The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced the Remote Butter Grading Program, allowing more butter manufacturers to access to new marketing opportunities providing dairy farmers additional opportunities to market milk for use in a value-added product. This program utilizes robust data management and program oversight to allow a USDA grader to assess butter characteristics and assign the official quality grade from a remote location, reducing costs and location as barriers to participation in voluntary grading services.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced grant proposals are being accepted for the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (SPMGP) for projects designed to improve the U.S. sheep industry. The funding is managed by the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center (NSIIC), which is the recipient responsible for implementing the SPMGP. The center has allocated $300,000 for this year’s round of grant funding. NSIIC is currently accepting grant proposals through September 15, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 18, 2025.

From the nominees, the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint 12 individuals to succeed members whose terms expire on Oct. 31, 2025, and one individual to fill a vacant seat in Region 4 whose term expires on Oct. 31, 2026. The 12 newly appointed members who are succeeding other members will serve three-year terms from Nov. 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2028.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host an in-person educational event for cattle producers and interested stakeholders at the USDA Cattle and Carcass Training Center (CCTC) at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in Canyon, Texas on Thursday, Sept.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for one producer position and one expert in finance and management to serve three-year terms on the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center Board of Directors. Nominations are due, Sept. 8, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the American Lamb Board to succeed four members with terms that expire in early 2026.

• One producer with 100 or less lamb
• One producer with more than 500 lambs
• One feeder at large
• One first handler

Any U.S. producer, feeder, or first handler who owns or purchases lambs may be considered for nomination. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 8, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the American Egg Board to fill nine member and nine alternate member vacancies. All nine members and nine alternate members will serve two-year terms beginning March 2026 and ending March 2028. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board to succeed 41 members with terms that expire in March 2026 and two vacant positions who represent the following states and units:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the United Soybean Board for 41 members and five alternates with terms that expire in December 2025. The nominees will represent the following states and regions.

Member Seats:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board to succeed four members with terms expiring in December 2025 and one vacant position. Nominees are needed to succeed three members representing Kansas (including the one vacant member that will serve a 1-year term), one representing Oklahoma, and one representing Texas. The deadline for nominations is Aug. 29, 2025.