A cow accident in January left Illinois dairyman Kevin Erbsen fighting for his life. Eight months later, Erbacres Holsteins is the 2026 McKown Master Breeder Award recipient and the cows are still being milked.
The move follows a federal lawsuit by three Wisconsin dairy farmers against the Secretary of Agriculture and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board.
With 400 groups in lockstep, Chairman G.T. Thompson’s labor bill moves to the House Judiciary Committee. The goal: Open year-round H-2A access for the first time since the program’s creation in 1986 and cap mandatory wage hikes.
With NWS confirmations in cattle and a goat in South Texas and a dog in New Mexico, leaders say the threat is serious but manageable with producer vigilance. Texas has activated its emergency operations center to support state response.
