Author: staff

No doubt, 2024 was a wild year. Everything seemed to fly in the face of producers and equipment dealers alike. Low commodity prices, high interest rates, high machinery costs, and a bitter presidential race had people on the fence, trying to decide what was the right time to make a move. Used equipment was auctioned steadily, with the usual suspects leading the way. By the end of 2024, the used equipment market felt like a soft bottom had been established, and the used tractor inventory shot up. Inventory Rising The number of used tractors in dealer inventory started to spike…

In a newly posted “undercover” video, animal-rights activist group PETA is accusing farmers working at an operation in New Zealand of abusing sheep, stating that the farm is “literally soaked in” the blood of these animals. The owner of the property is Matt Lauer, the disgraced former host of NBC’s Today show. The video targets the production of ZQ-certified wool, a certification that is listed as adhering to strict standards of animal welfare, environmental sustainability, fiber quality, traceability, and social responsibility. In the one-minute-long video, PETA describes the farm workers as “stepping on a thrashing sheep’s neck, dragging sheep across…

By Ryan Hanrahan CoBank reported earlier this December that “the U.S. continues to benefit from solid economic growth, low unemployment, and moderating inflation. From today’s vantage point, the U.S. economy seems likely to continue on that trajectory into 2025. However, the outlook for the rural economy is more volatile and uncertain. Rural industries are disproportionately exposed to federal policy, and the outcome of the 2024 election cycle promises to bring significant changes in the federal government’s approach to everything from international trade and immigration to energy exploration and rural economic development.” “According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s…

Every Saturday, farmer Liz Graznak and her staff begin their day before dawn, loading a trailer of organic produce, eggs, and flowers. They pull out of Happy Hollow Farm in Jamestown, Missouri, at around 5 a.m. Upon arriving at the Columbia farmers market, the crew sets up the farm’s signature bright orange tents and unloads the day’s offering while hoping a little of it comes back with them. “For 52 days a year, and only four hours on each of those days, I have to make my living,” Graznak said. Graznak spends the morning answering customers’ questions, suggesting items to…

In today’s fast-paced world, where convenience often takes priority over sustainability, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offer a refreshing way to connect with the food we eat, the farmers who grow it, and the communities we live in. A CSA is a partnership between consumers and local farms, where members purchase a “share” of the farm’s harvest in advance, providing farmers with financial support and ensuring members receive fresh, seasonal produce throughout the growing season. Here are five compelling reasons why supporting a CSA is not just beneficial — it’s essential. 1. Strengthening local economies When you join a CSA,…

The grain markets are all higher this morning on light volume. The stock market was hit hard yesterday, with the Dow closing down over 400 points. In the early trade today, the U.S. stock market is higher, and the U.S. dollar is higher and is testing contract highs. Energy prices continue to move higher. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commitments of Traders report on Monday showed funds now long 161,000 contracts of corn. In soybeans, funds are short 68,000 contracts. In the wheat market, funds are short 156,000 contracts. This was close to my estimates. The next report will be…

Listen to the Podcast Meet Patrick Brown Patrick Brown is a fourth-generation farmer from Warren County, North Carolina, and is a winner of the 2024 Small Farmer of the Year Award from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.  In addition to growing row crops, Brown grows vegetables for a CSA and farms industrial hemp. The hemp hurd (cellulose-rich fiber from the stalk of the plant) is used to create industrial building materials and clothing. Through his work for multiple nonprofit organizations and a consulting company he owns, Brown helps other farmers transition to regenerative agriculture and works to help…

Someone recently challenged me to come up with some New Year’s resolutions. I have a couple of problems with that particular idea. First of all, how can you resolve to become a better person when you’re already so good that there’s nearly no room for improvement? If you are, as Mary Poppins reckoned in her own self-assessment, “practically perfect in every way?” You can bet that my wife has a radically different opinion regarding this. I would normally dismiss that as mere second-guessing except for, dang it, she’s almost always right. Another issue is that the future is inherently chaotic…

Missouri farmers accuse Tyson of colluding to keep competitors from buying a shuttered plant, leaving them stranded with millions in debt. DEXTER, Missouri — On an early August morning in 2023, Shawn Hinkle received a call from one of his technicians at Tyson Foods who, through tears, told him the company’s plant in Dexter was shutting down. Hundreds of jobs at the poultry slaughterhouse would be lost and farmers like Hinkle, who contracted with Tyson to raise egg-laying hens, would be out of business. A decade earlier, Hinkle borrowed $2.3 million to build two chicken houses on his land. After…

Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/top-third-Agdaily-2024-12-30_OPEN.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of Dec. 30, 2024 appeared first on AGDAILY.