Author: staff

Elanco Animal Health Inc. has entered into an agreement with South Dakota-based Medgene to leverage the company’s vaccine platform technology. The agreement includes commercialization of a highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccine for use in dairy cattle. Medgene reports the vaccine has met all requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s platform technology guidelines and is in the final stages of review for conditional license approval. While the poultry industry has developed interventions and processes to reduce the spread or eradicate HPAI, those efforts have continued to be challenging as the current outbreak enters its fourth year. Dairy producers have worked…

After open concern from farmers and grant recipients about the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s funding freeze, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the release of $20 million in funds granted through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Thursday. Rollins said it was the first of a series of “tranches” of released funding and that “additional announcements are forthcoming” as a review of IRA funding continues.  Funding was released for farmers with contracts from the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program — which all fall under the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Farm…

If you were like most kids growing up, you couldn’t wait to get out of school or college. But if you’re a serious antique tractor enthusiast, there are some good reasons to go back to school. One of those is the wonderful Thresherman’s Lunch that comes with the Powers Tractor School, put on by Aumann Auctions, Inc. Yet, there’s a lot more to be gained from attendance at the annual school than a delicious chicken or sausage lunch. Named after the legendary prairie tractor collector Dennis Powers, the Powers Tractor School is held around the middle of April each year…

Farm equipment continues to grow in horsepower and physical size. Shorter windows to complete farmwork and the challenge of finding enough qualified operators make covering more acres in less time more important than ever.  2024 saw the introduction of the 830-hp John Deere 9RX, the Class 10+ Case IH AF11, and New Holland CR11 combines, and a range of other large implements, from planters to air seeders. But is bigger always better?  “It really depends on your operation and what fits best,” said Blake Bullinger, senior marketing product specialist for Fendt. “If you’re in Canada or out west, with wide-open spaces,…

By Ryan Hanrahan Reuters’ David Lawder and Andrea Shalal reported that “President Donald Trump said on Monday that tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are ‘on time and on schedule’ despite efforts by the countries to beef up border security and halt the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. ahead of a March 4 deadline. ‘The tariffs are going forward on time, on schedule,’ Trump told a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. He had been asked whether Canada and Mexico had done enough to avoid the punishing 25% U.S. duties.” “Many had hoped the top two U.S.…

According to data compiled by the Successful Farming team, more than 5,400 acres of Kansas farmland are set to be auctioned in March 2025. Listings range from single tracts of 35 acres to two multi-parcel auctions of over 1,100 acres. Here’s a closer look at the farmland expected to change hands across 15 Kansas counties. Barber County The largest Kansas farmland auction of the month is set to take place in Barber County. Nine tracts of land totaling 1,212 acres will be available for sale in-person on March 13, 2025. The tracts are able to be purchased separately or in…

A federal initiative designed to support students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities was put on hold for several days, but some institutions, such as North Carolina A&T, are saying that they are again able to take applications. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which covered full tuition and fees for students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, or natural resource sciences at one of 19 designated 1890 land-grant institutions. While the exact date of the start of the suspension remains unclear, some members of Congress publicly criticized the move late…

Pioneer has announced their Plenish high oleic Enlist E3 soybeans will be available for the 2025 growing season. As part of the Z-series line, this new variety features industry-leading genetics and high yield potential, while offering opportunities to increase per-acre profit potential with high oleic soybeans.  “We continue to see growing interest in Plenish high oleic soybeans as farmers learn about the opportunity to increase profits through processor-paid premiums,” said Roger Theisen, marketing manager for Pioneer specialty crops, in a news release.  This new offering in the Plenish line will offer more robust weed management options for farmers looking to…

Montana House Bill 119, introduced by Republican state Rep. Brandon Ler, is advancing through the legislative process, aiming to establish the Montana Cattle Committee and implement a statewide $1 per head beef checkoff. The bill recently secured approval from the House Agriculture Committee with a 10-7 vote, followed by a 59-41 vote in the full House and a 13-10 vote in the House Appropriations Committee. It now moves to the Senate for further consideration. The proposed Montana Cattle Committee would consist of seven members, all required to be Montana residents actively engaged in cattle production. Nominees for these positions would…

What Happened Marketing decisions for corn and soybeans this January and February have become more interesting than most were anticipating, as stronger than expected price rallies have occurred. Should you sell more? Should you re-own? Is there a driving force that will send prices even higher? The good news during a price rally is that your earnings are on the rise. Unfortunately, so may be your stress level as decisions become more complicated. Corn futures that were trading well under $4 in late summer have now traded to over $5. A nearly 25% reduction in projected carryout on recent World…