Author: staff

INDIANAPOLIS — Walking around the 97th annual National FFA Convention, you can’t help but notice the sea of blue corduroy jackets from across the country. Each one represents a unique story and journey in agriculture. But these jackets aren’t just a symbol of membership; for many, they mark the beginning of something greater — a pathway to leadership, learning, and lifelong connections. The convention is a hub of energy, uniting thousands of members who share a common passion for agriculture and a commitment to making an impact in their communities. For Sydney Smith with Nutrien Ag Solutions, the FFA jacket…

Whenever an Allis-Chalmers 440 shows up on an auction, it always grabs my attention. Granted, this one is prettier than most, but otherwise is no different. At any rate, the way these tractors came about is kind of interesting. Let’s dig in a little deeper, shall we? Along the way, we’ll take a look at this one that lives in South Dakota until it sells on an auction wrapping up on Nov. 6. A-C 440 listings on Tractor Zoom A lot of people say that the 440 was A-C’s first 4WD — it wasn’t. Allis-Chalmers actually had a 4WD farm…

By Ryan Hanrahan Progressive Farmer’s Anthony Greder reported Monday that “both the U.S. corn and soybean harvests are now double digits ahead of their five-year averages as dry weather continued across most of the country last week, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.” “Corn harvest moved ahead 18 percentage points nationally to reach 65% complete as of Sunday,” Greder reported. “That was 10 points ahead of last year’s 55% and 13 points ahead of the five-year average of 52%. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin were all…

The farm economy stabilized in the Midwest and northern Plains but weakened in much of the country this fall as producers nationwide confronted high costs and lower commodity prices, said the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book on Wednesday. “Agricultural activity was flat to down modestly, with some crop prices remaining unprofitably low,” said the national economic summary. The Beige Book, which is based on reports from regional Federal Reserve banks, is published a couple of weeks ahead of the periodic meetings of the Fed committee that sets interest rates. The next meeting will be on Nov. 6 and 7, immediately after…

Ten winners of the 2024 National FFA Agricultural Proficiency Awards were named during the third session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo on Thursday, Oct. 24, which is being held in Indianapolis. Agricultural proficiency awards honor FFA members who, through Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers. Students compete in areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management. Proficiency awards are also recognized at local and state levels and provide recognition to members exploring and becoming established in agricultural career pathways. Today, awards were announced for 10 of the…

1. Soybeans, Corn Higher in Overnight Trading Soybean and corn futures were higher in overnight trading on continued signs of strong demand for U.S. supplies.  Exporters reported sales of 130,000 metric tons of soybeans for delivery to China and 259,000 tons of the oilseeds to an unnamed country, all for delivery in the 2024/2025 marketing year that started on Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said yesterday. Sales of 100,000 metric tons of corn were also reported.  That follows sales of 359,500 metric tons of corn to Mexico that were announced Tuesday and another large grouping of soybean and…

The National FFA Organization has announced the 2024 National FFA Agriscience Fair winners for Animal Systems and Food Products and Processing. The winners were recognized today during the third session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo. The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food and natural resources. The agriscience fair is for middle and high school students. Students compete in one of six categories in the agriscience fair and under one of the six divisions —…

Rural communities continue to face hazards associated with working in and around grain structures, as grain entrapments are the leading cause of confined space-related injuries and deaths. To help prevent tragic accidents, Nationwide and its partners provided life-saving grain rescue tubes and training to 58 fire departments across rural America through its 2024 Grain Bin Safety campaign. In partnership with the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, Nationwide, and its partners have now supplied grain rescue equipment and training to 390 first responders across 32 states, eclipsing over $1.7 million in resources provided to help prepare them when local grain…

The National FFA Organization has announced the 2024 National FFA Agriscience Fair winners for Social Systems. The winners were recognized today during the second session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo. The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food and natural resources. The agriscience fair is for middle and high school students. Students compete in one of six categories in the agriscience fair and under one of the six divisions — either individually or in a…

Joanmarie Weiss has a true love of agriculture and a heart for teaching. Thanks to the agritourism enterprise on her family’s century farm outside Frankenmuth, Michigan, southeast of Saginaw, she gets to combine both passions.  Known as Little Bavaria, Frankenmuth is a popular tourist destination. The town abounds with German architecture, and restaurants serve traditional Bavarian foods, such as sausages and pretzels, alongside locally brewed and traditional German beers.  Visitors can explore Frankenmuth from a horse-drawn carriage ride, or a riverboat cruise on the Cass River, which passes under a wooden covered bridge and past the Frankenmuth Woolen Mill, Star…