Agriculture

Chapters of FFA, once called Future Farmers of America, are becoming more common in city schools. Program advisors say students are learning skills that can help them work in a wide range of industries — from biotech to cosmetology.

A study is starting soon from Texas Tech University researchers within the Department of Natural Resource Management, utilizing new technology to study rangeland recovery two years after the devastating Smokehouse Creek Fire.

Wildfires swept through Northwestern Oklahoma last month, including the Ranger Road Fire that burned hundreds of thousands of acres in Beaver, Harper and Woods Counties. The immediate danger is gone, but people are only beginning to recover from the toll on their homes, livestock and emotional well-being.

Across the country, ranchers have fewer cattle than at any point since 1952, leading to rising beef prices. Farmers are still expected to accumulate more debt this year.

Farmers are waiting longer for U.S. Department of Agriculture services. Harvest Public Media’s Macy Byars reports that more than a quarter of USDA employees have left their jobs since late 2024. More than four million Texans cast ballots in this year’s primary elections. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports Democratic turnout more than doubled compared with recent primaries and Republican turnout remained strong and consistent.

The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts shrunk U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies that inspect produce, provide conservation resources and collect data on crops and livestock. It's creating longer wait times for farmers seeking federal services and programs, people working in agriculture say.

After a number of states have dealt different rulings in cases raised against the company behind the herbicide Roundup, the issue is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nearly a year after a child died of measles in connection with the West Texas outbreak, Lubbock Public health confirmed a case in an unvaccinated resident yesterday. Public health officials are working to identify and contact those who may have been exposed. After a number of states have dealt different rulings in cases raised against the company behind the herbicide Roundup, the issue is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our Charley Maranville reports the case hinges on who has the power to regulate manufacturers.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and electricity provider Xcel Energy have reached a settlement related to the 2024 wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Our Brad Burt has more on the agreement. And as elevated fire conditions continue this week, our reporter Bishop Van Buren has an update. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging agribusinesses in Texas hit by the wildfires to seek financial aid. Click here for more information.

In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a network of "climate hubs" to understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry and help farmers adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather. Now, the future of these hubs is uncertain.