The USDA has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has been identified in the United States for the first time through testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory. It has been rumored to have appeared in Iowa and Minnesota but sources can only confirm it in the Iowa hog population.

This year's finalists for the title of Princess Kay of the Milky Way have been named. The 12 young women from dairy farm backgrounds were selected at the conclusion of a three-day event for county dairy princesses held in St. Joseph. The finalists include:

After a late-night session Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee voted to approve a $940 billion farm bill, a day after the Senate passed its version. The vote was 36 to 10, with mostly Democrats voting against the bill after nine hours of debate.

In a unanimous ruling delivered today, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed its support for protecting U.S. innovations that are a critical part of supporting the world's growing needs. The case, Bowman v. Monsanto, centered on the protection of intellectual property and its outcome was crucial for innovations that deliver benefits to millions of Americans.

Ahead of Tuesday's scheduled markup, the Senate Ag Committee has released a draft of its proposed farm bill. American Soybean Association President Danny Murphy welcomed the draft, saying, "Importantly, the draft released by the Committee would protect and strengthen crop insurance as well as ensure that a target price program to protect growers from low prices remains decoupled from current planting decisions, thus avoiding the possibility of production distortions.

Senator Chuck Grassley is pressing the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to engage U.S. trading partners in high-level discussions on breaking down barriers to biotechnology. Grassley is the former Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade policy.

The Minnesota 4-H Foundation and University of Minnesota Extension are pleased to announce the 2013 Andrea Ruesch Regional 4-H Scholarship recipients. Congratulations to eight scholarship recipients, who received a $1,000 scholarship apiece:

On May 11th, letter carriers across the country (both for city and rural areas) will be collecting food for families in need as part of the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, benefiting Minnesota families in need through Second Harvest Heartland. Stamp Out Hunger is the largest single-day food drive in the country.

How can you help out? Easy: collect non-perishable food items in a bag and leave it by your mailbox on May 11th.

Students in two programs at Iowa Lakes Community College are benefiting from a partnership with an area business. Spencer International worked with college faculty to provide the Farm Equipment and Diesel Technology students an opportunity to assemble and set-up a new Kinze planter, which enhances hands-on learning.

For several months, anyone was invited to nominate a farm mom who he or she believed made an impact in their community. American Agri-Women and Monsanto were tasked with narrowing it down from nation-wide submissions and have selected five final regional winners. Each regional winner was awarded $5,000 in cash from Monsanto.

Congratulations to the 2013 regional winners: