Author: staff

According to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, U.S. sales of Ag tractors and combines fell in November 2024 compared to the year before. “November’s sales of Ag tractors and combines follow the same pattern of the last few months softness in the market,” said AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades. “This slowdown in sales can be traced back to high interest rates and uncertainty in the overall ag economy.” Canadian sales of Ag tractors dropped 18.8 percent while combines fell 39.4 percent in November 2024 compared to the year before. Sales of 2WD farm tractors have decreased…

The incoming Trump administration is likely to be unfriendly to biofuels if it repeats the record of the president-elect’s first term in office, said biofuels analyst Scott Irwin of the University of Illinois on Wednesday. There could be the liberal approval of waivers exempting small refiners from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), he said, as well as efforts to whittle down the ethanol mandate. “We should assume refiners will be back in the driver’s seat,” said Irwin during a farmdoc daily webinar. “It’s going to be a bumpy and turbulent ride figuring out how this is all going to net…

Boehringer Ingelheim has chosen Kristin Quist of Deer Park, Wisconsin, as the 2024 Dairy First Award winner. Each year, the award celebrates a dairy producer “who demonstrates an unwavering commitment to milk quality and overall herd well-being.” Quist, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, operates Minglewood Inc. alongside her parents, Kevin and Roxie Solum, and her husband, Jacob. Together, they lead a team of 20 full-time employees and manage a milking herd of 1,200 cows. Quist’s impressive somatic cell count management, regular employee meetings, progressive use of technology and dedication to cow comfort set the farm apart in this year’s competition. “Minglewood…

By Cami Koons The highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, which has announced three other detections since Friday.  IDALS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, confirmed a case of the H5N1 virus in a flock of layer chickens in Sioux County Dec. 6, another in a turkey flock in Palo Alto County Dec. 8, an additional detection in Sioux County Dec. 9 and now in a Sac County turkey flock. For each of these counties, Gov. Kim…

This story will be continually updated as new commercial and backyard cases are reported to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The Latest To date, more than 121 million reported birds have been affected by HPAI since Feb. 2022, with cases found in 49 states. Cases slowed down significantly since the turn of the calendar to 2024, but cases have risen since the start of November. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have reported 90 new cases of Highly-Pathological Avian Influenza (HPAI) over 21 different states in the past 30 days.…

March corn is down 1½¢ this morning. January soybeans are down less than a penny. March wheat contracts are also lower. CBOT wheat is down 1¼¢. KC wheat is down 1½¢. Minneapolis wheat is down less than a penny. This morning USDA released the weekly U.S. Export Sales report. Concerning the report, The Brock Report said: “Net weekly U.S. corn export sales for the week ended Dec. 5 came in at 37.3 million bushels, toward the low end of trade expectations that ran 27.5-75 million bushels and down from the previous week’s sales of 69.1 million bushels…. Sales, however, were…

With Congress due to adjourn in 10 days, Democrats proposed $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers nationwide to buffer the impact of lower commodity prices. Senior farm-state Republicans have said substantial aid is needed — $15 billion was mentioned on Wednesday — but House GOP leaders reportedly objected to the offset Democrats would use to pay for the aid. The economic assistance would be wrapped into an extension of the 2018 farm law, which expired in September 2023 and has been extended once already. “With Congress indicating it will not pass a renewed five-year farm bill before the end…

The orange-and-black monarch butterfly, known for migrating thousands of miles, would be protected as a threatened species under a proposal by the Interior Department on Tuesday. The monarch population has dropped by 80% since the 1980s due to loss of habitat, exposure to pesticides, and climate change. “The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America, captivating children and adults throughout its fascinating lifecycle. Despite its fragility, it is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance,” said Martha Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Along with designating the butterfly as…

March corn ended the day down less than a penny at $4.48¼ per bushel. January soybeans closed up less than a penny at $9.95½ per bushel. March wheat contracts closed mixed. CBOT wheat ended the day up 1½¢ at $5.63¼ per bushel. KC wheat was up 1½¢ at $5.67¼ per bushel. Minneapolis wheat was unchanged at $6.06½ per bushel. February live cattle ended the day up $2.35 at $191.38 per hundredweight (cwt). January feeder cattle closed up $1.73 at $259.05 per cwt. February lean hogs closed down 20¢ at $84.38 per cwt. January crude oil is currently up $1.79. December…

Mike Trotter says he didn’t even own a tractor when he and his wife, Judy, joined the Peach State Antique Tractor and Engine Club nearly 20 years ago. In fact, it was his oldest son-in-law who invited them to join the group. Consequently, he’s quick to credit his fellow tractor club members for getting him hooked on tractors and providing tips and advice when needed. “We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to all the friends, family, and members of the Peach State tractor club who helped us get started,” Mike says. “We can’t thank them enough.” He also credits…