U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins drew a crowd at the Nebraska State Fair on Aug. 31 after rolling out the Rancher First Initiatives. She announced the actions directly to Nebraska farmers and ranchers.

Farmers and support workers say bluetongue has hit agriculture hard and fear it will have a "lasting impact".
Farmers who have lost animals to the virus are feeling "a tremendous sense of grief"

Conservation initiative The Grazing Project has pioneered use of the collars on large flocks of sheep, with its efforts so successful it is now training four grazing cows to use the collars too.