Ag News

Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker directed State Ag Secretary Sheila Harsdorf and University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross to create Dairy Task Force 2.0 to come up with recommendations to maintain a viable and profitable [Read More…]

Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators are applauding President Donald Trump’s apparent rejection of proposed changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. Both Chuck Grassley and Joni Earnst posted Twitter messages Tuesday evening expressing their pleasure with [Read More…]

USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey says the Dairy Margin Protection Program has generated thousands of new participants.  “We had over twenty-thousand producers that had signed up for the Margin Protection Program, which is about five-thousand of [Read More…]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, cattle futures rebounded on short covering in light activity.  Surging live cattle futures also drug feeder contracts higher.  June live cattle closed $2.47 higher at $107.20 and August contracts closed [Read More…]

A southern Minnesota pig farmer calls this an extremely difficult time for pork producers like her. Wanda Patsche with C-W Pork in Welcome says recent volatility tied to trade disputes creates marketing challenges. “We’re probably [Read More…]

A group of 40 international pork producers is touring segments of the Illinois pork supply chain with hopes of sparking ideas to improve their home operations. Bobby Dowson with the Illinois Department of Agriculture says [Read More…]

Cash dairy markets were lower and milk futures sharply lower as prices fell for a fourth straight trading session at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Tuesday.  Class Three June milk was down $.12 to $15.26. July [Read More…]

Soybeans were mixed, with nearby contracts steady to weak and deferred months firm, adjusting old crop/new crop spreads. Planting and emergence are ahead of average, with 75% of the crop in good to excellent condition, [Read More…]

An extension crops educator says back-to-back months of weather extremes have resulted in an alfalfa crop that’s right on schedule. Randy Pepin with the University of Minnesota tells Brownfield had a “normal” May followed a [Read More…]

Mexico has announced an immediate 10 percent tariff on unprocessed pork in retaliation to the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs. “This is, I would say, the most significant blow so far.” Joe Schuele with [Read More…]

A south-central Minnesota farmer is seeing emergence problems in some of his soybean fields. A.J. Krusemark of Trimont says abundant moisture caused planting delays and put crop development about two weeks behind last year. “The [Read More…]

Ag economist Chris Hurt says trade retaliation by China and Mexico could cost pork producers more than $25 dollars per-head by the end of this year. “There’s a lot of pork out there.  Pork production [Read More…]

Consumers are buying more organic foods but organic beverages are really catching on. Laura Batcha with the Organic Trade Association says one of the fastest growing segments of organic are beverage products as companies get [Read More…]

A final proposal on RFS revisions could be released by the White House this week—possibly as early as today. A provision to make ethanol exports eligible for RINs—Renewable Identification Numbers—is expected to be part of [Read More…]

CEO Chris Novak tells Brownfield NCGA and other groups filed their petition this week with the EPA to force it to make up for lost biofuels volumes because of inappropriate waivers given to refiners, “We fully [Read More…]

This summer the Organic Trade Association is piloting a program to prevent and detect organic fraud. CEO Laura Batcha tells Brownfield they want to see any loopholes in organic regulations closed and more collaboration across [Read More…]

  Senior Business Economist David Oppedahl with the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago has some new information on what it costs to buy and rent ag land. Continue reading New information on the cost of [Read More…]

A new study of women shows low-fat yogurt eaten before a meal helps reduce the risk of inflammation in the body, which is linked to several diseases. Dr. Chris Cifelli with the National Dairy Council, which [Read More…]

Nebraska’s corn and soybean crops are cruising right along. Corn has a good-to-excellent rating of 87 percent this week, with soybeans close behind at 86 percent. Pasture and range conditions continue to improve, now rated [Read More…]

South Dakota topsoil moisture is 73 adequate to surplus.  Corn’s in good shape at 70 percent good to excellent and was almost all planted as of Sunday.  Soybeans are 67 percent good to excellent, with [Read More…]