Author: staff

I love cattle and livestock conferences — both the educational sessions and the “hall talk,” if you will. Often, they serve as reunions for past college friends and peers in the livestock industry, as well as vacations for busy ranchers who generally don’t have a lot of time for standard island getaways. Anecdotally, though, it seems most conference attendees these days are Baby Boomers or Generation X (those born, collectively, between 1946 and 1980). And while they may represent an outsized share of the attendees, it’s likely that means there is a younger generation from the family farm or ranch…

By Cindy Gonzalez OMAHA — Grand Island produced the coolest thing made in Nebraska this year, so says the fourth annual manufacturing contest organized by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  More than 40,000 votes were cast across multiple rounds that led to Monday’s reveal of the 2025 winner of the “Coolest Thing Made in Nebraska” competition: the AF Series Combines, produced in the Case IH plant in Grand Island.  Case IH representatives called the AF series their company’s most powerful machines, able to cover more acres in less time with the power and efficiency to handle any crop conditions. Designed, engineered…

By Leah Douglas and Bo Erickson WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is expected to announce a plan as soon as Tuesday to bail out U.S. farmers stung by trade disputes and big harvests, with the initial outlay potentially totaling up to $15 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The plan, however, could be difficult to roll out as an ongoing government shutdown prevents the kind of Congressional action needed to approve such a large payout, and existing government reserves fall short, the sources said. Farmers generally support President Donald Trump but have pressed his administration for trade deals as China continues to spurn U.S.…

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Isabel Teles BRASILIA, Oct. 6 (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to meet in person soon after a friendly video call on Monday, Brazil’s government said, boosting prospects for a thaw in bilateral relations that are at their worst in decades. During the leaders’ 30-minute call, Lula’s office said in a statement that he and Trump discussed their positive impressions of a brief encounter at the United Nations last month and exchanged phone numbers to open a direct line of communication. Trump said on social media that the call was “very good,” with a focus on the…

By Julie Ingwersen CHICAGO, Oct 6 (Reuters) – U.S. farmers had a busy week of harvesting amid warm and dry weather in the U.S. Midwest crop belt last week but progress as of Sunday was still seen as slightly behind the year-ago pace, according to a Reuters poll of nine analysts. On average, the analysts estimated that the U.S. corn crop was 29% harvested by Sunday, up from 18% the previous week but behind the year-ago pace of 30%. For soybeans, analysts on average pegged the harvest as 39% complete, up from 19% last week but behind last year’s figure…

DAILY Bites Ag Economy Barometer rose 1 point to 126 as optimism for the future offset weaker current conditions. Fewer farmers see it as a good time to invest; farm financial and capital indexes both declined. Confidence in tariffs fell, but 83% expect government aid if trade tensions lower prices. DAILY Discussion Farmer sentiment held steady in September, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose just 1 point to a reading of 126. However, there was a shift in producers’ perceptions of current conditions and their expectations for the future. The Index of Current Conditions fell 7 points…

A flurry of activity, weather conditions, long hours, and large machinery make harvest season a potentially dangerous time.  Kent McGuire, an ag health and safety coordinator at Ohio State University, said YOU are your most important tool, so it’s critical to know your physical and emotional limits, and take care of yourself. “Try to get enough sleep. Pace yourself and plan your day out the best you can, and take short breaks throughout the day,” McGuire said. “Take a short walk. Just do something to get your mind and your body away from the piece of equipment to recharge yourself,…

The California Milk Advisory Board, in partnership with VentureFuel, has announced the 14 companies selected to participate in the seventh annual Real California Milk (RCM) Excelerator and Incubator programs. One of the most active dairy innovation programs in the U.S., the Excelerator recently evolved into two tracks to support brands at various stages of growth: the Excelerator for growth-stage companies and an Incubator for earlier-stage products. This year, each track will feature seven companies providing access to programming, mentorship, and stipends to help accelerate company and product growth. This year’s Excelerator cohort companies showcase how brands are leveraging the natural…

Veterinary Pharmaceutical Solution, has announced the recipients of its two individual $2,500 scholarships awarded as part of its 30 Year Anniversary Celebration. Dr. McKenna Henningsen of Keota Veterinary Clinic and Dr. Rachel Stika Jensen of Pipestone Veterinary Services were selected as the recipients. The VPS scholarships were created to support early-career veterinarians. Each recipient received a financial award of $2,500 to support their continued professional development and contributions to the industry. To apply for the scholarship, applicants were required to submit an essay or video outlining the significance of the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act and 21 CFR Part…

Live cattle futures have had an unprecedented upward trend for the last 12 months, reaching new highs practically monthly. The same can be said for feeder cattle prices. As prices moved higher, producers did what they should do, that is, forward sell or hedge to lock in positive margins. We say “should” because when the market offers opportunity to shift risks, those are tools that can and should be considered. Yet, margin calls and opportunity cost ate away at many producers, making them feel they were making a mistake executing risk management strategies. Unfortunately, this can lead to a mindset…