American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall today applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. “This is a win-win for kids and dairy farmers because the nutritional benefits of whole milk are now broadly known. By lifting the restrictions on whole and reduced-fat 2 percent milk in schools, kids have more access to important protein, calcium and vitamins. Because school milk accounts for almost 8 percent of fluid milk demand, it’s a significant market driver, too. “Many thanks to the bipartisan leadership from Sens. Welch and Marshall as well as that from Chairman Boozman and...

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Curbing anti-competitive practices and reinstating mandatory Country of Origin Labeling will do more to lower beef prices than importing more beef from Argentina. Unfortunately, ranchers have already taken another hit in a volatile market. It takes about the same percentage of your paycheck to buy a pound of beef today as it did 10 years ago. Sure, the price of beef is higher, but so is everything else, including the average paycheck – thanks to inflation. There is also about the same amount of beef in our supply chain as there was 10 years because we are importing more and...

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We are told that consumers want to know everything about the food they eat, from the time it was planted or impregnated until the time it reaches their plate. I think we have to be very careful in how we meet the consumer’s wishes, or it could backfire on us. Follow along with me now as we join the Wilson family as they are gathered around the dinner table to enjoy a scrumptious prime rib. Instead of saying grace before dinner Mrs. Wilson scanned a bar code on the beef package so they could put a face to the food...

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Long before the Billings Livestock Commission started having horse sales, the Public Auction Yards had them once a month on a Saturday. When checked in, if the horse was branded, the brand its location was written on the “mail” that hangs on the gate. If there is no brand a “No Br” or “NB” or some facsimile is written on the “mail.” The horses to be sold were divided into three classifications: loose, which were the least expensive to sell; yard rides, which were slightly higher to sell and were a result of the seller, for some reason not wanting...

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The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has issued temporary rules to help reduce the risk of spreading Equine Herpes Virus (EHV)/Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EMH). The rules filed on November 19, 2025, will immediately strengthen Oregon’s ability to prevent the entry and spread of EHV/EHM by requiring additional safeguards for horses entering the state or attending high-risk events.   ODA was recently made aware of an outbreak of EHV/EHM in horses that were at or associated with barrel racing and rodeo-type events in Texas and Oklahoma. Several cases of EHV/EHM have been confirmed in Texas and Oklahoma associated with these equine events,...

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The American Farm Bureau Federation announced the next recipient of an award that recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Rutter of South Carolina is the second recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by AFBF with support from Farm Credit. Rutter served 22 years in the Army, where his service included leading intelligence operations across Europe and the Middle East. Drawing on his extensive experience in strategic planning, personnel development, and training operations, Rutter co-founded the nonprofit Project Victory Gardens to help...

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We have been enjoying a really beautiful fall with temperatures reaching into the 50’s and 60’s in November. I am loving the lack of snow and cold, but I do know how quickly Indian summer can disappear. This is a column I wrote about the rude interruption of winter on a beautiful autumn. Diary of a Hunting Camp Cook Day #1: It was a beautiful ride into Meadow Creek in the Scapegoat Wilderness today. I think it was about 60 degrees and cloudless. To top it off, my favorite horse was saddled for me at the trailhead. The weather forecast says...

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Colby Anderson, age seven, helping gather cattle. Photo submitted by Amber Anderson.

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I was riding down the Yellowstone River east of Miles City, Montana around 1900. That’s when I met XIT cowboy Bob Fudge. I had heard about him and was thrilled to meet him. You see, Bob began his XIT career breaking horses for them in Texas as a kid in 1877 – big for his age of 15. The ranch was putting together herds of steers to trail north. That same year he made his first trail drive to Montana ending up on the Little Bighorn River in the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains. He returned to Texas after that...

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The history of animals in combat and mascots in the military animals have served alongside humanity in combat since at least the time of the ancient Sumerians, around 2500 BC, when chariots were drawn by recently domesticated wild asses native to the region now known as southern Iraq. From that point forward, countless other animals were employed in humanity’s struggles: dogs, camels, elephants, pigeons, and more, all playing vital roles in the history of war. For the sake of time, this article will focus on the history of animal mascots and how these four-legged and even winged companions have elevated...

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