The global crop intelligence lead for a remote sensing and analytics company is mostly bullish on the U.S. corn crop. Nick Ohrtman is with EarthDaily. “The way I’d probably sum up the year, especially for the Corn Belt, is that the vast majority of it is off to a very good start and looking quite […
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were lower on profit taking. October live cattle closed $4.55 lower on $224.92 and December live cattle closed $4.30 lower at $224.37. September feeder cattle closed $6.80 lower at $341.57 and October feeder cattle closed $7.47 lower at $331
The CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says he’s optimistic the USDA will follow through in its decision to reopen the U.S. border to cattle imports from Mexico later this month. Colin Woodall says it’s no longer about keeping New World screwworm out of the country. “I think that takes
A fire at a processing plant in northeast Iowa is expected to reduce kosher beef production by more than 10 percent. Rabbi Moshe Elefant is the CEO of OU Kosher, the largest kosher certification agency in the world. He says extensive damage to AgriStar Meat and Poultry in Postville will keep the fac
Soybeans were modestly higher on short covering and technical buying. It was an up and down day, with traders looking at favorable development weather, but contracts eventually found some support and crude oil was higher. While old crop export sales were a marketing year low, new crop sales were sol
The president of Missouri Farm Bureau says he’s disappointed the U.S. Senate Ag Committee failed to advance a farm bill ahead of the August recess. “We have been calling on Congress for some time to finish the job,” Garrett Hawkins tells Brownfield. “We can be grateful for the updates in farm progra
Sep. corn $4.39, up 2 and 1/4 centsSep. soybeans $11.60, up 3 and 1/2 centsSep. soybean meal $311.60, up $1.40Sep. soybean oil 67.74, up 2 pointsSep. Chicago wheat $6.31 and 1/4, down 11 centsOct. live cattle $224.92, down $4.55Sep. feeder cattle $341.57, down $6.80Oct. lean hogs $81.72, down $1.30S
The 2026 Indiana State Fair has a new lineup of specialty food and drink items that highlight the state’s various agricultural industries. Brooke Williams with the American Dairy Association Indiana says it’s an opportunity for farmers to connect directly with consumers. “People that come to the fai
The deputy secretary of the USDA says the agency is moving full speed ahead on its One Farmer, One File initiative. Stephen Vaden tells Brownfield, “We’re seeking to drag this department into the 21st century and update our computer systems so that farmers can do more business with USDA without havi
The National FFA Southern Region Vice President says continued membership growth is helping expand opportunities for students across the country. T. Wayne Williams says chapters in all 50 states saw a steady rise in the past year, with the largest jumps in New York, Puerto Rico, and Maine. “Our FFA
The Senate Ag Committee has failed to advance its version of the skinny farm bill, in a party line vote Thursday. James Glueck, executive director with the Plant Based Products Council, says while provisions within the nutrition title were the sticking point, there was plenty of bipartisan support.
Cash dairy prices were mostly up Thursday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was up $0.0075 to $0.6950. Two sales were reported ranging from $0.6875 to $0.6950. Forty-pound cheese blocks were up $0.0150 to $1.5350.Ten sales were reported ranging from $1.4925 to $1.5425. Cheese barrels were
The U.S. Senate Ag Committee failed to advance its farm bill following its markup on Thursday, as lawmakers remain divided over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In a statement, Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar said she’s committed to continuing to work with Chairman John Boozman
Old crop corn, cotton, and soybean export sales fell to marketing year lows during the week ending July 30th. That is not uncommon as all three of those commodities prepare to close out their current respective marketing years, and new crop sales were solid. Beef and pork were both larger than avera
Direct cash cattle trade activity is relatively quiet. Bids have been renewed at $235 live in both Kansas and Nebraska. Asking prices have been slow to surface this week. There was a light round of dressed business in the North on Wednesday at $370, that’s $3 higher than the previous week’s weighted
The policy organizer with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA) says the ongoing nationwide cyclospora outbreak is another example of consolidation being a detriment to agriculture. During a recent ISA webinar, Ed Dubrick says producers and consumers suffer when the food supply chain is constricte
Weather extremes are influencing pest pressure across the Midwest. Iowa State University Extension entomologist Erin Hodgson calls growing conditions “erratic.” “We’ve had really wet, really dry. We’ve had hail and tornadoes, so some of that has been impacting not only the pest community, but also c
The ranking member of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says the proposed changes to state cost sharing in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program remains the biggest sticking point as the farm bill is marked up. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota says the improvements giving states one more year to comp
The vice president of Nebraska-based Moving Parts, LLC says the commodity market will soon get its first official look at the size of the current U.S. crop. Scott Custard says he expects the USDA’s August supply and demand report to show production down from last year. “We’re setting ourselves up fo
Ohio’s director of agriculture says a new center at the state fair is highlighting each sector of the industry. Brian Baldridge says the Ohio Agriculture Center is now open. “This is a 177,000 square feet building,” he says. “Whether it’s pork, lamb, beef, dairy, and poultry, it’s truly showcasing e
The USDA’s Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation confirms temporary service reductions are being considered at some Missouri Farm Service Agency offices as the agency evaluates staffing. Richard Fordyce tells Brownfield he’s not sure which locations are impacted, but the decisions bein
The Northwestern wildfire crisis may worsen later this week, as temperatures rise, humidity levels drop, and winds increase. New fires may occur and existing fires could rapidly spread. Fire-weather concerns could extend as far east as the northern High Plains. Meanwhile, the North American monsoon
The USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation says the agency is taking steps to help producers manage financial challenges. Richard Fordyce tells Brownfield the department recently announced changes to crop insurance to help producers who are facing high input costs and continued
Every generation has seen the countryside change. My grandparents saw tractors replace horses. My parents embraced hybrid seed and larger equipment. I’ve watched agriculture evolve with biotechnology, GPS guidance, drones, and precision farming. Change has always been part of rural America. Another
A U.S. senator from Nebraska says bipartisan support has positioned nationwide, year-round E15 to advance through the Senate farm bill. Deb Fischer tells Brownfield “That is just huge to be able to get this close to getting it in the farm bill and then hopefully to the president’s desk.” Fischer is
The U.S. cotton industry is asking the chairman of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee to include financial assistance for cotton farmers in its budget reconciliation framework. In a letter to Ron Johnson, the National Cotton Council says it supports the recently approved U.S. House budget resolution,
U.S. Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman says there have been updates made to the draft text of the farm bill that’s scheduled to be marked up on Thursday. Two updates have been made “as a good faith effort” in the nutrition program, adding more flexibility to state cost shares and increasing
Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore says livestock entries for the Missouri State Fair look promising ahead of the 10-day event. “We’re right on track, if not up in a few different areas.We’re so excited to see all our friends back in the barns, and livestock buildings and watch them showcase w
China has continued its purchases of U.S. soybeans as the new crop marketing year gets closer, and an ag economist with University of Missouri Extension says it’s encouraging, but not unusual. Ben Brown tells Brownfield “In some regards, like you can look at historical context and say, ok, they’re b
The USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation says the agency is taking steps to help producers manage financial challenges. Richard Fordyce tells Brownfield the department recently announced changes to crop insurance to help producers who are facing high input costs and continued
