Author: staff

By Ryan Hanrahan NBC News’s Evan Bush reported this past weekend that “the simmering threat of bird flu may be inching closer to boiling over. This year has been marked by a series of concerning developments in the virus’s spread.” “Since April, at least 65 people have tested positive for the virus — the first U.S. cases other than a single infection in 2022,” Bush reported. “Dairy cow herds in 16 states have been infected this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] confirmed the country’s first severe bird flu infection on [last] Wednesday, a critically ill patient…

By Cami Koons Researchers from Iowa State University (ISU) have partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) to develop a robot that would detect nitrates and monitor tile health to help farmers keep their land productive.  Nearly half of Iowa’s harvested cropland has tile drainage, according to ag census data from the USDA. The underground drainage systems help to boost crop productivity, but environmental and water groups have pointed out they can also deliver excessive amounts of nitrate and other nutrients downstream. Mike Castellano, a professor of soil science at ISU, said the robots and nitrate sensors could help farmers detect where, how…

Grain markets opened mixed on Friday after a strong close Thursday.  The USDA’s weekly U.S. Export Sales report was released this morning, delayed one day because of the midweek holiday. The report was friendly for wheat and corn, while soybean sales were slightly disappointing.  The net sales numbers from the report were:  612,400 metric tons for wheat 1,711,300 metric tons for corn 978,400 metric tons for soybeans.   As traders wrap up the week, they will be keeping an eye on key moving-average lines on the daily charts. Livestock futures opened quietly mixed on Friday morning. Cash trade has been very light this…

What Happened Good weather in Brazil over the past 60 days and a forecast for continued conducive crop growing conditions have weakened both soybean and soybean product prices. Expectations for record supplies continue to grow, with the USDA currently estimating the Brazilian soybean crop at 169 million metric tons, up substantially from last year’s 153 million. Year-to-date, U.S. exports are strong, up 10% compared with last year. That is expected to slow, as the overriding big picture perspective of increasing Brazilian production coupled with a weakening Brazilian real is keeping pressure on prices. To make matters potentially worse, for an…

Farmers take ideas and inspiration from fellow farmers all the time. Use these farm inventions and solutions to fix issues before true problems arise. These ideas around livestock and ranching were featured in All Around the Farm® in Successful Farming magazine. Cattle Side and Back Scratcher To make a cattle scratcher, I welded together two old coil springs from the front-end suspension of a truck. To gain some adjustability, I welded them to an old sprocket at a slight angle, and I mounted the sprocket to the side of an old silo. Because of the sprocket spacing, I can rotate…

by Erin Socha When Mike Moddrell bought 320 acres of land in southwest Douglas County in 2002, it looked very different from the tallgrass prairie it is today. “When I bought it, it had been neglected for a long, long time,” Moddrell said. “It was in pretty bad shape. I kept burning and burning and burning, and the native grass responds to the fire. It’s taken 20 years for the native grass to come back.” Today, the land boasts an abundance of native grasses and wildflowers that would have otherwise died out under the relentless attack of invasive and woody…

The grain markets opened at 8:30 a.m. and are higher in the early trade. The U.S. dollar is a fraction lower today but is still trading right at two-year highs above 108. The Brazilian real is trading very close to all-time low at 6.18 to the U.S. dollar. This is helping keep Brazilian soybean prices high as we approach the major harvest season. The grain markets are focused on weather in South America and global export demand. The overall pattern in Brazil is still favorable, with many trade analysts projecting a record soybean crop. Argentina has been trending drier, but…

by Ryan Hanrahan Reuters’ Gram Slattery reported Sunday that “President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.” “Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he would not let the canal fall into the ‘wrong hands,’ warning of potential Chinese influence on the passage,” Slattery reported. “After the event, he posted an image on Truth Social of an American flag flying over a narrow body of water, with the comment:…

Grain prices settled the holiday shortened session mixed. March corn was up 1¢, January soybeans were up 6¢, and wheat was down 5 to 7¢. March oats fell to the lowest level since early September as futures were down 11¢. When futures resume trading on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. CT, will corn be able to push through the $4.51 resistance target? January soybeans need to get above the 20-day moving average ($9.84) before we are likely to see any new momentum traders enter the long side.  Livestock futures were mostly lower at the 12:15 p.m. CT early close today.…

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is back and will take effect on Jan. 13, 2025. On Dec. 3, a federal judge from the Eastern District of Texas (Sherman Division) issued a preliminary nationwide injunction, preventing Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) from enforcing the CTA and its implementing regulations. On Dec. 23, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted that earlier order. Following that decision, FinCEN announced it will delay enforcement until Jan. 13, 2025. The original deadline was Jan. 1, 2025. Background on CTA By Jan. 13, millions of small businesses, including farms, have to report their beneficial ownership…