Brownfield

Across the Corn Belt, cool conditions are slowing evaporation rates in areas—mainly across the far upper Midwest—where fields remain too wet for an optimal planting pace.  Widespread temperatures below 40°F were reported Friday morning in the Dakotas and northern Minnesota.  However, sunny weather in other areas of the Midwest is fostering the emergence of recently planted corn and soybeans. On the Plains, showers linger across parts of Oklahoma and Texas, […]

A new Iowa State University scholarship honors the legacy of a long-time faculty member.  The family of Dr. Neil E. Harl has gifted $2 million to establish the endowed Dr. Neil Harl Opportunity Scholarship for students of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Dr. Harl was a faculty member at Iowa State for more than 50 years with a wide range of expertise including legal and economic aspects of […]

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of below-normal temperatures across the northern and central Plains and the Midwest, while hotter-than-normal conditions will cover the Deep South and much of the West.  Meanwhile, near- or below-normal rainfall in the north-central U.S. and most of the West should contrast with wetter-than-normal weather in Washington State and a broad area from the central and southern Plains to the […]

The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging farmers to talk more about mental health wellness. During a recent webinar hosted by Farm Bureau, licensed professional clinical counselor Cynthie Christensen said speaking with a therapist is a big first step to combat mental health issues. “There is nothing more important to your farm operation than you,” Christensen said. “I would really encourage you to value yourself.” Arkansas farmer James Dixon says […]

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has lifted its order cancelling live bird exhibitions because of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Ag Secretary Mike Naig calls the announcement a welcome sign of continued progress in the state’s efforts to effectively manage the avian flu outbreak and protect Iowa’s poultry flocks. It has been 30 days since USDA confirmed a new infection in domestic poultry in the state. High-path AI […]

A farmer in northwest Iowa is pleased with how his crops look. Brent Johnson grows corn and soybeans in Calhoun County and says after some delays, planting went smoothly. “We were getting a little late (and) some of those areas within fields (presented) a couple challenges here and there, but overall emergence is looking really good.” He says conditions are conducive to rapid crop development. “We just ended up with […]

The USDA says export sales of several major commodities declined during the week ending May 26th. That’s due to several factors including relative strength in the U.S. dollar against some other major currencies, global supply chain issues, and competition from other exporters. Old crop soybean, soybean oil, wheat, sorghum, and rice sales were all down on the week and pork and beef also fell back from the previous week’s levels, […]

The US and Japan have signed the agreement to revise the beef safeguard under the US-Japan Trade Agreement. Kent Bacus with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says this provides greater certainty for US beef in one of its best export markets. “If you look at Japan overall, just the first quarter this year we’re close to 600 million in sales,” he said. “Sales are up over 20 percent. They are […]

Deere & Co says it’s relocating tractor cab production to Mexico by 2024  because of labor challenges and the need for new product development. In a statement to Brownfield, the company says bringing new product programs to its Waterloo, Iowa, plant makes it necessary to consolidate production for more floor space while balancing a tight labor market. Deere has declined to say what kind of new products will be produced […]