A southeast Minnesota farmer says planting conditions are steadily improving. Ryan Buck of Goodhue tells Brownfield after a slow start because of cool and wet weather, about half his corn crop got planted last week. “The ground has actually been working up pretty well. If you work it up and let it sit a day or so, the planting conditions are pretty good.” With a favorable forecast, he’s optimistic corn […]
Planting continued its behind average pace in Missouri last week with only about a day suitable for fieldwork because of moisture. USDA says 32 percent of the state’s corn crop is planted, more than 30 percent behind last year and the five – year average. Ten percent of the crop has emerged, 26 percent behind last year. Seven percent of Missouri’s soybean crop is planted, less than half of last year’s […]
Jul. corn closed at $7.72, down 12 and 3/4 centsJul. soybeans closed at $15.85 and 1/2, down 36 and 3/4 centsJul. soybean meal closed at $402.80, down $10.80Jul. soybean oil closed at 79.74, down 116 pointsJul. wheat closed at $10.92 and 3/4, down 15 and 3/4 centsJun. live cattle closed at $133.55, up 80 centsJun. lean hogs closed at $101.30, down $2.80May Class III milk closed at $24.77, down 24 […]
An Iowa farmer says there’s no verifiable progress that nutrient management strategies are working. Francis Thicke owns and operates an 80-cow, grass-based, organic dairy near Fairfield, Iowa along with his wife Susan. He told an EPA and Army Corps of Engineers WOTUS hearing that 2/3rds of his state’s land is covered in corn and soybeans every year, and Iowa’s corn and soybean acres are “inherently leaky” when it comes to […]
U.S. corn and soybean planting lagged again last week. That was due to more wet, cooler than normal weather in some key growing areas, but forecasts for most of the Midwest this week have warmer, drier conditions, which should help planting pick up steam. The USDA says 22% of U.S. corn had been planted as of Sunday, compared to the five-year average of 50%, with 5% emerged, compared to 15% […]
Farmers are urging lawmakers to protect the safety net in the next farm bill. Minnesota corn and soybean grower Bill Gordon, who served as president of the American Soybean Association in 2020, tells Brownfield high commodity prices aren’t here to stay. “We’ve seen in the past those prices start to step back and we overproduce. Or that’s great for the area that has the production, but what about the drought […]
A central Missouri farmer is deciding between managing cattle feed costs and capitalizing on a strong soybean market. Bill Betteridge tells Brownfield he’s expecting a hay crunch. “When you have beans at the price they are, it’s just hard to devote any of that ground to hay,” the Cooper County farmer said. “I don’t know when the cattle sell off or the cow numbers are going to come down but […]
Farmers continue to be less optimistic about farmland values, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Jim Mintert is director of the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture. “This is taking place in an environment where we continue to see auctioneers, for example, report record high farmland prices. Farmers are very aware of how much farmland values have increased over the last roughly 18 months or so and […]
A north-central Iowa farmer says they are finally getting a break in the weather. St. Ansgar farmer Chris Edgington says they need a solid two-week window to get their crops in the ground. “The clock is definitely ticking,” he said. “It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen in every area all the time.” But, he tells Brownfield, “Hopefully some of these storm events that they are talking about coming […]
