WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D, is concerned about two major issues that can affect farmers and ranchers this year. One is the farm bill that faces an uncertain future as it's set to expire in September. The other is waivers that some small U.S. refineries have been receiving from the Environmental Protection Agency to not produce ethanol. As for the five-year farm bill, Rounds said he has many concerns as the Senate works to...

FARGO – North Dakota-based Giant Snacks Inc. reached a settlement this week for a lawsuit alleging two South Dakota-based competitors misled consumers by falsely claiming to have half the salt of all or most other sunflower seeds. Wild Dutchman Products and partner Southern Sun, both based in South Dakota, are listed as defendants in the complaint filed by Giant Snacks in U.S. District Court last November. According to court documents,...

PIERRE, S.D.—The U.S. House of Representatives' Farm Bill proposal contained some good news for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. One of the brightest points for hunters is that the bill calls for raising the Conservation Reserve Program's acreage cap. The cap would rise from the current low of 24 million acres to 29 million acres between 2019 and 2023. That's a big deal because CRP, which pays farmers to take land out of crop production...