Missouri farmers made good planting progress in April. In northern Missouri, Wes Shoemyer says it’s the fastest he’s ever planted a crop. He started planting corn and soybeans in early April and finished up April 26. “I’ve never been done by May 1 and have had years I didn’t think of starting until mid-May,” he says. “I think we may need a rain to cover up some mistakes though. We’re […]
Cotton growers are requesting updates to loan programs in the 2023 Farm Bill. During a House Ag Subcommittee Hearing this week, National Cotton Council Chairman Shawn Holladay of Texas highlighted the Non-Recourse Marketing Loan Program for upland cotton. “Despite higher production costs, the maximum level of the loan rate has remained at 52 cents since 2002. It should be increased to better reflect the cost of production and recent market […]
Farmers made more in March while paying steady money. The USDA’s index of prices received was 1.3% higher than in February, supported by gains in cattle, hogs, broilers, and market eggs which were enough to overcome losses in corn, soybeans, milk and chickens. The dairy index was down 2.3% from the previous month and 18% from last year, with an all milk price of $21.10 per hundredweight, a decline of […]
Central Indiana farmer Josh Miller says he’s made good planting progress this spring. “We’ve got a few acres of corn in the ground,” he said. “We got a good jump on our soybean planting and we’re hopeful to have all of the crop in by that first week of May.” He tells Brownfield, “We’ve had some warmer temperatures and some drier soils. We have been able to plant get started.” […]
The American Farm Bureau Federation is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to enforce current food labeling standards for dairy substitutes. Danny Munch tells Brownfield FDA’s proposed guidance on labeling plant-based milk alternatives has too much leeway. “Providing flexibility on this really opens the door to define any food as anything and lets companies utilize whatever terminology they want on product labeling,” he says. Munch says the FDA has […]
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says an emergency wavier allowing summertime sales of E15 is another example of the Biden administration’s commitment to expand biofuels. Vilsack says it increases access to affordable fuel, support rural economies, offers a sustainable market for farmers and strengthens the transportation supply chain. He says USDA continues to make investments in infrastructure to expand the availability of biofuels for consumers and retailers through grants that are […]
For the remainder of Friday, rain in the eastern U.S. will continue to shift northward into the lower Great Lakes region and the Northeast. Meanwhile, a new storm system arriving in the nation’s mid-section will spark scattered showers, with locally severe thunderstorms possible later Friday across the southeastern Plains and the western Gulf Coast region. Subsequently, cool, showery, breezy weather will dominate the eastern one-third of the U.S. through the […]
Across the Corn Belt, cool weather continues to limit spring fieldwork. In addition, rain is falling in much of the eastern Corn Belt, while scattered showers dot the upper Midwest. On Thursday, the Mississippi River crest—4.72 feet above flood stage—passed Genoa, Wisconsin, where the only higher water levels on record occurred in April 1965, 1997, and 2001. On the Plains, patchy rain is occurring primarily from Oklahoma to South Dakota. […]
Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is applauding the Biden administration for making E15 available this summer. The Democrat issued a response to Friday’s EPA announcement of an emergency fuel waiver by saying biofuels are a homegrown energy solution that supports Wisconsin’s farmers and producers. She says E15 will help drive down prices at the pump and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Baldwin was part of a bipartisan group of senators […]
