Author: staff

Experts say cost, logistics, and limited state funding could all be contributing to the disadoption of cover crop use. When Levi Lyle was just 6 years old, his father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. With treatment, his father survived his diagnosis. The ordeal changed how he farmed. “It created an openness in his approach to farming to start doing things differently,” Lyle said. His father started no-till farming when the practice was still rare in Iowa. A decade ago, when Lyle, now 47, moved back to the family farm, he and his father jumped into organic farming. “My…

Not long past 9:30 a.m. CT, March corn was down 2¾¢ at $4.38¾ per bushel. January soybeans were down 3¾¢ at $11.32½ per bushel. March CBOT wheat was down 4¾¢ at $5.44¾ per bushel. March KC wheat was down 5¢ at $5.26¾ per bushel. March Minneapolis wheat was down 2¾¢ at $5.83. “Buy the rumor; sell the fact,” said Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor with Total Farm Marketing. “Soybean prices fell lower yesterday in spite of two days of export sales announcements to China. The news and expectations had already been priced into the market last week.” This morning, USDA…

At dawn, the first thing most farmers do is open a gate. It’s a simple act. An act that makes way for possibility. Cattle move to fresh pasture. Tractors roll toward the field. Hands and technology meet to start another day’s work. But in agriculture’s newest frontiers — automation, sensors, and artificial intelligence — too many gates remain closed. Not to the land this time, but to opportunity. When we talk about the future of farming, we talk about technology, such as the sensors in the soil, drones in the sky, or data in the cloud. Agriculture is evolving faster…

Previously for AGDAILY, Rebuilding trust and opportunity in rural and working-class America, we made the case that our communities still have the skills, the values, and the grit to shape our own future. That article was the rallying cry. This one is the proof — the real-world examples of what it looks like when rural America puts its shoulder to the wheel and builds from within. Because behind every statistic about rural decline, there are places writing a different story. They’re not waiting for Washington or Wall Street to figure them out. They’re finding their own solutions, building with what…

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving dinner survey shows that a classic holiday meal for 10 will cost $55.18, a 5 percent decrease from last year (though still above prices from four years ago). While consumers may appreciate the modest savings, several items on the menu also reflect the mounting financial pressures facing America’s farmers and ranchers. Each year, volunteer shoppers across all 50 states and Puerto Rico track the cost of common Thanksgiving staples. Since 1986, the survey has captured the prices of turkey, cubed stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie…

DAILY Bites Less Scrutiny of Foreign Food: American inspections of foreign food facilities have plummeted to historic lows this year, a ProPublica data analysis shows. Trump Cuts to Blame: About two dozen current and former FDA officials blamed the drop in foreign food inspections on staffing cuts under Trump. Food Safety Undermined: Food safety experts said there’s an increased risk of outbreaks. “It’s only a matter of time before people die,” one said. DAILY Discussion American inspections of foreign food facilities — which produce everything from crawfish to cookies for the U.S. market — have plummeted to historic lows this…

This month, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the nation’s largest meatpacking companies for potential collusion and price fixing.  “Action must be taken immediately to protect consumers, combat illegal monopolies and ensure these corporations are not criminally profiting at the expense of the American people,” Trump said in a social media post.  On Nov. 7, the White House published four claims in support of the investigation. Investigate Midwest fact-checked those claims.  Claim: The Trump administration stated, “The ‘Big Four’ meat packers — JBS (Brazil), Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef — currently dominate 85 percent…

SKANEATELES, New York — Mark Tucker farms eight minutes from the town of Skaneateles. His operation has shifted through crops, silage for dairy, a five-year orchard experiment, and now a herd of Hereford cattle. Tucker has also farmed energy. For years, a 133-foot wind turbine generated 85 kilowatts annually, a landmark visible from Skaneateles Lake. Since 2019, over 300 feet of backyard solar panels have cut $10,000 dollars from his power bills, covering eight months of electricity in his now-retired milking barn. He calls himself both a farmer and a land steward. A longtime member of the Skaneateles Town Board…

An aggressive outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), including neurological cases classified as equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM), has triggered urgent warnings from equine veterinarians across Texas and surrounding regions. Clinics report that several horses returning from early-November events — including the WPRA Finals in Waco and competitions at the 377 Arena in Stephenville have shown severe and rapidly progressing clinical signs, with some owners already reporting fatalities. Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery was among the first to issue detailed guidance, emphasizing that “continued biosecurity is essential to minimize spread” as competitors travel home from the WPRA Finals, the BFA, and other…

As of 9:35 a.m. CT, March corn was down 5¢ at $4.44½ per bushel. January soybeans were down 9¼¢ at $11.44¼ per bushel. March CBOT wheat was down 4¾¢ at $5.54¼ per bushel. March KC wheat was down 5½¢ at $5.37½ per bushel. March Minneapolis wheat was down 2½¢ at $5.85½. This morning, Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor with Total Farm Marketing, explained soybeans rallied on Monday because of rumors China was buying U.S. soybeans. Yesterday, USDA confirmed the rumor, announcing China purchased 792,000 metric tons of soybeans for the 2025/2026 marketing year. “But the market already priced in the…