Agriculture

President issues emergency diesel tax deferral for farmers and truckers

1 min read3 days ago

The order defers diesel excise taxes and waives penalties for farmers, truckers and other qualified taxpayers on diesel used between Oct 5 and Dec 31 2026.

Agriculture

President signs order to cut disease-carrying pests in DC

1 min readOctober 2, 2026

The order obligates the Interior, Agriculture, EPA, GSA and HHS to launch a DC-wide campaign aiming for a 90 % drop in invasive mosquitoes and a 50 % drop in ticks by 2028.

Agriculture

IRS proposes four-year installment election for farmland gain tax

2 min readSeptember 29, 2026

Taxpayers selling qualified farmland to a qualified farmer may elect to pay the gain tax in four equal installments, with comments due Nov. 30, 2026.

Agriculture

Executive Order expands hunting access on federal lands

2 min readSeptember 22, 2026

The order directs Interior, War, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Education and Veterans Affairs to broaden hunting, fishing and shooting access on federal lands beginning within 90 days of September 17, 2026.

Agriculture

President bans select Canadian alcoholic beverages from U.S. entry

1 min readSeptember 12, 2026

The ban, effective for imports arriving on or after 12:01 a.m. ET September 29 2026, applies to Canadian alcoholic beverages listed in the proclamation's annex.

Agriculture

GAO urges USDA to assess climate risks of pests and diseases

1 min readSeptember 11, 2026

The GAO recommendation directs the USDA to conduct a nationwide risk assessment and develop a management strategy for climate-related disease and pest threats.

Agriculture

Executive Order 14424 Tightens Packers and Stockyards Enforcement and Expands Interstate Meat Market Access

1 min readSeptember 10, 2026

The order, signed September 4 2026, directs the USDA Secretary to boost enforcement and broaden market opportunities for U.S. ranchers.

Agriculture

President issues order to review regulations affecting ranchers

2 min readSeptember 10, 2026

The order directs the Agriculture, Interior, Trade, FDA and SBA heads to report on rancher-related policies within 90 days of Sept. 4, 2026.

Agriculture

President expands beef trimmings import quota by 300,000 metric tons

1 min readAugust 29, 2026

The August 26, 2026 proclamation raises the in-quota supply of lean beef trimmings by 300,000 mt for 2026, affecting importers under HTSUS codes 0201.30.5091, 0201.30.5097, 0202.30.5091, 0202.30.5097.

Agriculture

TTB proposes new Mill Creek-Walla Walla Valley AVA

1 min readAugust 20, 2026

Wineries and vineyards in the 4,898-acre area of Walla Walla County must await final rule after comments due Oct. 13, 2026.

Agriculture

TTB proposes two new Texas viticultural areas

1 min readAugust 20, 2026

Wineries in 12 Texas counties must comment by Oct. 13, 2026 on the Llano Uplift and Hickory Sands District AVAs

Agriculture

TTB establishes Columbia Hills American Viticultural Area

1 min readAugust 20, 2026

The 29,387-acre Columbia Hills AVA in Klickitat County, Washington, takes effect Sept. 16 2026, affecting vintners labeling wines from the area.

Agriculture

TTB proposes new Rancho Santa Fe viticultural area in San Diego

1 min readAugust 20, 2026

Vintners in the 15,827-acre Rancho Santa Fe AVA and consumers can comment through Oct. 13, 2026.

Elsewhere

What other outlets are reporting on this beat. We link out; we do not republish.

U.S. GAO - Public Health Preparedness: Action Needed to Address National and Biosecurity Risks Associated with Disposal of Federal Laboratory Equipment
Fast Facts Federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture can donate or sell lab equipment that they no longer need. But some lab equipment could pose public health or national security threats if it falls into the wrong hands. For example, bad actors could use it to develop bioweapons. HHS and USDA haven't assessed biosecurity risks associated with selling this type of equipment. They also haven't taken appropriate measures to reduce the risk of these items falling into the wrong hands. We made recommendations that could prevent bad actors from buying federal equipment. A scientist working in a biosafety cabinet. Skip to Highlights Highlights What GAO Found The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sold 1,316 pieces of unneeded laboratory equipment in fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Of that 1,316, GAO identified nine pieces of equipment–freeze dryers and mass spectrometers–that were on the Commerce Control List and sold to individuals and companies in the U.S. and Canada, some of which appeared to be resellers. These items are subject to export controls because they could be used by certain countries of concern to develop biological weapons or to gain a military advantage. Examples of Laboratory Equipment on the Commerce Control List GAO found that HHS and USDA, in selling the nine pieces of equipment, did not report to the General Services Administration (GSA) that the items were on the Commerce Control List, as required by federal regulations. GAO identified two reasons: HHS’s policy is silent on this requirement and GSA’s property management system does not have a standard approach, such as a specific field, for agencies to report this information. Until HHS revises its policy and GSA creates a standard approach, GSA and potential recipients may not know when items are subject to export controls, risking harm to national security. GAO also found that H
GAO reports October 1, 2026
Digital agriculture services are coming to America.gov in 2027
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images By Christian Robles | September 30, 2026 03:46 PM ET The website plans to allow users to apply for Medicare, passports and other services in 2027 as well. USDA Websites Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters Tuesday that America.gov, a new digital front door to federal information and services, will include new features for farmers sometime in 2027.“We take the ‘one farmer, one file’ effort — there's still a lot of work to do — and we put it under the America.gov to make this so easy for our farmers to not just apply for a regenerative [agriculture] grant, but to also [help] a brand new farmer [answer] ‘How do I potentially sell my lettuce to the local school district?’” Rollins told reporters.USDA announced the “one farmer, one file” initiative in February “to create a single, streamlined record that follows farmers — no matter where they go in the USDA system.” The goal is to eliminate the burden of filling out the same paperwork multiple times for various USDA services.Under “one farmer, one file,” if a farmer applies for a regenerative agriculture grant through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, they can also apply for a disaster relief grant from USDA’s Farm Service Agency without filling out duplicate paperwork, Rollins explained to reporters.The initiative has already allowed row crop farmers to apply online for the $11 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Rollins said in March that, within four days of unveiling the initiative, USDA saw a 50-fold increase in farmer participation in the grant program compared to the entire five-month sign-up period of the preceding Emergency Commodity Assistance Program.Rollins’ statement about combining “one farmer, one file” with America.gov is notable because the new website does not yet list agriculture-specific services as coming to the website in 2027. Instead, the platform says other services, such as enrolling in Medicare and applying for a
Nextgov September 30, 2026
Judge extends temporary pause in USDA relocations as he considers indefinite freeze
A coalition of federal employee labor unions, nonprofits and local governments argue that USDA is trying to circumvent guardrails on the department's reorganization established by Congress. Kevin Carter/Getty Images A federal judge in San Francisco is weighing whether or not to block the Agriculture Department from carrying out its sweeping reorganization plans. “I’m not firmly decided as to whether I'm going to grant the preliminary injunction motion or not,” U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria told both parties in a hearing Tuesday. But Chhabria is directing both parties to draft proposed language for a potential injunction by Oct. 7. He’s also extending an administrative stay until Oct. 13, which will continue to put a temporary hold on deadlines for all “management directed reassignment” letters USDA has issued so far. The initial administrative stay was scheduled to expire on Oct. 2.A preliminary injunction in this case would indefinitely bar USDA from carrying out relocation plans for about 2,600 employees while the court continues to review the merits of the case. Chhabria said he anticipated that if he issues an injunction, the Trump administration may immediately try to appeal it. “If I issue a preliminary injunction, I'm not going to stay it,” he told DOJ attorneys representing the administration. “If you want to rush to the Ninth Circuit to get a stay or whatever, you need to be ready to do that.” Plaintiffs argued that the relocations are a veiled attempt for USDA to further shrink its workforce. USDA already cut its workforce by about 20,000 employees largely through voluntary separation incentives last year – about a fifth of its total workforce. A coalition of federal employee labor unions, nonprofits and local governments argue that USDA is trying to circumvent guardrails on USDA reorganization established by Congress. Lawmakers included a provision in the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill for USDA that blocked officials from reorganizing or relo
Government Executive September 30, 2026
Lawsuit alleges USDA illegally slashed rural solar development program
Utility Dive September 29, 2026
U.S. GAO - Funding Status: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs and Inflation Reduction Acts at the Departments of Agriculture and Energy
Skip to main content Fast Facts During FYs 2022–25, USDA and the Department of Energy received $134 billion from 2 acts for infrastructure and energy projects. This funding was for projects like reducing wildfire risk, improving rural power production, and developing clean energy technologies. In January 2025, the President directed agencies to review these projects to ensure they aligned with administration priorities and to modify or cancel them if they didn't. After its review, Energy allowed most projects—totaling $19.6 billion—to continue; it cancelled 155 projects, worth $9.1 billion. USDA completed its review but didn't specify how many projects it was continuing. White car with the words zero emission written on the doors at a hydrogen pump station. Skip to Highlights Highlights What GAO Found The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided federal funding to agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Energy (DOE), for a wide range of efforts. These efforts included projects to reduce wildfire risk, improve rural power production, and develop clean energy technologies. Of the $37 billion provided to USDA that was not later rescinded by Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, USDA obligated $32.2 billion for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Of the $78 billion provided to DOE that was not later rescinded, DOE obligated $51 billion for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding for USDA and DOE as of September 30, 2025 Note: This figure does not include budget authority for which the entire period of availability occurs after September 30, 2025, or obligations, disbursements, or rescissions of that budget authority. USDA. In response to the President’s directive in 2025 to review IIJA and IRA funding for alignment with executive orders, USDA reported that it reviewed awards for the
GAO reports September 24, 2026
USDA opens nuclear power funding opportunity for rural electric cooperatives
AVANTech delivers expert design, NQA-1 fabrication, and innovative solid and liquid waste treatment technologies, plus specialty packaging Solutions and precision glovebox systems – engineered to meet the most demanding nuclear and environmental requirements. Explore our new website at avantechllc.com. Learn More The notice of funding opportunity for the USDA's ARC Program mentions that awards can be used by rural electric cooperatives to "purchase all or a share of a new, operating, or re-energized nuclear power facility." (Photo: NextEra)A new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $175 million for rural electric cooperatives to expand nuclear power and improve electricity transmission in rural communities.The new Affordable Rural Cooperative Program (ARC) will begin taking letters of interest from eligible applicants for the awards—which will be offered as loans and/or grants—beginning on October 19. The window closes on November 20. In context: The ARC program was born out of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022—passed under the Biden administration—which included $9.7 billion in financial assistance for rural electric cooperatives to reduce emissions released by rural electric systems, ideally through the “purchase of renewable energy, renewable energy systems, zero-emission systems, and carbon capture and storage systems, to deploy such systems, or to make energy efficiency improvements to electric generation and transmission systems,” according to the IRA language. Some of the IRA funding was in limbo early in the current Trump administration as the government froze funding and carried out a review.The $175 million allocated for the ARC program is intended to strengthen the “resiliency, reliability, and affordability of rural electric systems” by deploying “advanced, efficient transmission infrastructure and nuclear power supply,” according to USDA Rural Development. The maximum amount that can be granted for one recipient cannot e
Nuclear Newswire September 18, 2026
USDA launches new interactive data insights tool
Skip to main content Voting is Now Open for the 2026 FedScoop 50 Awards Vote Now! The Agriculture Department has launched a public data tool for the office that publishes official U.S. data on crop production and prices, it announced Wednesday. Listen to this article 0:00 Learn more. Rain falls on the U.S. Department of Agriculture building on April 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) A new data dissemination tool is coming to the Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the agency announced Wednesday. Deemed “AgInsights,” the tool is designed to “enhance” the data provider’s products and services with streamlined information and a more efficient, dynamic and interactive experience, a press release said. “AgInsights is an important step forward in how producers interact with agricultural statistics,” said NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. The update to NASS, which publishes official U.S. data on crop production and prices, was reportedly previewed earlier this summer. New features include interactive visualizations with automated maintenance, “providing the opportunity to sunset old applications that were cost prohibitive and unsupported while reducing the labor-intensive efforts required for each report,” the release said. However, it did not explicitly say whether the site uses artificial intelligence. “By streamlining information delivery and integrating advanced technologies, we’re making it easier for producers to access, analyze, and apply the latest data to their operations,” Parsons said in the release. AgInsights is also optimized for mobile use, it said, making complex data “easy to interpret and apply to real-world challenges,” and is customizable depending on the user’s operational needs. USDA recently made a change in its IT shop, with Sam Berry resigning from his chief information officer position. Tony Brannum, the agency’s chief information security officer, is reportedly stepping in as
FedScoop September 16, 2026
Federal judge stalls USDA reorg — for now
A U.S. federal judge on Sept. 14 hit the brakes on sweeping reorganization measures at the Agriculture Department, issuing a temporary stay amid ongoing litigation. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria issued an administrative stay in the Northern District of California court, where federal unions filed the latest in a series of lawsuits alleging government officials acted illegally against the federal workforce. Union representatives argue USDA’s complex reorganization plan unlawfully forces thousands of agency employees to choose between undertaking long-haul relocations or losing their jobs. “Defendants shall not take any action to implement, carry out, effectuate, or enforce those deadlines, including proceeding with any termination, separation, or other disciplinary proceeding against an employee, or placing an employee on Absent Without Leave status, based on the employee’s decision to decline reassignment, not to respond to a notice of reassignment, or not to relocate,” Chhabria wrote in the administrative stay order, which extends through Oct. 2. USDA’s multi-part plan includes relocating approximately 2,60o employees currently based in the Washington, D.C. area, accounting for more than half of USDA personnel in the region. Those employees would move to agency hubs across the country; some 90% of the USDA workforce already works outside the National Capital Region. “USDA knows and intends these moves will cause significant attrition among existing USDA staff, depriving the agency of a wealth of knowledge, experience and the ability to perform its statutorily authorized and mandated functions,” plaintiff attorneys wrote in their Sept. 8 lawsuit calling for a preliminary injunction. “The closure of offices and facilities and forced relocation of USDA employees … are contrary to law and exceed USDA’s constitutional and statutory authority,” violating congressional rules on agency authorities, including the Administrative Procedure Act. Plaintiff groups in the la
Federal News Network September 15, 2026

Newsletter

What the federal government did today, and what it changes - with the document behind every item.

President Trump Declares October 2026 National Energy Dominance Month

Federal Reserve Opens Comment Period on Gullace Trust's Bank Share Acquisition

WaFd seeks Fed approval to acquire EverBank Financial Corp

Cboe EDGA Files Immediate Rule Change to Create Data Vendor Program

Agriculture

President issues emergency diesel tax deferral for farmers and truckers

President signs order to cut disease-carrying pests in DC

IRS proposes four-year installment election for farmland gain tax

Executive Order expands hunting access on federal lands

President bans select Canadian alcoholic beverages from U.S. entry

GAO urges USDA to assess climate risks of pests and diseases

Executive Order 14424 Tightens Packers and Stockyards Enforcement and Expands Interstate Meat Market Access

President issues order to review regulations affecting ranchers

President expands beef trimmings import quota by 300,000 metric tons

TTB proposes new Mill Creek-Walla Walla Valley AVA

TTB proposes two new Texas viticultural areas

TTB establishes Columbia Hills American Viticultural Area

TTB proposes new Rancho Santa Fe viticultural area in San Diego