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Across the Corn Belt, mild, dry weather temporarily prevails across the upper Midwest, although cool, damp field conditions continue to limit corn and soybean planting.  Meanwhile, cool, dreary, rainy weather covers much of the southern and eastern Corn Belt, keeping fieldwork on hold.  Friday’s high temperatures will remain below 60°F is some Midwestern locations from Illinois, eastward. On the Plains, hot weather grips drought-stricken western Texas and neighboring areas, where […]

Five Wisconsin meat processing businesses have been awarded expansion grants.  State ag secretary Randy Romanski tells Brownfield 200-thousand dollars was in the state budget to help local processors meet demand. “And the goal with those grants is to increase throughput in the industry, help the industry expand, and clearly add capacity. What we’ve heard from the industry is that there are in some cases a year-and-a-half to two-year backlogs to […]

Farmers and ranchers affected by drought and wildfires are uncertain what’s next for their operation. Southwest Nebraska rancher Delaine Soucie tells Brownfield he’s prioritizing his cattle over spring planting. “We’re fighting calves dying from smoke inhalation and pneumonia and hopefully we’re going to mass treat 88 pair and hopefully we keep them from dying.” Farmer Jan TenBensel says he’s been worried about the cost and availability of cover-crop seed. “I […]

Other countries are also facing adverse weather and supply chain challenges, adding to volatility in the wheat market. While a cool, wet spring has pushed US winter wheat conditions below average, Gregg Doud with Aimpoint Research tells Brownfield extreme heat is plaguing the crop in India. “The USDA, and I think rightfully so, had indicated that India might increase their wheat exports from about 2.5 million up to 8 million […]

Minnesota farmers have access to a tool that helps diagnose crop diseases during the growing season. University of Minnesota Extension educator Angie Peltier says Digital Crop Doc allows users to upload as many as ten pictures for extension specialists to evaluate. “They give us their phone number or email address and name, and they also provide many of the context clues that we would need. And those are the sorts […]

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures throughout the central and eastern U.S., except along the southern Atlantic Coast, while cooler-than-normal conditions will cover the West.  Meanwhile, near- or above-normal precipitation across much of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in parts of the Southwest and a band stretching from the western Gulf Coast region into the Northeast. ...

An agronomist encourages growers to wait for better soil conditions despite planting delays. Eric Wilson covers Iowa and parts of Minnesota and South Dakota for Wyffels Hybrids. “The planting concern is the moisture. It looks like we’re finally going to turn the corner as far as temperatures, but as always if you’re in those areas that have been hit with a lot of rainfall, we’re still looking for those ideal […]

A southeastern Missouri farmer says he’s never planted this late before. Aaron Porter tells Brownfield he’s running about a month behind… “The calendar doesn’t matter,” Porter said. “It’s the conditions of the field, the temperatures and forecast, rather than the day of the week or the day of the month.” But the Stoddard County farmer says the lost time likely means lost yields. Porter is expecting a 10 bushel per […]

Sugarbeet growers are asking Congress for the nation’s sugar policy to better reflect today’s costs. Michigan farmer Allyson Maxwell, while testifying before a recent Senate Ag Committee hearing on the farm bill, says the U.S. Sugar program operates at no cost to taxpayers, but loan rates authorized by the farm bill need improvement. “The loan rate for refined beet sugar has not kept up with inflation nor the steeply rising […]