Top Stories
Lending a trusted ear to farmer mental health struggles
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and that’s especially important in rural areas, where suicide rates are roughly 1.5 times higher than urban areas. A lack of rural mental health care options and a negative stigma against discussing mental health have contributed heavily to this issue. Fortunately, a new project in the Midwest is aiming to make it easier to access mental health care and to talk about mental health struggles. Easton Kuboushek, lead volunteer with Farm Dog, said he...
USDA moves forward with mandatory relocation despite pushback
The USDA Rural Development Mission Area intends to move nearly 3,000 members of its workforce out of the Washington, DC area, according to a report from Meatingplace. The relocation aims to modernize operations, increase accountability, and ensure federal resources...
Heavy rain hits crops in central Iowa again
Earlier this week, torrential rains hit central Iowa once again via a windbag storm. On top of the rain, heavy wind and hail damaged crops in some parts of the state. Dan Bjorklund, technical agronomist at Landus Cooperative, said that, while central and eastern Iowa...
Record voter support for E15 captures Senate’s attention
A new voter poll shows record support for all year around higher-ethanol fuel blend. Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, wants to use the data to advance year-round E15 legislation through the Senate. He explains that voter support for...
Nutrien offers producers added financial flexibility
Farmers continue to face financial pressure as depressed commodity prices and elevated input costs squeeze profit margins across the countryside. As producers look for ways to preserve working capital while still investing in their crops, financing has become another...
Southern Rust has been detected again in Iowa
Last year, Southern Rust made a late appearance in corn fields across Iowa and wreaked havoc on yields. Yesterday, Southern Rust was officially confirmed in a few Iowa counties, which is particularly alarming considering the similar timing to last year's problems....
Russia-Ukraine war driving price movement in grain markets
The wheat complex has featured significant price movement to the upside in recent days, and world events are driving most of the gains in the marketplace. That’s according to Jim McCormick, co-founder of AgMarket.net, who says that recent developments in the...
Video
More Ag News
New Renewable Fuel Standard volumes spurring industry growth
The Environmental Protection Agency's new Renewable Fuel Standard volumes are giving the biodiesel industry a significant boost. The agency raised biomass-based diesel obligations to levels the industry says more accurately reflect production capacity. Paul Winters,...
End of July defined by intense market volatility
Just when we thought the markets couldn’t be any more volatile, the grains proved us wrong by dropping 20 cents in the corn and nearly 40 cents in the soybeans. Pressure from the warm and dry weather here in the U.S. and war headlines overseas will keep the markets...
Dairy industry needs USMCA improvements
The USMCA has been in the spotlight this summer with the review process in July a major focus. Dr. Megan Roberts is an economist with Compeer Financial and says that United States dairy producers have been closely watching the process unfold. On the Dairy Stream...
EPA seeks changes to WOTUS and DEF rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would eliminate derate requirements for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) on certain diesel-powered equipment. The proposal comes after months of feedback from farmers, ranchers, and truckers, who identified...
Corn condition drops amid heatwaves
The damage from triple-digit heat across the Midwest and Plains is showing up in the numbers, reports AgWeb. USDA’s weekly crop progress report shows the steepest week-over-week decline in corn good to excellent condition ratings for this point in the growing season...
