Capital Press

California’s government claims the Trump administration’s revised lawsuit against its chicken housing regulations suffers from the same defects as the original complaint and must be dismissed. Last year, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that California’s restrictions on confining hens are pre-empted by a national law governing egg inspections.

Maritime and sustainable aviation fuel, and corn-based fiber and plastic products, are potential new markets for U.S. corn farmers following a record 17 billion bushel crop in 2025, according to a strategy report from the National Corn Growers Association. The report is particularly important given low prices and high-input costs, association President Jed Bower, an Ohio corn farmer, told Capital Press. Overall average corn yield tends to increase by two bushels each year, Bower said.

UC-Davis study finds cattle are main diet for predators Wolves in northeastern California eat cattle more than anything else, according to a new University of California-Davis study. Beef was present in 86% of wolf scat samples collected from the Lassen pack in 2022. In 2023, 55% of the samples from the Lassen wolves and the newly established Harvey pack contained cattle. Overall, 72% of wolf scat analyzed in the study contained cattle DNA.

National Wool Review July 2 Domestic wool trading had no confirmed trades reported this week. Prices reflect trades FOB warehouse in original bag or square pack, bellies out, some graded, and 76 mm or longer. No allowance made for coring, freight, or handling fees at the warehouse level to reflect net grower prices. Wools shorter than 75 mm typically discounted .10-.20 clean. Classed and skirted wools usually trade at a .10-.20 premium to original bag prices.

Western U.S. milk and cream report July 6 California milk production is lighter. Handlers report June 2026 milk output is down from May 2026 but remained up year-over-year. Spot milk loads are available. Among manufacturers in the state, some scattered downtime is planned during Q3. Farm level milk output in Arizona is lighter. Spot load availability is looser as some facility equipment issues are causing unplanned downtime.

Selected Western livestock auctions Oregon EUGENE (Eugene Livestock Auction) June 27 Receipts: 899 Comments: Lambs have been a little soft last couple of weeks. Goats staying strong. Good quality feeder cattle have lots of interest but lower numbers of them. Very few high yielding good cows this week.

Horse groups challenged BLM removal plan A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from gathering and removing about 850 wild horses from public lands in Northern California. U.S. District Judge William Shubb in Sacramento has agreed with horse advocates that BLM likely violated administrative law in approving the round-ups, which were scheduled to occur in September.

Tight supplies of Kentucky 31 fescue seed have sharply driven up prices for the variety and may boost the fortunes of other cultivars as well, experts say. Over the past three months, prices for K-31 have increased from about 70 cents per pound to $1.05 per pound or more, said Garth Mulkey, executive director of the Oregon Grass Seed Bargaining Association. “It’s pretty drastic,” Mulkey said.

‘We do this or we run out of water’ The Klamath Project Drought Response Agency had applications covering nearly 40,000 acres for its no irrigation program, which will pay farmers to idle fields and preserve the basin’s water supply. “I expect when the dust settles on that we’ll be probably around 35,000 to 36,000 acres,” said Mike McKoen, vice president of the agency’s board of directors. Administrators are reviewing applications.

The U.S. Forest Service recently funded two long-term projects in the Payette and Boise national forests in southwest Idaho as part of the agency’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. The program provides long-term support for partnership-driven projects that improve watershed health, reduce wildfire risk and strengthen local economies. Each project gets 10 years of funding with the possibility of a one-time extension.