Ag News
Charges filed in animal abuse case
Charges have been filed against three people in connection with an investigation into animal cruelty at Fair Oaks Farms. The Newton County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that misdemeanor charges for the beating of a vertebrate [Read More…]
Celebrating milk’s nutrition
The nutrition story of dairy is part of the celebration of June Dairy Month. Lucas Lentch is the CEO of Midwest Dairy and says milk packs a protein punch and more people are recognizing the [Read More…]
Reducing plant stress and improving yield
Making sure crops have enough nutrients available to them, at the right time is key to improving yield and the quality of crops. In this Managing for Profit, Verdesian’s Molly McGrath shares how CROP+ uses [Read More…]
Cool, returning showery pattern for the Heartland
A sharp southward dip in the jet stream will allow cool air to become entrenched for the remainder of the week in most areas east of the Rockies. Relative to normal, the coolest weather should [Read More…]
Missouri farmer’s soybean planting 20 percent less than planned
Central Missouri farmer Robert Alpers was unable to plant about 20 percent of his soybean acres. “Probably 400 acres, 500 acres of beans that we’re have to take prevented planting on,” Alpers told Brownfield Ag [Read More…]
South Dakota corn not quite two-thirds planted
South Dakota corn is 64 percent planted; it’s normally finished by now. What’s emerged is 55 percent good to excellent. Soybeans are 43 percent planted, well behind the 95 percent that was in by this [Read More…]
Hog, cattle futures higher on expectations of demand increases
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle futures ended the day higher on the positive trade news with Mexico, lower steer weights, and while the cash trade was lower last week, it performed better than [Read More…]
Sit on corn, sell soybeans on the rally
An ag economist recommends sitting on corn and cashing in when soybeans rally. Todd Hubbs with the University of Illinois says farmers should take a wait-and-see approach to marketing old and new crop corn right [Read More…]
Grains, oilseeds mostly up ahead of USDA numbers
Soybeans were modestly higher on short covering and technical buying, rallying off the overnight lows. The trade was expecting generally good week to week planting progress in many key growing areas in the week USDA [Read More…]
Voluntary third-party audits may become new norm for dairies
An animal welfare specialist says she expects to see more farms turn to third-party audits after the Fair Oaks animal abuse video. “I don’t know anyone who works with farm animals, anyone in my field [Read More…]
Michigan planters get less than four-day window
Wet soil conditions continue to keep planting in Michigan well behind normal even after last week’s warm up. USDA says 89 percent of oats, 63 percent of corn and 45 percent soybeans are now planted [Read More…]
Missouri corn crop 81 percent planted
Missouri corn planting is 81 percent complete, 19 percentage points behind last year. What’s emerged is 27 percent good to excellent. Soybeans are 37 percent planted, 52 percentage points behind last year. Cotton planting is [Read More…]
Marshall: “Huge sense of relief”
There’s a sense of relief across the Corn Belt with President Trump’s decision not to put tariffs on Mexican imports, although he has threatened to reverse his decision. Gary Marshall is CEO of the Missouri [Read More…]
Despite a slow start, Nebraska’s corn crop rates 77% good to excellent
Planting progress in Nebraska, as of Sunday, stood at 94 percent on corn and 79 percent on soybeans. Despite the slow start, the state’s corn crop is rated 77 percent good to excellent. Winter wheat [Read More…]
Letter to House leadership calls for immediate extension of Biodiesel Tax Credit
Members of Congress are urging House leadership to extend the biodiesel tax incentive immediately. Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig tells Brownfield she doesn’t understand why the tax credit remains in limbo year in and year out. [Read More…]
Heavy rains, then sun and heat lead to soil crusting
Heavy rains have wreaked havoc on planting and crop emergence. Mike Schultz, an agronomist with NK Seeds based in Minnesota, says newly planted corn and soybeans are trying to come through soil that’s been pounded [Read More…]
Purple corn? No worries
An agronomist who covers Illinois and Wisconsin says growers shouldn’t be concerned about purple corn plants. Chris Brown with Burrus Seed tells Brownfield there was a lot of purple corn in the past few weeks, [Read More…]
Minnesota Corn Growers excited about year-round E15
The advent of summertime sales of E15 continues to draw praise from farm groups. Minnesota Corn Growers president Brian Thalmann tells Brownfield the rule change provides certainty to both consumers and fuel retailers. “It’s a [Read More…]
Illinois ag economist on U.S. soybean planting expectations
Illinois ag economist Todd Hubbs says U.S. soybean planting should be past the halfway mark. “I think we could see it in the 55 to 65 percent range total.” Last Monday’s USDA Crop Progress report [Read More…]
Trump: Mexico to buy more US ag goods
The U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement on immigration issues this weekend that prevented tariffs on all Mexican goods from going into effect. In making the announcement, President Trump also said Mexico will begin buying [Read More…]