Virginia

Pumpkins are on full display across the United States as part of many fall traditions.  The production of pumpkins, from classic orange Howdens to new varieties like Cinderella, is widely dispersed throughout the United States, with all states producing some pumpkins. ...

Smithfield Foods has agreed to pay $75 million to settle a price-fixing lawsuit.  Reuters said consumers accused the meat producer and several competitors of conspiring to inflate prices in the U.S. pork market by limiting supply.   Smithfield spokesman Jim Monroe said the company denied liability in settling, and that the accord reduces the distraction, risk, and cost of protracted litigation.  “

One Pacific Northwest school will receive thousands of dollars via the Apples4Education grant program. The effort, put on by the U.S. Apple Association, awarded four schools from around the nation $4,000 for the 2022-23 school year. Each grant will provide supplemental student nutrition and expose students to a wider variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as teach students about healthy

The Butcher Block Act, which supporters say will boost U.S. meat processing capacity, won bipartisan support from the House Ag panel last week. The legislation is in contrast to the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, which was fiercely contested, advancing only along partisan lines ...

House lawmakers Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, and Anthony Gonzalez, An Ohio Republican, introduced the American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act this week. The bipartisan legislation seeks to strengthen supply chains across the agriculture industry and lower food costs for consumers ...

A pair of U.S. House lawmakers recently introduced legislation to help address the current truck driver shortage in the United States. In 2021, American trucking companies experienced a record deficit of approximately 80,000 drivers due to hiring and retention challenges ...

The national apple harvest is just getting underway, but it already appears that this year's crop is a bit bigger than expected. USDA Research Economist, Jacklyn Kramer said while harvest will be up roughly 3% of this year, it will be a mixed bag for apple production by state ...

On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Department of Agriculture is investing $167 million in 12 states to deploy broadband infrastructure. The investment focuses on rural areas without sufficient access to high-speed internet ...

Many in farming community are wondering what the future holds under a Joe Biden Administration, especially when it comes to trade. Randy Russell, former USDA Undersecretary, is currently the President of the Russell Group in Arlington, VA ...

It looks like the 2020 apple crop is going to be a little smaller than anticipated. According to NASS, the national crop is expected to come in a 10.6 billion pounds, which is down 3% from last year's crop. USDA Research Analyst, Jaclyn Kramer said that drop mirrors the decrease expected right here in the Northwest ...