Farm News

Understanding pricing at the meat counter

Tuesday, July 30

Prices for beef at the grocery store have gone up. But, Charley Martinez an ag economist at the University of Tennessee says one way grocery stores have been able to temper the price increases is to change the mix of the products that are...

Farm to School grants benefiting students & farmers

Tuesday, July 30

The latest round of USDA Farm to School grants are advancing work to bring healthier, local food options to students. Fiona Munro, outreach and education coordinator at Sola Gratia Farms in Urbana, Illinois, says it could also lead to more markets for farmers. “Trying...

Size matters when it comes to spray droplet and nozzle sizes

Tuesday, July 30

Before any herbicide or pesticide makes it to the farm, a lot of laboratory and field testing takes place. Dr. Steven Fredericks with the WinField United Research Center in River Falls, Wisconsin explains how droplet size, nozzles, and weather affect spraying crops, and what...

Kansas corn conditions decline

Monday, July 29

A south-central Kansas farmer says a lack of moisture has caused his dryland crops to struggle. Rick Schlender tells Brownfield.. “The better soils aren’t looking too bad, but the lighter soils, even a week ago we were seeing stress in them,” he says. “That’s...

China’s dairy self-sufficiency affects dairy exports

Monday, July 29

A recent report shows China’s drop in dairy imports is because they have rapidly become more self-sufficient. Mary Ledman with RaboResearch tells Brownfield China took steps around four years ago to increase stocks of milk powder but pulled back dramatically after stocking up. She...

Growers continue spraying for tar spot

Monday, July 29

A crop protection specialist says tar spot is one of his biggest concerns for the rest of the growing season. Dan Waldstein, technical marketing manager with BASF, says reports of the disease have been variable across the Corn Belt. “You really have to be...

Farmers face weed management dilemmas

Monday, July 29

Farmers trying to control weeds through a wet first half of the growing season have faced several dilemmas. University of Minnesota Extension crops educator Dave Nicolai says weed emergence and growth have been unpredictable. “Giant ragweed is typically a really early emerging (weed), but...

Wisconsin crops doing well as farmers focus on making hay

Monday, July 29

It was a mostly-dry week in Wisconsin, but most crops had plenty of moisture. Statewide, topsoil moisture is still 11% surplus and 80% adequate, with 17% of the subsoil moisture having surplus water and 78% with adequate amounts. Fifty-eight percent of Wisconsin’s corn is...

Slight improvement in some SD crop conditions

Monday, July 29

South Dakota’s corn and soybean condition ratings improved slightly in the last week and are now rated 72% good to excellent. USDA 18% of the corn in dough stage and 26% of the soybean crop is setting pods. Spring wheat harvest is underway at...

MO soybean, cotton conditions decline slightly

Monday, July 29

Missouri’s crop conditions stayed the same or moved slightly lower in the last week with help from below normal temperatures and some rain. USDA says the state’s corn condition is rated 78% good to excellent with 3% of the crop dented and 62% at...

Kentucky crops conditions benefit from recent rains

Monday, July 29

Rain and slightly cooler temperatures have benefitted Kentucky’s crops. Corn is rated 64 percent good to excellent, steady on the week. Eighty-three percent of the crop is silking, 30 percent is in the dough stage and 10 percent has dented. Soybeans improved to 64...

Growing just roots, in a large tote

Monday, July 29

Beck’s Hybrids has been looking into the impact roots have on the performance of the corn crop. Beck’s corn lead Craig Moore says the company’s root boxes allow researchers to take a closer look at root volumes. “Corn is claustrophobic, it doesn’t like root-to-root contact,”...