AgweekTV Full Show: Farm bill and pesticides, high school meat processing, autonomous trucking, soil tarping

·17 min·1 clip

A new farm bill passes its first step, aiming to give the EPA sole oversight of pesticide labeling nationwide.

The episode opens with news that the U.S. House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2026 by a vote of 34 to 17. The bill includes regulatory reforms for pesticides, aiming to give the EPA sole oversight of labeling and offer manufacturers protection from lawsuits. Elizabeth Burns-Thomas of the Modern Ag Alliance supports this for consistency, while environmental groups express concerns. Next, a segment details how Minnesota high schools are using state grants to teach meat processing skills, with Meadowlake High School's program highlighted as addressing critical workforce shortages. Students like Shane Severson and Eli Chase discuss the hands-on learning benefits. The episode then shifts to autonomous vehicle technology, with Mendak Farmers Cooperative seeking a pilot project for autonomous sugar beet trucks in Wilkin County, Minnesota, to improve efficiency amid driver shortages. Following this, the North Dakota State University Soybean Symposium is covered, focusing on science communication training for graduate students, with Rachel Konchok presenting research on Phytophthora sansimiana. A report on steroidal implants for beef cattle explains their use to increase growth rates and feed efficiency, with Zach Smith noting they can return up to $20 per dollar invested. The weather segment by Lydia discusses drought conditions and fire risks as spring approaches. Finally, the episode explores biological solutions from TerraMax for nutrient uptake and soil tarping techniques for weed control, as researched by Hannah Voigt at South Dakota State University.

As heard by us

Farm policy, school programs, and field fixes share one brisk ag-news hour.

AgWeek TV opens on farm policy and stays practical, moving from the House Agriculture Committee's 34-17 vote on the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2026 to the bill's pesticide-labeling section, then on to Minnesota schools, beet trucks, and soil tarping.

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Why you'd press play

You get a farm bill step, autonomous beet trucks, and a soil tarping tip in one tidy stop.

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