTC filed suit this week,...

It’s not March Madness yet, but the poultry industry is gearing up for equal playing feathers in its tournament system. ICYMI: Poultry...

Who owns your farm? The government wants to know. But legal wrangling has left businesses stuck in a regulatory tug-of-war. ICYMI: In...

It’s a new year—yet we’re still talking about Mexico and genetically modified corn. The nation announced it won’t be growing any GM corn...