Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of below-normal temperatures throughout the western and central U.S., while warmer-than-normal weather will be confined to the East and areas along the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, near- or above-normal precipitation across most of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in most areas from California to the southern High Plains. ...
Across the Corn Belt, cloudy, chilly, breezy weather—accompanied by rain and snow showers—continues to inhibit spring fieldwork, including planting preparations. Friday’s high temperatures will remain below 50°F across most of the Midwest—and will struggle to reach 40°F in the upper Great Lakes region. On the Plains, an elevated wildfire threat continues in many areas from South Dakota to Texas, especially where dry, breezy conditions accompany underlying drought and ample cured […]
New cases of avian influenza continue to strike South Dakota. Dr. Mendel Miller with the South Dakota Animal Industry Board tells Brownfield there have been ten new cases in the past week, bringing the state’s total number of affected farms to 32, and only one is a backyard flock. “A mix, mostly turkeys but a mixture.” Mendel says the state and USDA response teams have been outstanding, and he says […]
A bipartisan bill that could help increase competition in livestock markets has been introduced into the U.S. House. Chelsea Good with the Livestock Marketing Association says additional slaughter capacity is needed and the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the US (A-PLUS) Act will help spur expansion. “There’s a current regulatory barrier that keeps livestock auction owners from being able to own or invest in a packing facility,” she says. “So […]
The legal action by the biofuels industry against the EPA over Small Refinery Waivers and biofuel blending obligations continue. Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association tells Brownfield that additional court briefs were filed Thursday. He says the new EPA administrator has taken steps to revoke his predecessor’s exemptions, but EPA has failed to account for the 1-point-4 billion gallons of biofuels that were supposed to be blended for 2018. […]
A South Dakota farmer says her background in the law is a good skill in commodity board work. Heather Beaner enjoyed a career as an Air Force lawyer until coming home to take over the family farm a decade ago. Beaner, who farms in northeastern South Dakota’s Spink County, says her military and law career cultivated a skillset useful in her current position on the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff Board. […]
A cold April could delay planting in many parts of the Midwest. Mark Mueller grows corn and soybeans in northeast Iowa. “This will not be an early spring, soil temperatures are not coming up (and) I’d say we’re about 20 degrees cooler than normal.” He tells Brownfield it’s also been abnormally dry. “We have no reserves in the soil. We’ll have enough to get the crop started, and they do […]
Photo property of University of Minnesota Farmers are looking to stretch every dollar spent on fertilizer this year. University of Minnesota Extension nitrogen management specialist Fabian Fernandez says one option is polymer-coated urea. “That’s one type of nitrogen source that can be beneficial to minimize the potential for loss, but it is more expensive than urea.” Polymer-coated urea protects granules from early season N loss, meaning farmers might not need […]
The chief risk officer for Compeer Financial wonders how much the conflict in Ukraine might shift the scales of grain trade. Bill Moore tells Brownfield Ukraine represents about 15 percent of global corn exports. “While most of that is to Africa, the Middle East and China, we all know corn is a global commodity and like water, if you drain it in one place it will just flow and equalize. […]
