Free Republic

Republican senators on Tuesday railed against the administration’s plans to import more beef during a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance.p> Officials said last week they would allow Argentina to ship four times as much beef to the US as it previously did at a lower tariff rate. Ranchers immediately panned the move, as did the lawmakers who represent them: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned “this isn’t the way to do it.”Vance sought to “explain what the administration is thinking” in Tuesday’s meeting, one Republican senator in attendance told Semafor.“There were a number that really expressed …...

R.C. and Annia Carter survey their ranch near Ten Sleep, Wyo., on Oct. 14, 2025. The Carters have practiced regenerative or holistic agricultural practices to cultivate their pastureland. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times ================================================================ TEN SLEEP, Wyo.—The alfalfa weevil, scourge of Western ranchers, appears when the frost melts, skeletonizing leaves and profits. There are ways to limit its damage—early harvest, livestock grazing, and intercropping alfalfa with grass—but most growers opt for insecticides. R.C. Carter, a third-generation rancher in Northern Wyoming, recalled a realization he had while using a 1.5-gallon container of concentrated pesticide to spray a 60-acre alfalfa pasture. “I was...

In an industry battered by debt and sagging prices, this year’s bounty is more bad news.FREDERICKSBURG, Iowa - Kyle Wendland stepped away from his engineering degree two decades ago to follow his father – not just into farming corn, but into a world of debt, grit, and stubborn faith he could wrest a living from Iowa’s soil. He calls his place Comeback Farms, after his family nearly lost the land in the 1980s farm crisis.This summer, with bills mounting and a farm economy in recession, he led a team through the sweltering Midwest, scouting fields and sizing up what President...

Rose hips or “haws” are the most commonly consumed part of a plant that is best known for its aesthetic appeal. Today, you are more likely to find roses in a vase at the center of a table than on your dinner plate. There are however, a number of culinary and medicinal uses for rose hips.

President Donald Trump’s administration intensified efforts on Wednesday to combat rising beef prices, calling on domestic cattle ranchers to lower prices for consumers while also releasing a multi-agency strategy to restock the nation’s depleted cattle herd. Beef prices in the United States have eclipsed record levels after a prolonged drought that has impacted grazing lands and elevated feed expenses, forcing ranchers to reduce herd sizes. The U.S. cattle inventory, currently at its lowest since 1951, has been shrinking amid import restrictions, including the suspension of Mexican cattle shipments due to pest concerns and tariffs constraining Brazilian supplies, all while consumer...

President Donald Trump rebuked cattle ranchers after they criticized his idea to import Argentinian beef, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday they “don’t understand” his policies—as the proposal has prompted criticism from Republican lawmakers in farm states while consumers face record-high beef prices.

If Austin’s farm fiasco teaches us anything, it’s that the left’s words aren’t harmless — they’re harbingers of dehumanization and violence.In my Oct. 2 article for The Federalist, I detailed a chilling 2,500 percent spike in indexed internet content pairing “Trump” with “fascist” over the past 10 years, with the biggest surge happening since mid-2024. This spike in dangerous rhetoric is evidence of a left-wing effort to dehumanize conservatives as existential threats.From Hillary Clinton likening Trump’s rallies to Nazi gatherings to Kamala Harris branding him a “fascist” threat to democracy, the language has poisoned discourse and, as we’ve seen, inspired...

American Whiskey Association President and CEO Michael Bilello joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss how tariffs and shifting consumer trends are impacting U.S. whiskey exports. 'American Whiskey will go global': CEO defies tariffs, bets on worldwide growth | 5:08 Fox Business Clips | 45K subscribers | 3,421 views | October 20, 2025

A once-silent wheat gene may hold the secret to growing far more grain from every field. Credit: Shutterstock ====================================================================== Scientists at the University of Maryland have uncovered the genetic key behind a rare wheat variety that produces three grains where ordinary wheat grows just one. The team found that a normally inactive gene, WUSCHEL-D1, becomes active early in flower development, causing the plant to form extra ovaries that can each grow into a grain. This discovery could allow breeders to develop new, higher-yielding wheat varieties without needing more land or resources, offering a major step toward meeting global food demands...

According to a statement released by Peking University, researchers led by Huang Yani and Pang Yuhong of Peking University analyzed the complete genomes of 58 individuals whose remains were recovered from central China's Baligang site. This Neolithic site is situated between the Yellow River basin to the north, where early farmers grew millet, and the Yangtze River basin to the south, where people planted rice. The DNA study suggests that in the early Neolithic period, the Baligang population comprised a mix of northern and southern East Asian ancestry. Then, some 4,200 years ago, there was an increase in people bearing...

Research into grape pips found from an excavated Byzantine monastery in Israel hints at the origins of the ‘mysterious’ Gaza wine and the history of grapevine cultivation in desert conditions. The pips from settlements in Israel’s Negev desert - one of which was dated to the 8th century - were likely from a white grape, and is potentially the earliest of its kind documented anywhere in the world. It is thought it could be linked to the sweet white wine - the Gaza wine - that archaeologists have seen references to in historical records, but a lack of evidence of...

Everywhere I go, people ask me: What can we do about all the farms we’re losing?The truth is, our local farms cannot survive without us. Supporting them isn’t optional—it’s essential. Go to farm-to-table dinners. Visit your farmers’ market. Buy a meat box or a CSA (community supported agriculture) share. Drive out to the farm. Use farms as venues for weddings, baby showers, or birthday parties. Every single action matters.But let me be honest: individual support alone, while necessary, is not enough. Please don’t take that as an excuse not to support—that is still the most critical piece of the puzzle....

Today, the adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is cultivated throughout much of East Asia and appears prominently in a variety of dishes across many cultures. It is treasured not only for its nutritional value but for its ability to enrich soils. However, according to a statement released by Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), its cultural importance dates back much further than previously thought. WashU researchers and colleagues from Shandong University identified charred adzuki bean remains from the Xiaogao archaeological site in Shandong, China, that date to 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. These examples are at least 4,000 years older than...

I'm in Washington D.C. with about 200 farmers lobbying against the Food Security and Farm Protection Act (aka EATS Act in the Senate) or the Save Our Bacon Act (SOB in the House). This legislative effort at the federal level seeks to overturn California Prop 12 from seven years ago and Massachusetts Question 3. These two states went beyond what 11 states have done in outlawing gestation crates in hog factories. Sows lives in these crates all their lives. They can only stand up and sit; they can't walk or turn around. While 11 states have outlawed this protocol, California...

Parmesan, formally known as Parmigiano-Reggiano, hails from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region and has been crafted for over 900 years. True Parmesan is protected by DOP status, ensuring traditional, regional production. Rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and essential vitamins like B12 and K2, Parmesan can support bone, muscle and immune health. It’s low in carbs and lactose, making it keto- and lactose-intolerant-friendly.

According to a statement released by the University of Cologne, a new study of grains grown by Neolithic farmers who lived in what is now Germany suggests that they diversified their crops more quickly than previously thought. Between 5400 and 4900 B.C., central Europe's first farmers grew emmer and einkorn. The outer husks of these grains must be removed before the grain can be processed. "Naked" grains, which do not have an outer hull, were introduced between about 4900 and 4500 B.C. Analysis of charred grains from 72 sites in Germany, dated to between the late sixth and early fourth...

Coconut oil is the Southeast Asian nation’s top agricultural export, but prices can vary widely such as when supply dwindles during typhoons.Coconut farmers and workers in the Philippines like Alexis Rea have long struggled to reap the full economic benefits of their harvests. Five years ago, he left his job near the capital Manila and travelled about 200km to work on farms in his hometown of Atimonan in Quezon province, in order to be closer to his wife and children. While his take-home pay is higher now, he told CNA finding work would be easier if there were more coconut...

The Trump administration threw Argentina a financial life raft this week, and Argentina promptly responded by offering China an enticement in the form of untaxed soybeans. Why it matters: It's a harsh blow to already struggling U.S. soybean farmers, and illustrates the complex implications of rescuing a close ally. Driving the news: On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced concepts for broad financial support to stabilize Argentina's economy, including potential loans, currency purchases and debt buying. Argentina's currency, the peso, rallied on the news. Argentina, looking to rake in more capital, suspended its export taxes on several products Monday, including...

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will use tariff revenue to offer cash bailouts for farmers who are struggling with trade uncertainty and other economic headwinds. “We’re going to take some of that tariff money that we made, we’re going to give it to our farmers, who are, for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “So we’re going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape, because we’re taking in a lot of money.” Trump officials expect that Congress will need to...

Wisconsin farmers face a major threat to their livelihoods, as the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is pushing a radical fee hike that could devastate auction barns, livestock dealers, and farm families statewide. The proposal would increase licensing fees for auction markets by an astonishing 1,700 percent — from $420 to $7,430 — placing enormous burdens on those who work tirelessly to keep Wisconsin’s agricultural economy alive.As U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) warned, this is not merely a matter of dollars and cents: “Democrats cannot manage a budget, so they shift the burden onto you.” “Not...