Author: staff

DAILY Bites Family farms make up 96% of U.S. farms, contributing 83% of agricultural production in 2023. Small farms dominate in number but large-scale farms, just 4%, produce 48% of total value. Off-farm income, precision agriculture, and government programs sustain family farm resilience. DAILY Discussion In a landscape defined by diversity and technological progress, family farms continue to serve as the foundation of U.S. agriculture. Representing 96 represent of all farms and accounting for 83 percent of total agricultural production in 2023, according to a December report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showing that family-owned operations are vital…

DAILY Bites Recycling excreta could meet 13% of crop nutrient needs and cut fertilizer imports significantly. This approach promotes sustainability by reducing pollution from nutrient runoff into water sources, such as harmful algal blooms, and helps establish a circular economy between food consumption and agriculture. Addressing public perception challenges and leveraging this recycling method can enhance global food security for a growing population. DAILY Discussion Recycling human and animal excreta has the potential to significantly reduce the need for traditional mineral fertilizers while supporting global crop production, according to a study published in Nature Sustainability. This innovative approach could alleviate…

DAILY Bites A highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was confirmed at a Michael Foods third-party egg-laying facility in Iowa, impacting 4.5 million hens — 12% of Post Holdings’ controlled egg supply. Despite this, Post Holdings reaffirmed its fiscal year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $1,41 million to $1,46 million, citing the incident as within anticipated financial tolerances. The outbreak highlights ongoing challenges for the egg industry, with 26 million hens affected by HPAI nationwide in 2024, contributing to supply disruptions and egg price volatility. DAILY Discussion Post Holdings Inc. has announced a confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at one of…

On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced that it is seeking public input on a proposal to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until March 12, at which time the Service will evaluate and determine whether to list the monarch butterfly. Various farmer groups have since responded to the announcement. National Corn Growers Association The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is a farmer-led trade organization that represents the interests of more than 300,000 farmers. In a statement released on…

U.S. sales of tractors in all classes dropped 14.5% in November 2024, compared to the same time last year, according to numbers from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “November’s sales of Ag tractors and combines follow the same pattern of the last few months of softness in the market,” says Curt Blades, senior vice president at AEM. “This slowdown in sales can be traced back to high interest rates and uncertainty in the overall ag economy.” November continued the downward trend in overall tractor and combine sales, with every month in 2024 falling below the five-year average (2019-2023).  Tractor…

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit a Palm Beach County, Florida, sugar cane farm with the Florida Sugar Cane League, which hosts tours to connect non-farming residents with local farmers. I joined a group of seniors from a residential neighborhood in the southern part of the county. I’d never seen sugar cane before, so the trip was eye opening for me. While this doesn’t begin to cover everything I learned, here are seven things I discovered about sugar cane. 1. Palm Beach County leads the nation in sugar cane farming. When I think of Palm Beach, beautiful…

Bioengineering is one of the modern era’s most powerful tools to address food insecurity, climate change, and other sustainability issues. But our ability to bring these transformative crops to market was just dealt a major blow. Early in December, the Northern California District Court vacated rules adopted in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The lawsuit, brought by anti-bioengineering activists (pretending to be worried about family farms), reinstates a regulatory framework in place since 1986, while the technology was only in its infancy — and not yet even commercially available.…

The AgriProspects Workforce Development Network is giving land-grant institutions nationwide mini-grants to deliver and expand adult agricultural workforce development. The organization has recently announced the recipients of its first round of 11 grants, which will expand the training available to the public through Agriprospects and fill in gaps in training in farm business coaching, dairy farm safety management, permaculture, among other topics. Among the recipients is Penn State Extension for its Success Skills in Spanish 4 Ag project, which focuses on workforce development for Spanish-speaking tree-fruit growers and poultry farmers. That project is aimed at increasing production efficiency through agricultural English language…

By Jeff Beach North Dakota is poised to allow millions of tons of carbon dioxide to be permanently stored underground, but an attorney representing landowners argues the process has been unfair and he is already laying the groundwork for an appeal. North Dakota’s Industrial Commission is expected to vote at its Thursday meeting on plans for underground storage wells operated by Summit Carbon Solutions that will take in carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five Midwest states, including Iowa. The Industrial Commission is composed of Gov. Doug Burgum, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. Summit’s plan is…

With two weeks left in the congressional schedule for this year, time is running out for lawmakers to provide financial relief to agriculture, said two farm groups. “It is imperative that they address the well-defined and fully substantiated needs of farmers just trying to hold on for another season,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The American Soybean Association said, “Efforts to pass a new comprehensive five-year farm bill have stalled, and while discussions about extending the current law continue, uncertainty remains about whether meaningful economic relief for farmers will be included.” Farm leaders say financial…