Top Stories
Drought pressures western rangeland management
When I visited Washington, D.C. recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Karen Budd-Falen, Associate Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, about the challenges facing western rangelands as drought conditions continue to affect large portions of the country. Budd-Falen said those conditions are forcing difficult decisions for both ranchers and federal land managers as they work to balance livestock production, wildlife needs, and long-term resource health. Budd-Falen said...
Trade announcements with China are a positive step forward
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met recently to discuss trade and other topics. This may be a sign that trade tensions are slowly thawing between the United States and China. Faith Parum, an economist for the American Farm Bureau...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-21-26)
As more details come out about the trade agreement between the U.S. and China, the weekly export sales continued following along its recent trends. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were the highest ever for this specific week. McBride said...
Importance of grower surveys in June Acreage Report
In the next few weeks producers will fill out USDA surveys that will provide the data for the June Acreage Report. Lance Honig of the National Agricultural Statistics Service says the surveys will provide a very important snapshot of the acreage for the year. Honig...
Naig: Recent weather helped Iowa farmers catch up
After a slow and uneven start to planting season this spring, Iowa farmers have made up significant ground over the past few weeks. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says favorable planting windows recently allowed farmers to move quickly and bring statewide...
Smithfield Foods awards 12 Impact Grants nationwide
Smithfield Foods has awarded more than $280,000 in Impact Grant funding to 12 nonprofit organizations working to strengthen communities where Smithfield employees live and work. These grants build on the more than $24 million Smithfield invested in 2025 to strengthen...
Don’t wait too long to take care of marestail
Marestail was one of the earliest weeds to become glyphosate-tolerant, and that resistance continues to make it tricky for farmers to manage. With rising spring temperatures, marestail is bolting fast, and it becomes significantly harder to control once it tops six...
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More Ag News
News from May Cattle on Feed Report
The May Cattle on Feed Report offers some of the latest trends from the cattle feedlots. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell provides some details. Total inventory was up 2% year over year, that was driven in part by a 6% increase in April of cattle placed in...
Enrollment underway for cover crop incentive program
Farmers for Soil Health has opened enrollment for its 2026 cover crop incentive program, offering higher payments and shorter contract terms aimed at encouraging broader participation among row-crop producers. The farmer-led initiative said enrollment will remain open...
Fertilizer issues have taken on a life of their own
Fertilizer prices were already elevated before hostilities broke out between the U.S. and Iran, but input prices have since reached even higher heights due to supply chain issues in the Strait of Hormuz. Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of the Fertilizer Institute,...
Central America is a growing market for U.S. red meat exports
Central America will continue to be a growing market for exports of U.S. pork and beef, due in large part to the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). Ricardo Zúniga, founding partner of Dinámica Americas and featured speaker at the U.S....
The Sound of Sacrifice: Butterfield’s Lullaby
If you slept through history class, you did not miss anything about General Daniel Butterfield. Nobody really talks about him. However, there is not an American who does not know at least something about him, even if they do not realize it. AUDIO: Profit Matters...
