keokukleahj

The chair of the House Ag Committee is asking USDA officials about new conservation program problems. Glenn GT Thompson told a subcommittee hearing Tuesday the SUSTAINS Act, which created public-private partnerships for USDA to fund additional conservation projects beyond the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), doesn’t appear to be helping farmers. He says, “Let’s not let bureaucracy kill that. You have the authority. President Biden signed that into law. We […]

The CEO of the largest agriculture cooperative in the United States says he optimistic about renewable diesel demand from California’s low carbon fuel standard and what that means for U.S. agriculture. Soybean oil can be used to make renewable diesel. Jay Debertin with CHS Inc. says the investments in soy processing will likely continue in the next few years. “Demand certainly seems to be there and there are other things […]

A long-time no-till farming leader has died. Ohio farmer Dave Brandt of Fairfield County, 76, passed away from complications related to a car crash over the weekend. Retired Ohio State University faculty member Randall Reeder says Brandt was an early adopter of conservation practices, using multiple species of cover crops to build soil health.  He used his experience to educate others.  “His soil improved so much with more organic matter […]

Moisture has gone from too much to not enough in parts of west-central Minnesota. Kandiyohi County farmer Noah Hultgren says fieldwork started later than normal. “Dealing with spring snow and moisture, although now we haven’t really had significant moisture in probably a week and-a-half. It would actually be kind of nice to get a little bit as we’re finishing sugarbeets and corn.” He tells Brownfield they’ll be planting soybeans and […]

Tar spot is expected to be a problem in areas where corn farmers have seen the pathogen in the past. Mark Storr with BASF says crop diseases are hard to get rid of. “Once the disease is in an area it essentially becomes a permanent resident, at least diseases like tar spot. Because what they do is they overwinter on disease tissue.” He tells Brownfield the amount of pressure comes […]

Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House would give farmers some relief on labor costs this year. Co-sponsor Representative Dan Kildee of Michigan tells Brownfield the Farm Operations Support Act would maintain 2022 wage rates in the H-2A seasonal guest worker program. “It’s simply a pause that would give some relief to those growers so they can get through this cycle, stay in business, stay viable while we continue […]

A Minnesota Congressman is concerned that USDA’s conservation programs might be encouraging farmers to idle prime productive farmland. Minnesota Representative Brad Finstad is a farmer and former USDA State Rural Development Director.  He commented during a House Ag Subcommittee hearing Tuesday while asking Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux if Conservation Reserve Program reforms in the 2018 Farm Bill are achieving the goal of limiting competition for prime farmland. “We’re […]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle were mostly lower, and feeders were lower ahead of the week’s direct cash business.  Feeders had additional pressure from the higher move in corn.  June live cattle closed $.77 lower at $164.27 August live cattle closed $1.02 lower at $162.57. August feeder cattle closed $1.42 lower at $233.47 and September feeder cattle closed $1.10 lower at $236.75. It was another very quiet day […]

Jul. corn closed at $5.77 and 1/2, up 6 and 1/2 centsJul. soybeans closed at $13.22 and 1/2, down 18 and 3/4 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $406.40, down $5.80Jul. soybean oil closed at 47.76, down 101 pointsJul. wheat closed at $6.22 and 1/4, up 16 centsJun. live cattle closed at $164.27, down 77 centsAug. feeder cattle closed at $233.47, down $1.42Jun. ...