Author: staff

Walk down any Main Street in any town and you’ll see “Help Wanted” signs in the windows of restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses.  With the national unemployment rate hovering around 4%, finding employees is difficult, no matter the location. According to a survey by the employment company Manpower, 70% of U.S. employers said they were unable to find suitable employees for current job vacancies.  Agricultural employers face additional challenges, including higher wages being offered in other industries, an aging rural population, young people leaving rural areas, migrant workers becoming settled, and changing immigration policies. Can Ag Compete? Shannon Sand…

The Texas Department of Agriculture has enacted an emergency statewide quarantine to stop the spread of the invasive two-spotted cotton leafhopper, also known as the cotton jassid, a pest posing a grave threat to Texas’ multi-billion-dollar cotton industry. “Texas cotton farmers are the backbone of our economy and our communities,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “Texas grows 40% of the cotton grown in the U.S., making this pest a major threat to our supply. I won’t let a threat like the cotton jassid harm our farmers, ranchers, nurseries, or landscapes. We’re taking aggressive steps to stop this pest in…

Problem Is it possible to change the mind of a husband who refuses to make an estate plan? From G.T., via email I’ve been wanting my husband to get an estate plan done since we were 50 years old. Now we are 65, and my husband is still dragging his feet. He says that I can quit nagging him, but it bothers me, knowing we have a nice farm and three children. I don’t want to be a nag, but I want this estate planning done! Our son and grandson, who farm with us, would like to have a plan…

The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is encouraging college students pursuing careers in the beef industry to apply for the 2026 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded. Introduced in 1989 and sponsored by CME Group, the scholarship identifies and encourages talented students who play a vital role in the future of food production. Students studying education, communication, production, research or other areas related to the beef industry are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship program. “We are pleased to partner with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to continue our support of the…

Young people have the power to spark change, and that energy is taking center stage through a partnership between 4-H and NBCUniversal. In celebration of Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: For Good,” the epic conclusion to the global cinematic “Wicked,” phenomenon, NBCUniversal is supporting 4-H youth who show the world the powerful impact that young leaders can make when they act with purpose — and a little green. 4-H is an official nonprofit partner of the upcoming film, which opens in theaters on November 21. For 4-H’s 6 million young people, this partnership is a defining moment — one that highlights their…

You’ve done everything right. You’ve calibrated your sprayer, checked the nozzles, made smart herbicide decisions, and followed the label to a T. And yet, weeds still stand tall at harvest. When weeds have developed such prominent herbicide resistance, what options are left?  First developed in Australia in the early 2000s, the seed impact mill is a promising new tool for halting weeds in their tracks. Fitted to the back of the combine, the implement mechanically grinds weed seeds so they are no longer viable. The ultimate goal is to reduce the weed seed bank and minimize risk in following years. …

The U.S. is bracing for a record grain harvest totaling 21.5 billion bushels of corn, soybeans and grain sorghum this fall. The bumper crop arrives during a period of heightened uncertainty surrounding the future of the U.S. trade relationship with China, low export market demand for U.S. soybeans and depressed crop prices. Meanwhile, grain storage and transportation logistics are shaping up to be much more complicated than usual. According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, grain storage space will be extraordinarily tight this fall with grain merchandisers charging higher fees due to limited capacity and strained infrastructure. While…

Image by Nokwan007, Shutterstock 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/2025/10/ag-daily-2025-10-06-1.mp3

Ahead of 9:30 a.m. CT, December corn was down a penny at $4.18 per bushel. November soybeans were up less than a penny at $10.18½ per bushel. December CBOT wheat was up 1¼¢ at $5.16½ per bushel. December KC wheat was up less than a penny at $4.97½ per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat was up 2¢ at $5.61¾. “Grain and soybean futures mostly managed small gains in cautious early trading, but corn futures have slipped into the red amid harvest pressure since reopening,” The Brock Report said this morning. “A strong dollar has been a negative market factor as well,…

In the early morning hours of Oct. 2, someone broke into the Keota FFA chapter in eastern Oklahoma, killing five show goats being raised by local FFA and 4-H members.  The goats, which had been housed in pens inside the school’s greenhouse, were part of student-led livestock projects, a cornerstone of agricultural education in Keota. According to updates from FOX23 and KNWA, law enforcement has completed its on-site investigation and confirmed the goats were not shot. The animals have been sent to the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Lab for necropsy, with results expected within two weeks.…