Did you miss some news this week? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a collection of the top headlines in agriculture.

USDA taking ‘extraordinary measures’ to help borrowers

Included in the Inflation Reduction Act, signed last Aug. 16, USDA announced it was providing $800 million of IRA funding to make about 11,000 direct and guaranteed loan borrowers current in their payments. Those funds were made available through Section 22006 of the Act, which allocated $3.1 billion for USDA to expeditiously provide relief for “distressed USDA borrowers whose agricultural operations are at risk.” Here's an update on how that and other aid programs are going. - Farm Progress

U.S. to provide additional Ukraine ag aid

U.S. Agency for International Development administrator Samantha Power announced the United States will provide an additional $250 million in aid to Ukrainian agriculture producers. The money will be distributed through AGRI-Ukraine, an initiative started last year to support Ukrainian agriculture exports and combat global food security issues exacerbated by the Russian invasion. - Farm Progress

Agriculture industry takes steps to reduce methane, a potent greenhouse gas

NPR: "The biggest source of climate-warming methane in the U.S. is animal agriculture. America's biggest cattle feedlot operator is funding new research, with motives beyond reducing greenhouse gases." - All Things Considered

Canadian wildfires raised air pollution. Lumber prices could be next

Canadian wildfire smoke continues to blow over much of the U.S., raising air pollution to harmful levels for construction workers. Now, the impact of the fires is likely to raise U.S. lumber prices, too. - AgricultureDive

Finally, a great definition for farm sustainability

Mike Wilson: Sustainability may sound like a feel-good buzz word, but it's certainly not for Lance Lillibridge. The Iowa farmer had a come-to-Jesus moment in 2008 when a ‘500-year flood’ hit, wiping out parts of nearby Cedar Rapids and the land he farms. Conservation, a term every row crop farmer understands, is similar to sustainability, with a slight but important twist.- Farm Progress

What are biologicals?

Biologicals have taken the agriculture industry by storm in the last decade, but confusion still exists about what they are and what they do. “A biological is an umbrella term referring to a much broader array of products and opportunities for the farm,” says Connor Sible, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois. - Farm Progress

Floods deluge Vermont farms

Vermont farmers are still assessing widespread damage from last week’s flooding, with more wet weather on the way. “More rain is in the forecast, and there’s nowhere for the water to go,” says Flint Wiswall of Cate Farm in Plainfield, Vt. One of Wiswall’s greenhouses, which was fortunately empty, was underwater. Others were safe on higher ground. - Farm Progress