Agriculture

A state veterinarian says poultry producers across the country should exercise caution as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in backyard and commercial flocks in at least a dozen states. Dr. Mark Ernst with the Illinois Department of Agriculture says HPAI is a fast-acting respiratory disease that often goes undetected until sudden death hits a flock. “One of the earliest signs people have seen is a drop in water […]

The Illinois State Veterinarian says poultry producers should remain vigilant as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in neighboring states. Dr. Mark Ernst tells Brownfield so far there are no confirmed cases in Illinois, and they’ve had very few calls about sick birds to investigate. “But I don’t think we can let our guard down at all on this. I know there are some wild bird detections up and […]

An ag economist says wheat futures could freefall at any time. The University of Missouri’s Ben Brown said wheat is trading above market fundamentals, receiving bullish signals from a short squeeze which he compares to Game Stop’s stock in 2020. “We saw shares of GameStop go from like $20 a share to over $450 a share within a really short period of time,” he said. “And we’re seeing that same […]

USDA’s Undersecretary for Rural Development says investments that strengthen the food supply chain will create new markets for farmers and ranchers.  Xochitl Torres Small says the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program works with lenders to finance start-up or expansion projects for manufacturing, distribution or processing. “It’s provided a chance for us to work more in an area that allows farmers and ranchers to build local markets and diversify their […]

A cover crop advocate says management determines their success for farmers. Pennsylvania farmer Steve Groff tells Brownfield cover crops are not a magical solution, farmers truly need to understand how to best use them as part of a long-term system, “Cover crops make good farmers better and bad farmers worse, and it’s because of the management component that you need to thoroughly understand,” he says. As a cover crop coach, […]

An extension grain market economist recommends spreading out old crop sales to deal with ongoing volatility. Ed Usset with the University of Minnesota tells Brownfield farmers with grain in the bin should think about making smaller, more frequent deliveries. “Don’t think about when (you) should sell that 50,000 bushels that’s in the bin, think about selling two trucks on Monday, two trucks on Friday, and do that for a number […]

Two Ohio farmers have been named Master Farmers for their conservation leadership.  Jeff Duling farms 1,300 acres in Putnam County along with managing a 2,000-head, contract wean-to-finish hog enterprise and finishing feeder cattle. He has been no-till farming for 40 years and says his work as a certified crop adviser has opened the door to decades of conservation practices like cover crops. “I am 100 percent sold on getting it […]

A global ag trade expert says the need for vegetable oils is driving recent purchases of US soybeans by China. Gregg Doud with Aimpoint Research tells Brownfield when you consider the high price of palm oil in Southeast Asia, drought in South America and the blockage of sunflower seed oil from Ukraine and Russia, there’s only one place left to turn. “The only other place to get vegetable oil would […]

Airable Research Lab has been at the forefront of soy-based research and development for more than 20 years and works to create innovative and sustainable solutions in research and product development. In this Voice of Soy, Barry McGraw, the chief laboratory officer shares how the investment in research provides long-term benefits to Ohio’s soybean industry. ...