Author: staff

Believe it or not, along with official state flowers and flags, in the U.S., most states have also adopted an official beverage. And to dairy’s delight, for at least 20 of them (including Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oregon, and Pennsylvania), milk is the state beverage. Having grown up on a small farm in west-central Indiana, we had several dairies as neighbors. In fact, I was a little surprised to see that the official state beverage of the Hoosier State happens to be plain old water. A few states include alcoholic beverages too (like George Washington’s Rye Whiskey in Virginia and old-fashioned…

By Morgan Chilson TOPEKA — Kim Barnes scoured 52 years of contacts in his Rolodex to find buyers for 1.7 million bushels of last year’s grain sorghum crop after a cut in federal programs and international trade left the market in chaos. This month, 1 million bushels of sorghum, commonly called milo, are leaving the Pawnee County Co-Op in Larned by rail, but those sales of last year’s product are taking a bite out of this year’s upcoming crop sales, said Barnes, the co-op’s chief financial officer.  Like many in agriculture, Barnes is worried about milo sales and how Kansas…

By Walter Bianchi BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 4 (Reuters) – Recent rainfall in Argentina’s wheat-growing regions, particularly in the west, has significantly improved crop conditions and the overall outlook for the season, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday. However, the exchange noted that around 27% of the planted area is experiencing waterlogging, leading to early reports of fungal disease outbreaks. Despite this, virtually all of the crop remains in normal-to-excellent condition, the exchange said, with around 27% of wheat planted having reached its rapid growth phase. While there is some concern over the latest downpours, the exchange views the moisture as…

Groups pushing for more help from the federal government to address the country’s shortage of rural veterinarians are cheering a USDA plan to help pay off veterinary school debt and engage the Economic Research Service to analyze where shortages are most acute. The Rural Veterinary Action Plan will increase the amount available under the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program from $10 million to $25 million, enabling more applicants to get awards, and streamline the application process for that program and the Veterinary Services Grant Program, which had $3.8 million available in its last funding pool. USDA also will look at ways to boost employment of federal veterinarians, who are…

Managing machinery costs and investment can go a long way toward increasing your bottom line and lowering break-even prices for crops. It comes down to putting every machinery purchase under the microscope. “Each farm is unique,” said Michael Langemeier, an Extension agricultural economist and the director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University. “Farmers have to ask themselves, ‘What can I do in terms of maintaining a line of machinery? Should I focus on a mixture of used and newer machinery?’  “Regardless of farm size, overinvesting in machinery can lead to high machinery costs per acre. That can…

Farm groups and other USDA stakeholders are raising concerns about the impact the Trump administration’s reorganization plan will have on agencies and personnel. The planned closure of a major research center in suburban Maryland and the department’s plan to consolidate staff in five regional hubs also are drawing some opposition. The department originally set a deadline of Aug. 26 for comments on the plan but has since extended that to Sept. 30. USDA isn’t posting the comments it has received, but some groups have released their comments or have made them available on request. In a recent appearance at the…

Tractor Supply Co. has raised $1 million for the Tractor Supply 2026 FFA Future Leaders Scholarship fund. The fund supports scholarships for FFA students pursuing studies in the skilled trades and agriculture-related majors. Since its inception, the annual fundraiser has generated a total of more than $4 million over four years. The FFA Future Leaders scholarship is the largest ag-related scholarship of its kind and is underwritten by a five-year, $5 million commitment from the Tractor Supply Foundation. It was established to help students in rural areas overcome the prohibitive cost of a postsecondary education, which can significantly improve one’s…

By Jeff Beach Avian flu has hit turkey farms in North Dakota and South Dakota, the first cases in commercial flocks in the United States since early July.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Aug. 28 confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Faulk County in northeast South Dakota. The outbreak meant 55,400 birds were killed to prevent the spread of the disease. It is the first case in a U.S. commercial flock since July 2, when the avian flu was confirmed at a game bird facility in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The North…

AGDAILY Reporters · September 4, 2025 The American Quarter Horse Association is celebrating its 85th anniversary by spotlighting the ranching heritage that “continues to leave an immeasurable impact on the American Quarter Horse industry.” Central to that legacy is the Best Remuda Award, which honors ranches producing outstanding Quarter Horses. Past recipients include historic names like Babbitt Ranches, Four Sixes Ranch, and Haythorn Land & Cattle Company, alongside modern operations such as Silver Spur Operating Company and Singleton Ranches. As the video highlights, “There is perhaps no clearer or more compelling example of the American Quarter Horse’s versatility and power…

The Agriculture Department is lowering its forecast for farm earnings in 2025 as declines in the crop sector more than offset soaring incomes for cattle producers.  Net cash farm income, a measure of producers’ cash flow, is forecast at $180.7 billion for 2025, an increase of $36.5 billion, or 25.3%, over last year when adjusted for inflation, according to the forecast issued by the Economic Research Service on Wednesday. In February, USDA had forecast net cash farm income for 2025 at $193.7 billion. Net farm income, a broader measure of profits, is forecast at $179.8 billion for 2025, an increase of $48.8…