Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the conflict between agriculture and petroleum interests over the Renewable Fuels Standard shows no signs of slowing. Vilsack told Bloomberg last week “you’re going to have constant litigation.” Oil and biofuel industry advocates alike have filed numerous lawsuits over the RFS volume targets issued by the Environmental Protection Agency last November. Valero Energy, the third largest ethanol producer and the largest U.S. petroleum refiner, is the latest to file suit against the EPA. In November, EPA announced refiners must use 14.5 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol this year, below the 15 billion gallon mark as set within the RFS. The oil industry says that is above levels considered safe to use in engines while biofuel proponents say that is below the target required by law. The EPA maintains it has the authority to set the volume targets based off the current market situation.

While the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index rose for February, it remains weak, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture. Overall, the Index, which ranges between 0 and 100, increased to 37.0 from January’s 34.8. This is the sixth straight month the overall index has moved below growth neutral. Organizer Ernie Goss says recent declines are “the result of lower agriculture and energy commodity prices and downturns in manufacturing.” The farmland and ranchland price index for February climbed to 29.8 from January’s 23.9. This is the 27th straight month the index has moved below growth neutral. Bank CEOs reported average annual cash rent for farmland, excluding pastureland, of $221. This is down by approximately 15 percent from July 2015. The February farm equipment-sales index climbed to 11.3 from January’s record low 7.0. Finally, the confidence index, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, moved slightly higher to 30.4 from 29.4 in January, indicating a very pessimistic outlook among bankers.

National FFA Week kicks off Saturday. The week runs February 20th to the 27th as FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. The week-long tradition began in 1947 when the National FFA Board of Directors designated the week of George Washington’s birthday as National FFA Week. The designation was made in recognition of Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. The first National FFA Week was held in 1948. Today, FFA Week always runs Saturday to Saturday and encompasses February 22nd, Washington’s birthday. Follow the National FFA Week conversation on Twitter by using hashtag #FFAweek.

The annual USDA Farm and Land in Farms report shows the nation’s farms are getting bigger, and the number of farms is getting smaller. The report released Thursday by USDA shows the U.S. lost 18,000 farms last year compared to 2014 with a total estimated 2.07 million farms in the United States. The report shows that U.S. farmland decreased in 2015 by one million acre’s now totaling 912 million acres. The average farm size increased by three acres to 441 and almost 31 percent of all farmland was operated by farms with less than $100,000 in sales. Farms with sales of $500,000 or more operated 41 percent of all farmland. Texas has the most farms with more than 245,000. Meanwhile, Missouri came in second with more than 97,000 farms and Iowa was third with 88,000 reported farms. Alaska had the least amount of farms reported at 760.

House Ways and Means Committee ranking Democrat Sander Levin of Michigan said Thursday the Trans-Pacific Partnership “falls short of an acceptable outcome.” He cited four areas where the agreement failed to make improvements, according to a report by The Hill. Those issues being workers’ rights, rules of origin for automobile parts, currency manipulation and the investment chapter that he claims endangers U.S. laws on the environment and health. The 12 member nation pact that includes the United States represents nearly 40 percent of the global gross domestic product or GDP. Levin was not a likely candidate to support the trade pact; he opposed Trade Promotion Authority last year that forces Congress to a simple pass-fail vote with no debate. The trade deal faces a rough road to passage as congressional leaders say a vote is not likely until after the November elections, possibly under a new president. Levin did say he expected talks to heat up in the coming weeks as “lobbyists storm Capitol Hill” to sway lawmakers to take their sides.

The death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may be a major victory on water law for the Obama administration. Politico reports Scalia was the foremost critic of federal wetlands regulations who helped move the court away from an expansive interpretation of the law. With a divided court following his passing, the court could leave lower court rulings standing or simply avoid making a decision. The controversial Waters of the United States rule is working its way through the courts, but case regarding the rule likely won’t reach the high court until 2017 at the soonest, when a Scalia successor may already be named. However, there is a chance the high court would be asked to appeal a technical ruling from the sixth circuit sooner sometime this year.