Missouri is temporarily allowing farmers and ag haulers to use dyed diesel on state highways and haul heavier loads to reduce harvest transportation costs. Governor Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and signed an executive order on Wednesday. “Record high diesel prices are something farmers a
An agronomist in northwest Missouri says the constant heavy rains are delaying harvest and impacting grain quality. “We have recieved more than enough rain in this part of the world,” says Erin Marlow with CropWise Consulting. She tells Brownfield several inches of rain have been falling at a time,
USDA’s Deputy Secretary says the agency has made significant progress implementing its department-wide reorganization since the plan was announced this summer. “We have hiring actions going on across this country as we are hiring new employees in our hubs to better serve the American farmer,” says S
A market analyst says drying wet, damaged crops before storing them this fall is one of the best ways to manage risk if you have on-farm storage. “You can blend it out yourself. You can dry it cheaper. It’s going to take more handling, of course,” says Don Roose with U.S. Commodities. “Especially if
An ag economist says banning diesel exports is not the solution to lower prices. Charley Martinez, director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, says, “That’s a classic example of unintended consequences.” He says a short-term fix could create additional challenges for the ag sector dow
Soybeans were modestly lower on fund and technical selling, along with spillover from corn and wheat. Contracts were up early and most of the news out during the session was nominally supportive. The USDA’s quarterly stocks number was lower than expected at 315.133 million bushels and unknown destin
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were up on optimism about this week’s direct business. October live cattle closed $1.45 higher at $218.67 and December live cattle closed $1.90 higher at $222.70. October feeder cattle closed $2.77 higher at $336.42 and November feeder cattl
Dec. corn $5.00 and 3/4, down 21 and 1/4 centsNov. soybeans $12.93, down 4 and 3/4 centsOct. soybean meal $357.10, down $3.00Oct. soybean oil 67.85, unchangedDec. Chicago wheat $6.75 and 3/4, down 17 centsOct. live cattle $218.67, up $1.45Oct. feeder cattle $336.42, up $2.77Oct. lean hogs $78.72, do
A Trump administration official suggests an announcement addressing high diesel prices is coming soon. U.S. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins attended the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin Wednesday and said the administration understands the impact on farmers with diesel twice the price of a year ag
The Pollinator Partnership wants to know what motivates Midwestern farmers to implement conservation practices and how USDA programs could work better. Director of Science and Research Vicki Wojcik tells Brownfield, “We want to know what they’re doing, what the driving factor is, and then when they’
Broiler numbers were generally up over the past week. The USDA says 249.839 million broiler-type eggs were set into incubation, up 2.535 million on the week as high temperatures in some areas continue to ease, improving laying efficiency, and 3% on the year thanks to an overall larger number of layi
A production business management expert says preserving liquidity and managing working capital will be critical as producers face another year of tight margins. Barry Ward with Ohio State University Extension says stronger corn and soybean prices have improved the profit picture for 2026, but… “We’v
A precision ag conservation specialist with Pheasants Forever says some Midwest farmers are finding success using prairie strips inside their corn and soybean fields. Dallas Glazik, who also farms in east central Illinois, says the practice of returning portions of fields to native prairie grasses b
New federal funding is helping to increase farmland connections and transfers across Michigan. Michigan FarmLink Program Director Jill Dohner tells Brownfield, “The whole point of Michigan FarmLink is to be proactive about securing and protecting our farmland, and in essence our farmers as well as a
A central Kansas farmer says record high fuel costs have been depressing this fall. “At this time, it’s treading water.” Paul Penner says his expenses have been mounting quickly. “I just filled up last week a diesel tank with farm fuel at $6.09 per gallon. Imagine this, more than 200-gallon tank, th
An extension agronomist says it’s been a frustrating start to harvest season in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest. Meaghan Anderson with Iowa State University says the rain just won’t let up. “Not a lot going on other than catching a few windows here or there,” she said. “Most people have been tot
A dairy lending specialist says beef-on-dairy continues to boost margins. Brad Herkenhoff with Compeer Financial tells Brownfield milk prices have not been great this year. “But with the beef market the way it has been, it’s kind of surprising producers.” He says beef-on-dairy is driving profits. “C
Novonesis technical services manager Ryan Royer says bacteria is central to conversations the bio-solutions company is having with dairy farmers at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin this week. “We’re talking about both our silage inoculants and livestock probiotics, so we’re kind of talking bac
U.S. ethanol production declined for the second week in a row. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says ethanol production was the lowest since the end of January at 1.007 million barrels per day, down 21,000 on the week due to seasonal maintenance as the industry awaits more new crop corn, b
Drought, profitability, and slow demand had a big impact on winter wheat production in 2026. The USDA says 1.019 billion bushels of winter wheat were harvested this year, dropping 23% from last year, with the average yield of 48.8 bushels per acre and an all-time low for national harvested area at 2
Seasonal threats are top of mind for dairy producers attending World Dairy Expo this week. Zoetis technical services veterinarian Dr. Joe Armstrong says the fall ushers in new challenges. “There’s shoulder season and there’s a lot of BRD (Bovine Respiratory Disease) that we’re seeing.” He tells Brow
Direct cash cattle trade activity is relatively quiet. There was a light round of business on Tuesday, in the North, at mostly $350 dressed, which is steady with last week’s weighted averages. Volumes were light so it wasn’t enough business to establish an accurate price trend for the week. Bids and
Cash dairy prices were mixed Wednesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was up $0.050 to $0.8150. One sale was reported at that price. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0050 to $1.27. Three sales were reported ranging from $1.2675 to $1.27. Cheese barrels were unchanged at $1.4525.
The latest National Cover Crop Survey found that respondents continue to expand their use of cover crops. Ryan Heiniger, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center, says there is a 33 percent increase in acreage in the U.S. from 2025. “Farmers are seeing less erosion in the
Zinpro Corporation discovery researcher Daryl Kleinschmit says he’s visiting with dairy farmers about improving efficiency during World Dairy Expo this week. “Improve transition health, reduce lameness, improve reproduction. So I think it’s the same topics every year, maybe a little different spin.
The mental health specialist with Farm SOS, formerly the Farm Family Resource Initiative, says a partnership with the Illinois FFA Association is helping spread the message of farmer mental health. Rachel Brown says the organization has once again awarded grants to chapters across the state aimed at
The rising age of farmers and access to skilled labor are challenges for dairies in Asia. Dr. Deddy Kurniawan is a dairy farmer, veterinarian, and project lead with the U.S. – Indonesia Dairy Partnership. He says 70 to 80 percent of Indonesian dairy farms are small, and those farmers are aging. “You
U.S. corn stocks swelled over the past year. The USDA says the domestic supply of corn on September 1st was 2.095 billion bushels, above expectations and an increase of 35% on the year, even as implied fourth quarter usage topped year ago levels. On farm stocks were 787.3 million bushels, with off f
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says the path forward for the farm bill could become more complicated after November’s midterm elections. During a media call on Wednesday, the Iowa Republican discussed how a possible shift in congressional control could affect the farm bill’s future. “If it’s just the H
A veterinarian with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture says the detection of the virus that causes epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in non-lactating dairy cattle in Waukesha County is unusual, but not overly alarming. Dr. Heather Roney tells Brownfield it was last detected in cattle in the s
