The Dirt
EDITOR’ S NOTE
From Alex Shewbirt, head of content, Catalyst Communications Network
Let’ s be honest— agriculture news isn’ t just headlines... it’ s personal.
Prices swing, policies shift, big announcements rarely include instructions and sometimes the people making decisions seem miles away from those living with them.
Here at Farmers Hot Line, we believe you deserve real information, delivered the way rural America actually talks:
• Clear facts
• Zero fluff
• Honest tone
• And yes... enough humor and sarcasm to survive it Because sometimes we’ re over it too, and if we can laugh while we learn, we’ ll take that win. Welcome to THE DIRT, where we cover what matters to agriculture with truth, wit and a little side-eye when needed.— Ally
One note before we dig in: The Dirt is a monthly snapshot, not a live news feed. Agriculture doesn’ t sit still, and neither do we.
For breaking updates, deeper dives and real-time discussion as stories evolve, you’ ll find us all month long on the Farmers Hot Line Facebook page.
Meta’ s AI Is Studying You
Meta confirmed it trains artificial intelligence( AI) on public Facebook and Instagram content.
If you posted hay prices in 2010, a California algorithm may now know more about your forage history than your neighbors do.
You can opt out... but only via desktop... because of course, the option is buried where nobody looks.
Fake Beef Isn’ t Saving the Planet After All
A UC Davis study suggests lab-grown meat could emit four to 25 times more greenhouse gases than cattle.
Why? Because producing pharmaceutical-grade growth
media for dinner is basically farming inside a hospital supply chain. Maybe the tech improves. Right now it feels like“ surgery with seasoning.”
Beef Plants Close, Tariffs Drop, Prices Climb Tyson is closing its Nebraska beef plant and scaling back
Amarillo. Brazilian tariffs reduced, imports will rise and fed cattle markets reacted.
Herds are still rebuilding after drought, ranchers are doing everything they can and the system remains fragile, stretched and one disruption away from chaos.
Ground Beef May Hit $ 10 per Pound
Omaha Steaks’ CEO says to expect double-digit beef prices by late 2026, with little relief before 2027.
Reasons?
• Herd at 70-year low
• Drought
• High demand
• Heifer retention
• Federal investigation into packer practices Imports don’ t fix this. This one is homegrown hurt.
Lab Milk Is Coming by 2026
“ UnReal Milk” plans to sell fluid milk grown from cow cells— no cows required.
• No barns
• No parlor
• Just stainless tanks and biotech marketing Farmers call it disruption. Consumers are asking identity questions. Regulators aren’ t aligned.
Check their website( www. unrealmilk. com) out and you can see the“ plan.”
January 2026 | www. FarmersHotLine. com | 33