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Minnesota pig farmer looking for hog market stability

A pig farmer from southern Minnesota says he’d like to see more stability in the hog market. Brad Kluver of Northfield tells Brownfield 2023 was a very challenging year for pork producers. “It’s that light at the end of the tunnel, it’s kind of...

Broiler sets, placements stay ahead of 2023 pace

The USDA is reporting another year-to-year increase for broiler chicken sets and placements. That trend continues to point towards larger broiler chicken production in 2024 than 2023. 249.031 million broiler-type eggs entered incubation last week, a decline of 1.274 million on the week, but...

Central Iowa farmer says growing season has been nearly perfect

A central Iowa farmer says he has high expectations for the fall harvest. Dave Struthers raises corn, soybeans, hogs, and cattle near Collins. “The corn is going to be very good and I think the beans are going to be solid. I’ve been talking...

Short-term weather outlook

A climatologist says many Midwestern farmers can expect some precipitation heading into the weekend. Eric Hunt with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says, “We are looking reasonably good chances of picking up an inch or more of rain across a lot of the Western Corn...

Farmland market stable

A certified appraiser who covers several Midwestern states is seeing a stable ag land market. Diane Zelhart with Compeer Financial is licensed in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana and says she uses benchmarks to track values. “Overall, our benchmark farms are showing signs of a...

Back-to-school lunch safety

It’s back to school time – and for those parents who have to pack lunches – the USDA has a few tips to make sure that food is safe. Jesus Garcia, a public affairs specialist, says it’s important to keep warm foods warm and...

EPA ag advisor bullish on U.S. biofuels

The U.S. EPA’s (former) ag advisor says he’s optimistic about the future of biofuels in the United States. Rod Snyder says farmers and the feedstocks they produce will play an important role in the growth of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. “We’re just on the front...

World Dairy Expo

Brownfield’s Larry Lee will be on the ground in Madison, Wisconsin September 30-October 4, 2024 for World Dairy Expo. The post

Milk futures and cash dairy mostly higher Wednesday

September Class III milk futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange up 21 cents at $21.34.  October 9 higher at $21.66.  November up 13 at $21.13.  December through February contracts a penny higher to 6 lower. Dry whey down $0.0025 at $0.56 Blocks up $0.0075...

Showcasing beef at the Little League World Series

The Beef Checkoff is partnering with the Little League World Series to highlight the important role beef plays in an active lifestyle. Andy Bishop, a Kentucky cattle producer and chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, says this week’s event started with a player meal...

Ethanol production up slightly on week, year

U.S. ethanol production moved modestly higher last week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.072 million barrels a day, up 5,000 on the week and 3,000 on the year. Operating margins remain positive for most ethanol producers. Ethanol stocks were the lowest...