The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to publish a proposed rule to amend country-of-origin labeling regulations adding venison under the labeling law. While Congress repealed COOL regulations for beef and pork in 2015, the regulations still require retailers to notify their customers with information regarding the source of other certain foods, including lamb, goat and chicken, farm-raised fish and fruits and vegetables. The Agricultural Act of 2014 directed USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service to add muscle cuts of venison and ground venison to the list of covered commodities subject to mandatory COOL requirements, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. Comments on the proposal must be submitted by March 14.

Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stepped down a week early from his cabinet post to “save taxpayers a few bucks.” Vilsack told Reuters he and his family were taking a trip to Mexico this week and did not want the federal government to pay for a security detail to travel with him. Vilsack served as Ag Secretary for all eight years of President Barack Obama’s time in the White House. Following his exit, The U.S. Dairy Export Council confirmed Vilsack would be its next president and CEO, taking over the duties next month. Vilsack said he left extensive briefing books and electronic information about the agency for the Trump Administration. Vilsack said it would take the next Agriculture Secretary “some time” to absorb all the information Vilsack’s team has prepared. Trump’s reported pick, Sonny Perdue, toured the USDA offices Wednesday, according to Agri-Pulse.

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly picked former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to be Agriculture Secretary under the incoming administration. While the USDA landing team has yet to confirm the nominee, multiple media outlets attributed a senior transition official as saying Trump will nominate Perdue to the post. The American Farm Bureau strongly endorsed the nomination of Perdue following the news. AFBF President Zippy Duvall, also from Georgia, says Perdue would “provide the strong voice that agriculture needs.” Perdue was part of Trump’s agricultural advisory committee during the presidential campaign. As Governor of Georgia, the now 70-year-old Republican’s key agricultural issues included water management and making changes to the tax code that were beneficial to farmers. Perdue is a veterinarian-turned-politician who was Georgia’s first Republican governor in more than a century when he was first elected. If transition team officials confirm the nomination Thursday, Perdue will be poised to take the last remaining seat in Trump’s cabinet, and the long search for the next Agriculture Secretary would end just a day before Trump takes office. The search has included a handful of false reports of when and who Trump would pick. Perdue’s cousin, David Perdue, is a Republican U.S. Senator from Georgia. He said on Twitter Wednesday night he “could not be more proud of his cousin” as being named USDA Secretary.

In an expected move, now former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The council announced Tuesday Vilsack will become its CEO at the beginning of next month. Vilsack’s final day at USDA was last Friday, leaving Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse as the acting USDA Secretary. However, Scuse was expected to attend a confirmation hearing this week to again serve as the Agriculture Secretary of Delaware. Regarding the move, Vilsack says he looks forward to partnering with the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the agriculture industry to “advance the council’s mission and strengthen trust in American dairy.” As president and CEO, Vilsack will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the council’s global promotional and research activities, regulatory affairs and trade policy initiatives.

The incoming Donald Trump administration is expected to fill its final cabinet seat possibly before Inauguration Day. Interviews are ongoing as of Tuesday, according to those close to the process. That came despite another false report on Tuesday that former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue was to be named Agriculture Secretary. Perdue may still be in the running, but the selection process continues and other candidates are being considered. Incoming Vice President Mike Pence over the weekend said it’s very possible the cabinet will be filled before Friday. When leaving the Department of Agriculture last week, former Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack criticized the incoming administration for delaying the selection of a nominee for the position. Vilsack said the delay will make it difficult for the next USDA leader to “hit the ground running.”

The Farm Service Agency says it will accept 300,000 acres offered by producers in 43 states during the recent ranking period for the Conservation Reserve Program enrollment. The emphasis during this time was placed on smaller-scale livestock operations. The voluntary CRP Grasslands Program allows lands threatened by either development or conversion to row crops to remain as livestock grazing areas while providing important benefits to the environment. Roughly two-thirds of the acres accepted were offered by small-scale producers. “Producers of all sizes are interested in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program,” says FSA Administrator Val Dolcini. “This latest round of enrollments features grasslands that came from smaller livestock operations, which shows that our nation’s farmers and ranchers can have a big impact on environmental conservation.” This was the first ever CRP grasslands practice that was specifically tailored for smaller livestock operations to encourage more participation. Larger producers may offer acres under the normal enrollment process.

The new requirements for the Veterinary Feed Directive were officially in effect as of January first, but not without misconceptions. Producers must obtain authorization or a prescription to purchase medically important antibiotics for use in animal feed and drinking water. Medically important antibiotics are those used in treating human diseases as well. Chris Richards, Oklahoma State University Extension, is a beef cattle specialist that debunked a few of the common myths. One is that antibiotics will not be available to treat animals. “Antibiotics will still be available to treat disease,” he says. Another is that a VFD is needed for any additives. “There are many additives that don’t require a VFD unless fed in combination with antibiotics,” Richards says. Another myth is feed dealers can’t keep feed on hand until a producer has a VFD. Richards says, “Feed mills can make the product ahead of time, they just can’t sell to a producer without a VFD.” Another myth has to do with a lot of paperwork. Richards says, “A producer who has a steady relationship with a vet won’t have any trouble completing the paperwork twice a year.” The last is some species won’t have antibiotics available to them. Richards says, “Guidance documents do give vets some discretion in using antibiotics in species that don’t typically have a lot of antibiotics available to them, like goats, sheep, and llamas.