Department of Agriculture officials said that investigators have found no evidence that the discovery of unauthorized genetically modified wheat in an Oregon field was anything but an isolated incident in a single field. The Capital Press ebook "Viticulture" is free today at http://bitly.com/11jtw6y

Idaho dry bean growers are concerned that non-inspected soybean seed entering the state could negatively impact their industry and have asked state officials to address the issue. The Capital Press ebook "Viticulture" is free today at http://bitly.com/11jtw6y

USDA investigators have taken samples from more than one seed dealer as part of a probe to discover the source of unauthorized genetically modified wheat discovered in an Oregon field. The Capital Press ebook "Keen on Quinoa" is free today at http://bit.ly/KeenOnQuinoa

USDA investigators have taken samples from a Washington wheat seed supplier and some of its customers in the ongoing probe into the source of unauthorized genetically modified wheat found in an Oregon field. The Capital Press ebook "Keen on Quinoa" is free this week at http://bit.ly/KeenOnQuinoa

Two environmental groups have revived a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over pesticides, though the new version has been scaled back. The Capital Press ebook "Keen on Quinoa" is free this week at http://bit.ly/KeenOnQuinoa

The Canadian government on June 7 signaled it may impose retaliatory tariffs on more than three dozen American commodities, including beef, pork, rice, corn, apples, cherries and wine, as a result of the U.S. mandatory country-of-origin labeling law. The Capital Press ebook "Keen on Quinoa" is free this week at http://bit.ly/KeenOnQuinoa

The federal government was justified in refusing to expand Endangered Species Act protections for the pygmy rabbit, according to a federal judge. UPDATED: The Capital Press ebook "Keen on Quinoa" is free starting tomorrow at http://bit.ly/KeenOnQuinoa

The Monsanto Co. says extensive tests of wheat varieties grown in the Northwest have uncovered no contamination from a biotech variety of the crop recently found in an Oregon field.

A Kansas wheat farmer has filed a legal complaint against the Monsanto Co. over an unauthorized release of biotech wheat, claiming it was negligent in developing the crop. Plaintiff Ernest Barnes of Morton County, Kan., seeks damages of more than $100,000 from the biotech developer, claiming he and other growers "have been injured significantly ... as the price for their wheat drops and markets

Farmer litigation against Monsanto will hinge on whether the unauthorized release of the companys biotech wheat depresses prices for the crop, legal experts say. So far, though, the price reaction has been muted because little is known about the extent of the problem.

American beef industry representatives hope a world bodys upgrade of the United States risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy to "negligible" will expand existing markets while removing barriers in places such as China.

Japan has suspended its regular purchase of soft white wheat after genetically modified wheat was found in an Oregon field, an industry representative says.

Several environmental groups have filed a legal complaint claiming that USDA sheep research in Idaho disrupts the recovery of threatened grizzly bears. The environmentalists allege that the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, Idaho, has become a "black hole for carnivores."

Farm groups have teamed up with Gov. Butch Otter to create a canal safety campaign designed to help prevent the canal-related deaths that occur in Idaho each year.

The federal government has decided to keep high tariffs on Ukrainian exports of ammonium nitrate even though the fertilizer is now cheaper to produce in the U.S. The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled that dropping the tariffs would likely cause "material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time" to domestic fertilizer manufacturers.

The beef-processing company that makes the product that critics call "pink slime" continues to struggle more than a year after the initial stories on the lean bits of beef that Beef Products Inc. makes.

Federal standards for the welfare of egg-laying hens suffered a defeat when they failed to make it into the farm bill legislation voted out of the agriculture committees in the U.S. House and Senate.

The USDA hasnt taken proper enforcement measures against slaughterhouses that violate food safety and animal welfare laws, according to an internal agency audit.

After increasing significantly in 2012, Idaho wheat exports to Mexico dropped considerably during the first quarter of 2013. The drop was caused by very high corn prices last year that resulted in a lot of Idaho wheat being sent through feed channels.

A new Idaho law that takes effect July 1 will prevent people from using drones to spy on farmers and ranchers. A bill that has been signed into law by Gov. Butch Otter restricts people from using drones to spy on anyone but it was crafted specifically with agriculture in mind.

A new Idaho Potato Commission recipe promotion seeks to capitalize on a sharp increase in Americans who report suffering from gluten intolerance.

U.S. farm groups are alarmed by the presidents proposal to eliminate the countrys international food aid program, which purchases U.S. commodities and ships them abroad, and switch to a new cash-based system that can buy food overseas closer to where its needed.

Oil prices have shot up in recent weeks despite abundant production, pushing up prices for gasoline and diesel in the West, experts say.

The value of Idaho agricultural exports continued to increase during the first quarter of 2013 despite a reduction in dairy sales, which drove the states record farm export totals in 2011 and 2012.

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously rejected a farmers claim that patents on biotech seed are "exhausted" once the crop is sold to a grain elevator.