Agriculture

The amount of fieldwork getting done in Wisconsin depends on location, soil type, and weather. Casey Kelliher raises corn and soybeans near Whitewater, and he’s waiting for the soil to dry out after recent rains and for more consistently-warm temperatures. “It’s supposed to get cold again next week so I imagine we’ll start spreading some fertilizer and scratching around next week,” Kelliher tells Brownfield he’s working on drain tile this […]

A federal judge in North Dakota has issued a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration’s Waters of the US rule from being implemented in 24 states.  Mary Thomas Hart, chief counsel with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says this is good news for America’s farmers and ranchers.  “Now, we are in total, up to 26 states that are not directly impacted by the Biden WOTUS rule,” she says.  “At […]

As summer grilling season approaches, the demand for US beef is increasing. Lance Zimmerman, Senior Beef Analyst for Rabo AgriFinance, discusses how this demand is reflected within the market. ...

The USDA continues its farmer-led approach to climate smart agriculture, but the agriculture industry still has questions. USDA Under Secretary of Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie says the agency is trying to figure out how to best monitor and measure newly implemented climate smart farming practices. “We need to know what practices are happening where, the impacts on climate and productivity, because we think we can get productivity gains […]

Minnesota farmers enjoyed a very profitable year in 2022. University of Minnesota Extension economist Pauline Van Nurden says annual data collected by a database called FINBIN shows median net farm income for crop and livestock producers in the state rose eight percent to nearly $180,000 in 2022. “And that actually is the second-highest income year over the past 25 years for farms in the state.” She tells Brownfield the average […]

Farmers and environmental groups have teamed up to promote clean water funding in the Wisconsin state budget.  Karen Gefvert is with the Dairy Business Association and says they came together with The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Land and Water, and Clean Wisconsin to support specific state programs. “They’re not groups that have traditionally worked together but we saw that as a missed opportunity and in really bringing these groups together and […]

There’s a lot of fieldwork happening in the heart of Iowa this week. Channel agronomist Matthew Nelson covers the central part of the state. “As you drive through the countryside you do see a mix of activity. Just this morning driving through the (Highway) 20 corridor, anhydrous going on, tillage, people spraying putting their preemergence applications on, and also people planting. So definitely a very busy week here in Iowa.” […]