Agriculture

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack tells Brownfield he’s getting positive comments about how the new food system framework announced Wednesday will help farmers expand their markets. “So whether it’s expanded processing capacity that gives them additional markets or whether it’s the ability to identify a portion of their operation as organic or a portion of their operation linked to a local or regional food system where they sell directly to a […]

Pest pressure is rising with the temperatures as the first cutting of alfalfa gets underway in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bruce Potter tells Brownfield the crop is benefiting from warmer weather, but so are alfalfa weevils. “There are some cloverleaf weevils, which are much less of a pest concern. But those alfalfa weevils, we’re not seeing the larvae yet, and that’s what is going to […]

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association continues to push for Congressional cattle market reform. ICA director of government relations Cora Fox says they recently hosted a meeting with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra to discuss the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act. “Which is really this bill that’s very intentional in setting regional mandatory minimums for cash trade. It’s an attempt to level the playing field so the […]

A new state of the art dairy production facility is helping provide farmers with innovative farming solutions. Lely president Chad Huyser tells Brownfield the company’s new hub of operations is based in Pella, Iowa. “We have a role to play in agriculture in supporting our producers to produce a safe, adequate, nutritional food supply for what is going to be an exponentially growing population in the coming 30, 40, 50 […]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle ended the day higher, supported by follow-through buying.  August live cattle closed $1.22 higher at $134.12 and August feeder cattle closed $3.22 higher at $172.95.  A very light, scattered direct cash cattle trade took place on Thursday.  Dressed deals in Nebraska were at $222 and live deals in Iowa at $141.50.  While the bulk of the week’s business is likely wrapped […]

Jul. corn closed at $7.30 and 1/4, down 1 centJul. soybeans closed at $17.29 and 1/4, up 39 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $414.90, up $2.20Jul. soybean oil closed at 81.44, up 333 pointsJul. wheat closed at $10.58 and 1/4, up 17 centsJun. live cattle closed at $133.62, up 82 centsJun. lean hogs closed at $110.05, up 25 centsJun. Class III milk closed at $24.32, down 13 centsJul. ...

Soybeans were sharply higher on commercial and technical buying. Crush margins remain in positive territory, soybean oil was up following palm oil and crude oil, and overall demand continues to be strong. Soybean meal was mostly higher on bull spreading. Soybeans continue to watch U.S. planting and development conditions. Pakistan bought 352,000 tons of U.S. beans, with 55,000 tons for 2021/22 delivery and 297,000 tons for 20222/23. That followed up […]

Across the Corn Belt, cool, dry weather across the upper Midwest favors late-season planting efforts, except in areas of Minnesota and North Dakota where muddy field conditions are not conducive to supporting farm machinery.  Thursday’s high temperatures will remain below 70°F in the Red River Valley of the North, limiting evaporation rates.  Meanwhile, showers and a few thunderstorms are spreading across the eastern Corn Belt. On the Plains, thunderstorms in […]