Ag News

Missouri dicamba injury reports exceed last year
The number of off-target dicamba injuries reported in Missouri is more than the number reported by this time last year. As of Monday, 112 complaint allegations have been made involving dicamba injury to susceptible crops, [Read More…]

Producer sentiment sees small increase despite trade uncertainty
A recent survey shows producer sentiment is up slightly despite trade disputes and low commodity prices. Ag economist Jim Mintert says the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose two points to 143 because farmers [Read More…]

The great divide
Commentary. Sitting in the alleyway of our “big” barn sipping Coca-Colas while trying to cool down after long hours in the heat of the day, we caught up with a neighbor we hadn’t seen for [Read More…]

Conditions vary across the Midwest
A meteorologist says field conditions vary across the Midwest as farmers face one of the hottest summers on record. Michael Clark is the co-owner and meteorologist of Indiana-based BAM Weather. “With the third warmest June [Read More…]

Analyst says tariff impacts felt more at harvest
Grains and oilseeds analyst Steve Nicholson says China’s tariff on soybeans imported from the U.S. will have more impact after harvest begins. Nicholson, who is with Rabo AgriFinance, tells Brownfield most of China’s summer soybean [Read More…]

2018 NAFB Agribusiness Luncheon
Brownfield’s Tom Steever will be on the ground in Kansas City on Tuesday, July 10 for the 2018 NAFB Agribusiness Luncheon Continue reading 2018 NAFB Agribusiness Luncheon at Brownfield Ag News.

June was abnormally wet, hot and humid for Illinois
June weather ended abnormally hot and humid in Illinois. State Climatologist Jim Angel tells Brownfield, temperatures ran about three degrees above normal for June and precipitation was two inches above normal. “When we look at [Read More…]

Tariffs expected to beat already depressed milk prices
Analysts say dairy farmers could be further into the red for the remaindered of the year if dairy tariffs go into effect this week. National Milk Producers Federation economists say Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs on most [Read More…]

Weekly ethanol production holds near recent highs
U.S. ethanol production backed off a little last week but stayed near the 2018 highs. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.067 million barrels a day, down 5,000 on the week, but still [Read More…]

Interest rates to farmers up 1.5% since end of 2015
The latest quarterly report by the Federal Reserve shows ag bankers are slowly raising interest rates on operating loans to farmers. Lenders charged an average rate of nearly 5 percent this spring, up from 3.5 [Read More…]

Rain dampens hope for good yields in SW Minnesota
Extreme rainfall is dampening hopes for good crop yields in southwest Minnesota. University of Minnesota extension educator David Bau is based in Worthington, and says the area has seen close to a foot of rain [Read More…]

Minnesota Pork CEO calls for resolution to trade disputes
Farm groups continue to call for resolution on trade disputes. David Preisler, CEO of the Minnesota Pork Producers, tells Brownfield American pig farmers have been hit hard by retaliatory tariffs from China and Mexico. “Now [Read More…]

Tariffs set to go into effect
Tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods are set to go into effect tomorrow, and China has said it will retaliate immediately with equal tariffs on US goods, including soybeans and cars. In a recent [Read More…]

Lake Springfield Watershed Soil Health Field Day.
Brownfield’s Tom Steever will be in Auburn, IL on July 26, 2018 for the Lake Springfield Watershed Soil Health Field Day. Continue reading Lake Springfield Watershed Soil Health Field Day. at Brownfield Ag News.

Transitioning to group housing of sows
At the recent World Pork Expo, we stopped by the Nedap Livestock Management booth to visit with pork producers who own and/or manage facilities that have converted from gestation stalls to group sow housing. On [Read More…]

Policy expert says Conservation Stewardship Program needed in final farm bill
A University of Illinois farm policy expert says the House and Senate conference committee should preserve the Conservation Stewardship Program in the final farm bill. Jonathon Coppess leads the Garner Agriculture Policy Program and the Bock [Read More…]

Renk Seed Field Day
Brownfield Anchor/Reporter Larry Lee will be on the ground at Renk Seed Field Day on August 28, 2018 in Sun Prairie, WI. Continue reading Renk Seed Field Day at Brownfield Ag News.

Fourth of July heat, humidity across the Heartland
Across the Corn Belt, above-normal temperatures continue to promote a rapid pace of crop development. On July 1, progress for U.S. corn (17% silking) and soybeans (27% blooming) were significantly ahead of the respective 5-year [Read More…]

Ways to increase cash flow
As farmers continue to operate within a tight margin environment, a business consultant with Compeer Financial says there are a few areas worth looking at that could lead to better profits. Matt Lange has put [Read More…]

Farm data a valuable tool for managing finances
A farm financial official says the value of ag data goes beyond the production information it provides. Glenn Wachtler with Compeer Financial tells Brownfield lenders can use data to help farmers make equipment purchases, investment [Read More…]