February 27, 2026

Farmers for Free Trade Kicks Off National USMCA Roundtables

Farmers for Free Trade held the first of a series of nationwide USMCA roundtable discussions in San Antonio, Texas. The event took place in the same hotel where President George H.W. Bush signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in October 1992. The discussion brought together farmers, agribusiness leaders, and local officials to highlight what’s at stake as the mandatory six-year review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement approaches this summer. The message was clear that USMCA is the backbone of American agricultural trade, and farmers need Congress to prioritize its renewal. Venus Welch-White of CropLife America spoke during the roundtable, saying that a full renegotiation would create a slippery slope of uncertainty for agriculture, urging policymakers to maintain the provisions that are already working. Brian Kuehl (KEEL), executive director of Farmers for Free Trade, said agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico grew from $9 billion in 1992 to $58.8 billion in 2025. 

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USDA Relocation Plans Moving Forward

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the imminent disposal of USDA’s South Building and Braddock Place, designed to reduce the real estate footprint of the U.S. Government in the National Capital Region. “This is a long overdue move to protect the American taxpayer dollars from being wasted on expensive real estate inside the Washington, D.C., area when our government should be closer to the producers we serve,” Rollins said. “More than 85 percent of the South Building is unoccupied, and there’s a $1.6 million backlog in deferred maintenance.” She also said it’s “unacceptable” to put these costs on the U.S. taxpayer. “We’re being strong stewards of taxpayer dollars while also ensuring top-notch customer service and fulfilling our promise to American farmers,” Rollins added. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden added that the massive, underutilized real estate footprint wasn’t sustainable in the USDA budget. 

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Ethanol Output Drops, Inventories Hit One-Month High

The Energy Information Administration said U.S. ethanol output was down modestly during the week ending on February 20, while ethanol inventories rose to the highest level in a month. Production fell to an average of 1.113 million barrels a day, which the agency said was down from 1.118 million the previous week. The bulk of the losses were in the Gulf Coast region, where output dropped to an average of 21,000 barrels a day from 29,000 barrels during the prior week. West Coast production was down by a thousand barrels a day to 9,000. In the Midwest, output slightly increased to 1.06 million barrels a day, on average, from 1.058 million barrels the week before. East Coast and Rocky Mountain production were both unchanged at an average of 11,000 barrels daily. Ethanol inventories on February 20 rose to 25.646 million barrels, the most in storage since the seven days ending on January 16.

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Dairy Showcasing Innovation at Expo West

Dairy Management, Inc. is positioning itself as a strategic innovation partner and resource to the nearly 70,000 entrepreneurs, investors, brands, and retailers who will attend the Natural Products Expo West. The event is March 3-6 in Anaheim, California. Expo West is the largest trade show of its kind in North America for the consumer-packaged goods and natural products industry. This will be the third straight year DMI will be at the event, with the checkoff seeking to demonstrate how dairy can fuel breakthrough product concepts and how innovators can tap into its resources to accelerate speed to market. “We’re at Expo West to show entrepreneurs and innovators what’s possible with dairy and how the checkoff’s support and research network can help them bring ideas to life,” said Maria Buerk, executive vice president of innovation for DMI. Headlining DMI’s presence at its booth is a new concept: cottage cheese ice cream. 

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2026 Severe Weather Forecast Shows Fewer Tornadoes, More Heavy Rains

AccuWeather long-range experts say the 2026 severe weather season is shaping up to be significantly different from last year’s exceptionally active spring that saw hundreds more tornadoes compared to the average. While tornado activity is expected to trend lower this year compared to 2025, the risk will shift toward more frequent and heavier downpours, flooding, and damaging straight-line wind events. The Severe Weather Forecast predicts an increased risk of severe weather episodes across the eastern Plains into the mid-Mississippi River Valley and western Ohio Valley in March and April. Cooler and more stable air may limit severe storms farther north early in the season before conditions get more favorable in late April and May. “Flash floods and damaging winds can be just as destructive as tornadoes and can often impact a much larger area,” said Meteorologist Alex Duffus. “Flash flooding is a big concern this year.”

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National Potato Council Elects New President

The National Potato Council installed its 2026 roster of Executive Committee leaders during the group’s annual Washington Summit. Ben Sklarczyk (SKLAHR-zick) of Michigan is the Council’s new President for the next 12 months. He’s a third-generation grower and owns a hydroponic seed potato operation in his hometown of Johannesburg. A long-time advocate for the industry, Sklarczyk has been involved with the NPC since the early 2000s and joined the NPC Board of Directors in 2010. Before being elected President for 2026, he served for almost a decade on the Executive Committee, holding various leadership roles. As the new president, Sklarczyk said he’s committed to bringing strength and resilience to the potato industry. “Our agenda will include capitalizing on new federal dietary guidelines to promote potatoes as a staple of good health, ensuring fair trading practices for U.S. potatoes globally, and removing non-tariff barriers,” he said. 

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