Agriculture

A Nebraska Sandhills rancher says high winds across the Great Plains have created grazing challenges she’s never dealt with before. Jaclyn Wilson of Lakeside tells Brownfield says wind and drought have created erosion issues.  “We’ve got sand drifts, especially over on the background lot, but dad has talked about (it) and not seeing it in ages. That’s something new.  We’re going to have to run a blade on the outside […]

Brian Fuchs with the National Drought Mitigation Center says the long-term outlook calls for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. “We may see some intensification and we may some drought plateauing and kind of sticking at the same level that it’s at.” He tells Brownfield widespread rainfall brought immediate relief, but that could change. “If we jump right into consistent 90-dgree weather with wind again, we will be having […]

U.S. ethanol production and stocks both moved higher last week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 991,000 barrels a day, up 22,000 on the week and 12,000 on the year. Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Resource Economics says producer margins are well below the late 2021 highs but remain in positive territory thanks to solid demand, even with corn prices close to multi-year highs. The Renewable […]

Hot weather that has been affecting much of the central U.S. will retreat southward.  However, during the weekend and early next week, Southern heat will expand and intensify, stretching from the Desert Southwest to the southern Atlantic Coast.  Triple-digit heat (high temperatures of 100°F or greater) will develop in the Desert Southwest and return by Sunday and Monday across parts of Texas and eastern New Mexico.  Mostly dry weather will […]

The president of Iowa Farm Bureau is encouraged by recent policies that he says bode well for biofuels. Brent Johnson tells Brownfield EPA’s emergency waiver allowing E15 sales this summer will boost ethanol demand and lower costs at the pump. “Couple that with the recent work in the Iowa Legislature, we’re certainly sitting in a really nice space to be able to be a little more fuel-resilient and stabilize rural […]

A University of Missouri ag economist is expecting tightening corn production and stocks projections from USDA in its global ag supply and demand report tomorrow. Ben Brown with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute tells Brownfield it might be a bit early for a ‘big’ revision to Argentina’s expected corn production because of ongoing drought… “But for Brazil, I do expect to see a small revision down somewhere is […]

Across the Corn Belt, an early-season hot spell is nearing its peak, as Wednesday’s high temperatures should reach 90°F or higher across much of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri.  The sudden warmth has resulted in an acceleration of corn and soybean planting, except in areas where fieldwork is still limited by excessive wetness.  Several days ago, on May 8, topsoil moisture was rated 60% surplus in Ohio, along with 50% […]

An extension crops educator says farmers in the Upper Midwest are running out of time to plant full-season corn. Dave Nicolai with the University of Minnesota tells Brownfield the sweet spot for optimum yields doesn’t usually go beyond mid-May. “We have questions every year from growers about changing perhaps a certain percentage of their corn hybrid maturity makeup and exchanging that for something a little bit later. But I know […]

Farmers are seeing a slight dip in fertilizer prices this spring. Jason Troendle, Director of Market Intelligence and Research with The Fertilizer Institute, says weather-related planting delays have pressured the market. “We don’t anticipate them to drop significantly,” he said. He tells Brownfield India has re-entered the market, which could firm global prices once again. “With them kind of waiting to this point to come to the market, that has […]