Articles by nedvedmedia
Understanding Input Costs and Farm Margins
Understanding input costs and farm margins – In this Managing For Profit, learn more about maximizing a fertilizer strategy and finding savings without compromising yield. The post Understanding Input Costs and Farm Margins appeared first [Read More…]
Cattle futures end final session of year higher ahead of direct business
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle closed higher ahead of the start of widespread direct cash business. February live was up $1.12 at $231.60 and April was $1.22 higher at $232.20. January feeders were [Read More…]
USDA announces commodity payment rates for Farmer Bridge Assistance Program
The USDA has announced the per-acre payment rates for the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program. Eleven billion dollars is targeted to row crop producers. Eligible corn farmers will receive just over $44 per [Read More…]
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: December 31, 2025
Mar. corn $4.40 and 1/4, down 1/4 centJan. soybeans $10.30 and 1/2, down 15 and 3/4 centsJan. soybean meal $294.50, down $2.20Jan soybean oil 48.07, down 86 pointsMar. Chicago wheat $5.07, down 3 and 3/4 [Read More…]
Soybeans, wheat end 2025 on a down note, corn closes mixed
Soybeans were lower on fund and technical selling. Crop conditions look favorable in Brazil, with more rain in the near-term forecast and early harvest activity underway in some areas. Parts of Argentina has been short-changed [Read More…]
Weak Chinese buying and South American weather keep soybean prices steady heading into the new year
The vice president of farm services with NAU Country Insurance says the soybean market is entering the new year waiting for news. Rich Morrison tells Brownfield, “The managed funds really loaded up on that announcement [Read More…]
Changes coming to H-2A guestworker program could lower wage rates for farmers in 2026
An ag labor specialist says a new streamlined process for the H-2A guestworker program could help lower the wage rate for farms in 2026. Margaret Jodlowski with Ohio State University says employers will pay wages based [Read More…]
Dairy prices mixed at CME on New Year’s Eve
Cash dairy prices were mixed on Wednesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was up 0.0050 to 0.7350. One sale was recorded at that price. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down 0.0100 to 1.3750. Eight sales were recorded, ranging from 1.3750 to [Read More…]
Ethanol production solid during week of Christmas
U.S. ethanol production held up well during the week of Christmas. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production 1.12 million barrels per day, rising 25,000 on the week and 9,000 on the year, boosted by [Read More…]
How Bayer Corn and Soybean Production Plants Promote DEKALB® and Asgrow® Seed Quality
Bayer Crop Science’s seed production plants play a critical role in ensuring the performance farmers expect from DEKALB® corn and Asgrow® soybeans. In this Managing for Profit, Clint Rodenberg, production lead for DEKALB brand, and [Read More…]
New opportunities for old dairy farms
A research veterinarian expects to see new opportunities for dairy farms that don’t milk anymore. Dr. Keith Poulsen with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tells Brownfield he expects high demand in one niche market. “Raising [Read More…]
Reflecting on a challenging 2025 crop year
A central Indiana farmer says he’s reflecting on a challenging 2025 crop year. Jim Douglas raises corn and soybeans in Shelby County. “It had taken over 60 days for us to get the crop in,” [Read More…]
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: December 30, 2025
Mar. corn $4.40 and 1/2, down 1 and 3/4 centsJan. soybeans $10.46 and 1/4, down 3 and 1/4 centsJan. soybean meal $296.70, down $2.10Jan soybean oil 48.93, up 15 pointsMar. Chicago wheat $5.10 and 3/4, [Read More…]
HPAI confirmed in central Iowa backyard flock
Iowa officials say highly pathogenic avian influenza was recently detected in the central part of the state. State Ag Secretary Mike Naig says the disease has impacted a small multi-species backyard poultry flock in Dallas [Read More…]
Strengthened crop insurance coverage eases outlook for 2026
A crop insurance expert says growers can head into the 2026 season with increased confidence in federal coverage. Tom Zacharias is the president of National Crop Insurance Services and says, “They should have plenty of [Read More…]
Another down day for soybeans, corn, wheat in low trade volume
Soybeans were lower on fund and technical selling. Beans are monitoring development weather in South America, and very early harvest activity in Brazil. Ahead of Tuesday’s open, unknown destinations bought 231,000 tons of U.S. soybeans [Read More…]
GROWMARK plans new biological crop input facility to meet rising demand in agriculture
The senior vice president of strategy and logistics with GROWMARK says the cooperative’s planned state-of-the-art biological crop input manufacturing facility is aimed at meeting the demands of one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry. Rod [Read More…]
Renewable power helping farms and rural communities, Gaesser says
A leader with Solutions from the Land says there’s been a push for more renewable energy sources on farms. Ray Gaesser, who farms in the southwest corner of Iowa, says it’s been prevalent in his [Read More…]
Farmers weigh crop options for 2026
Farmers are evaluating their crop options ahead of the next growing season. Brent Gatton from western Kentucky says his farm will stick to its normal corn-soybean rotation next year, but double crop wheat acres are [Read More…]
RMI survey: Farmland prices highest in 20 months
The latest Rural Mainstreet Index says farm and ranchland prices have reached their highest level since April 2024. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says, “Our farmland price index moved above growth neutral and that was [Read More…]