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U.S. Export Sales Report (6-29-26)
Last week’s export sales held a couple of surprises, particularly in the corn exports. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales may look disappointing, but they were actually good compared to the 5-year average. McBride said the soybean sales were good this week this well, but that pattern needs to continue. McBride said there were also some flash sales, which was nice to see since any flash sales are good sales at this time of year. The team at Allendale can be reached by...
NPB marketing to a new brand of customer (Pt 1)
As we continue to evolve the agriculture business, it goes without saying that we need also to evolve the marketing of our products. As the age evolves, so do the consumers. Life has changed from one generation to the next, however, the need to eat is just as strong...
Grassley discusses bilateral trade agreements with Ag Secretary Nominee Rollins
President-elect Trump has nominated Brooke Rollins for the post of Secretary of Agriculture and the Senate Agriculture Committee is likely to hold a hearing with Rollins soon as Congress is now back in session. United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) met with...
South American Weather and Crop Update (1-7-24)
The U.S. markets are keeping a close eye on the weather in South America in the event that they see some crop issues, but right now the weather is looking to be rainy and supportive of their current crops. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the...
Marketing cattle can be challenging in January
The cattle market had a great year in 2024, and while things aren’t abysmal suddenly in January, it’s not a particularly strong time either. Scott Varilek of KKV Trading in Sioux Center, Iowa, said January typically isn’t the best month to market cattle. Varilek said...
Looking at tar spot in 2025
Every growing season brings us challenges. I wouldn’t call them “new” or “different” challenges for the most part. Most of them are things we have seen before but in different levels and combinations. While disease pressure is not anything new, tar spot has become a...
HPAI detected in a multi-species backyard flock in Clinton County
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) in a multi-species backyard flock in...
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More Ag News
Farmers should use a varied approach to combat SCN
Often referred to as the “billion-dollar pest,” soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major pest that farmers have to deal with every year. While we do have several great options, especially in genetics, it’s important to keep from relying too much on one single mode of...
USDA provides publicly available resources to farmers
USDA reports can be a very valuable resource for hog producers. Lee Schulz, chief economist with Ever.Ag, says fundamentals are key when digging through publicly available data. Dr. Schulz points to additional market pressures, including changes in the World...
Helping veterans transition from national security to food security
We’ve all heard the saying, “Food security is national security.” Few people take both food and national security more seriously than veterans in agriculture, such as Matthew and Kara Rutter, who have established Project Victory Gardens in Townville, South Carolina....
Farm bankruptcies climbing in 2025
Farm bankruptcies grew 55 percent from 2023 to 2024 and are trending even higher in 2025. Farmers are continuing to struggle with low prices for their agricultural commodities and the high costs of inputs needed to grow those crops. Bloomberg says unpredictable...
John Deere unveils their 2026 line of combines
Even as the 2025 planting season begins, many growers already have their eyes on harvest. For most, that means evaluating the performance of one of the most critical machines in their operation—the combine. With efficiency and grain quality at the forefront of your...
