The U.S. and China are scheduled to meet next week, and the CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says he hopes the talks lead to a more stable trading relationship. “I just hope both countries can come to the agreement that we can live together, and that we don’t have
South Dakota has confirmed its first case of anthrax in cattle this year. State veterinarian Dr. Mendel Miller says it was detected in some cow-calf pairs located in Meade County. “This time of year in South Dakota, you never know if it’s a water situation, especially as dry as it’s been. They chang
An ag economist says the latest trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada could create new challenges for ag equipment manufactures. Ian Sheldon with Ohio State University tells Brownfield, “Companies like John Deere have already been facing reduced investment from farmers over the past two to three
A central Illinois farmer says it’s going to be a quick harvest, if the weather cooperates. Matt Bennett, who grows corn and soybeans in Shelby County, says moisture in both crops is dropping rapidly due to the extended late season heat. “We’ve been shocked with how quickly it’s dried down for us.”
New data from the National Agricultural Law Center shows farm bankruptcies are expected to rise for calendar year 2026. On this episode of Managing for Profit, National Agricultural Law Center senior staff attorney Elizabeth Rumley discusses the findings and what it means for producers and the ag in
The vice president of the American Soybean Association says he’s glad to see the farm bill advance out of the Senate Ag Committee, but there could be more hurdles ahead. “Some of the amendments that didn’t make it out of the committee, I think are going to get brought up again on the floor,” says […
The Senate Ag Committee advanced a farm bill out of the committee on a party line vote Wednesday, but not without an attempt from lawmakers to amend the bill. Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa tried to add Prop 12 language, but the attempt was denied by Chairman John Boozman from Arkansas, who said the t
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were lower ahead of widespread direct business and Friday’s On Feed report from the USDA. October live cattle closed $2.25 lower at $218.45 and December live cattle closed $3.15 lower at $220.20. October feeder cattle closed $4.20 lower at $
Soybeans were modestly higher on fund and technical buying, rallying late in the session. The trade is watching harvest activity, expecting early rain delays in some areas. Yield will be watched be watched closely because of the tight stocks-to-usage ratio. The U.S. and China are expected to talk tr
Dec. corn $5.34 and 1/4, down 1 and 1/2 centsNov. soybeans $13.20 and 1/2, up 1 and 3/4 centsOct. soybean meal $360.90, up 80 centsOct. soybean oil 69.19, down 69 pointsDec. Chicago wheat $7.30 and 3/4, up 2 and 1/4 centsOct. live cattle $218.45, down $2.25Oct. feeder cattle $329.65, down $4.20Oct.
Broiler sets fell sharply over the past week. The USDA says 245.722 million broiler-type eggs were set into incubators, falling 2.959 million on the week partially due to high heat in some areas impacting laying efficiency, but rising 2% on the year because of the larger overall number of layers. 19
A plant pathologist says soybean cyst nematode detections have been popping up in Nebraska. Dylan Mangel is with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and says, “The call I get this time of year have been highly focused in high sand areas of the state. Nematodes love high sand. We get called out there,
The director of agronomy with the Illinois Soybean Association says farmers across the state are putting some of the latest agricultural research principles to the test in the organization’s checkoff-funded On-Farm Trial Network. Abigail Peterson says the goal of the second-year program is to advanc
A state lawmaker suggests there’s a sizable gap between the ag labor needs of farmers and the available workforce. Keith Allen represents House Seat 19A in the Minnesota Legislature and says farmers are competing with other employers in rural areas. “With Family Paid Leave and some of these other th
An organic crop farmer says he takes a systems-based approach for managing weeds. “We planted a little bit late this year and it was intentional using delayed planting as a weed control strategy.” Joel Layman farms 2,200 acres of organic row crops in southwest Michigan. He tells Brownfield, “I feel
A southwest Kansas farmer says he’s trying to decide when to start planting winter wheat. Gary Millershaski says his area has been in dire need of rain. “We did luck out and get a few showers here in the last week to 10 days. Still, the ground is a little too warm to be planting.” […] The post Kansa
Some farmers say record diesel costs are putting added pressure on the financial viability of their operations. “Six-dollar diesel – I’ve never seen it in my life.” South-central Nebraska farmer Matt Sullivan says the expense could be devastating for growers this fall. “Luckily I still have some off
The executive director of Ohio Corn and Wheat says growers feel they have little control over excessively high fertilizer prices. Tadd Nicholson tells Brownfield, “The frustration farmers have is everything we sell gets priced like a commodity. This thing we’re buying is very much a commodity and it
A new partnership between Ohio 4-H and ScottsMiracle-Gro is helping youth explore careers in agriculture. Franklin County 4-H member Miles Ott recently participated in a hands-on mowing clinic to learn more about turfgrass management. “I was actually really surprised to find out how much science goe
A new program from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture could help farmers improve soil health. Director Don Lamb says the Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program is designed to help farmers make better nutrient management decisions. “It all starts with soil sampling,” he says. “If you
Florida Dairy Farmers are helping strengthen food security in underserved communities across the state. Teresa Moran-Wiebe, vice president of health and wellness, says Dairy Nourishes Florida is helping expand access to fresh dairy foods for families in need. “Dairy provides high-quality protein and
The domestic ethanol supply rose over the past week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says ethanol stocks of 25.22 million barrels were the largest since May, up 33,000 on the week and 2.618 million on the year due to higher production as the industry tries to meet demand. Ethanol producti
Farmers are exploring ways to diversify weed control beyond herbicides as options decline. Ag consultant Sam Oschwald Tilton with Glacial Drift tells Brownfield, “Herbicides are starting to give a lot of issues in the environment and regulators are cracking down on that.” “We haven’t had new herbici
A central Missouri farmer saw firsthand this summer what’s driving demand for U.S. soy in Thailand’s livestock industry. “A group of us went to visit with feed mills and processors, just trying to build that relationship,” says Robert Alpers, a board member on the United Soybean Board. Thailand impo
Cash dairy prices were mixed Wednesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.7625. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0025 to $1.4325. Four sales were reported ranging from $1.4275 to $1.4325. Cheese barrels were up $0.0125 to $1.4525. One sale
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe will be leading a trade mission to Italy this week, and Ag Director Chris Chinn will be attending. There are meetings scheduled with several companies that are already located in Missouri, including Bertagni, which manufacturers pasta and other food. Missouri and Italy a
Direct cash cattle trade activity has been quiet. Bids have resurfaced at $224 live and $342 to $350 dressed. Asking prices haven’t been established across cattle country. Significant trade volume will likely hold out until the end of the week, especially with the USDA’s Cattle on Feed report out on
Bayer Crop Science is bringing together genome editing, plant breeding and artificial intelligence as it works to develop new crop products designed to help farmers manage an increasingly challenging environment. At the recent Bayer Innovation Showcase in Huxley, Iowa, Brownfield spoke with Rick Law
A pair of commodity market experts say producers should expect volatility in prices while managed money continues to hold record long positions. When funds are “long” in commodity markets, it means institutional investment vehicles (like hedge funds or commodity trading advisors) have bought and hol
The executive director of the Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency says its Beginning Farmer Network is helping more young producers overcome barriers in the ag industry. Hillary Maricle says the suite of tools helps provide resources for financing, education, technical services, grant writing, mental
