A mid-Michigan farmer says this year has been ideal for maple syrup production. Sarah Zastrow tells Brownfield the season started in late February. “Because there was such fluctuation in the temperature, you get a lot of sap in those years,” she says. “When it’s freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw—that’s when maple syrup really thrives, and it gives it a really good flavor.” Zastrow says adding maple syrup production has […]
The USDA is awarding nearly $800 million in projects to support climate-smart infrastructure. Secretary Vilsack made the announcement as part of Earth Day, saying the grants are part of the many ways the agency is addressing climate change, bringing safe water and renewable energy to people in rural areas. A breakdown of the funded projects can be found here. ...
May corn closed at $7.93, down 6 and 1/4 centsMay soybeans closed at $17.16, down 32 and 1/4 centsMay soybean meal closed at $458.80, down $10.10May soybean oil closed at $83.26, up 176 pointsMay wheat closed at $10.65 and 1/2, down 2 and 1/2 centsApr. live cattle closed at $142.45, down $1.65June lean hogs closed at $118.77, up $1.60May Class III milk closed at $24.55, down 2 centsJun. ...
Soybeans were sharply lower on profit taking and technical selling, still finishing higher for the week, with nearby months outgaining deferred contracts. Soybean followed bean meal, taking profits, even as bean oil was mostly higher on Indonesia’s decision to ban palm oil exports starting April 28th. That ban comes in the face of tight global vegetable oil supplies, exacerbated by the lack of sunflower oil exports from Ukraine. Ukraine’s Ministry […]
Beef in cold storage ended March at record levels. The USDA says beef stocks were 536.887 million pounds, up 11% on the year due to record monthly production and slower demand, at least partially because of high prices. That included an all-time monthly high for boneless beef. Pork came out at 487.19 million pounds, a jump of 8%, despite a year-to-year decline in production. Total red meat supplies were 1.051 […]
The USDA says there were 1.99 million cattle placed into U.S. feedlots during March, down slightly on the year. However, that’s more than what most analysts were expecting heading into the report, despite high feed costs and drought conditions in some of the major U.S. feeding areas. More than a million head of those placements weighed between 700 and 900 pounds, heading to market this summer or early fall. Marketings […]
Feeding America says rising prices is impacting the supplies at food banks. Chief Government Relations Officer Vince Hall says they’ve asked Congress for financial support to meet the rising demand for food assistance. “Rising food costs can stem from rising prices for agriculture inputs like fuel, fertilizer and seed and the cost of transportation affects farmers and ranchers just as much as local food banks.” He says food banks […]
An extension entomologist is concerned about how blustery spring conditions could affect insect pressure this growing season. Erin Hodgson with Iowa State University says many pests are migratory and easily travel within a field or even between fields. “But these really high winds can even further push an insect beyond what they might be able to fly on their own, so you might just have more erratic infestations in places […]
The CEO of the nation’s largest agricultural cooperative says the company is adjusting to supply chain challenges. Jay Debertin with CHS tells Brownfield they’re working closely with local coops and producers. “Upsets and slowdowns and issues around transportation (and other) ways to get to port, but we’re navigating it. It’s what we do (and) who we are, and I think things will sort out okay.” He says CHS wants to […]
