Wednesday, July 29, 2026

In Part 2 of The Racing Report, photojournalist Matthew Chasney rides along with Jeremy "Speedy" Durnwald. For 31 years, this volunteer push truck driver and his 1979 Ford Bronco have been the unsung heroes keeping Ohio sprint car racing alive—all for the love of the sport.

In this week's Farm and Dairy Weekly Rundown, Editor Rachel Wagoner joins Reporter Liz Partsch discuss how a meatpacking facility is polluting a rural community's water wells. They also talk about the Senate's Farm Bill draft, a cat cafe in Johnstown that is saving animals and revitalizing the downtown and a lively discussion on the true nature of hot dogs.
Rusty Cat Cafe

Johnstown, Pennsylvania's Rusty Cat Cafe is more than a cozy spot for coffee—it's helping solve a local animal control crisis. Partnering with the Johnstown Animal Welfare Society, the cafe serves as a foster hub to find loving homes for stray cats and revitalize the downtown community.
hay bales

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry released its long-awaited draft farm bill on June 23 that cuts the Save Our Bacon Act.
men in milking parlor

The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 aims to end the crippling dairy labor shortage. By removing seasonal H-2A visa limits and stabilizing unpredictable wage rate fluctuations, this legislation would provide vital relief to struggling U.S. dairy operations.

Trish Leigey's water ran brown with bovine DNA, leading to a legal battle against Nicholas Meat, a Pennsylvania slaughterhouse that spreads millions of gallons of animal waste on local fields each year. While a jury held the company liable, lenient regulations mean the fight for clean water is far from over.

Volunteer observers reported 344 sandhill cranes in Ohio during the 2026 Midwest Crane Count, below last year's count and the three-year average.

Whether you call them groundhogs, woodchucks or whistle-pigs, these critters have a mixed reputation. While their burrows threaten farm pastures and foundations, they also aerate soil and create wildlife habitats. Retired wildlife officer Jim Abrams weighs the pros and cons.

Reporters Liz Partsch and Paul Rowley give a rundown of the top stories in Farm and Dairy newspaper for the week of July 2, 2026.

Farm and Dairy's Paul Rowley reports on the bipartisan Ohio River Restoration Program Act, a new bill that could deliver critical federal funding to combat pollution, upgrade aging infrastructure and restore habitats across the 15-state basin.