The House Natural Resources Committee held a full committee markup of several bills, including the Black Vulture Relief Act of 2025. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) commends the House Natural Resources Committee for reporting this legislation out of committee favorably. This legislation addresses an issue that NCBA members have faced for years, as they have dealt with the devastating attacks on their livestock without the ability to protect their cattle from these predators.
CattleCon 2026, to be held in Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 3-5, will feature keynote speakers two-time Daytona 500 and NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and bestselling author Jon Acuff. These two speakers will inspire and spark innovation. Sharing their unique stories and a bit of humor, they are sure to compel attendees and drum up excitement for the future of the cattle industry.
Thanks to a new partnership, dairy producers will soon have additional options for achieving and marketing verified greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from on-farm sustainability practices. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), California Dairies, Inc., and Athian announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a “carbon intensity” protocol supported by the FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES) Program, which seeks to define, quantify and verify how production efficiencies and new practice adoption contribute to positive environmental outcomes.
Industry professionals gathered in Nashville, Tenn., for the 2025 USPOULTRY Hatchery-Breeder Clinic, where leading experts shared targeted strategies to optimize hatchery and breeder performance. The two-day event featured sessions on breeder nutrition, holding and transportation challenges, incubation management, chick quality, fertility challenges and the growing importance of automation and technology in streamlining operations.
As policymakers seek to define ultra-processed foods, review ingredients used in food processing and determine a strategy to improve the health of children, the Meat Institute and the Meat Foundation released an updated “Guide to Meat Processing” to increase understanding of meat production and the unique nature of the ingredients and processes used to make nutrient dense meat and poultry.
National Institute for Animal Agriculture hosted animal agriculture leaders to address challenges stemming from lameness across all food animal species and have now released a White Paper compiling the findings. The white paper can be accessed at the NIAA website and is complementary to roundtable attendees and NIAA members.
Farmers have until July 25 to submit nominations for the 2026 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, which comes with cash prizes and bragging rights. This is the eighth year of the contest, supported by Nestlé Purina PetCare, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers. Eligibility guidelines and submission requirements are available here.
Creekstone Farms has promoted Andrew Baltz, current Senior Vice President and General Manager, to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). In his new role, Baltz will drive productivity and automation across plant operations, expanding the production of value-added products and future industry offerings.
