The FDA’s next potential leader faces the Senate as the agency takes on food chemicals, GRAS reform and a federal definition of ultra-processed food.

Meanwhile, President Trump and Xi Jinping meet with billions of dollars in agricultural trade at stakebut China has never publicly confirmed its soybean commitments in the same terms as the White House.

We also examine why corn and soybean farmers are increasingly worried about their finances, how fertilizer concentration and import duties affect their costs, and the unusual coalition taking aim at agricultural input companies.

On the state desk:

• New Mexico weighs cattle imports against the continuing threat of New World screwworm.

• Arizona requires cultivated-meat products to identify themselves as “cell-cultivated” or “cell-cultured.”

• California opens the country’s largest gasoline market to E15—but legal fuel is not necessarily available fuel.

The Food & Ag Brief explains who gains, who pays and what happens next in the ever-changing world of food and agriculture.

Follow the show on Spotify and subscribe to the newsletter for sources and future episodes.

SOURCES

FDA

• Senate HELP Committee: Heidi Overton confirmation hearing

• Associated Press: Questions facing Trump’s FDA nominee

• Reuters: Trump selects Heidi Overton to lead the FDA

TRUMP–XI AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE

• Reuters: What commodity markets expect from the Trump–Xi summit

• Reuters: China buys one million metric tons of U.S. soybeans ahead of Xi’s visit

• Agri-Pulse: Billions in agricultural trade at stake

FARM FINANCES AND FERTILIZER

• AgWeb: Farmer survey and rising input pressures

• Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center: Costs associated with phosphate duties

• Farm Progress: Fertilizer concentration and the Mosaic fight

• KCHA: Grassley targets seed and chemical prices

NEW MEXICO AND SCREWWORM

• USDA APHIS: Current New World screwworm status

• USDA APHIS: Requirements for importing cattle and bison from Mexico

• Reuters: Screwworm found in a New Mexico horse

ARIZONA CULTIVATED-MEAT LABELING

• Arizona Legislature: HB 2762

• Arizona Legislature: Summary and effective date

• FDA: Food made with cultured animal cells

CALIFORNIA E15

• California Legislature: SB 795

• Reuters: California authorizes E15 sales

• U.S. Department of Energy: Ethanol-blend information

Diesel has reportedly reached another record during harvest—and some farm-state Republicans want Washington to restrict exports and keep more American fuel at home. Petroleum groups and free-market conservatives warn that an export ban could reduce refinery output and ultimately make prices worse.

Also in today’s Food & Ag Brief:

• President Trump says the United States is negotiating a lower-cost potash agreement with Belarus. No contract, price, volume or delivery schedule has been released, and analysts question whether the shipping logistics would produce meaningful savings for farmers.

• California has become the final state to authorize E15 gasoline, opening the country’s largest fuel market to a blend containing 15% ethanol. The legal barrier is gone, but adoption will still depend on infrastructure, supply and retailer participation.

• USDA has announced up to $50 million to help states establish or expand meat-inspection programs. Illinois is separately distributing approximately $3.5 million to small farms, processors and food businesses for cold storage, processing, packing and distribution.

• A coalition of 22 states prevailed in court against disputed USDA SNAP guidance involving state penalties and eligibility for certain lawful permanent residents. Separately, USDA says hundreds of undercover investigations in New York City led to action against 170 retailers through Operation SNAP Back.

• A federal judge has temporarily paused most covered USDA relocation deadlines through October 2 while considering a broader challenge to the department’s reorganization.

SOURCES

Diesel:
Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/319c7b67-b585-407e-a0da-6e23b1612180
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-diesel-shortage-likely-last-into-2027-as-storage-tanks-drain-2026-09-21/
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/21/trump-farmers-chuck-grassley

Belarus potash:
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-says-us-is-working-deal-purchase-potash-belarus-2026-09-21/
Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/48a742dbf2e4176a04f308d3020c0b4a

California E15:
California governor: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-signs-bill-expanding-fuel-options-to-help-californians-save-at-the-pump-amid-donald-trumps-gas-price-crisis/
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/california-clears-sales-higher-ethanol-fuel-lower-gasoline-costs-2026-09-21/

Meat inspection and Illinois infrastructure:
USDA state-inspection information: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/state-inspection-programs
Illinois Department of Agriculture: https://agr.illinois.gov/assistance/illinoisfarmprograms/lfig.html
New Mexico state-inspection announcement: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/09/18/usda-welcomes-new-mexico-state-meat-and-poultry-inspection-program

SNAP:
Washington attorney general: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/judge-permanently-blocks-federal-government’s-illegal-snap-fines
Michigan attorney general: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/09/21/attorney-general-nessel-permanently-blocks-unlawful-snap-eligibility-guidance
USDA Operation SNAP Back: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/09/18/usdas-operation-snap-back-hits-five-boroughs

USDA reorganization:
National Federation of Federal Employees: https://www.nffe.org/nffe_news/court-pauses-usda-employee-relocations-following-lawsuit-challenging-illegal-reorganization/
Agri-Pulse: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25243-usda-reorganization-paused-until-oct-2-as-judge-considers-injunction-request

Two recording corrections: Trump announced the Belarus proposal on Monday, September 21, not Sunday. Newsom signed California’s E15 bill on Saturday, September 19, not Friday. Operation SNAP Back is confirmed and USDA says it took action against 170 retailers after hundreds of undercover investigations.

Beef prices are near record highs, cattle supplies are tight and the meatpacking industry says processors have been operating at a loss. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has expanded its beef-pricing investigation to major grocery retailers—and USDA plans to reopen the Santa Teresa crossing for Mexican cattle on Thursday, September 24, despite a newly confirmed screwworm case in New Mexico.

Also in today’s Food & Ag Brief:

• Documents released through litigation show that EPA asked Bayer which restrictions it preferred while developing new rules for dicamba. EPA says consulting manufacturers is standard regulatory practice; critics call it regulatory capture.

• U.S. and Chinese negotiators have created a process for considering reciprocal tariff reductions, potentially including agricultural products. But no new soybean purchases, tariff cuts or enforceable farm commitments were announced ahead of the September 24–25 Trump–Xi summit.

The questions driving today’s episode:

Is the price of beef primarily a supply problem, a market-power problem—or both?

When regulators ask a pesticide manufacturer which restrictions it prefers, is that technical consultation or corporate capture?

And what would turn this week’s U.S.–China negotiations into an actual farm deal?

The Food & Ag Brief delivers Washington food-policy intelligence for people who do not all share the same politics.

Hosted by Amanda Vicari.

SOURCES

BEEF, SCREWWORM AND MARKET POWER

Reuters — “Screwworm infests U.S. horse before port reopens to Mexican livestock,” September 17, 2026:
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/screwworm-infests-us-horse-before-port-reopens-mexican-livestock-2026-09-17/

Reuters — “U.S. Justice Department expands beef price probe to eight retailers,” September 2, 2026:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-justice-department-expands-beef-price-probe-eight-retailers-2026-09-02/

Associated Press — Meat Institute response and background on packer losses and the beef investigation:
https://apnews.com/article/c6c57effee6ef1a8c1088d4e5edcc60a

DICAMBA AND EPA

The Guardian — “U.S. environment agency let Bayer pick regulations for destructive weedkiller, documents show,” September 20, 2026:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/20/epa-bayer-regulation-pesticide-dicamba

EPA dicamba rulemaking docket:
https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0154-1239

USDA request for comments on Bayer’s MON 96012 herbicide-resistant cotton; comments close November 20, 2026:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/21/2026-19237/bayer-us-crop-science-availability-of-a-petition-for-a-determination-of-nonregulated-status-and

U.S.–CHINA TRADE

Reuters — U.S.–China negotiations ahead of the Trump–Xi summit, September 20, 2026:
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-treasurys-bessent-chinas-he-launch-talks-ai-trade-critical-minerals-2026-09-20/

Reuters — Recent Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans:
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-buys-1-million-tons-us-soybeans-ahead-xi-visit-sources-say-2026-09-10/

DATES TO WATCH

September 24: USDA’s planned reopening of the Santa Teresa cattle crossing.

September 24–25: Trump–Xi summit.

November 20: Public-comment deadline for Bayer’s MON 96012 cotton petition.

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026—but the party-line vote exposed unresolved Republican divisions over California’s Proposition 12 and competition in the meatpacking industry. With the current Farm Bill extension expiring September 30 and Congress out until after the election, another temporary extension appears increasingly likely.

Then: a multistate coalition is supporting California’s attempt to stop Corteva from spinning off its seed business as Vylor. The plaintiffs argue that the October 1 transaction could place assets beyond the reach of governments pursuing PFAS-related claims. Corteva says those claims are speculative and maintains that it has sufficient resources to address potential liabilities.

Also in today’s episode:

• Diesel reaches a reported record $6.29 per gallon as federal regulators temporarily extend the working window for fuel-hauling truck drivers.

• USDA launches a strategy aimed at expanding international demand for American ethanol.

• Virginia eases trucking restrictions as drought leaves livestock producers searching for hay.

• USDA prepares to reopen New Mexico’s Santa Teresa cattle crossing while screwworm cases remain active in Texas.

• Michigan awards nearly $500,000 for drinking water, livestock water, sewage and fire-suppression projects at county fairgrounds.

DATES TO WATCH

September 24: Vylor shareholder record date and the targeted reopening of the Santa Teresa livestock crossing.

September 30: The current Farm Bill extension expires.

October 1: Corteva plans to complete the Vylor spinoff, unless the court intervenes.

SOURCES

Farm Bill

Agri-Pulse — Senate Ag passes Farm Bill along party lines amid GOP drama:
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25257-senate-ag-passes-farm-bill-along-party-lines-amid-gop-drama

Senate Agriculture Committee:
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/

Corteva and Vylor

Agri-Pulse — California seeks order to stop Corteva spinoff:
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/25241-california-seeks-order-to-stop-corteva-spinoff

Court filing supporting California’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction:
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/2026-09-14-statement-support-people-california%E2%80%99s-motion-temporary-restraining-order-and-preliminary.pdf

Corteva — Board approves Vylor distribution:
https://www.corteva.com/resources/media-center/corteva-board-approves-vylor-distribution.html

Record diesel and trucking waiver

Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-temporarily-eases-curb-working-hours-fuel-truck-drivers-2026-09-17/

USDA ethanol strategy

USDA:
https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/09/16/usda-announces-new-american-biofuels-trade-outlook-building-record-2025-exports

Virginia hay emergency

Virginia executive order:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/eo/eo-21-declaration-of-emergency-due-to-severe-drought.pdf

New Mexico cattle crossing

Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-farm-agency-prepares-reopen-new-mexico-port-livestock-trade-next-week-2026-09-16/

USDA screwworm status:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-disease/screwworm/current-status

Michigan fairground grants

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2026/09/16/mdard-invests-in-water-infrastructure-at-county-fairs

The Food & Ag Brief is hosted by Amanda Vicari. Follow for concise reporting on the policies shaping American farms, food markets and rural communities.

Congress is running out of time to act on the Farm Bill.

In today’s Food & Ag Brief, we examine the Senate Agriculture Committee’s newly scheduled vote on the Agricultural Act of 2026—and whether lawmakers can pass a lasting bill before the current extension expires September 30.

Also in this episode:

• Abbott agrees to pay nearly $385 million to resolve government allegations involving infant-formula manufacturing. The settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing.
• Opponents of the proposed FRESH Act rally in Washington as Congress weighs stronger federal oversight of GRAS ingredients alongside broad preemption of state food-safety laws.
• New York leads a multistate lawsuit challenging a federal rule that would allow wider consideration of public-benefit use in green-card decisions.
• California investigates a Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled organic eggs.
• Virginia opens a new grant round for food hubs, farmers markets, commercial kitchens and regional processing infrastructure.

The central question: Can Congress settle the major disputes over farm and nutrition policy before the deadline—or are farmers and program administrators headed toward another temporary extension?

SOURCES

Farm Bill:
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/business-meeting-09-16-2026
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/download/s___-agricultural-act-of-2026pdf
https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/farm-bill

Abbott infant-formula settlement:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/abbott-agrees-pay-over-384m-settle-allegations-related-contaminated-infant-formula
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/abbott-pay-384-mln-over-contaminated-infant-formula-allegations-us-justice-dept-2026-09-14/

FRESH Act:
https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/FRESH_Act_Discussion_Draft_3f4409f3a3.pdf
https://chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FRESH-Act-and-Preemption-Provision-August-2026_FINAL.pdf
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2026/08/join-ewg-protect-state-food-safety-laws-toxic-chemicals

Public-charge lawsuit:
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-leads-major-challenge-trump-administrations-attack
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-public-charge-benefits-assistance-lawsuit-new-york-95ac8c221f5ded109d36fe13ebd7bc8f

California egg recall:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR26-029.aspx
https://www.countynewscenter.com/salmonella-dna-found-on-farm-tied-to-ramona-outbreak/

Virginia local-food grants:
https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/press-releases-260914-application-opens-for-afid-infrastructure-grant.shtml
https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml

Subscribe to the Food & Ag Brief:
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Food policy moves fast. The Food and Ag Brief helps you keep up.

In 10 minutes or less, get the food and agriculture policy news shaping Washington and the states — from the farm bill, USDA and FDA to food safety, trade, farm economics, SNAP, consolidation and the policies changing what we grow, sell and eat.

Clear, concise and built for people who want to understand not just what happened, but why it matters and what comes next.

Follow the Food and Ag Brief for new episodes throughout the week.

Rail fuel surcharges are hitting record highs just as corn and soybean harvests begin.

In today’s Food & Ag Brief, we examine how those transportation charges move through grain elevators and ultimately reduce the prices farmers receive. With producers dependent on a small number of railroads, the increase also adds urgency to concerns about consolidation and the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger.

We also cover:

• The Farm Bill entering its final 16 days. The House has passed its version, but the Senate bill remains stuck in committee following a dispute over SNAP cost-sharing.

• USDA reviewing the reporting and recordkeeping requirements behind the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. This does not change the labeling rules, but it opens a debate over transparency and the estimated 353,952 annual hours of compliance work.

• An Iowa lawmaker renewing his effort to ban paraquat, a restricted-use herbicide at the center of an unresolved debate over pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease.

• Arizona canceling five agricultural leases used by a company applying treated sewage sludge to state land in Yuma County. The attorney general’s broader investigation remains open.

• Maryland preparing to offer $3.67 million for grocery stores and other food retailers serving communities with limited access to fresh food.

The central question:

When farmers and small food businesses cannot easily choose another railroad, regulatory system or source of capital, how much of the market is actually competitive?

Get the Food & Ag Brief by email or text:
https://tinyurl.com/3bdxvf8p

SOURCES

RAIL FUEL SURCHARGES

Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-rail-fuel-surcharges-grain-hit-record-highs-squeezing-farmers-harvest-season-2026-09-14/

USDA Grain Transportation Report:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/transportation-analysis/gtr

Surface Transportation Board:
https://www.stb.gov/reports-data/economic-data/quarterly-rail-fuel-surcharges/

FARM BILL

Senate Agriculture Committee:
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep/press/release/chairman-boozman-releases-updated-farm-bill-20-text-announces-business-meeting

National Association of Counties status report:
https://www.naco.org/news/senate-agriculture-committee-holds-farm-bill-markup-remains-committee

American Farm Bureau analysis:
https://www.fb.org/intel/policy/time-to-finish-the-job-2026-farm-bill

BIOENGINEERED FOOD DISCLOSURE

Federal Register notice:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/14/2026-18731/notice-of-request-for-extension-of-a-currently-approved-information-collection

USDA standard:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be

IOWA PARAQUAT PROPOSAL

Axios:
https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/09/14/iowa-senator-pushes-to-ban-paraquat

Iowa Senate File 2316:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=SF2316&enhanced=false&ga=91

EPA paraquat review:
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/paraquat-dichloride

ARIZONA BIOSOLIDS LEASES

Arizona governor:
https://azgovernor.gov/office-arizona-governor/news/2026/09/governor-katie-hobbs-announces-termination-state-land-leases

Arizona attorney general:
https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-biosolids-investigation-helps-lead-cancellation-agtech-leases

EPA biosolids guidance:
https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/land-application-biosolids

MARYLAND NOURISHMD

Governor’s announcement:
https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press-releases/governor-moore-announces-fiscal-year-2027-application-round-nourishmd-grant-program

NourishMD:
https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Communities/Pages/NourishMD.aspx

The current New World screwworm outbreak has reached a U.S. horse. Officials confirmed the case in Presidio County, Texas, and restricted animal movement from parts of the affected region. The source of the infection has not been established.

In this episode of The Food & Ag Brief, we also examine:

• EPA and the Army Corps reopening the debate over which wetlands and streams qualify for federal protection. The agencies are requesting comments on additional changes to their proposed WOTUS definition; no final rule has been issued.

• A lawsuit seeking to stop USDA from closing offices and relocating thousands of employees. The plaintiffs allege that USDA is proceeding without required congressional approval. The court has not ruled on those claims.

• New reporting on at least $66 million in pork-checkoff money transferred to the National Pork Producers Council through trademark and real-estate arrangements.

• California approving a phased plan for what could become the country’s largest offshore kelp farm. The project could eventually produce 6,000 tons annually, but additional reviews are required before it reaches full scale.

• Michigan awarding $2.3 million to farms, processors, food banks, local governments and food businesses working on regional processing and supply-chain infrastructure.

The central question:

Can government make food and agriculture more resilient without weakening oversight, concentrating power or creating new barriers for the people who produce our food?

Get The Food & Ag Brief by email or text:

https://tinyurl.com/3bdxvf8p

SOURCES

Texas screwworm case:

Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/first-us-horse-case-screwworm-detected-texas-border-county-2026-09-11/

USDA current-status page:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm/current-status

WOTUS proposal:

EPA rulemaking page:
https://www.epa.gov/wotus/updated-definition-waters-united-states

Associated Press:
https://apnews.com/article/62178988f1da0ec626415bd85c88e5f6

USDA reorganization lawsuit:

Federal complaint:
https://www.afge.org/globalassets/documents/generalreports/2026/ecf-001-complaint.pdf

Civil Eats:
https://civileats.com/2026/09/09/usda-faces-second-lawsuit-to-stop-reorganization/

Pork checkoff:

Vox investigation:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/499438/pork-checkoff-usda-board-producers-council

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion/pork

FRESH Act sources

EWG state food chemical bill tracker: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2026/08/interactive-map-tracking-state-food-chemical-regulation-us

California kelp farm:

Associated Press:
https://apnews.com/article/a2d481650bae0a7036304aa60a1e5b07

California Coastal Commission:
https://www.coastal.ca.gov/

Michigan regional-food grants:

Midland Daily News:
https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/2-million-grants-boost-state-s-agricultural-22424106.php

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/business-development/grantfund

The U.S.–Canada trade fight is moving beyond tariffs—and directly into the food system.

In today’s Food & Ag Brief, we examine Washington’s decision to ban certain Canadian dairy products and most alcoholic beverages beginning September 29, while excluding Canadian goods from some major federal contracts. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs are already targeting American cheese, honey, agricultural equipment and other exports. What happens when two deeply integrated agricultural markets start closing their doors?

We also cover:

• General Mills, Mars, Kellanova and McKee Foods accusing major sugar producers of conspiring to inflate prices. These are allegations in a civil lawsuit; no court has found the defendants liable.

• The Farm Bill approaching its September 30 expiration with no clear path through the Senate—leaving farm programs, nutrition assistance, conservation and rural development facing more uncertainty.

• Wisconsin assistance and resources for farms confronting drought conditions.

• Texas beginning distribution of more than seven million eggs secured through settlements with three major producers. The companies settled allegations involving egg pricing without admitting wrongdoing.

• Michigan agriculture officials presenting proposed 2027 farm-management and food-processing practices—rules that could shape environmental compliance, nuisance protections and the state’s Right to Farm framework.

The central question: Are policymakers making food markets more resilient—or replacing predictable trade and competition with an expanding collection of tariffs, restrictions, settlements and subsidies?

Get the full Food & Ag Brief by email or text:
https://tinyurl.com/3bdxvf8p

SOURCES:

U.S.–Canada trade escalation:
https://apnews.com/article/a5fbb50d1c30327ae813482556a37ac3

Canadian counter-tariffs:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/list-of-products-from-the-united-states-subject-to-counter-tariffs-effective-september-8-2026.html

Sugar price-fixing lawsuit:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/general-mills-mars-sue-sugar-producers-price-fixing-lawsuit-2026-09-08/

Federal court docket:
https://dockets.justia.com/docket/illinois/ilndce/1%3A2026cv10777/507328

Farm Bill:
https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/agricultural-act-of-2026-farm-bill-20
https://www.fb.org/intel/policy/time-to-finish-the-job-2026-farm-bill

Wisconsin drought resources:
https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/DroughtResources.aspx

Texas egg distribution:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/press_releases

Michigan proposed agricultural practices:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/boards/upcoming-public-events/2026/09/09/michigan-commission-of-agriculture-and-rural-development
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/environment/rtf/gaamps/draft-gaamps

The farm bill extension expires September 30, and the Senate Agriculture Committee is back this week to re-run the vote that failed 10-11 in August. Chairman Boozman recessed instead of adjourning, which means he can pick up where he left off. One fight is holding everything up: whether states get one year or two before they start sharing SNAP benefit costs. MCOOL for beef, year-round E15, and farm loan modernization are all sitting behind it.

Also today: Canada's counter-tariffs took effect at 12:01 a.m. on $27.6 billion in American goods, with dairy at 25% and farm equipment on the list. Canadian officials said openly that the product list was built with the U.S. midterms in mind. China's private soybean crushers are still not buying American beans ahead of Xi's Washington visit. And an AP investigation finds FDA foreign food inspections down nearly 35% since 2019, with inspectors taking a month to reach the Mexican farm tied to the cyclospora outbreak.

Plus: New York's Summer EBT deadline is tonight, and Arizona's cell-cultivated labeling law takes effect Friday.

Three stories, two quick hits, under ten minutes.

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Show notes

FARM BILL

• Senate farm bill markup analysis, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition — https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/the-senate-farm-bill-markup-what-happened-and-whats-next/
• Committee fails to advance, MCOOL vote detail, American Ag Network — https://www.americanagnetwork.com/2026/08/07/senate-ag-committee-fails-to-advance-farm-bill-over-snap-dispute/
• Boozman to reconvene in September, Farm Policy News — https://farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2026/08/senate-farm-bill-fails-ag-committee-to-vote-again-in-september/
• CRS on the SNAP cost-share change — https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12723

CANADA TARIFFS

• Product list, Department of Finance Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/list-of-products-from-the-united-states-subject-to-counter-tariffs-effective-september-8-2026.html
• Tariffs take effect, CNBC — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/08/canada-retaliatory-tariffs.html
• Joly on targeting US states, CNN — https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/25/business/canada-us-tariffs-american-consumers

CHINA SOYBEANS

• Reuters, ahead of Xi's visit — https://www.investing.com/news/commodities-news/ahead-of-xis-us-visit-chinas-soybean-crushers-face-high-costs-weak-margins-4890572

FDA INSPECTIONS

• AP investigation, Matthew Perrone — https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/cyclospora-outbreak-years-of-declining-fda-foreign-inspections/3985820/

NEW YORK SUMMER EBT — DEADLINE TONIGHT

• Apply: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt/
• Eligibility details, Hunger Solutions New York — https://hungersolutionsny.org/federal-nutrition-programs/summer-nutrition/summer-ebt/

ARIZONA CELL-CULTIVATED LABELING

• National Agricultural Law Center, HB 2762 summary — https://nationalaglawcenter.org/food-law-in-the-states-2026-update-part-2/
• State-by-state ban context, National Hog Farmer — https://www.nationalhogfarmer.com/farm-policy-news/arizona-now-requires-clear-labels-on-cell-cultured-food-products

ON THE RADAR

• Screwworm surveillance skepticism, NOTUS — https://notus.org/policy/screwworm-cases-down