Record U.S. EPA blending requirements for biodiesel and renewable diesel are fueling another round of soy crush expansion. Scott Gerlt with the American Soybean Association tells Brownfield “Biofuels production really had to catch up in in a big way and we have seen that, but they really need a lot
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says delaying state cost-sharing requirements for the nutrition program by one year helped reach a compromise on the draft farm bill. John Boozman from Arkansas tells Brownfield… “We’ve been working closely with the White House and trying to explain to th
An ag economist says the timing of the border reopening to live cattle imports from Mexico matters. Charley Martinez, director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management says the majority of imports come during the fall and the spring. “By us having this phased opening by the end of August and
An ag economist with University of Missouri Extension says some corn didn’t fully pollinate during the hot July weather. Ben Brown tells Brownfield he recently met with farmers in northeast Missouri. “You can actually get some bigger kernels when that happens, and that’s kind of what they’ve been te
An ag economist says inflation and regulatory uncertainty continue to limit expansion in the pork industry. Matt Erickson with Terrain tells Brownfield expenses have moved higher each year since 2020. “The cost of putting up a barn is expensive. You think about lumber prices. You think of iron and s
Kansas could harvest its smallest wheat crop since the 1960s. Southwest Kansas farmer Gary Millershaski says the total hasn’t been finalized, but the results so far are shocking. “We came in roughly at 194 million bushels, which is one of the lowest in many years. You look at our inputs this year an
An ag economist says the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs could have long-term implications for U.S. agricultural trade with Canada. Ian Sheldon with Ohio State University says the Section 338 tariffs are being used as leverage in trade negotiations between the two countries. “The admi
Direct cash cattle trade activity is quiet. Bids and asking prices haven’t been noted. There’s optimism that the market could trade higher again this week. There were a handful of live deals reported in Iowa at $235, about $2 higher than the previous week’s weighted averages, but not enough to estab
A southwestern Wisconsin producer says the struggling ag economy is impacting morale in farm country. “Farmers are not really upbeat right now.” Mike Berget, who raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs in Lafayette and Green Counties, says soaring input costs and low commodity prices make planning fo
Cash dairy prices were mixed Tuesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was down $0.0025 to $0.69. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were unchanged at $1.56. Three sales were reported ranging from $1.55 to $1.5625. Cheese barrels were unchanged at $1.5475. No sales were rep
New manure management research could help producers improve nutrient use efficiency on their operations. Jeff Porter, technical consultant with Newtrient, says nitrogen enrichment technology helps increase the value of manure. “Researchers were taking air and breaking the nitrogen and oxygen apart,”
Minnesota farmers attending Farmfest near Redwood Falls are eager for Congress to pass a farm bill. Bob Worth farms near Lake Benton and says the last time a five-year farm bill was passed was 2018. “And it’s 2026, so I mean this is long enough. Eight years on a farm bill, we should have this […] Th
Facing challenges that threaten yield potential is a constant battle for farmers and their crops. In this Hoegemeyer Hometown Field Update, agronomist Teal Mills says the company’s latest genetics provide farmers a selection of hybrids fit for all conditions. Join Hoegemeyer at their Carroll MasterP
Unsettled, showery weather will linger in parts of the eastern U.S. for the remainder of the week, initially due to a slow-moving disturbance over the Southeast, followed by the approach of a cold front currently traversing the Plains and Midwest. Five-day rainfall totals should reach 1 to 2 inches
An agronomist in Michigan and northern Indiana says recent rains were a major boost for the corn, with rain totals up to four inches. “Some might call it a one million dollar rain.” Charles Scovill with Golden Harvest tells Brownfield the timing was just right as the corn wraps up pollination and st
Rance Daniels, a farmer in southeast Missouri, tells Brownfield it’s been an interesting growing season so far. “All our crops are ahead of schedule this year.” He’s expecting rice harvest to begin in early September. “There will be some rice cutting the last of August, some of the rice that got pla
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were lower on technical pressure. October live cattle closed $.52 lower at $226.72 and December live cattle closed $.72 lower at $226.22. September feeder closed $1.22 lower at $342.55 and October feeder cattle closed $1.65 lower at $33.70.
Crop development remains ahead of normal in Minnesota. USDA’s latest weekly crop update shows corn 5 percent dented, compared to the five-year average of 2 percent. Soybeans setting pods reached 75 percent, well ahead of the usual pace of 55 percent. Southwest Minnesota corn and soybean grower Ryan
A southwestern Wisconsin farmer says a hot, dry end of July has tempered his expectations for his crops. Mike Berget, who raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs in Lafayette and Green Counties, tells Brownfield, “We were just short of moisture, just driving through and checking the ears and I see so
Soybeans were higher on short covering and technical buying. Parts of the region got rain over the weekend and forecasts for early August mostly look favorable. After that, the picture gets a little cloudier, with the potential for the emergence of another hot, dry stretch. The USDA says 63% of U.S.
A central Illinois farmer says he’s not expecting a record crop on his operation this fall. Lance Muirhead (Meer-head), who grows corn, soybeans, and wheat in Macon County, says adverse weather conditions have taken a toll on the corn crop. “In the last 10 days, the beans really shot up, so they loo
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee says legislation to allow nationwide, year-round E15 sales was included in the committee’s updated farm bill draft because it was the best available path to enact the policy. John Boozman tells Brownfield “It was difficult to find time for it to
A retail sales agronomist with Brevant Seeds suggests the soybean crop in the Upper Midwest is brimming with potential. Casey Schleusner is based in northern Iowa and says fields look clean heading into a critical time for soybean development. “Disease pressure right now in soybeans, it’s not really
Sep. corn $4.49 and 1/4, up 8 and 1/2 centsSep. soybeans $11.73 and 3/4, up 3 centsSep. soybean meal $315.40, up 50 centsSep. soybean oil 68.79, up 153 pointsSep. Chicago wheat $6.51, up 11 and 3/4 centsOct. live cattle $226.72, down 52 centsSep. feeder cattle $342.55, down $1.22Oct. lean hogs $83.6
U.S. crop condition ratings generally declined over the past week. Some key U.S. growing areas did see more seasonal temperatures and rainfall, while other portions of the region continued to experience high heat and parts of the Midwest had severe storms. The USDA says 61% of U.S. corn is good to e
A southwest Kansas farmer says his corn and sorghum crops are failing from the on-going drought. “It is scorched, and the plant is shutting down.” Gary Millershaski says his corn crop took a major hit from a series of extreme heat waves last month. “I haven’t pealed the husks back, but depending on
A north central Ohio farmer says timely rainfall over the next few weeks will be critical for soybean crop development. Owen Niese says his current stand is all over the board. “Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you get out in the field,” he says. “Those late July and early August rains a
A southwest Indiana farmer says he’s concerned the challenging growing season could have an impact on crop yields this fall. Ben Kron tells Brownfield, “We’ve lost a couple hundred acres just to the river. I’m expecting a lot of variability across the field in yields. For us, this is going to be a y
An agronomy specialist says this year’s crop season has been marked by fluctuating weather conditions. Matthew Peterson is an account manager with Corteva… “This year has been characterized mainly by spotty rainfall. Depending on where you are at, the crop is holding on. Some spots are looking reall
An east-central Nebraska farmer says there’s some variability in his corn crop this year. Ryan Preister says disease pressure has been moderately low this year. “We are starting to see a few things trickle in. As guys start applying fungicides and preparing that crop for that last push, I think we’r
