Author: staff

USDA published the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, Aug. 4. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of Pennsylvania’s most important crops in early August. Weather Arthur Person, associate research professor in the Penn State Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science said in a PennState Extension article that rainfall amounts have been steadily diminishing over the past couple of months, and despite some spotty upcoming showers, the overall weather pattern looks pretty dry — recent rainfall has been well below normal.  “Soil moisture conditions vary from dry in southeastern, central, and Lake Erie areas to adequate…

A ranch in Wyoming so vast it’s bigger than the state of Rhode Island, and more than four times the size of New York City, is now for sale, with an asking price of $79.5 million. The Pathfinder Ranches, totaling more than 916,000 acres (about 1,431 square miles), stretch across Natrona, Carbon, Sweetwater, and Fremont counties. The property includes rolling rangelands, mountain backdrops, river corridors, and even its own church, making it one of the largest working ranches in the Rocky Mountain West. “It is a rare assemblage,” Scott Williams, associate broker with Swan Land Company, which listed the property…

by Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News There was no doctor on-site when a patient arrived in early June at the emergency room in the small hospital at the intersection of two dirt roads in this town of 400 residents. There never is. Dahl Memorial’s three-bed emergency department — a two-hour drive from the closest hospital with more advanced services — instead depends on physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Physician assistant Carla Dowdy realized the patient needed treatment beyond what the ER could provide, even if it had had a doctor. So, she made a call for a medical plane to…

At the market close, December corn was down 1½¢ at $4.05½ per bushel. November soybeans were down 6¼¢ at $9.94 per bushel. Don Roose, president of U.S. Commodities, said, “The grain market technically was turned back [Friday] at some key resistance areas, primarily due to the weekend and good weather that we’ve had, as well as a pickup in selling at the end of the week.” Wheat markets were mixed at the Friday close. September CBOT wheat was down 3¾¢ at $5.14½ per bushel. September KC wheat was 3¼¢ weaker at $5.18¼ per bushel. September Minneapolis wheat was up 4½¢…

The National Corn Growers Association is pleased to announce the awardees for the 2025 NCGA Scholarship Programs. A committee of grower leaders selected twelve exceptional students to receive scholarships for this upcoming fall semester. NCGA is proud to continue supporting these vital programs in partnership with BASF Corporation. “Tomorrow’s ag leaders are in the classroom today, and these scholarships are one way we help them grow into that role,” said Tim Thompson, Illinois grower and chair of the NCGA Communication & Education Action Team. “This year’s scholarship winners reflect the passion, innovation, and resilience that our industry needs. I’m excited…

Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fair officials unveiled the 2025 Butter Cow in the Dairy Building today. Inspired by this year’s fair theme of “Adventure Awaits,” sculptor Sarah Pratt’s creation captures the spirit of the fair through the eyes of an adventurer. While the Butter Cow is the undisputed star of the show, the cow has a delightful companion – an adventurer seeking hidden treasures across the fairgrounds. As in years past, 13 hearts have been hidden between the two displays to signify the 13 essential nutrients found naturally in milk. Pratt was joined this year by her husband…

An estimated 2.67 million trees in Iowa forests and another 4.4 million trees in urban canopies were killed or damaged by the 2020 Midwest derecho that swept across Iowa, according to a new data tool from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  Twenty-seven Iowa counties were given a disaster declaration at the time because of destruction from the Aug. 10 derecho. The data tool shows how Iowa state parks, cities, forests, and communities have recovered from the destruction over the past five years and how many of those damaged trees have been replanted.  A derecho is a long-lived, straight-line windstorm that damages…

The first time is the scariest. The first day of school, the first time you drive, the wedding day, the birth of baby, the first time baby is sick … There are so many emotions associated with all of these things. It’s exciting, albeit scary, to do new things. Some of the “first” things we get to choose to do, others of them are forced upon us, often when we’re least prepared. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t choose to do them. Or fear the unexpected ones. Several months in to our parenting journey, our baby got his first fever.…

by Cami Koons A beer called Yield of Dreams is on tap at the Iowa State Fair and features corn grown across the state and donated by 18 Iowa farmers.  The lager, brewed at Confluence Brewing Company in Des Moines, is a partnership between the Iowa Brewers Guild, the Iowa Corn Growers and Choose Iowa, which is promoting a slew of locally produced goods at this year’s state fair.  This is the second year the groups have partnered to create the Yield of Dreams brew and offered it to fairgoers at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent.  According to a press release,…

Image by maRRitch, Shutterstock The American Farm Bureau Federation has sent a series of recommendations to the Make America Healthy Again Commission that will benefit health outcomes and ensure farmers can continue growing safe, healthy and affordable food for America’s families. “Farmers and ranchers share the goal of advancing health in America,” said Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “Healthy meals start with healthy farms, which is a responsibility farmers take seriously. Investing in research, rewarding innovation and alleviating overregulation helps them reach that goal. We appreciate the opportunity to share these policy recommendations that can directly and positively improve farmers’…