Agriculture

Minnesota farmers are gearing up for the first cutting of alfalfa. University of Minnesota Extension crops educator Nathan Drewitz covers the central part of the state and says a cool start to the growing season slowed development. “We’re behind in terms of height (and) our quality is starting to come down, so I think we’re going to have lower yields and shorter stands to cut.” He tells Brownfield some alfalfa […]

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mostly lower ahead of the long holiday weekend, while feeders were pressured by the rally in corn. June live was down $.22 at $132.17 and August was $.20 lower at $132.40. August feeders were down $.35 at $166.32 and September was $.42 lower at $169.30. Cash cattle trade was quiet on Friday with most business already wrapped up after Tuesday’s deals. Southern deals […]

Soybeans were mostly modestly higher, finishing the week with solid gains. Beans consolidated, watching planting conditions, with markets closed on Monday for Memorial Day. That pushes the USDA’s weekly export inspections and crop progress and condition reports back to Tuesday. A big chunk of those planting concerns is tied to North Dakota, one of the biggest soybean producers in the U.S. Crush margins have dipped, but remain in positive territory, […]

The president of Iowa Farm Bureau believes his state has laid the blueprint for an E15 standard. Brent Johnson tells Brownfield there’s no doubt other states will be looking at the Biofuels Access Bill recently signed into law and want to emulate what Iowa has done. “This is the first time that we’ve got an E15 standard, and with the challenges of higher fuel prices (and) some of the regulatory […]