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Following President Biden’s announcement that E15 will be sold this summer, the Tennessee Corn Promotion Board is highlighting its availability in the state. George McDonald, board president says the announcement brings more opportunities for corn to be used as a renewable resource and will benefit not just consumers paying less for gas, but benefit corn farmers. In addition to lowering gas prices, he says E15 also has the potential to reduce […]

A member of the House Agriculture Committee is prioritizing an effective safety net as work on the next farm bill continues. Randy Feenstra is a Republican from Iowa. “The big thing for all the producers is we need some backstop when it comes to the costs and the dangers of losing crops.” He tells Brownfield farmers are challenged by high input prices, supply chain problems, and extreme weather. “So what […]

An agronomist says farmers should take advantage of the less-than-ideal spring weather to go over their planters. Scott Rowntree is a field agronomist for Pioneer in southern Wisconsin.  He tells Brownfield it’s a good time to check things beyond the usual grease fittings. “Raise that planter up and go behind each row unit. Move it side to side and up and down. You might need to replace the bushings on […]

Feeding America says inflation and phasing out pandemic food-assistance programs will likely worsen the hunger crisis. Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer with Feeding America, tells Brownfield a majority of food banks – 85 percent – are seeing higher or equal demand for food assistance compared to the previous month. “That is a staggering reflection of just how severe the problem of hunger is in the United States and how […]

Across the Corn Belt, cloudiness is increasing in advance of an approaching cold front, while a few rain showers are developing from the Mississippi Valley westward.  Midwestern conditions are largely not conducive to planting activities and other spring fieldwork, due to cool soils, wet fields, or a combination of both. On the Plains, hot, breezy weather in Oklahoma and Texas is causing further deterioration of winter wheat, as well as […]

The University of Wisconsin River Falls college Farm Bureau chapter is exposing everyone on campus and the community to the opportunities available in agriculture.  Serenity Hetke is a senior from Ladysmith, Wisconsin, and is the present Campus Farm Bureau chapter president. “This is a great way to meet students where they’re at that possibly have no experience in agriculture and they can just come by and see what agriculture is […]

Adverse weather conditions are making it difficult for farmers to make burndown herbicide applications. Ron Geis is an Iowa-based market development specialist for Corteva Agriscience and tells Brownfield it’s been windy and wet this month. “Of course getting the crop planted into the ground can be difficult, as well as getting some good timely herbicide applications made. But I think that speaks really strongly to having a good two-pass program […]

An extension agronomist says despite some variability across the state, the one word to describe conditions in South Dakota is “dry.” Jonathan Kleinjan with South Dakota State University tells Brownfield spring wheat growers in the central part of the state are chasing moisture. “Some guys called me a couple weeks ago and wanted to know how deep they could plant it because they were worried about getting the moisture to […]

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle ended the day mostly higher watching corn and waiting for direct business to develop.  June live cattle closed $.77 higher at $136.57 and August live cattle closed $.80 higher at $138.17.  May feeder cattle closed $.02 lower at $171.45.  There was a light direct cash cattle trade in the South on Tuesday.  Deals were at $140 to $141 live, $1 to […]