Author: staff

A change in weather patterns isn’t expected over the next two weeks as the polar vortex continues to bring setbacks following periods of warmth.  Paul Pastelok, the lead long-range forecaster at AccuWeather, said, overall, the forecast shows that the current weather pattern where temperatures rise and then fall is going to continue through the middle of April. Rising temperatures bring fire risks Before temperatures are expected to drop, Pastelok said a warmup is expected towards the end of the week of March 24. “Temperatures are going to be well up there,” Pastelok said. Several Corn Belt states should expect temperatures…

Farm Athletes — originally launched as an innovative initiative to connect college athletes from agricultural backgrounds with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities — has transformed into a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholarships for these same “farm kid” athletes. Initially sponsored by Tractor Tuesday, an online auction platform for farm equipment, Farm Athletes has shifted its focus to address a critical gap in financial support for student-athletes whose families are often overlooked by traditional aid systems. With a mission to ensure these hardworking students thrive both academically and athletically, Farm Athletes is soliciting donors and corporate sponsors to join its…

With egg and chick season on the horizon, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza are showing positive results, with wholesale egg prices dropping nearly 50 percent since late February. The decline in prices follows what she said is the implementation of a five-pronged strategy aimed at controlling the spread of the virus, supporting farmers, and stabilizing the egg market. “Egg prices are falling, farmers are getting the relief they need, and we are seeing meaningful progress in the fight against avian flu,” Rollins stated. Image by USDA…

As a sixth-generation farmer, Jeff O’Connor has seen his family farm change through the generations. The one common thread is a love of taking care of the land.  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my family say, ‘Take care of the land, and it’ll take care of you,’” the Kankakee, Illinois, farmer said. “It’s made it easier for me to look at different ways to take care of the land as we learn more about the science behind what goes on in the soil.” Bringing science to actionable and practical insights to reduce nutrient runoff has been…

The United States’ window of opportunity to secure a trade deal with the United Kingdom could soon shrink, a trade policy analyst told lawmakers on Tuesday, as the Labour government mulls closer alignment with the European Union. The UK is in a “pivotal spot,” Meredith Broadbent, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told members of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee during a hearing on U.S. trade negotiations. During the UK general election last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer campaigned on a platform to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU. Since entering office,…

On a brisk October morning, two pickup trucks ground to a stop and parked side by side on a Northwest Arkansas dirt road. Dan Douglas, a cattle and hay farmer whose family has farmed in Benton County for 170 years, rolled down his window to chat with longtime neighbor Chris Harral. They spoke about the changes sweeping through their community: new subdivisions, soaring land prices, and the fading presence of a once robust farm community. After roughly 20 minutes of spirited discussion, Douglas asked: “Why the hell are we doing this?” “The only reason that Dan and I still do…

Researchers have discovered that an enzyme can serve as an ideal target for developing new therapeutics against Lyme disease and, most likely, other tick-borne diseases as well. The finding was reported in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe. Its causative pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, has evolved unique metabolic pathways to cope with its enzootic life cycle, some of which are specific and ideal targets for developing new ways to treat Lyme disease. In their previous work, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that…

A little past 8:30 a.m. CT, May corn was up 2½¢ at $4.60¼ per bushel. May soybeans were up 6¼¢ at $10.08 per bushel. May wheat contracts were also higher. CBOT wheat was up less than a penny at $5.43½ per bushel. KC wheat was up 3¢ at $5.72¼. Minneapolis wheat was up 1¾¢ at $5.90¼. On Monday, USDA is expected to release the annual Prospective Plantings report, which will include estimates for 2025/2026 corn, soybean, and wheat acres, and the quarterly Grain Stocks report. “The odds of a market-moving surprise in these numbers are high this year — in…

By Nick Paulson, Gary Schnitkey, and Carl Zulauf The American Relief Act of 2025 authorized $10 billion in economic assistance payments to partially offset economic losses suffered by producers of eligible commodities during the 2024 crop year. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA recently announced the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) application process and the per acre payment rates for each commodity. The FSA has provided an ECAP website that outlines the application process, eligibility requirements, payment rates and other information for producers. ECAP Payments ECAP will provide payments for 22 eligible commodities using a flat rate per payment acre. Payment acres…

By Roberto Samora SAO PAULO, March 24 (Reuters) – Brazilian farmers, who have harvested most of their soybean fields across the nation, are set to produce 165.9 million metric tons in the 2024/25 season, 2.3 million tons less than previously forecast, consultancy AgRural said on Monday. AgRural said that a drought in southern Brazil, impacting mainly Rio Grande do Sul state, has affected the supply outlook in the country, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of the oilseed. Rio Grande do Sul’s crop is now seen reaching 15 million tons, a cut of 3 million tons compared to a February forecast, and fresh…