Michigan State University researchers say the first three months of this year were the wettest on record for the state and that’s helping crops survive the current drought. Thumb area farmer Jeff Krohn tells Brownfield aside from wheat, his crops are faring ok. “It forces crops to put down deeper roots, get into that moisture so we get into the growing season with taller, bigger crops that require more moisture,” […]
You might have seen some social media posts recently where dairy farmers are dumping milk. But why does this happen? University of Missouri dairy economist Scott Brown says it’s oversupply. AUDIO: Healthy Living on milk dumping ...
Across the Corn Belt, smoky, hazy conditions continue to plague portions of the upper Midwest. Meanwhile, any lingering showers are confined to the upper Great Lakes region. Across most corn- and soybean-production areas, relatively cool but dry weather is further reducing soil moisture availability. Nearly all areas of the Corn Belt have reported below-average rainfall in recent weeks, leading to a gradual reduction in crop and pasture vitality. On the […]
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures across the middle one-third of the U.S., while cooler-than-normal conditions will prevail in the West and from the central and southern Appalachians to the Atlantic Coast, from Georgia to southern New England. Meanwhile, near- or above-normal rainfall across much of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in northern Maine, parts of the Midwest, and an […]
The CEO of Minnesota Pork suggests the impact of California’s Proposition 12 could be felt beyond agriculture. Jill Resler tells Brownfield while the rule has to do with housing requirements for pigs, it could set a dangerous and far-reaching precedent. “States are making decisions based on their political views across the country.” She says Prop 12 is really about perceptions of California citizens, not what’s best for the animals. ...
An agriculture economist says the price of nitrogen fertilizer has stabilized, but it’s still high. Gary Schnitkey with the University of Illinois tells Brownfield all three major forms of nitrogen matched their prices at the beginning of the 2023 purchasing season but dipped a little. “We have seen it come down from levels earlier in the year and late in the fall for 2022, early spring 2023, but we are […]
Disease pressure hasn’t been much of a challenge for Michigan wheat growers. Michigan State University plant pathologist Marty Chilvers tells Brownfield the lack of rain has meant a mostly disease-free season. “Across the state, there’s going be little pockets of powdery mildew—that’s a disease that does like dry conditions, but it likes a little bit of humidity and in some instances, we’re lacking some of that humidity as well,” he […]
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle were mostly higher ahead of widespread direct cash business. Feeders were pressured by the higher move in corn. August live cattle closed $.10 higher $171.07 and October live cattle closed $.22 higher at $174.35. August feeder cattle closed $1.77 lower at $234.12 and September feeders closed $1.60 lower at $237.52. There was another light round of direct cash cattle business reported on Thursday. […]
Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would support seed and animal breeding research tailored to different regions of the U.S. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin says the Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act would promote the development of ready-to-use, regionally adapted, and publicly available seed varieties and animal breeds. The bill is supported by more than 40 environmental and agriculture organizations representing conventional and organic growers’ groups. […]
