Top Stories
Boozman defends excluding Prop 12 from farm bill
Senate Ag Chair John Boozman shares reasons for his decision not to limit the out-of-state reach of California’s Prop 12 restriction on extreme animal confinement in his farm bill draft. Boozman says although Republicans are ready to vote to restrict California’s animal confinement standards, the same can’t be said about Democrats. For Bozeman, without Democrats' votes, there is not much that can be done. He concludes with what is needed for something concrete to happen. California represents...
Breakthrough BRD vaccine could save U.S. cattle industry $1 billion in costs
U.S. cattle supplies have been at historically low levels. This is made even worse by bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which kills an estimated 8 million calves every year. Fortunately, a professor from Louisiana State University has been working on a solution to the...
Cattle on feed report shows lower placements
The first USDA Cattle on Feed report for the year shows lower placement of cattle on feedlots compared to the same period last year. That is USDA livestock economist Mike McConnell. 11.8 million head of cattle were on feedlots as of January 1st which is a 1% decline...
Ethanol production rises in mid-January
Ethanol output rose during the seven days ending on January 17 as inventories climbed to their highest level in nine months. Data from the Energy Information Administration says production increased to an average of 1.099 million barrels a day, up from 1.095 million...
LG Seeds preparing Iowa farmers for 2025
The past few years in agriculture have been nothing short of tumultuous, with Iowa standing at the forefront of weather extremes. From historic floods to unprecedented droughts, farmers have faced shifting conditions that have tested their resilience and adaptability....
U.S. Export Sales Report (1-24-25)
While both the corn and soybean numbers were within the range of estimates in this week’s export sales report, they were still higher than the 5-year average. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest report from the USDA. McBride said...
Registration open for AFBF FUSION Conference
The best and the brightest Farm Bureau members from across the country will soon take part in the FUSION Conference March 7-10. Amy Jo Estes, a member of the AFBF Promotion & Education committee, said the conference will bring together AFBF’s three hallmark...
Video
More Ag News
Is emergence the secret to higher corn yields?
In a perfect world all corn plants would emerge simultaneously within the same window. Unfortunately, farmers operate in an imperfect world and ideal, even emergence is not a given. In a year with tight margins, AgriGold Agronomist Brett Leahr says that growers can...
Mental Health Awareness Month: It’s okay to not be okay
May is Mental Health Awareness month. The stresses of farming can easily take a toll on you or your family members, especially during a busy time like planting season. In his weekly commentary provided to farm broadcasters, American Farm Bureau Federation Zippy Duvall...
Secretary Rollins: Not closing FSA offices
Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee this week and defended downsizing the USDA and potential cuts to international food programs. Reuters says the secretary added that the Agriculture Department doesn’t plan to close any...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-9-25)
As the U.S. works on more global trade issues, the export sales are continuing to perform well above expectations, at least for corn. Soybeans aren’t bad, but they aren’t quite as good. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave a breakdown on the latest numbers...
Farm Bill vs. Reconciliation: A risky tradeoff?
The Farm Bill has already been postponed twice, and as summer approaches, the odds of it getting passed this year are looking slim. Many of the programs within the bill are long overdue for updates—everything from crop insurance to conservation and nutrition programs....
