USDA's final rule enables farmers practicing no-till, cover crops and efficient nitrogen management to track and monetize those low-carbon practices as sustainable aviation fuel feedstocks.
Todd Neeley
DTN Environmental Editor
DTN Environmental Editor Todd Neeley is a lifelong resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, and a 1994 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned a bachelor's degree in news editorial.
Neeley worked as a reporter and photographer with the weekly newspaper The Milford Times in southeast Nebraska until 2002. He then went to work as the government reporter for The Hastings Tribune in central Nebraska, where he covered the Nebraska Legislature and city and county government. Neeley was hired as a staff reporter at DTN in August 2004, where he has worked on numerous in-depth reporting projects, covered the ethanol and crop insurance beats. He is now an environmental reporter for DTN, covering Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and other issues important to farmers.
During his 18-year career, Neeley has earned more than 50 state and national awards for reporting and writing. In 2010 he was a Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award finalist for a series of stories on ethanol and oil subsidies.
Recent Blogs by Author
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Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association are seeking to intervene in court challenges against Trump-era RFS blending volume requirements, arguing reductions would harm biofuels...
More From This Author
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Sioux County, Iowa; Brown County, Kansas; Howell County, Missouri; and Meade County, South Dakota
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SCOTUS Sides With Bayer on Roundup
The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that federal law preempts state failure-to-warn claims against Roundup, handing Bayer a major victory and shielding the company from state cancer-warning lawsuits.
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73,600-Acre NM Ranch Lists For $35.2M
The 73,600-acre Double V Ranch in New Mexico is listed for $35.2 million, offering extensive water access, livestock facilities and recreational hunting opportunities for large-scale cow/calf operations.
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TX High Court Rejects Cattle DNA Case
The Texas Supreme Court declined to hear Twinwood Cattle's appeal to revive a $30 million fraud verdict against competitor HeartBrand over Akaushi cattle DNA records.
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$7.3B Roundup Deal Clears Court Hurdle
A federal court rejected an attempt by 10 non-Hodgkin lymphoma victims to move Bayer's $7.3 billion Roundup settlement to federal court, returning jurisdiction to Missouri state court.
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McBee Dynasty Family Faces 2027 Trial
Reality TV farmer Steve A. McBee, imprisoned for crop insurance fraud, faces trial for allegedly transferring business assets to his sons to avoid paying court judgments.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Ogle County, Illinois; Lee County, Iowa; Rock County, Minnesota; and Keith County, Nebraska
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From McDonough County, Illinois; Freeborn County, Minnesota; Clark County, Missouri; and Garden County, Nebraska
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Corteva to Pay $85M in Settlement
Corteva Agriscience has agreed to an $85 million settlement with U.S. farmers who alleged the company's loyalty rebate programs blocked cheaper generic crop protection products from the market.
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Landwatch
Landwatch Recent Farmland Sales
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TX Farmers: Hansen-Mueller Hid Collapse
Two Texas farmers claim Hansen-Mueller Co. concealed its insolvency while accepting grain deliveries worth over $230,000 and are seeking repayment through a federal misrepresentation-of-solvency exception.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Knox County, Illinois; Decatur County, Kansas; Fillmore County, Nebraska; and Butler County, Ohio
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Monette Farms Puts 274K Acres for Sale
Saskatchewan-based Monette Farms is attempting to sell 274,000 acres through insolvency restructuring.
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USDA Tests Possible US NWS Case
USDA is testing a potential first U.S. New World screwworm case in nearly 60 years from south Texas, causing cattle markets to close lower amid trader uncertainty.
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CHS to Close or Sell 3 Grain Elevators
CHS Inc. will close or sell three southern Minnesota grain elevators following a $147.1 million quarterly net loss.
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ADM Ethanol Lawsuit Nears Key Ruling
A federal court is nearing a decision on whether expert witness Shaun Ledgerwood can testify in a class-action lawsuit alleging Archer Daniels Midland manipulated ethanol markets.
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Corteva to Settle Crop Loyalty Case
Corteva Inc. has reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed by farmers alleging crop protection loyalty programs blocked cheaper generic competitors.
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RFS Turned Corn Belt Land Into Gold
A new study found the Renewable Fuel Standard transferred hundreds of billions of dollars to Midwest landowners by raising farmland values by up to 70%.
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Record RFS Sparks US Biodiesel Revival
Record-high biodiesel RFS volumes for 2026 and 2027 are reviving the struggling biomass-based diesel industry, though rapid production ramp-up, policy uncertainty and 45Z tax guidance remain key challenges.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Cass County, Illinois; Lee County, Iowa; Custer County, Nebraska; and Sauk County, Wisconsin
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Latham Sues Bayer, Alleging Monopoly
Iowa seed company Latham Quality sued Bayer, alleging illegal monopoly control over expired NK603 corn trait patents, anticompetitive agreements with Corteva and predatory pricing tactics.
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Cancer Patients Fight Roundup Deal
Ten non-Hodgkin lymphoma victims are challenging Bayer's $7.3 billion Roundup settlement, arguing it provides inadequate compensation.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Logan County, Colorado; Hamilton County, Illinois; Lewis County, Missouri; and Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
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CO2 Pipeline Changes Spark Iowa Fight
Summit Carbon Solutions rerouted its Iowa CO2 pipeline project, cutting eight counties and more than 400 landowners from its footprint. Opponents urge the Iowa Utilities Commission to reject the project.
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Deere Planned Settlement Clears Hurdle
A federal court granted preliminary approval to John Deere's $99 million antitrust settlement with farmers over right-to-repair lawsuits with objections due September 2026.
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Iowa, Missouri Sue Over NY's GHG Rule
Iowa and Missouri sued New York, alleging its greenhouse gas emissions reporting rule unconstitutionally regulates out-of-state biofuel producers.
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MW Land Values Rise, Cash Rents Fall
A Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago report shows Midwest farmland values, cash rents and credit conditions are deteriorating in 2026, with many farms operating near breakeven.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Adams County, Illinois; Sioux County, Iowa; Valley County, Nebraska; and Lincoln County, South Dakota
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Court Strikes Down Malathion Opinion
A federal court ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately protect more than 1,500 endangered species from the insecticide malathion, violating the Endangered Species Act.
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Year-Round E15 Bill Passes House
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to allow for permanent year-round E15 sales, also to include reforms to small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard.
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Rural Resilience - 2
COVID-19, remote work and demographic shifts ended decades of population decline in rural America.
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DOJ Settles Agri Stats Antitrust Case
Agri Stats Inc. settled multiple antitrust lawsuits with the DOJ, pork, turkey and broiler industries, requiring the company to change information sharing.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Fremont County, Iowa; Faribault County, Minnesota; Steele County, North Dakota; and Sauk County, Wisconsin
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Farm Seller Impersonation Fraud Surges
A Colorado farmer discovered someone fraudulently listed his Texas land for sale using his identity, highlighting a growing real estate seller-impersonation fraud trend targeting vacant...
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Groups Seek Fed Action on Nitrates
More than 80 environmental groups urged the Trump administration to address nitrate pollution in waterways, citing links to cancer and agricultural contamination sources.
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19 Texas Farmers Denied Grain Claims
A Nebraska bankruptcy court rejected 19 Texas farmers' $700,000 in grain claims against Hansen-Mueller Co., ruling their liens were filed in the wrong state.
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Agri Stats Settlement Coming, DOJ Says
The DOJ announced an expected settlement with Agri Stats and confirmed an ongoing antitrust investigation into meatpackers focuses on foreign ownership concerns.
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Landwatch
Landwatch Recent Farmland Sales
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12 NE Farmers to Receive $1M on Claims
Twelve Nebraska farmers will receive 90% of claims against a $1 million bond after Hansen-Mueller Co. filed bankruptcy, leaving them about $100,000 short.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Seward and Stevens counties, Kansas; Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota; Carroll County, Missouri; and Pierce County, Nebraska
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Monette Farms Faces $900M Insolvency
Saskatchewan's Monette Farms filed for creditor protection to restructure nearly $900 million in debt after a major loan matured April 15, 2026.
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88,000-Acre Ranch Lists for $127.7M
Freeman Family Ranches, spanning about 88,000 acres across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, is on the market for $127.7 million.
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SCOTUS Hears Bayer Roundup Label Fight
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over whether federal approval of Bayer's Roundup label preempts state cancer-warning lawsuits. Justices appeared divided on the fundamental conflict within federal pesticide law.
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Texas Farmers Fight for Grain Claims
Nineteen Texas farmers claim BMO Bank improperly converted over $700,000 in grain sale proceeds owed to them during Hansen-Mueller's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
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USDA Signs $300M Deal With Palantir
USDA signed a $300 million deal with Palantir Technologies to modernize farm services, streamline paperwork and implement its "One Farmer, One File" initiative.
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E15, SRE Farm Bill Amendments Coming
A congressional group is introducing amendments to the farm bill to allow year-round E15 sales, reform small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard, cut obligations for small refiners and retroactively restore biofuels...
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Franklin County, Illinois; Clay County, Iowa; Miner County, South Dakota; and Pepin and Pierce Counties, Wisconsin
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29,000-Acre Texas Ranch Fetches $46.5M
A 29,071-acre west Texas ranch, family-owned for nearly 60 years, sold for $46.5 million through realtor Hall and Hall. The buyer's identity was undisclosed.
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Fed Court Denies Poultry Settlements
A federal court rejected multi-million-dollar settlements between Oklahoma and poultry companies over Illinois River phosphorous pollution, finding the agreements fell far short of the court's December 2025 judgment.
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Farmer Jailed 13 Years for $1.7M Fraud
Western Iowa hog farmer Tanner Seuntjens, 33, received a 13-year federal prison sentence for crop insurance fraud, theft, identity theft and witness stalking, owing $1.7 million in restitution.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Grundy County, Illinois, Crawford County, Iowa; Decatur, Norton Counties, Kansas; and Clay County, Minnesota
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Bayer SCOTUS Case: AGs Back State Law
Republican state attorneys general from Texas, Florida and Ohio argue federal law should not override state failure-to-warn laws in Roundup cancer lawsuits before the Supreme Court.
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ADM Loses Decision to Exclude Witness
A federal court denied Archer Daniels Midland's fourth motion to exclude an expert witness in a class-action lawsuit alleging the company manipulated ethanol prices at Illinois' Argo terminal.
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Deere Settles Repair Lawsuit for $99M
John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement resolving right-to-repair lawsuits filed by farmers, which alleged the company monopolized agricultural equipment repair markets through restricted diagnostic tool access.
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Landwatch Weekly
Recent Sales Results From Macon County, Illinois, Bracken County, Kentucky; Audrain County, Missouri; and Thurston County, Nebraska
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Population Decline in Rural America Is Reversing
COVID-19, remote work and demographic shifts ended decades of population decline in rural America.
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Florida Lab Meat Ban Survives Appeal
A federal appeals court upheld Florida's lab-grown meat ban, ruling against Upside Foods' preliminary injunction request.