USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a new rule that would change the requirements of meat, poultry and egg labels that say “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” to better align with what consumers understand the claim to mean.

Genetically modified foods have been on supermarket shelves since the 1990s, but they’ve only required a label for the last year. The USDA says implementation and compliance with the program have been “successful,” while experts suggest consumers aren’t noticing the labels.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reinforced oversight on organic certification and enforcement to prevent mislabeled products, in what advocates are calling the biggest update in decades.

Federal funding for agriculture research has fallen by a third over the past two decades, sinking to 1970s-era levels. Researchers worry that could hinder the country’s ability to maintain the domestic food supply in the midst of climate change.

As part of a massive investment in sustainable farming, the university’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture will help farmers across Missouri adapt methods like cover crops, agroforestry and grazing.

The Census of Agriculture produces the clearest snapshot of agriculture in the U.S. as it exists. The USDA will begin mailing questionnaires to all known agricultural producers this month.

A new report from the USDA shows that rural areas are continuing to see growth among people over 65 while the working age population continues to decline.

Kansas and Missouri — along with most of the U.S. — are plagued with a stubborn drought that the state’s two governors have declared to be an emergency. Most of southern Kansas is in extreme or exceptional drought.

During the pandemic, participation in the federal program for low-income women and children dropped more steeply in Missouri than in all but one other state, a new report found. One cause might be Missouri's burdensome administrative system, which requires EBT cards to be physically swiped when loading benefits.

The Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed) is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and helps SNAP recipients learn how to eat healthy food on a budget. Its employees complain of wages so low that they themselves qualify for SNAP.

Farmers die by suicide at a higher rate than the general population. That’s leading Midwestern states to train bankers, veterinarians and agribusiness professionals to be the new front line of defense against farm stress.

Missouri is the only state that chose not to participate in a federal program allowing parents and kids in low-income areas to pick up free meals and take them home — resulting in a dramatic drop in the number of meals distributed to low-income children.