Author: staff

Two horses in Colorado have tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia, an incurable viral disease that affects horses, mules, and donkeys. The Colorado State Veterinarian’s Office confirmed both cases after receiving presumptive positive test results. In each case, the owners chose to euthanize the infected horses to prevent any further risk of disease transmission. State officials stress that the threat to Colorado’s broader equine population remains low at this time. The first case was detected in Douglas County on April 5 when a pregnant mare, recently relocated to Colorado, underwent routine testing. Final confirmation came from the USDA National Veterinary…

1. Soybean Futures Gain in Overnight Trading Soybeans were higher overnight on some technical buying and unfavorable weather in Argentina.  Investors turned bullish on soybean futures in the week through April 15, according to data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  Speculators held a net long position, or bets on higher prices, of 43,348 futures contracts, a shift from a net short position, or bets on lower prices, the previous week, the agency said.  Bargain hunters may be seeking soybeans or those who were short the market may have bought back contracts and liquidated their positions.  Also giving prices a…

“This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.” Early in the morning on a recent Monday, a group of third graders huddled in the garden of Mendota Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. Of the dozen students present, a handful were busy filling up buckets of compost, others were readying soil beds for spring planting, while a number carefully watered freshly planted radishes and peas. The students were all busy with their assorted tasks until a gleeful shout rang across the space. Everything ground to a halt when a beaming boy triumphantly raised his gloved…

By Ryan Hanrahan Bloomberg Law’s Alex Wolf and Skye Witley reported that “family farm bankruptcies increased by 55% last year compared to 2023 and are trending even higher this year as farmers continue to grapple with depressed agricultural commodity prices and high input costs.” “And while much of the industrywide distress predates his second stint in the White House, (President Donald) Trump has quickly nudged more farmers closer to the brink of going under and created turbulence for producers trying to make ends meet,” Wolf and Witley reported. “Unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal program cuts, and frozen Agriculture Department funding…

Train collisions are a rare occurrence on America’s roads, thanks to modern safety systems, improved rail infrastructure, and public awareness campaigns. However, when they do happen, the consequences can be severe due in part to the sheer size and weight of both the trains and the vehicles, as well as the potential bodily harm. Despite the safety measures, one major collision involving a grain truck took place earlier this month near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, and it’s gaining a lot of attention because it was caught on another vehicle’s dashcam video. Around 2:13 p.m., police responded to numerous reports of the…

Just past 8:30 a.m. CT, July corn was down 3¼¢ at $4.86¾ per bushel. July soybeans were up 4¼¢ at $10.45¾ per bushel. July wheat contracts were lower. CBOT wheat was down 5¾¢ at $5.46½ per bushel. KC wheat was down 3¼¢ at $5.60½. Minneapolis wheat was down 3¢ at $6.11. Yesterday, USDA released the weekly Crop Progress report. Corn and soybean planting progress in the leading corn- and soybean-growing states was pegged ahead of the five-year average for both crops. June live cattle were up $1.43 at $205.18 per hundredweight (cwt) just past 8:30 a.m. CT. August feeder cattle…

There’s no shortage of adorable children’s books out there, and this includes books about agriculture! Kids are never too young to learn about ag. Hearing stories about cows, farmers, tractors, and so much more can help kids grow up with an understanding of what ag is and why it’s important to their life. Reading also exposes children to new vocabulary, helps them develop empathy, and ensures they are exposed to different lifestyles and learning about the world around them. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most fun children’s books about agriculture! 1. Please Tip the Cows…

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) – The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for testing of fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The suspension is another disruption to the nation’s food safety programs after the termination and departure of 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal workforce. The FDA this month also suspended existing and developing programs that ensured accurate…

1. Corn Futures Rise in Overnight Trading Corn futures were higher overnight on signs of demand for U.S. supplies and as the value of the dollar plunges.  Sales of U.S. corn to overseas buyers in the week through April 10 jumped to 1.56 million metric tons, the USDA said. That’s up 99% from the previous week and 39% from the prior four-week average.  Mexico was the big buyer at 401,500 metric tons, followed by Japan at 263,300 tons, and Spain at 240,000 tons.  Soybean sales jumped to 554,800 tons, up from 172,300 tons the week prior, and 74% from the average,…

From unfavorable weather to weed resistance, where others may see a defeating circumstance, Tim Dahl sees a problem to solve.  An agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection in southern Minnesota, Dahl is one of the contributing agronomists for Successful Farming’s coverage of the USDA’s Crop Progress report. He’s worked in the agricultural industry for more than 35 years. The Minnesota native spoke with us about growing up in the seed business and the biggest challenges confronting growers this season. SF: How did you end up in the ag industry?  TD: I grew up on a farm here in southeastern…