July 21, 2025
White House Hints Trump Farmworker Policy is Coming
White House border czar Tom Homan said last week that the Trump administration is considering possible changes to its immigration enforcement policy as it relates to farm and hospitality workers. In an interview on NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” Homan said people in the White House are talking about various policy solutions, and he expects to see an announcement sometime soon. The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about its approach to immigration raids that affect farms and migrant farmworkers. A week ago, President Trump announced a program intended to support the agriculture industry, which has complained to the White House that the deportation efforts have disrupted business. Many farms rely on migrant workers, including workers in the country illegally. The program would not provide “amnesty,” Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stressed at the time, though they offered few details about what it would do.
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Ag Groups Praising Callahan’s Nomination for Chief Ag Negotiator
Agricultural groups are offering praise for Julie Callahan after President Donald Trump nominated her to fill the role of chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. If confirmed by the Senate, Callahan would succeed Doug McKalip, who held the post in the Biden administration. Callahan is currently the assistant trade representative for agricultural affairs and commodity policy and a longtime civil servant. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “Dr. Callahan is a pro with nearly a decade of experience negotiating trade agreements. She understands how important international partnerships are to agriculture and the critical role of strong export markets to strengthen our farm economy.” USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann said, “After nearly a decade of working with Julie, we know with full certainty that she’s more than capable of doing this job.”
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USDA Fires 70 Foreign Researchers Following Security Review
The USDA said it has fired 70 foreign contract researchers after a national security review intended to secure the U.S. food supply from adversaries including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. “USDA has completed a thorough review of individuals authorized to work on contracts with the department and identified approximately 70 individuals from countries of concern,” a spokesperson said. “The individuals working on these contracts from countries of concern will no longer be able to work on USDA projects.” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on July 8 had announced a farm security plan that included efforts to bar purchases of U.S. farmland by nationals of the four countries, and to terminate any existing research agreements with them. Rollins said the moves were necessary to secure the U.S. food supply.
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Wisconsin Soybean Growers Can See Checkoff Investments First-Hand
The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board is using a national model to show state growers where their checkoff dollars are being spent. Farmer and Board President Jonathan Gibbs says he has participated in the See for Yourself Tour through the United Soybean Board’s national checkoff and wanted to do the same thing at the state level. Gibbs says, “We kind of did it as a pilot program last year, and we decided we wanted to open it up to basically any of the checkoff-paying farmers that were interested this year.” Gibbs says they have eight slots open for farmers to participate in the three-day statewide tour highlighting projects the checkoff has invested in. “We’re basically showcasing in-state, whether it’s research dollars or other investment dollars that we’re doing, research, promotion, new uses, education. We’re trying to convey that to our soybean farmers.” Gibbs says the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board wants to be as transparent as possible, showing farmers where their checkoff dollars are being spent.
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National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025 Coming in September
National Farm Safety and Health Week 2025 is quickly approaching. This year’s theme is “Safety First, Avoid the Worst.” Since 1944, one week each year has been designated as a time to focus on some of the unique challenges faced by agricultural communities. NFSHW is organized by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), an agricultural partner of the National Safety Council. This year, NFSHW will be celebrated from Sept. 21 to 27, with activities taking place across the U.S. NFSHW 2025 will spotlight critical safety topics through educational workshops and daily webinars, offering valuable information and resources for farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers and rural communities. In addition to educational webinars, many community outreach events will take place nationwide, featuring interactive exhibits, safety demonstrations and local vendors. Local FFA and 4-H programs will be providing materials and presentations on farm safety and healthy lifestyles.
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Tar Spot Confirmed in 10 States, 26 Iowa Counties
According to the latest Crop Protection Network map, positive cases of tar spot have been reported in 26 Iowa counties so far this growing season. First reported in the Corn Belt in 2015, the disease has been confirmed in Iowa since 2016. Now all 99 Iowa counties have a history with the disease. This season, tar spot has also been confirmed in neighboring Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska. Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York have reported positive cases as well. Gentry Sorenson covers a number of northwest Iowa counties as an extension agronomist. He says the crop is late stage vegetative to R2 in his area. That’s about the right time to consider applying fungicide to target tar spot. Multi-state fungicide research results show that applications made for tar spot management are most effective and economical when made between R2-R3, even when disease developed during early vegetative stages, said a June 20 Nebraska CropWatch article.
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