Cash dairy prices were mixed Monday to start the week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.76. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.04 to $1.42. Four sales were reported ranging from $1.42 to $1.43. Cheese barrels were down $0.0225 to $1.44. No s
Direct cash cattle trade is off to a quiet start to the week. Last week Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $350 which is $5.00 to $6.00 higher than the previous week’s weighted average, and although Southern live cattle didn’t trade until late in the day, Southern cattle were marked at mostly
The Trump administration is continuing to take steps to help improve market access for U.S. producers in Latin America. USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the agency is helping provide humanitarian relief in Venezuela after two recent earthquakes. “The
The vice president of government and public affairs with The Mosaic Company says continued constraints on global sulfur supplies are dramatically impacting the company’s ability to produce phosphate fertilizer. Sarah Fedorchuk says the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, as well as export controls from m
A dairy market analyst says expanded school milk options this fall could help boost long-term demand. Sarah Jungman with AgMarket.net says more than 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program each year. “It won’t be an immediate action as schools are trying to figure out wh
Bayer is preparing to bring a new soybean trait platform to the marketplace that could give farmers more options for managing increasingly challenging weed pressure. Becca Chaudhari is Strategic Account Lead for Winfield United within Bayer’s Crop Science Division, representing Bayer’s North America
Soybeans were sharply lower on profit taking and technical selling, pulling contracts to a lower weekly finish. The USDA raised production and yield from the August update but did lower ending stocks on export demand expectations. On the supply side, the higher yield and production numbers were a bi
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were up waiting on direct trade to develop. Feeders had additional support from the lower move in corn. October live cattle closed $1.85 higher at $219.67 and December live cattle closed $2.62 higher at $222.22. October feeder cattle closed
Dec. corn $5.30 and 1/4, down 3 and 1/2 centsNov. soybeans $12.96 and 1/2, down 35 and 3/4 centsOct. soybean meal $346.80, down $3.80Oct. soybean oil 69.19, down 222 pointsDec. Chicago wheat $7.25 and 1/4, down 16 centsOct. live cattle $219.67, up $1.85Oct. feeder cattle $332.50, up $4.95Oct. lean h
A farm business management coach says the uptick in diesel prices will be noticeable on the farm as harvest continues. Bret Oelke with Innovus Agra tells Brownfield a relatively small percentage of the farms he works with locked in fall fuel prices before the recent increase. “They have product on h
A new soybean disease threat is emerging in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist Dean Malvick says red crown rot has been confirmed in southwestern Minnesota. “We found it (there) last year. It’s been found in Wisconsin (and) we suspect it might have spread further than tho
The 2026 U.S. sorghum crop will be considerably smaller than 2025. The USDA now has production at 283.98 million bushels, a decline of 12.46 million on the month and more than 152.845 million bushels below a year ago because of drought impacts on yield and acreage numbers. The 2026 yield is pegged a
The demonstration farm manager with the Illinois Soybean Association says now is the time for producers to finalize their cover crop plans. Jim Isermann says timing cover crop seeding ahead of a forecasted rain can be crucial for stand establishment. “Farmers who are wanting to get those species on
The Trump administration is meeting with farmers to hear how fertilizer pricing challenges are impacting their operations. During a fertilizer hearing in Iowa on Friday, central Iowa farmer Mark Muench said the cost of fertilizer is causing many producers to reach a breaking point. “It’s cost my fam
Great Lakes partners from industry and Extension are bringing new agricultural technology to specialty crop growers. Michigan State University Extension specialist Mike Reinke tells Brownfield farmers in the region haven’t had a place to interact with cutting-edge, commercially available technology
The chief marketing economist with StoneX Group says corn was the standout in USDA’s September supply and demand report. Arlan Suderman tells Brownfield the U.S. corn crop is shrinking and there’s been strong demand. “Certainly on the export side and the ethanol side, but USDA, while they cut the si
The CEO of drone manufacturer Hylio warns an evolving regulatory landscape could prove costly for ag applicators. Arthur Erickson tells Brownfield an agricultural drone company in the Pacific Northwest is facing a nearly $290,000 fine from the Federal Aviation Administration for alleged violations i
The USDA’s 2026 upland cotton and rice crop estimates are lower than last month. Rice production was lowered 211 million hundredweight to 158.18 million as cuts to planted and harvested area, now at 2.102 million and 2.057 million acres, respectively, canceled out a higher yield guess, now at 7,690
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says he’s preparing for another vote on a farm bill as lawmakers return to Washington D.C. Senator John Boozman tells Brownfield while the conversations about nutrition provisions continued with Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, a senator from Minnesota, over
The CEO of an Indiana-based nonprofit says addressing food insecurity starts with increasing access to high-quality protein. Daniel Leckie with Hatch says the Coalition to Close the Protein Gap program is looking to improving the long-term health outcomes of underserved communities. “It’s not about
The USDA has lowered their 2026 red meat production expectations while leaving poultry almost unchanged. Beef is now projected at 24.877 billion pounds, 90 million less than August on slower third quarter fed cattle slaughter and lighter dressed weights, along with an anticipated cutback in fourth q
An agricultural economist with Advance Trading says the war in Ukraine could provide some support for the corn market, despite a record harvest in South America. Brian Basting tells Brownfield, “The corn harvest in Brazil is wrapping up. That’s the second crop corn harvest, a record corn harvest in
Demand is expected to tighten domestic new crop corn and soybean supplies. That new crop corn carryout is now seen at 1.567 billion bushels, a decline of 86 million from August as cuts to beginning stocks and 2026 production more than canceled out a lower feed and residual use figure. For old crop c
Biotechnology is a broad field, and Bayer Crop Science is using several tools to improve crop genetics and help farmers manage risk. Amanda McClerren, Bayer’s head of biotechnology, says the company is combining traditional breeding, biotech traits and newer genome-editing technology to develop crop
It’s another very quiet start for direct cash cattle trade activity. Bids and asking prices haven’t resurfaced. Yesterday, bids were floated at $340 to $348 dressed in Nebraska, but the rest of cattle country was quiet. Asking prices were at $225 live in the South, but the North was quiet. Packers a
Cash dairy prices were mostly unchanged Friday to end the week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.76. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were unchanged at $1.46. No sales were reported. Cheese barrels were unchanged at $1.4625. No sales were reported. But
Ohio’s state climatologist says researchers are working to help farmers better prepare for adverse weather conditions. Aaron Wilson says Ohio State University is evaluating management strategies to help farmers manage excessively wet and dry growing seasons. “We’re looking at controlled drainage str
The USDA has lowered its 2026 U.S. corn production guess while raising the outlook for soybeans. As of September 1st, this year’s corn crop is seen at 15.8 billion bushels, down 1% from August and 7% from 2025, but still the second largest on record, if realized. The USDA trimmed the yield estimate
Rising fuel prices are impacting farmers beyond paying more to fill up machinery. Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition says the current state of gasoline and diesel costs influence the broad economy. “Particularly on diesel prices, there are so many different ways it can also seep in
An eastern Wisconsin dairy farmer says the industry desperately needs an updated farm bill. Raymond Dietrich, whose 550-cow herd is located in Brown County, says milk prices established in 2018 programs are no longer relevant. “We’re living with $17 milk, and that’s just not acceptable.” He says, “W
