A bipartisan group of governors from eight midwestern states have notified the EPA of their intent to exercise state rights under the Clean Air Act to allow year-round sales of E15. Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield, “The bottom line is, the Clean Air Act gives governors the authority to establish that level playing field for these ethanol blends, so that we don’t have this situation where E15 […]
The new president of Minnesota FFA hopes to be an ag teacher someday. Emma Kuball of the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown FFA Chapter says she’s been influenced by great ag teachers and her experience growing up on a dairy farm. She tells Brownfield teaching ag could be a challenge because the number of rural students in many school districts is declining. “I think that students need to understand that even if they’re not […]
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reporting an additional case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a backyard poultry flock this week. A 60-bird mixed-species flock in Wexford County has been confirmed with the virus and the department says it has been depopulated. The department says they are continuing to respond promptly to all suspected cases to minimize the impact of the disease. ...
A North-Central Illinois farmer hopes the planting pace picks up in his area soon. Jim Campion says, “It’s cold and damp and it’s been really slow going.” Campion raises corn and soybeans north of Peoria in Stark County. He tells Brownfield farmers are trying to locate fields that are ready. “There’s been a lot of beans get planted here in the last three-to-four days,” he said. “People seem to be […]
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle closed lower and feeder cattle were higher watching corn, and direct cash business develop. June live cattle closed $1.12 lower at $133.90 and August live cattle closed $.67 lower at $136.35. May feeder cattle closed $.609 higher at $157.95 and August feeder cattle closed $1.45 higher at $170.40 Another relatively quiet day for direct cash cattle trade. While the bulk of the week’s […]
The Ranking Member of the House Ag Committee says it’s about time the committee has reviewed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the farm bill which he says has been unchecked for the past four years. Congressman Glenn GT Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican, shared his frustration in Thursday’s hearing. “My Democratic colleagues have already drawn a line in the sand that this program will not be touched in the next […]
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says more infrastructure investments are needed in the Midwest to keep its ag products competitive globally. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri is calling for more investments in shipping infrastructure in the Mississippi River basin to make the transportation system as efficient as possible. “That just allows us to be that much more competitive,” he said. “One of the things I said here today was, if you’re […]
An ag economist says inflationary pressures will likely impact all of the agriculture well into the future. Tanner Ehmke with CoBank tells Brownfield for some grain farmers this season might be incredibly profitable, but it’s not likely to last. “This year it may turn negative perhaps this fall or next year as costs continue to rise,” he shares. Ehmke says increasing costs of labor, materials, fuel, fertilizer, and more quickly […]
The director of Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is continuing to meet with food and agriculture businesses to identify ways to improve supply chains. During stops in Grand Rapids Wednesday, Gray McDowell told Brownfield the tours are about building food security and finding ways to support local food systems. “We’re an agricultural powerhouse here in this state and we’ve got so much diversity, but a lot of it […]
