Ag News

The U.S. Trade Representative is taking a break from negotiations with Canada to work on the new trade deal with the European Union. Robert Lighthizer met with European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to initiate [Read More…]

The Secretary of Agriculture says any trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada will have to address dairy market access and Canada’s Class 7 pricing.  Sonny Perdue told C-SPAN, “Class 7 has to go.  It can’t [Read More…]

President Trump is dangling the threat of more tariffs on Chinese goods as U.S. groups warn him not to. A letter from the National Retailers Federation and more than 100 other groups says escalating a [Read More…]

An agronomist is concerned about stalk rot in wet areas of the Corn Belt. Roger Plooster, who covers southwest Minnesota for Golden Harvest seed company, says there will be standability issues this fall. “If you [Read More…]

The executive director of the Minnesota Corn Growers says Ag and Food Day at the University of Minnesota showcases agriculture in a variety of ways. Adam Birr tells Brownfield the annual celebration highlights what the [Read More…]

Operating farms in a time of tight margins has become the new normal. Craig Rogers, the precision farming lead at Beck’s says farmers can’t afford to not know their cost of production. In this Managing [Read More…]

The USDA is trying to keep a court decision regarding beef checkoff spending in Montana from expanding to thirteen more states. R-CALF USA won an injunction in Montana against the beef checkoff claiming the government [Read More…]

Trade disruptions and heavy production have put pressure on soybean prices, but demand growth will help maintain balance. An oilseeds analyst says this year’s harvest, combined with a problem free 2019 South American growing season, [Read More…]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, cattle futures closed moderately higher on strong export data and support from preliminary cash trade business.  October live cattle closed $1.05 higher at $109.95 and December live cattle closed $.70 [Read More…]

A west-central Minnesota farmer has circled September 20th to begin harvesting corn. Brian Velde of Granite Falls says a lot of his corn has black-layered. “So just giving another good two weeks of drying, I [Read More…]

Across the Corn Belt, lowland flooding persists in parts of the upper Midwest, despite a return of dry weather. Rain continues, however, along and south of a line from southern Iowa to northern Ohio. On [Read More…]

A cold front, infused with the remnants of former Tropical Storm Gordon, will spark heavy rain (locally 2 to 6 inches or more) from the lower Midwest into the Northeast. By early next week, lingering [Read More…]

Nearly 200 business and industry groups, including ag groups, have warned the U.S. trade representative of harmful effects of more Chinese tariffs on the U.S. with expected Chinese retaliation. Midnight was the deadline for submitting [Read More…]

Someone, somewhere must have at some point come up with the top five or 10 warning signs of a political apocalypse.   I’ve lived in Washington, DC, going on 40 years, and I’ve not seen this [Read More…]

The CEO of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association says cash basis is currently the largest crippling factor to farm profitability. “As bad as the commodity prices are, basis is actually the number that’s truly taking [Read More…]

The USDA reports grain and oilseed export sales for the week ending August 30th were within most pre-report estimates. Officially, there is still one reporting day left for 2017/18 corn, sorghum, and soybean export sales. [Read More…]

The Organic Trade Association has announced plans to move forward with a voluntary, industry-led checkoff after USDA terminated the process this spring. CEO Laura Batcha says there is demand for coordinated organic research and promotion, [Read More…]

It’s not enough that Jim Isermann is successful in getting producers to adopt conservation farming practices. He wants them to be aware of the impact those practices have on their farm and on their bottom [Read More…]

Precision Planting is making it easier for farmers to retrofit equipment with Precision technology. Integrated marketing lead Bryce Baker says the planter of the future might already be in someone’s shed. “As a farmer, I’ve [Read More…]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, cattle futures closed mixed ahead of widespread direct cash business.  The indecisive cash trade didn’t help contracts find any direction.  October live cattle closed $.15 lower at $108.90 and December [Read More…]