The USDA issued a final poultry tournament rule under the Packers & Stockyards Act this week. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls this new rule a step in the right direction. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy with AFBF, said the rule includes...
With cattle markets at historically high levels, producers have a unique opportunity to fine-tune their herd's nutrition and health programs without worrying about it negatively impacting their bottom line. Now is the perfect time to reassess and update plans for the...
The recent USDA guidelines on climate-smart ag practices for biofuel feedstocks has been generally received positively, but there are still some areas that need clarification. Fortunately, there is now a 60-day window for farmers to speak up about what they would like...
The North American beef cattle herd size is at a 40-year low, after several years of drought and feed shortages in primary cattle regions have taken a heavy toll on cow and heifer numbers. While cattle producers are seeing record-high prices, the beef processing...
Former Congressman Lee Zeldin was recently questioned at his Senate confirmation hearing for the post of EPA Administrator. At the hearing Zeldin vowed to provide more clarity on WOTUS rules, timeliness on renewable volume targets, and cooperation with USDA. Zeldin...
In 2023, roughly 86 percent of all farms were small family farms. A USDA report says these farms have a gross cash income below $350,000 and operate on 41 percent of all U.S. agricultural land. The family farms produced 17 percent of the total value of U.S....
After a double-dip La Niña in 2022 and 2023, we were relieved to see El Niño return to start 2024, bringing us back a mild winter and more moisture. After a few years of heavy drought, farmers breathed a sigh of relief. However, it was soon announced that we were...
Yesterday, the USDA published an interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. The interim rule establishes guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with...
As we continue to a new marketing year and prepare for a new administration, the export sales are still looking good. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers from the USDA. As Trump prepares to take office for the second time,...
Market conditions and grain prices are setting up 2025 to be a year of tough decisions for farmers. Growers do not want to cut back on inputs at the risk of harming yields but when faced with tough economic decisions, tough management decisions need to be made. In the...
