WASHINGTON, May 22, 2023 - The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making investments, including from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in watershed infrastructure to help communities recover from and prepare for natural disasters.
One of the biggest stories coming out of the ag world last week was the fact that the Black Sea grain initiative, which established a safe transportation corridor allowing Ukraine to export commercial food and fertilizer to the rest of the world, was extended for two months. Jim McCormick, an ag economist with AgMarket.Net says that extension provides global food security and allowed many countries around the world to breathe […]
A central Kansas farmer says sunflowers have been a bright spot in the multi-year drought. Cameron Peirce from Hutchinson says the crop has a good root system and did well last year. “In 2022, we harvested sunflowers next to fields where farmers grew sorghum that didn’t do so well. We felt good about getting income on acres that would have otherwise been un-harvestable.” Peirce tells Brownfield he planted sunflowers in […]
Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation director Ruth Meirick says one of the primary focuses of the organization is mental health. She tells Brownfield Minnesota Farm Bureau is bring awareness to death by suicide among farm families in the state and reduce the stigma around mental health. ...
Michigan’s legislature has proposed dialing back funding for the state’s agricultural department. As the two chambers enter conference, Senator Sue Shink, Michigan Natural Resources and Agriculture chair and vice chair of the appropriations subcommittee, tells Brownfield support for the food and ag supply chain as proposed by the governor has been divided. “There is some there directly for that, but then also looking at pulling it out into some different […]
A southeastern South Dakota farmer says the weather has been good for corn and soybean emergence. Kevin Scott finished planting in early May and tells Brownfield there have been timely rains. “We had 1.5 inches of rain for three or four days in a row and then, we’d get smaller rains. It was perfect,” he says. “The corn is beyond the two-leaf stage, but it will grow with the 80-degree […]
Warm weather last week ramped up planting and hay harvest across Michigan. As of Sunday, the USDA says sugarbeets are 95 percent planted and 90 percent emerged. Soybeans are 57 percent planted and corn is 60 percent complete, now all ahead of last year and the five-year average. Winter wheat condition is 74 percent good to excellent rating with 80 percent jointed. Alfalfa and hay harvest just started across the […]
Wisconsin farmers made solid progress with near-ideal planting weather last week. USDA statistician Greg Bussler says there were five and a half days suitable for fieldwork. Spring tillage in Wisconsin is now 80% finished, which is about average. Corn planting is 69% finished, which is a day ahead of the average. Twenty-six percent of the corn has already emerged, which is also a day ahead of the average. Wisconsin’s soybean […]
A west-central Missouri farmer is getting close to wrapping up planting. Ronnie Russell, a farmer in Ray County, says the dry conditions have made planting go “scary fast” this year. “Things are going pretty well right now and I hope to finish up with soybeans on Tuesday,” says Russell. “I also have a lot of hay to work on as well.” USDA says soybean planting progress is 74% complete across […]
