Farm News

Midwest farmland values down 1% in 2024

Friday, February 21

Midwestern farmland values decreased one percent in 2024. Chicago Federal Reserve Bank policy advisor David Oppedahl says the district, which includes Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, saw dips of two to three percent in every state except Wisconsin. “So we are not seeing... Read More.

Strong heifer market

Friday, February 21

A northern Minnesota cattle producer is benefiting from continued strength in the heifer market. Rachel Gray of Blackduck says high calf prices are trickling down to bred heifers. “We’ve seen record-high bred heifers (and) we hope that it holds. And my hope for people... Read More.

Meat export sales up on week

Friday, February 21

The USDA’s reporting a good week for U.S. meat export sales. Beef and pork sales during the week ending February 13th both saw improvements, with Japan leading the way for beef and Mexico topping the list for pork. Soybean, rice, and upland cotton sales... Read More.

Drought concerns ahead of 2025 growing season

Friday, February 21

A climatologist says he’s concerned about precipitation deficits across the Midwest. Brian Fuchs with the National Drought Mitigation Center says the growing season is rapidly approaching and farmers need more moisture. “Some of these areas over the last four or five years have missed... Read More.

IL Beef Expo brings cattle worlds together

Friday, February 21

A longtime cattle exhibitor says commercial beef producers and show competitors can learn from one another. Kim Carney Rhodes, chair of the 2025 Illinois Beef Expo, says there’s two worlds within the cattle industry. “Sometimes the commercial producer doesn’t understand the show ring, and... Read More.

MSU Dairy Farmer of the Year reflects on career

Friday, February 21

A Michigan dairy farmer says the past year of good prices have helped to catch up on some long-awaited improvements. Tony Jandernoa says it has been more than challenging to be a dairy farmer over the past decade. “It was a tough five or... Read More.

Frigid weather making for difficult calving season

Friday, February 21

Frigid temperatures have made calving season more difficult for a southeast Nebraska farmer. Logan Bredemeier tells Brownfield cattle have mostly fared well. “This week has been kind of tough on the calves. We’ve actually lost three or four this week with the cold and... Read More.

HPAI detected in a commercial turkey facility in Jay County

Friday, February 21

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey facility in Washington County, Indiana. According to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), more than 18,000 birds will be depopulated, and an approximately 6.2-mile control area with a more than 12-mile surveillance zone... Read More.

Milder days ahead, especially centered on the Plains; a more active pattern to develop

Friday, February 21

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook 1 calls for the likelihood of near- or below-normal temperatures across much of the East, while warmer-than-normal weather will dominate the western and central U.S. Meanwhile, near- or below-normal precipitation across most of the country should contrast... Read More.

Temperatures moderating on the western Plains; largely fair weather throughout the Heartland

Friday, February 21

Across the Corn Belt, light snow lingers across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, cold, dry, breezy weather covers the remainder of the Midwest. Friday morning’s minimum temperatures fell to 0°F or below in most areas west of the Mississippi River. ... Read More.

Renewed optimism in MO pork industry

Thursday, February 20

The executive director of Missouri Pork says the New Year is bringing renewed optimism for pork producers. “Producers need time to heal before any expansion happens.” Scott Hays says the bounce-back in prices has been welcome. But the lack of profitability in the recent years... Read More.

Wisconsin dairy groups sue state’s Attorney General

Thursday, February 20

Two of Wisconsin’s dairy organizations have sued State Attorney General Josh Kaul. The Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and the Venture Dairy Cooperative have filed a lawsuit against Kaul, challenging his decision to outsource the department’s environmental litigation work. Kim Bremer is the Executive Director for... Read More.