Lawmakers in Washington have come to an agreement on fiscal 2022 spending to replace the continuing resolution that expires next week. The $1.5 trillion package gives a six percent increase to the agriculture section which also includes the Food and Drug Administration and Commodities Futures Trading Commission. USDA has $1 million earmarked for a cattle contract library pilot which many in the industry have been calling for to increase price […]
The Ranking Member of the Senate Ag Committee wants the USDA to delay the Conservation Reserve Program deadlines. Republican John Boozman from Arkansas tells Brownfield the world faces the highest food prices ever recorded and taking ag land out of production during disruptions in wheat, feed grain, and oilseed supplies concerns him. “This really is a crisis situation. We were in a crisis anyway because of the high input costs […]
USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie says conservation and climate change will likely be a focal point of the 2023 Farm Bill debate. He tells Brownfield the goal is to find tools that work best for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. “Practices that are going to make their operations more resilient,” he says. “Things like soil health can both sequester carbon out of the atmosphere, but can also make operations more resilient to […]
Glenn Wachtler with Compeer Financial tells Brownfield a more than year-long period of market volatility is not likely to end soon because of several factors. He points to questions surrounding South American corn and soybean production, Chinese export demand, and Russia’s attack on Ukraine as potential disruptors as farmers market grain in 2022. ...
The ranking member of the House Ag Committee says Washington bureaucracy is disrupting the deployment of rural broadband to farmers and ranchers. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania says bipartisan legislation has stalled in the House and what was passed in the infrastructure bill isn’t enough. “Two billion dollars to USDA, with inflationary costs the way they are, that’s not going to go very far. We need to bridge the digital […]
Planting season is right around the corner and weed control remains one of the top concerns for soybean growers. In this Managing for Profit, Devin Hammer, North America Roundup and Dicamba Herbicides Technical Manager talks about how the triple herbicide tolerance of XtendFlex soybeans helps improve weed control. ...
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of near- or above-normal temperatures from the Pacific Coast to the Plains, while colder-than-normal conditions will cover an area stretching from the Great Lakes region into New England, as well as an area extending from the western Gulf Coast region to the southern Atlantic Coast. Meanwhile, below-normal precipitation across the southern half of the U.S. should contrast with wetter-than-normal […]
Legislation that creates a Wisconsin nitrogen optimization pilot program and assists with improving water quality is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. Chad Zuleger Chad Zuleger is with the Dairy Business Association. He tells Brownfield, “It helps incentivize farmers who are engaging in new practices to reduce nitrogen on their farms. It’s really important that we start seeking new alternatives so farmers have the tools they need to address the water […]
The Dakota Events Complex at South Dakota’s state fairgrounds will start to take shape this spring. The new heated year-round use facility will replace the Open Class Beef Complex building that burned down in 2020. State Fairgrounds Manager Peggy Besch tells Brownfield the original 200-thousand square foot plan was trimmed back to about 150-thousand square feet because of COVID-related supply chain issues. “Construction materials have gone (up) anywhere from 36% […]
