Author: staff

With continuing improvements to technology and genetics across the agricultural industry, it’s no surprise to regularly see world records fall. This month in California’s Imperial Valley, father-son grower duo Ralph and Jason Taylor set a new world record for extractable sugar per acre. California is the sixth largest sugarbeet producer in the nation (Minnesota, Idaho, and North Dakota own the top three spots). The Taylors of TNT Management Inc. used Betaseed variety 5678 in a 130-acre field to average 77.91 tons per acre with a sugar content of 17.15 percent. That mean they achieved 22,604 pounds of extractable sugar per…

1. Wheat Futures Lower Overnight on Harvest Pressure Wheat futures were lower in overnight trading as the winter harvest in the U.S. wraps up and collection of spring varieties rolls on.  About 98% of the U.S. winter crop was in the bin as of Sunday, up from 94% a week earlier and on par with the prior five-year average, the Department of Agriculture said in a report this week.  Roughly 53% of spring wheat was harvested at the start of the week versus 36% seven days earlier and just behind the average of 54% for this time of year, the…

According to data compiled by the Successful Farming team, more than 6,000 acres of Iowa farmland are set to be auctioned in Sept. 2025. Listings range from single tracts of less than 30 acres to a multi-parcel auction that includes 646 acres. Here’s a closer look at the farmland expected to change hands across 27 Iowa counties. Lee County Seven Lee County tracts totaling 535.77 surveyed acres will sell via virtual live auction on Sept. 16, 2025. The sale includes full farming rights for the 2026 season and includes productive tillable acreage, improved pastureland, and excellent hunting ground.   The sale…

By Cami Koons John Deere announced Tuesday all of its Tier 4 diesel engines were approved for B30 fuels, a fuel blend with up to 30% biodiesel.  Iowa Renewable Fuels Association called the action a “major step” toward renewable fuel adoption, especially for producers in Iowa who have several B30 incentive programs.  The adoption means that farmers can use the higher-blend fuel in their agricultural equipment like tractors and combines, which typically use the heavy-duty engines. Previously, John Deere rated these tier-4 engines for B20, or 20% biodiesel, fuel blends.  IRFA executive director Monte Shaw said in a press release…

By Joshua Haiar A company is asking South Dakota regulators for approval to construct a $750 million wind farm in western South Dakota that would produce up to 300 megawatts — enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.  The proposal from Philip Wind Partners, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Invenergy, would be in a 70,000-acre area of privately owned land in Haakon County about 15 miles north of Philip, which is about 85 miles east of Rapid City. Plans call for up to 87 turbines and up to seven miles of electrical transmission lines. According to the application, the project would create about 200…

The National Sorghum Foundation has selected three students as recipients of its 2025-26 academic year scholarships. Each award recognizes exceptional academic achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to advancing agriculture and the sorghum industry. Andrew Le, a senior at Kansas State University, is the recipient of the Bill Kubecka Memorial Scholarship. Le is majoring in political science and global food systems leadership and served as the Kansas Sorghum Collegiate Fellow through K-State’s Food and Ag Policy Fellowship program during spring 2025. Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Le plans to pursue a public service fellowship after graduation, with a long-term goal of working…

By Cassandra Stephenson The U.S. Department of Agriculture invested $89 million — mostly in loans — to rural Tennessee communities to support improvements to electric utilities, critical infrastructure and education. The Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, a Shelbyville-based electric cooperative serving nearly 83,000 customers across 17 counties, will receive the lion’s share of the investment through a $64.7 million loan. The loan will help the utility build and improve 239 miles of line to connect an additional 7,230 customers, according to the USDA. The electric cooperative previously partnered with the USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program to administer pass-through funding…

In July, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the National Farm Security Action Plan, the Trump Administration’s effort to elevate American agriculture as a key element of national security. The announcement included a Foreign Farm Land Purchases map and a web portal to report violations of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). Rollins said in the announcement, “We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods.” Impact on Foreign Owned Agribusinesses  The effort to secure U.S. farmland creates uncertainty for foreign owned agribusinesses like Syngenta. The…

Communication and issue experts Brandi Buzzard, Hinda Mitchell, and Eric Mittenthal will serve as mentors during the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2025 College Aggies Online scholarship program. Collegiate students, clubs, and classes are invited to sign up. The 2025 program is set to begin on September 8. CAO connects college students from across the country who are passionate about sharing agriculture’s story. Over the course of nine weeks, participants will gain the tools, training, and experience needed to become confident communicators about agriculture online and on campus. Last year, CAO participants were awarded $20,000 in scholarships and prizes for demonstrating exceptional…

Fendt has debuted the Fendt Optimum — the company’s first stack-fold planter — built with features from Momentum planters.  “Fendt planters are designed to give three things to farmers: create the best environment for seed placement, deliver the absolute perfect seed placement, and offer farmers the best efficiency and also flexibility. Optimum is delivering just that,” said Arthur Santos, marketing manager for Fendt planters.  The Fendt Optimum is built for corn, soybeans, sorghum, and cotton planting, and can be equipped with row unit seed hoppers or a 55-bushel center fill station. The planter is available in a variety of models…