Top Stories
USDA finalizes specialty crop assistance program details
The USDA announced it has finalized the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers Program, announced late last year. Danny Munch, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the funds are part of the USDA’s broader Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The assistance is available to farmers who planted specialty crops in 2025 and reported those acres to the Farm Service Agency. Munch said the USDA is already preparing pre-filled applications for eligible farmers. For more information,...
Determining the profitability of cover crops on livestock operations
A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service studied whether incorporating cover crops into livestock systems is more profitable than livestock operations that do not use cover crops. Maria Bowman, research ag economist with...
Looking at the volatility in cattle
Last week the U.S. Meat Export Federation held their annual meeting in Kansas City, MO. It came when livestock markets were in a state of heavy fluctuations. The Cattle market is seeing a little more of the volatility than the hogs are. There have been some erratic...
Livestock groups welcome farm bill markup
Livestock groups welcomed the House Agriculture Committee's action to markup the Farm Bill. The National Pork Producers Council says the bill supports all pork producer's farm bill requests, including a federal fix to the host of Prop. 12 issues plaguing producers and...
Red meat industry holds optimistic outlook for 2024
The U.S. red meat industry gathered in Kansas City last week for the annual U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Spring Conference. USMEF Chair Randy Spronk sensed optimism among attendees for the remainder of 2024. Spronk stressed the need for an equal playing field...
Biosecurity vital for protecting livestock and farmhands from H5N1
The need for robust biosecurity measures for all species is greater than ever after the recent detections of H5N1 in dairy herds. Dr. Marisa Rotolo, National Pork Board’s Director of Swine Health, emphasized the importance of on-farm measures to keep it that way....
Persistent heavy rains creating replant concerns for Iowa growers
Frequent heavy rains in May have created replant concerns for many Iowa growers. What does this mean for the growing season in Iowa and how might agronomic concerns early in the growing cycle factor into the ag marketplace? Matt Bennett, co-founder of AgMarket.Net,...
Video
More Ag News
South American Weather and Crop Update (10-22-24)
It’s still the rainy season down in South America, which is exactly what the farmers down there want to see. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the weather in Brazil and Argentina. McBride said planting progress is still behind the average pace,...
FFA encouraging members to “Engage” at national convention
Over 70,000 students in blue corduroy jackets are at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis this week. This year’s event starts on Wednesday, Oct. 23 and wraps up with the final session on Saturday, Oct. 26. Amara Jackson, who is serving out her...
Farm bill challenges not going away in 2025
Farm bill challenges will not go away in 2025 if Congress has to punt again on the top farming legislation. That is according to American Farm Bureau Director of Government Affairs Joe Gilson who says that hurdles will remain. A lot will also depend on what the budget...
Biofuel groups welcome Supreme Court decision on SREs
The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy were pleased with a Supreme Court decision on Small Refinery Exemptions. They issued a joint statement saying the Fifth Circuit Court wasn’t the right venue to hear challenges on small refinery exemptions. “Because the...
John Deere updates its Ag training facility
When you work with sophisticated equipment, you need sophisticated training. As the precision agriculture industry has grown, the technology and tools need to be sold and serviced by people who are well-trained in the operation of these machines and can recommend the...
