Author: staff

Farm & Food Care Ontario has announced a three-year funding agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. Through this agreement, up to $597,000 will be invested in FFCO’s outreach initiatives over the next three years. The funding will support six of the organization’s priority activities, all of which aim to grow public trust and consumer confidence in Ontario’s farming and food systems. Large-scale consumer outreach events, including Breakfast on/from the Farm, which provide a space for agriculture to connect with the public in meaningful ways and allow non-farming Ontarians to explore modern Ontario agriculture and meet farmers…

USDA released the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, June 2. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of North Carolina’s most important crops as June begins. Weather Kevin Matthews farms in northwestern North Carolina, near East Bend. Frustrated, he recaps recent weather simply: “Rain every day. Zero field work.” The Crop Progress report noted farmers in the state had just 2.9 days suitable for fieldwork the week that ended June 1. In the last five weeks, less than 22 days were suitable for fieldwork, said USDA. Iowa Environmental Mesonet According to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, nearly…

Corteva has introduced Forcivo fungicide, a new foliar disease control product for corn, soybeans, and other row crops.  The fungicide contains three active ingredients: flutriafol, azoxystrobin, and fluindapyr. Pending registration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forcivo will target  a range of foliar fungal diseases, including tar spot, southern rust, and frogeye leaf spot. Key features of Forcivo fungicide include: Three modes of action for disease control including flutriafol, azoxystrobin, and fluindapyr (FRAC codes 3, 11, and 7 respectively). The combination of active ingredients is designed to provide overlapping activity against common foliar pathogens, supporting disease resistance management.Labels for…

Every year, thousands of FFA members from across the United States gather in Washington, D.C., for the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), a premier leadership experience for high school students that exposes them to the rich history of our nation’s capital. This year’s conference, taking place between June 3 and July 11, offers five week-long blocks that students can choose from. More than 1,600 students and 262 chaperones have registered. WLC, which has been taking place for more than 50 years, inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities. A key aspect of the conference is for the students to…

Just after 9:00 a.m. CT, July corn was down 4¾¢ at $4.34 per bushel. July soybeans were 3½¢ lower at $10.41½ per bushel. “Fresh news is extremely light this morning and the markets are reflecting it. ” Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting said, “We are seeing models calling for a ridge to set up across the US which typically bring warm, dry conditions. While these can impact crop production, it is rather early to be a major threat as this time. Still, any loss of production puts the corn inventory closer to rationing and drops soybeans further into…

By Ashley Murray WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a directive Tuesday doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum, marking another escalation in his on-and-off policy rocking global trade. Trump announced the increased levies to 50%, up from 25%, on steel and aluminum Friday during a visit to U.S. Steel’s Irving plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. The president told the crowd he would hike the tariffs to “even further secure the steel industry in the United States.” The increase will mark the second time since Trump’s second term began that he triggered national security duties on steel and aluminum, a…

A 50-person trade delegation from Vietnam announced pledges to purchase $2 billion in agricultural goods in a visit to the Iowa State Capitol on Monday. The signing of five memoranda of understanding (MOUs) is between the Vietnamese feed industry and private companies from the United States. Of the $2 billion in total value, $800 million has been pledged to Iowa farm goods, according to Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) Secretary Mike Naig.  “This is a clear sign that international buyers continue to see value, reliability, and opportunity in Iowa agriculture,” Naig said. “I’m proud of the work…

Mike Downey is a farm transition advisor and one of the owners of Next Gen Ag Advocates, which focuses on non-family transitions, connecting producers to retiring farmers without a successor. He also leads succession planning efforts for UnCommon Farms, which also provides business, risk management, and financial planning services to farmers. In a recent webinar, Downey pointed to data showing the increasing age of farmers. “As we see more and more farms transition within the next 10 to 15 years — that’s called the great farm wealth transfer, the greatest transfer of wealth our country has ever seen — we’ll…

Just two of the top 18 corn-growing states have yet to plant at least 75% of this year’s corn crop, according to USDA’s Crop Progress report published June 2. Nationally, 93% of the U.S. corn crop has been planted. Ohio Ohio farmers are expected to plant 3.25 million acres of corn this year, said the National Agricultural Statistics Service in the March 31 Prospective Plantings report. The latest Crop Progress report said 72% of this year’s corn crop had been planted by the week ended June 1. That’s 15 percentage points behind the five-year average. Last year at this time…

There have been ups and downs in the growing season for multiple states in the Corn Belt during planting season — particularly drought in Nebraska and South Dakota. Heading into the “wild card” summer months, however, Weather 20/20 Owner and CEO Gary Lezak thinks much of the top 18 corn and soybean growing states are in a decent spot.  What‘s Happening Now? Drought Monitor Recent days have brought heavy rains in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. In Kansas, rainfall has led to flash flooding and a state of disaster declaration by Gov. Laura Kelly. Local stations have reported torrential rains have…