Brownfield

The Michigan Blueberry Research and Education Program is up for its first renewal vote as a state checkoff. Established in 2017 to increase blueberry research and competitiveness, the program currently assesses growers up to three-tenths of a cent per pound of blueberries sold.  Past research projects have focused on pest management, additional fruit inventory and labor surveys, and expanded research plantings. More than 50 percent of the votes cast by […]

Amie Simpson will cover the Taste of Elegance by Indiana Pork February 28, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. ...

As more focus is put on lowering carbon footprints, the Renewable Fuels Association sees demand for corn going up…and not just the grain. Kelly Davis with the Renewable Fuels Association says the RFA has a low carbon pledge, and just released a research report that outlines the pathway to their low-carbon future. “Corn farming is a part of that. Corn farmers certainly know how to be more sustainable and once […]

U.S. poultry production during January 2022 was up 2% from January 2021. The USDA says the total of 4.185 billion pounds included 3.731 billion pounds of chicken, 2% above a year ago, with turkey at 442.359 million pounds, down 1%. The chicken slaughter and average live weights were 1% above a year ago, while turkey processing was slightly lower and the average live weight was 1% lighter. The USDA says […]

The USDA says domestic meat supplies in cold storage at the end of January were mostly below year ago levels. The red meat total was 981.195 million pounds, with a 1% gain in beef to 526.435 million more than canceled out a 6% loss in pork at 428.498 million pounds, due to diverging demand and monthly slaughter rates. The total for poultry fell 10% to 1.01 pounds, with chicken declining […]

Brownfield’s Amie Simpson will cover the Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives Training Workshop in Lebanon, Indiana on February 24, 2022. ...

The shrinking South American soybean crop continues to spark U.S. export sales. Kent Beadle with CHS Hedging tells Brownfield adverse weather is expected to significantly reduce Brazilian production. “Loss of production and loss of export capacity. And we’re seeing that manifest itself in a series of daily reported sales to various destinations, oftentimes specified as unknown destinations.” He says China, and possibly some European countries, are likely behind many of […]

Dry weather for most of February has Wisconsin farmers thinking about soil moisture ahead of spring planting. The USDA says despite that dryness, winter wheat and alfalfa are mostly overwintering well, but farmers are a little uneasy ahead of corn and soybean planting. High input costs and concerns about supply chain disruptions for chemicals, seed, and equipment are adding to the uncertainty. The USDA says the only crop activities reported […]

The drought or near drought conditions affecting the U.S. Plains continue to have an impact on soil moisture levels in Nebraska. The USDA says 83% of Nebraska’s topsoil and 72% of subsoil are short to very short of moisture, significant increases from January, with only about of fifth of topsoil and a third of subsoil containing adequate levels. Despite the dryness, Nebraska’s winter wheat crop is doing relatively well. 36% […]