Ag News

A shifting cattle herd
A cow-calf producer in central Missouri says he’s expecting a shift in cattle herds across the state later this year. David Dick from Pettis County says herds will likely get younger heading into fall and [Read More…]

Managing 170+ bushel wheat that pays
A national wheat contest winner says every management decision needs to have a return on investment. Jeff Krohn tells Brownfield yielding more than 170 bushels per acre of soft white winter wheat starts with ideal [Read More…]

MO legislature approves Farm Bureau health plan
Missouri Farm Bureau is another step closer to offering a health plan to its members. On Thursday, state lawmakers approved Senate Bill 79, a bill that allows the non-profit membership organization to offer a health [Read More…]

Input costs continue to push crop farmers below breakeven
An ag economist says rising input costs are expected to pressure profitability for row crop producers. Purdue University’s Michael Langemeier tells Brownfield farmers did see some relief when it comes to the cost of fuel and fertilizer [Read More…]

Minnesota leaders set budget targets, including agriculture
Minnesota legislative leaders and Governor Walz have agreed on state budget targets, including for agriculture. Minnesota Farm Bureau director of public policy Loren Dauer says Republican and Democrat caucus leadership met with Walz this Thursday [Read More…]

Pennycress advancements bringing new potential
A professor of plant breeding with Western Illinois University says advancements in pennycress genetic research are leading it closer to becoming a commercial crop option for farmers. Dr. Win Phippen tells Brownfield, “Ever since 2009, [Read More…]

Cattle futures sharply lower on technical selling
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were sharply lower on technical selling, watching direct business develop. June live cattle closed $2.77 lower at $211.17 and August live cattle closed $3.52 lower at [Read More…]

Ag Committee advances portion of reconciliation bill
The House Ag Committee advanced its portion of the budget reconciliation bill. Republican Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin told the Ag Committee during Wednesday’s markup session farmers need certainty and this bill helps. “With reinvestment [Read More…]

EPA insecticide strategy “workable”
The president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association says farmers need to familiarize themselves with the EPA’s new insecticide strategy. KJ Johnson says it’s the agency’s next step in meeting court-ordered obligations under the [Read More…]

Cash dairy prices higher Thursday
Cash dairy prices were higher except for butter Thursday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was up $0.02 at $0.5450. Five sales were recorded, ranging from $0.5250 to $0.54. Forty-pound cheese blocks were up [Read More…]

CONAB calls Brazil soybean crop record large
Brazil’s equivalent of the USDA says soybean production remains on its record track. CONAB says that with harvest nearly over, soybean production should be around 168.342 million tons, up 14% on the year, with the [Read More…]

Frequent spells of showers, storms across the Heartland as cooler air returns
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of below-normal temperatures across much of the northern half of the U.S., while warmer-than-normal weather will prevail in California, western Nevada, and from the [Read More…]

Have a good risk management plan
An extension ag economist says don’t underestimate the role good risk management has for farm profitability. Ben Brown at the University of Missouri says it won’t be an easy year financially for many farmers. That’s [Read More…]

Funding for a new SCN lab included in MO ag budget
The interim CEO of the Missouri Soybean Association says the recently approved state ag budget includes funding to build a new, modernized Soybean Cyst Nematode lab at the University of Missouri. Casey Wasser says MU [Read More…]

First-generation farmers rely on word of mouth for growth
A beginning farmer says riding in the neighbor’s buddy seat during harvest was his first step toward farm ownership. Zach Wagner tells Brownfield, “My parents had 86 tillable acres, and they rented it out to the neighbor.” [Read More…]

Conner: farm bill program updates critical
The president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives says it’s critical the House Ag Committee updates farm bill programs as they go through the reconciliation process. Chuck Conner says for now, reference [Read More…]

Red crown rot on soybean growers radar
An extension plant pathologist with the University of Missouri says farmers in the Midwest need to be keeping an eye out for red crown rot this season. Mandy Bish says the soil-born soybean disease has [Read More…]

MO Farm Bureau health plan pending
Legislation allowing the Missouri Farm Bureau to offer a health plan to its members is awaiting action the final days of the Missouri legislative session. Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins says he’s optimistic legislation [Read More…]

New crop soybean prices might benefit from trade chats
An extension ag economist says the recent U.S. and China trade agreement-in-principle could have a greater impact on new crop soybean prices. “The soybean market didn’t necessarily react too strongly to the news of a [Read More…]

Corn mostly weak, watching planting pace
Soybeans were modestly higher on commercial and technical buying. The trade was monitoring U.S. planting and development conditions, and there was spillover support from bean oil on biofuels demand expectations. The session also featured position [Read More…]