Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday broke a 50-50 tie in the Senate to pass President Donald Trump’s centerpiece legislation on tax cuts and spending, the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The bill includes improvements to the farm safety net with as much as $68.3 billion in program changes over 10 years. That includes raising reference prices under the Price Loss Coverage program (PLC) and the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program. For the current crop year, the Senate bill has language that USDA will provide producers with the higher calculated payment rate in 2025 for ARC or PLC. Producers would then go back to choosing which program they prefer in 2026 and beyond. The Senate change will add more than $54 billion to PLC and ARC over 10 years.

Crop insurance programs would see about $6.3 billion in increased spending over 10 years, with higher subsidies for some supplemental area-based plans and other improvements to premium support.

Congress is trying to get the bill to the president’s desk by July 4, though there are differences between the House version passed in May and the Senate bill.

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Multiple groups are applauding the OBBB-

American Farm Bureau says “Farm Bureau applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the reconciliation package. Farmers and ranchers are the foundation of America’s food supply chain, and they need the certainty that this legislation will provide. Improvements to farm safety net programs that reflect today’s agricultural economy and maintaining important tax provisions will directly benefit farm and ranch families.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane thanked the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill and urged the House to quickly pass the revised version of the bill so President Trump can sign it into law:

“The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill protects family farmers and ranchers across the country from a massive tax hike at the end of the year, increases the Death Tax exemption, makes the Section 199A tax deduction permanent, increases the Section 179 tax deduction, funds foreign animal disease prevention programs, and delivers so many more wins for cattle producers.

The National Cotton Council

“The NCC appreciates the momentous effort that has gone into crafting and passing the One

Big Beautiful Bill,” said NCC Chairman, Patrick Johnson. “We are grateful for the Senate’s

commitment to delivering meaningful enhancements to the cotton safety net, which is

absolutely critical for the stability and future of our industry.”

Meat Is Having A Moment- Glynn Tonsor Talks About Rising Meat Demand

In our latest Beef Buzz, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Kansas State's Dr. Glynn Tonsor who shared that “meat is having a moment,” a phrase that would echo throughout their discussion. Tonsor emphasized that this resurgence is being driven by shifting consumer habits and dietary interests. He explained that in 2025, “we’re actually seeing a decline in the prevalence of vegan vegetarian diets,” and instead, there’s “more interest in meat protein in general.” The broader public discussion around protein, health, and fitness has helped shine a positive spotlight on meat.

Dr. Tonsor attributed much of the renewed interest in meat to younger, more active consumers: “Physical fitness… demands more protein, and meat is benefiting from that.” This trend is showing up in pop culture too, with Tonsor observing, “Those of us that watch probably too much TV see protein referenced in commercials more than we did a few years ago.”

Tonsor says 2024 cattle prices would have been at least 10% lower if we had not had the stronger beef demand that was in place this past year.

Western Livestock's Ben Hale Sees Market Strength Ahead of Fourth of July Holiday

On Tuesdays, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays visits with Ben Hale of Western Livestock Auctions as he talks about the latest in the markets and more. Established in 1995, Western Livestock Auctions operates the Western Livestock Commission Firm, which sells cattle on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Oklahoma National Stockyards. They also operate the livestock auction markets in Woodward, Comanche, Waurika, and Knoxville, Iowa.

Hale noted the sale in Oklahoma City was a “Pretty good one, higher money on these yearling cattle,” with strong demand and prices bouncing back. Compared to last year, “Had about 4750 yesterday compared to about 2450 a year ago.” He emphasized that both steer and heifer markets were up, saying, “Just a lot of demand, very active bidding by lots of bidders.”

After the Fourth Holiday- Hale told Hays that they are planning a benefit rollover auction for Scott Dobrinski at he Woodward Livestock Auction on July 10th. We have details in our conversation with Ben Hale- check it out by clicking on the Blue Button below.

On June 30, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced risk-based port re-openings for cattle, bison and equines from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025. The borders had been closed to live cattle imports since May 11, 2025, due to the threat of New World Screwworms (NWS) entering the U.S. at that time NWS had been detected as close as 700 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

American Farmers & Ranchers Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh: “The decision to reopen the U.S.-Mexico border to live cattle imports at this time is premature and we strongly urge Secretary Rollins to reconsider. New World Screwworms pose a significant threat to the health of the U.S. cattle herd and the economic livelihood of thousands

of U.S. ranchers. The potential consequences are not limited to one region, but would affect every rancher across the country. We cannot afford to jeopardize the entire U.S. cattle herd by taking unnecessary risks.”

Connections between grocery stores, local producers and consumers could help combat food insecurity in the state, according to Oklahoma State University researchers and Hunger Free Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization that works to ensure Oklahomans have access to affordable, nutritious foods.

Sophia Darrow, a horticulture graduate student in the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture, is conducting surveys centered around the barriers grocery stores face and assessing programs and policies that hinder food security.



“This project is a unique opportunity for Sophia because she gets to work with nonprofits and industry partners. She is assessing real-world problems with real-world solutions that have a direct impact on our state,” said Justin Quetone Moss, department head for the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Darrow’s research supervisor.

The United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter of corn, and corn farmers are bolstering the U.S. economy and building strong communities, according to a new study released by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Corn grower leaders say they could make an even bigger contribution to the U.S. economy through increased sales of ethanol and the cultivation of new foreign markets.

The study, entitled The Economic Value of Corn Farming in the United States for 2024, noted the contribution of corn farming and its upstream linkages extended across 506 different industry sectors in all 50 states, generating an estimated $123 billion in total economic output in 2024. The report also shows that corn farming supported over 440,000 jobs and provided $29 billion in wages, strengthening communities in rural America and across the entire nation.



“These findings show that the corn industry is an essential contributor to the nation’s agricultural and economic value chains,” said NCGA Chief Economist Krista Swanson. “The study demonstrates the positive ripple effect of corn production, vital to a healthy U.S. economy.”