Brownfield

An ag economist says incorporating climate-smart practices into farm policy is complicated and producers are asking for clarity.  Joe Outlaw with Texas A&M’s Agriculture and Food Policy Center says those programs should be left out of the safety net in the next farm bill. “Not to premiums, not to participation or indemnities. Farmers we work with are worried about the long run implications for crop insurance of tying climate-smart provisions […]

The current biodiesel tax incentive for B10 and higher blends in Illinois is set to expire next year, but farmer members of the Illinois Soybean Association are working to renew and increase it. Vice Chairman Ron Kindred of Atlanta tells Brownfield they are trying to be proactive. “We are wanting to ramp that up to a B20 blend or higher to qualify for that incentive to tray and push higher […]

The 2022 Indiana legislative session ended last week, and Indiana Farm Bureau is celebrating some successes.    INFB President Randy Kron says members helped advocate for the agriculture industry throughout the session.   “I’m excited that members were able to be back in the statehouse and have face-to-face discussions with the legislators,” he says. “…That’s the grassroots flexing its muscle and doing a great job in making sure agriculture is […]

On the Ground at Commodity Classic: UPL – Solutions from Seed to Harvest ...

March is National Caffeine Awareness Month. Megan Meyer, science communications specialist with the International Food Information Council, discusses some of the benefits of caffeine as well as safe levels of caffeine consumption. Healthy Living: Click here or here for more information about the council and its caffeine resources. ...

Lawmakers are discussing the role of USDA and farm bill programs in mitigating climate change. House Ag Committee Ranking Member Glenn “GT” Thompson says the next farm bill needs common sense solutions. “I will not fundamentally spend our commodity, conservation and crop insurance programs to appease Washington thinktanks,” he says. “I will reject complicating our programs and making climate the focus of every title in the upcoming farm bill reauthorization.” […]

Nebraska is the latest state where highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a poultry flock. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service detected the virus in a backyard flock in Merrick County in South-Central Nebraska. State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley says the farm has been quarantined and depopulation is underway. NDA says it’s establishing a 6-mile surveillance zone and is working with […]

A technical service manager with FMC Corporation says farmers shouldn’t cut corners on disease management this season despite record high input costs. Drake Copeland tells Brownfield commodity prices are also high and farmers need to protect the yield potential of their crop. “I don’t think it’s something you can ignore, especially when we have aggressive diseases like southern corn rust and now tar spot,” he says. “…There’s a lot of […]

The US EPA has made amendments to the labels for over-the-top use of dicamba in Iowa and Minnesota. For the 2022 season, Iowa farmers must follow a new application deadline of June 20th, ten days earlier than last year’s cut-off. In Minnesota, applications cannot be made on dicamba tolerant crops south of Interstate 94 after June 12th, while the cut-off date north of Interstate 94 remains June 30th. Applicators in […]