Farm News

Just how healthy are avocados?

Wednesday, July 31

Americans love their avocados. Whether it is on toast, in salads, or in omelets, Americans eat almost 3 billion pounds of avocados each year. Not only do avocados taste good, the fruit (yes, it’s a fruit) is really, really good for you, too. AUDIO:...

Record week for ethanol production

Wednesday, July 31

U.S. ethanol production hit an all-time high last week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.109 million barrels a day, up 14,000 on the week and 42,000 on the year. Production was driven by encouraging operating margins for most producers and solid...

NASS to review major crop acreage ahead of production report

Wednesday, July 31

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service could make adjustments to planted and harvested acreage numbers in its August 12th crop production report. NASS says it will review survey data and new information from the Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency ahead of the...

CME cash dairy prices mostly lower Wednesday

Wednesday, July 31

Cash dairy prices were mostly lower Wednesday except for butter on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at $0.62. No sales were recorded. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0350 at $1.9150. Two sales were recorded at $1.9050 and $1.9150. Cheese barrels were...

BASF agronomist gives update on soybean conditions

Wednesday, July 31

An agronomist says soybeans conditions have been variable across parts of the Corn Belt. Bill Backhaus with BASF says there’s some concern about disease pressure in Iowa. “With all that early cool and wet environment we were planting into, what comes in but sudden...

Candidate forums a staple of Minnesota Farmfest

Wednesday, July 31

Political candidate forums are a staple of Farmfest in southwest Minnesota. Coordinator Kent Thiesse says the show has hosted forums every even year since 1990. “And it’s become kind of a go-to event for all the major candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, and the...

Severe storms continue in parts of the Corn Belt; heat wave continues on parts of the Plains

Wednesday, July 31

Across the Corn Belt, showers and thunderstorms are active early Wednesday, mainly east of the Mississippi River. Over the last couple of days, the general path of localized wind and hail damage across the Corn Belt has been from the upper Midwest, including the...

Syngenta’s sustainability priorities to help drive farmer success

Wednesday, July 31

Farmers play an essential role in growing the feed, fuel, and fiber that keep the world moving. Val Dolcini, head of business sustainability and government affairs at Syngenta says the company has rolled out four new sustainability priorities that will drive sustainable progress for...

Revenue Committee hears from Gov. Pillen, Nebraska Farm Bureau on property tax relief bill

Wednesday, July 31

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen’s property tax reform bill continues to come under fire. The Governor addressed the state’s Revenue Committee Tuesday during a special legislative session that began last week. “This plan is not a tax increase. This is a tax decrease,” he says. But...

USDA updates Enhanced Coverage Option insurance

Wednesday, July 31

Updates to the Enhanced Coverage Option for crop insurance are coming for the 2025 growing season. USDA’s Risk Management Agency Administrator Marcia Bunger says a few new specialty crops now qualify for the program and the premium support for all crops covered by ECO...

Seasonal heat and rainfall for much of the Heartland; cooler air builds to the north

Wednesday, July 31

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for above-normal temperatures nationwide, with the Northwest having the greatest likelihood of experiencing hot weather. Meanwhile, near- or above-normal rainfall across most of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest and from...

Cattle futures mostly higher ahead of direct business

Tuesday, July 30

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were mostly higher ahead of the week’s direct business. August live cattle closed $.72 higher at $187.70 and October lives closed $.65 higher at $187.45. August feeder cattle closed $.55 higher at $256.97 and September...