Author: staff

For decades, the agriculture decision-making process revolved around a straightforward formula: Select your inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection) and apply them with a check-the-box mentality. But a new wave of thinking is reshaping how growers approach profitability, efficiency, and sustainability. Farmers, agronomists, and advisers are beginning to challenge the input-heavy mindset in favor of one rooted in outcomes: yield per dollar, long-term resilience, and return on investment (ROI). This transition, however, requires more than a new product or spreadsheet; it’s a mental shift in how to define success. From Inputs to Impacts “We tend to treat crop nutrition like feeding our…

The National Dairy Herd Information Association is offering scholarships to third- and fourth-year college of veterinary medicine students for the 11th consecutive year. Applicants must be enrolled at a college that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Successful applicants will receive a $1,500 scholarship. National DHIA Scholarship Committee members will evaluate applicants based on overall interest as a veterinarian planning to work in dairy, involvement in dairy medicine and extra-curricular activities, and interest in using dairy software and dairy records to aid in dairy management and in improving animal health. To apply for a National…

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst announced in a video statement on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election. Mainstream news outlets reported the news early last week after tips from a GOP source. Her current term is set to end January 2027. Ernst was elected Senator in 2014, beginning her term in early January 2015 as the first woman from Iowa to hold the role. As part of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Ernst is the Chair of the subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit. This committee oversees rural development loan and grant programs, renewable energy, and farm loan programs. Over…

John Deere has introduced the V452M round baler, intended for use on large-scale hay and forage operations.  In addition to the new V452M, the VR and CR round baler models are receiving advanced features for heavy crop and silage conditions.  “The V452M and the broader VR and CR model updates are designed for more density, more productivity and more actionable data,” said Kaylene Ballesteros, marketing manager for John Deere. “This update enhances our variable chamber and combination balers with features that support high-volume silage and heavy crop conditions, while complementing the proven performance of our 1 Series models. It’s about…

John Deere has introduced the V452M round baler to its North American lineup, providing enhanced productivity and precision to larger-scale hay and forage operations. The V452M headlines the newly updated lineup of VR and CR round baler models, introducing a new naming convention and advanced features purpose-built for heavy crop and silage conditions, while the current 1 Series round balers remain and continue to serve customers with their baling needs. “The V452M and the broader VR and CR model updates are designed for more density, more productivity and more actionable data,” said Kaylene Ballesteros, John Deere marketing manager. “This update…

A federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. While the decision reaffirmed an earlier lower court ruling, the tariffs themselves remain in place for now. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sided with the U.S. Court of International Trade, which had previously concluded that the president lacked statutory authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA. The case centered on a series of executive orders issued in early 2025, including so-called “fentanyl tariffs” targeting imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, as well…

By Ryan Hanrahan United States farmer sentiment hit a 12-month low in August as producers expressed less optimism about the future and reported weak financial expectations for their farms in the coming year. It was the third month in a row that the barometer has declined. “Sentiment differed widely among producers depending on whether their farm is primarily a crop operation or a livestock operation,” the Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer said. “Responses from crop producers this month were much less optimistic than those from livestock producers, which indicates the disparity in profitability between crop and livestock enterprises. Beef cattle…

This fall, country music fans can quite literally “get lost with Lainey.” Farms across North America are celebrating Grammy and CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson with corn mazes shaped in her likeness, combining fall fun with a tribute to one of country music’s biggest stars. In Springfield, Tennessee, Honeysuckle Hill Farm has unveiled its 2025 Country Music Corn Maze featuring Wilson tipping her cowgirl hat, surrounded by the words “Nashville Loves Lainey Wilson.” The maze opens September 27 and promises a season of family fun, from wagon rides to pumpkin picking. Wilson herself invited fans out to the…

Ahead of 9 a.m. CT, December corn was down 4½¢ at $4.18½ per bushel. November soybeans were down 5¼¢ at $10.35¾ per bushel. December CBOT wheat was down 1¼¢ at $5.27 per bushel. December KC wheat was up 1½¢ at $5.12¾ per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat was down a penny at $5.73¼. “Corn’s strong price action from late last week carried over [to yesterday], supported in part by crude oil gaining more than $1.50,” said Cole Raisbeck, commodities broker with Kluis Commodity Advisors. “Bulls now have their sights set on the $4.30 gap left from early July. Soybeans, meanwhile, remain…

By Dale Lattz, Gary Schnitkey, Nick Paulson, and Carl Zulauf Machinery cost estimates for 2025 have been released and are available in the Management section on the farmdoc website. Machinery costs are updated every two years, with the last update occurring in 2023. As is usual, estimated machinery costs have increased, with most increases in the 1% to 14% range. The increases from 2023 to 2025 are less than the increases estimated between 2021 and 2023, when many costs increased by as much as 30%. Machinery Cost Estimates for 2025 Estimated machinery costs are often used in setting custom rates where one individual performs…