The Senate Ag Committee is scheduled to vote again on the farm bill on Wednesday, and the South Dakota Farmers Union president expects it to advance. However, Doug Sombke says the path forward beyond the ag committee could be challenging, given the damage that’s been done to the farm bill coalition.
Paul Noe has been named the next president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association. The current CEO John Bode announced his retirement earlier this year. Noe has spent the last 20 years shaping public policy and regulatory strategy at the American Forest and Paper Association, along with the former
Commentary Every January, USDA gives us a snapshot of America’s cattle inventory. The January 1, 2026, numbers show that Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri account for more than 28 percent of the nation’s beef-cow herd. Those three states are traditionally the top momma-cow states in the nation, with Texa
An ag economist says Canada’s efforts to diversify its trading partners could have long-term implications for U.S. agriculture. “It’s going to put back our relationship with Canada by several years,” he says. Ian Sheldon with Ohio State University tells Brownfield, “Undermining each of the integrate
Two beef herds have been confirmed with bovine tuberculosis in northern Michigan. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says the disease was detected during whole-herd testing in Iosco County and as part of a trace investigation related to a previous case. In May, a positive c
Brazil’s equivalent of the USDA made minor adjustments to its corn production outlook. CONAB now has the combined 2025/26 corn crop at 144.01 million tons, up 0.7% from August and 2% above 2025. That includes a second crop of 112.131 million tons, 1% higher than last month, but 1% lower than last ye
The co-founder of AgMarket.net says the USDA’s updated corn and soybean supply and demand numbers should provide support for commodity prices. Matt Bennett says the pre-harvest rally already priced in a sub-10% stocks to use ratio for corn, but there’s still reason for long-term optimism. “The corn
CHS plans to begin construction on a new soy processing plant in south-central Wisconsin soon. CHS senior vice president of product lines Brian Schouvieller says the facility in Evansville will have the capacity to process 80 million bushels of soybeans annually. “It’s going to create new market opp
Selecting the right seed variety to maximize return on investment in 2027. Agronomist Trey Stephens with Beck’s Hybrids says seed selection is one of the most important decisions especially when margins are tight. “Depending on the hybrids that fit your management style is where you’ll get extra yie
An east central Illinois agronomist says high disease pressure is leading to stalk quality concerns heading into harvest. Kris Ehler, who’s based in Champaign County, tells Brownfield, “It’s going to be easier for me to tell you what I’ve not found for diseases in cornfields right now than it is wha
In this Managing for Profit, American Farm Bureau ag economist Faith Parum discusses adjustments in USDA’s September Farm Income Report and the largest factors impacting the cost to operate. The post Record production costs limit profit potential for farmers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.
The latest ag technology will be front and center at this year’s Husker Harvest Days. Matt Jungmann, senior director of events with Farm Progress, says producers will get the latest look at what’s hitting the market. “Whether times are good or times are bad, the technology continues to advance, thin
Some Iowa farmers have begun harvesting corn. USDA’s latest weekly crop progress report shows corn two percent harvested, in line with the five-year average. There’s no indication soybean harvest is underway, with just 22 percent of the crop dropping leaves compared to nearly 30 percent normally. So
An east central Illinois agronomist says he expects harvest activity to pick up this week, weather permitting. Kris Ehler, sales agronomist for Ehler Brothers in Champaign County, says there’s been sporadic corn harvest in his area. “For the most part, growers aren’t quite ready yet.” He says, “From
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle futures were sharply higher, supported by technical buying, the midday gains in boxed beef, and optimism about this week’s direct business. October live was up $2.57 at $222.25 and December was $2.92 higher at $225.15. October feeders were $
A southwest Minnesota farmer says early harvest activity is underway. Bryan Biegler of Lake Wilson tells Brownfield most crops in the area are still a week or more away from being ready. “We have had some people in the neighborhood taking out a little bit of beans, and had a neighbor actually trying
Soybeans were higher on short covering and technical buying. The USDA is projecting a record crop but is also expecting continued solid demand. There was spillover from the strength in crude oil, which was up on supply concerns. Still, as crude oil trimmed its gains, soybeans, bean oil, and corn all
A farmer in northwestern Wisconsin says the driest stretch of weather after June 1st in 130 years will impact grain yields. Andy Bensend, who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat in Barron County, tells Brownfield… “Grain yields are going to be off, I’m going to roughly say 20%.” He says, “Nobody’s cut a
A dry end to the summer in parts of the Midwest is raising concerns about water levels on the Mississippi River. Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition says another fall with low levels is likely. “We’re not exactly in a position of strength, and the concern is that we could have five
A farmer in the Missouri Bootheel says the early soybean yields are good as harvest picks up the pace. “There’s some variability there, a little bit of disease pressure that kind of hurt some of the varieties, but for the most part, I think the beans are going to be really good,” Aaron Porter of […]
Early digging for the Michigan Sugar Company is underway. Sanilac County farmer Dennis Gardner tells Brownfield he delivered his first field of sugarbeets last week. “We got some phenomenal beets that are probably 30 tons plus right now,” he shares. “Some of the early beets went 20, and some were a
Dec. corn $5.33 and 1/4, up 3 centsNov. soybeans $13.04 and 1/4, up 7 and 3/4 centsOct. soybean meal $350.20, up $3.40Oct. soybean oil 69.65, up 46 pointsDec. Chicago wheat $7.22, down 3 and 1/4 centsOct. live cattle $222.25, up $2.57Oct. feeder cattle $337.85, up $5.35Oct. lean hogs $79.60, down $1
Southwest Kansas farmer Gary Millershaski says extreme heat and ongoing drought has decimated corn yields. “The dryland corn is going to become cattle pasture. It wasn’t even good enough for silage.” He tells Brownfield he estimates production could be down 40 percent in his state. “We’re only going
A southwest Nebraska farmer says crop conditions vary widely across the region. Tracy Zink says it was extremely dry and hot until timely regains begin in early August. “What turned out to be the saving grace was that we’ve had the humidity because that dew that we don’t really get was the majority
The USDA’s national crop condition ratings were unchanged to higher over the past week. Weather conditions were widely mixed last week, ranging from hot and dry, to excessively wet, to near ideal for late summer. 57% of U.S. corn is in good to excellent shape, up 1% on the week, and 86% of the crop
Missouri farmers say the corn crop is decent as harvest continues, and progress varies across the state. In northwest Missouri, Ryan Meyerkorth tells Brownfield it’s been a slow start due to the late season dry down, but the corn is coming out above expectations. “We had a wet spring, so we were kin
A north central Ohio farmer says she doesn’t expect to start harvest until the end of the month. Patty Mann tells Brownfield, “Our beans are still pretty green for the most part, but we’re starting to see a little yellow on our earliest planted varieties. The green fields are still putting on new gr
A west central Indiana farmer says excess rainfall in August is having an impact on harvest timing. Kevin Cox says he was able to get an early look at soybean yields last week, but, “If the beans hadn’t already started turning, because of all of the rains in August, they just kept on growing. Now, i
Business and Extension collaborators are trying to bring more ag technology startups to the Great Lakes. Mark Ledebuhr with Application Insight Consulting says specialty crop innovations developed on the West Coast haven’t been able to break into the Great Lakes region. “This is a very difficult pla
Ted McKinney with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says the continued tensions between the U.S. and Canada are concerning. “Former Ag Secretary Sonny Purdue used to say this is the best neighborhood on Earth: Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Let’s get back to being the best
