Locks and dams are starting to reopen along the Mississippi River following some recent flooding events. Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, tells Brownfield several sites south of Minneapolis/St. Paul and along the Iowa/Illinois border have resumed operations. “There’s still a few that are remaining to be open,” he said. “That will likely happen in the next couple of days.” He says the high levels have had […]
More than 70 percent of farmers surveyed say it’s a bad time for large investments in their operations, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Jim Mintert is the survey’s principal investigator and director of Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “For those who said it was a bad time to make large investments, we asked them why do you feel that way,” he says. “The two responses […]
Farmers have concerns about weakness in commodity prices. Brownfield asked southeast Minnesota corn and soybean grower Ben Storm what he expects the market to do in the coming months. “Ha! If I knew the answer to that question I’d be sitting on a beach somewhere drinking a margarita, not sitting in a tractor.” He says the uncertainty has influenced his marketing. “I would say we’re probably more sold this year […]
This week Illinois Soybean Association Market Development Director Todd Main gives an update on the current state of Illinois waterways and explains why waterways are important to Illinois soybean farmers. He also highlights checkoff partnerships that help make improvements to waterway infrastructure. ...
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow says she is writing a bill requiring stricter oversight of foreign ag land purchases. The U.S. Senator from Michigan says the bill would make the ag secretary and commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration permanent members of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and require them to approve every transaction the interagency committee oversees. “It would also add new criteria […]
Soybean planting started Monday for a farmer in eastern South Dakota. Dave Ellens tells Brownfield the good soil moisture will help give the crop get a good start. “There’s enough moisture to get the seed going, but it’s dry enough to plant the entire fields.” Ellens says corn planting started at the beginning of May and took about one week. “If you blinked, you missed it. It’s amazing how fast […]
Soybean planting started Monday for a farmer in eastern South Dakota. Dave Ellens tells Brownfield the good soil moisture will help give the crop get a good start. “There’s enough moisture to get the seed going, but it’s dry enough to plant the entire fields.” Ellens says corn planting started at the beginning of May and took about one week. “If you blinked, you missed it. It’s amazing how fast […]
The Animal Agriculture Alliance is highlighting the importance of being ‘partners in progress’ within the sector. Communications and Content Manager Emily Solis says the organization’s recent summit brought together stakeholders across the food supply chain. “(It) really focused on how we can all come together in all of our different sectors, all of our different commodity groups, and all of those different links along the food supply chain to really […]
Brazil’s second-crop corn is enduring some weather challenges. Soybean and Corn Advisor president Michael Cordonnier says pockets of dryness are expanding in central Brazil. “And the corn there is filling grain, it would be the equivalent of maybe late August, early September for us here in the United States.” He tells Brownfield corn in southern Brazil was planted late and is going through pollination with good moisture. “But, and here’s […]
