A South Dakota-based agronomist says he’s noticed an uptick in pest pressure in soybeans and alfalfa. Hoegemeyer’s Stu Carlson tells Brownfield, “Seeing a lot of spider mites in soybeans. Alfalfa we’re seeing a lot of aphids and weevils.” He says alfalfa weevils can very problematic. “They have a hu
A market analyst says questions about where interest rates are headed continue to weigh on the ag economy. Tommy Grisafi with Ag Bull Trading says it’s an issue farmers and ranchers need to be monitoring closely. “Interest rates are exploding,” he said. “We had a Fed meeting, we have a new Fed Chair
Corn grind and soybean crush numbers reflect the solid demand for ethanol and soybean products. The USDA says 466.708 million bushels of corn were used for ethanol production in June 2026, down 1% from May due to slightly more narrow margins, but up 4% from June 2025 thanks to domestic and export de
An agronomy manager with Wyffels Hybrids says adverse weather conditions have impacted much of the corn crop in his territory. Robby Meeker, who covers the eastern half of Illinois and all of Indiana, says the July heat wave hit most of the crop during pollination. “You can definitely see the effect
The executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association says any disruption to the USMCA agreement could devastate the industry. Seth Mitchell says maintaining market access is critical. “We want no new tariff barriers for pork and more access in those countries. Zero tariff entry and it’s
Global corn demand continues to look solid. The USDA says corn inspections during the week ending July 30th were larger than what’s needed to meet projections for the current marketing year, which ends in about a month. Last week’s leading destinations were Mexico and South Korea, both of which are
More than 300 people gathered in northern Missouri this weekend to celebrate the legacy of former Missouri Congressman Jerry Litton, 50 years after his death. Kristi Wyatt worked closely with Litton as he served in Congress. She says he tried to make agriculture relevant to people who weren’t farmer
Cash dairy prices were down Monday to start the week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.6925. No sales were reported. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0125 to $1.56. Two sales were reported ranging from $1.55 to $1.56. Cheese barrels were unchanged at $1.5475. No
Direct cash cattle trade activity is quiet to start the week. Bids and asking prices have yet to surface. Buyers and sellers are likely preparing for the week ahead. Look for significant trade volume to hold out until sometime Thursday or Friday. Live deals in the South ranged from $231 to $233, $1
The director of agronomy for one of the nation’s largest independent seed companies is concerned extreme heat in July might’ve taken the top off corn yield. Tom Larson with Stine Seed tells Brownfield the corn plant gets stressed when overnight temperatures and dewpoints remain elevated. “Pollinatio
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (AHPIS) has confirmed the first case of classical scrapie in the U.S. since 2021. The virus was found in a sheep slaughtered facility in Oregon without an ear tag. USDA says the lack of an ear tag can make it difficult to detect where the disease
The vice president of Nebraska-based Moving Parts, LLC says several factors have led to an overall positive price outlook in the wheat market. Scott Custard says global conflicts are a primary driver. “We’ve got a lot of war premium.” He says, “The world market is concerned that we won’t be able to
As the calendar turns to August, Brevant Seeds retail sales agronomist John Long says farmers have faced numerous challenges so far this growing season. Long is based in Iowa and tells Brownfield after adequate moisture during and right after planting, some crops are beginning to suffer from dry con
The threat of heavy rain along and near the East Coast should end later today, although scattered showers may linger for several days. Meanwhile, a cold front currently crossing the northern Plains will reach the Midwest by the middle of the week. Subsequently, the front will weaken while colliding
The post Gearhead Archery: Building a Different Kind of Compound Bow appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.
U.S. Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Boozman released an updated draft farm bill late Friday that would allow nationwide year-round E15 sales and revises state cost-sharing requirements in the nutrition program. The bill permanently authorizes nationwide year-round sales of E15, expanding consumer
The chairman of the Missouri Rice Council says fertilizer has been his biggest expense this growing season. “Urea was probably $300 to $350, a ton more expensive this year versus 2025,” says Rance Daniels, a farmer in southern Dunklin County. He says it’s not just fertilizer, fuel prices have been h
The CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association says rail transportation delays into Mexico are just one issue being addressed as U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiations continue. Mike Seyfert (Sigh-fert) tells Brownfield Mexico has a zero-tolerance policy on soil, which slows the movement of p
Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn is joining Governor Mike Kehoe on a trade trip to Panama next week. The governor’s office says a delegation of state leaders will focus on attracting future investment from prospective companies and promote Missouri for trade. Panama is already a trading partner with
The Good Food for Michigan Project has developed a new pledge to encourage collaboration and broader local food access in the state. Michigan impact manager at the Center for Good Food Purchasing, Melanie Tran, tells Brownfield, “Good food purchasing is defined as buying Michigan-grown and produced
Some Congressional Republicans are requesting the Trump administration make direct improvements to the H-2A guest worker program. Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi is leading a bicameral group of lawmakers calling on the Secretaries of State, Labor, and Homeland Security to address
Soybeans were lower on fund and technical selling, adding to what would have already been a steep weekly decline. Traders are monitoring generally favorable development weather in most of the region. That’s helping to alleviate some of the concerns about potential damage during July’s hot, dry stret
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mostly higher Friday, waiting for the rest of the week’s direct trade, and feeders were up on the decline in corn. August live was up $.52 at $231.75 and October was down $.20 at $227.5. August feeders were $1.55 higher at $348.02 and September wa
The vice president of Nebraska-based Moving Parts, LLC says his expectations are for an average U.S. corn crop this year. Scott Custard tells Brownfield, “We’ve kind of made it through corn pollination in decent shape. That next two to four weeks are going to be critical for grain fill. There are ar
Sep. corn $4.40 and 3/4, down 5 centsAug. soybeans $11.72, down 5 and 1/4 centsAug. soybean meal $312.20, down $1.90Aug. soybean oil 67.12, down 123 pointsSep. Chicago wheat $6.39 and 1/4, down 24 and 1/4 centsAug. live cattle $231.75, up 52 centsAug. feeder cattle $348.02, up $1.55Aug. lean hogs $9
Ethanol production continues to run at high levels. Scott Richman, chief economist at the Renewable Fuels Association, tells Brownfield part of the reason is fundamental, “We’ve got very solid ethanol demand, and also what’s going on with U.S. and global fuel supplies.” And Richman says that while d
A technical development lead at Syngenta says growers should be scouting for ear rot ahead of the 2026 harvest season. Dean Grossnickle says the impacts can extend beyond the growing season. “Ear rots can cause a lot of quality loss in our grain,” he says. “When we harvest it, that is actually going
The director of agronomy for Heads Up Plant Protectants says white mold has yet to show up in the Upper Midwest this growing season. But Nolan Berg tells Brownfield that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. “If we’ve been getting rains in the last couple weeks and your soils are wet, you may be at […]
A crop protection specialist says many farmers are dealing with weeds that are increasingly difficult to control. Lynn Justesen, technical services lead for UPL, says weed management efforts are still in full swing across the country. “We’re doing our second and third trips on soybeans now,” he said
Collaborating to help improve herd health in the swine industry. Nebraska Pork Producers Association Executive Director Seth Mitchell says the industry would like to eliminate both Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and PED. “It’s an ambitious goal, but I think that’s where we as a
