Top Stories
Interior official highlights ranchers’ stewardship role
When I was in Washington, D.C. recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Karen Budd-Falen, Associate Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, about several issues affecting western livestock producers. One topic that generated significant discussion was public lands grazing and the misconceptions Budd-Falen believes continue to surround the practice. According to Budd-Falen, one of the most common criticisms is the belief that ranchers receive inexpensive access to federal...
Corn acreage and storage numbers send market price lower
The USDA published the Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports on Friday and several factors combined to send the corn price in the ag marketplace to the downside. On Friday the ag marketplace reacted with a double digit drop in the corn price after the USDA...
Smithfield Foods delivers 34,000 pounds of protein to NW Iowa
Smithfield Foods delivered 34,000 pounds of protein to Rock Valley, Iowa, to provide free, restaurant-quality hot meals to victims, first responders and volunteers impacted by severe flooding across Northwest Iowa. As a local employer with more than 600 employees in...
Real Pork Scholar Program invests in the future of the pork industry
The Real Pork Scholar Program is one way the Pork Checkoff is establishing a firm foundation for the future of the U.S. pork industry. Hailey Schweke, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota and a Real Pork Scholar, said this program is focused on...
USMEF takes deep dive into Mexican market at U.S. Red Meat Symposium
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently held its inaugural U.S. Red Meat Symposium in Mexico City as U.S. red meat exports are hitting record levels in Mexico. With support from USDA, the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board, the symposium...
Converting melon waste into bioplastics
Farmers and the Ag industry are always looking for innovation; both to drive demand, find ways to reduce waste products, and help the environment. We may focus a lot on things like biofuels, aviation fuels, and other products for which our corn and soybeans are used....
REAP funds available for rural renewable energy projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing $145 million in funding for 700 loan and grant awards through the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP, to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and...
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Positive momentum for carbon market programs
Carbon markets have been in the ag industry for a while now, and they are another source of revenue for farmers across the country. Ryan Winter, grower success manager with Agoro Carbon, said they’ve been very pleased with the enrollment growth in their programs....
Innovative new U.S. pork burger sees success in Colombia
At the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s (USMEF) Strategic Planning Conference in Tucson, Arizona, USMEF Latin America Representative Homero Recio updated members on promotional activities for U.S. red meat in South America. One of those activities is an exciting new...
Modern Ag Alliance working to ensure farmers have necessary crop protection tools
The Modern Ag Alliance was formed this year to advocate on behalf of farmers so that they can continue to have access to crop protection tools. The alliance is a coalition led by Bayer and several ag stakeholders concerned with the way in which pesticides are being...
Ethanol production reaches record high
Ethanol output rose to a record high in the seven days that ended on Nov. 8, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Production jumped to an average of 1.113 million barrels a day, the agency said. That’s up from 1.105 million barrels a week...
When to make that land purchase
In these uncertain economic times, farmers and ranchers are weighing what their balance sheets can handle. Whether it is inputs, equipment, or expansion, there are many factors to consider before you shell out hard-earned money. This is especially true when it comes...
