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Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures across the middle one-third of the U.S., while cooler-than-normal conditions will prevail in the West and from the central and southern Appalachians to the Atlantic Coast, from Georgia to southern New England.   Meanwhile, near- or above-normal rainfall across much of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in northern Maine, parts of the Midwest, and an […]

The CEO of Minnesota Pork suggests the impact of California’s Proposition 12 could be felt beyond agriculture. Jill Resler tells Brownfield while the rule has to do with housing requirements for pigs, it could set a dangerous and far-reaching precedent. “States are making decisions based on their political views across the country.” She says Prop 12 is really about perceptions of California citizens, not what’s best for the animals. ...

An agriculture economist says the price of nitrogen fertilizer has stabilized, but it’s still high. Gary Schnitkey with the University of Illinois tells Brownfield all three major forms of nitrogen matched their prices at the beginning of the 2023 purchasing season but dipped a little. “We have seen it come down from levels earlier in the year and late in the fall for 2022, early spring 2023, but we are […]

Disease pressure hasn’t been much of a challenge for Michigan wheat growers. Michigan State University plant pathologist Marty Chilvers tells Brownfield the lack of rain has meant a mostly disease-free season. “Across the state, there’s going be little pockets of powdery mildew—that’s a disease that does like dry conditions, but it likes a little bit of humidity and in some instances, we’re lacking some of that humidity as well,” he […]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle were mostly higher ahead of widespread direct cash business.  Feeders were pressured by the higher move in corn.  August live cattle closed $.10 higher $171.07 and October live cattle closed $.22 higher at $174.35.  August feeder cattle closed $1.77 lower at $234.12 and September feeders closed $1.60 lower at $237.52.  There was another light round of direct cash cattle business reported on Thursday.  […]

Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would support seed and animal breeding research tailored to different regions of the U.S. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin says the Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act would promote the development of ready-to-use, regionally adapted, and publicly available seed varieties and animal breeds. The bill is supported by more than 40 environmental and agriculture organizations representing conventional and organic growers’ groups. […]

Some Wisconsin legislators want to create new regulations and licensing requirements for agricultural tourism facilities such as wedding barns. Assembly Bill 304 includes language that would require most wedding barn and event venues to have a liquor license, even though the weddings are private invitation-only events. Steve Nagy operates Homestead Meadows, a wedding barn near Appleton, and told an Assembly Committee on State Affairs hearing his clients hire a licensed […]

Soybeans were sharply higher on speculative and technical buying. August might be the critical month for beans, but the trade is already concerned about expanding drought in the Midwest and Plains. There’s scattered rain in the forecast, but that will have to actually materialize and it could miss some of the drier areas with a warmer pattern waiting in the wings. While U.S. export sales were up on the week, […]

Jul. corn closed at $6.23 and 1/4, up 15 and 1/2 centsJul. soybeans closed at $14.28 and 1/4, up 40 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $394.20, up $4.50Jul. soybean oil closed at 58.43, up 247 pointsJul. wheat closed at $6.61 and 1/2, up 31 and 1/4 centsAug. live cattle closed at $177.57, up 12 centsAug. feeder cattle closed at $234.12, down $1.77Jul. ...