Author: staff

By Ryan Hanrahan ABC News’ Allison Pecorin reported that “Senate Republicans announced Sunday that they planned a brief pause on the precession of events toward a final vote on the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ Senators will begin their vote-a-rama at 9 a.m. Monday, instead of the original early morning start time that was anticipated. In the meantime, debate of the bill will continue on the Senate floor until senators finish or their time expires.” “Once the vote-a-rama kicks off, senators will be allowed to offer an unlimited number amendments to the bill,” Pecorin reported. “When this ends, they’ll take a…

In junior high, Tyler Worthey discovered “Hot Ones,” a YouTube show where guests are challenged to eat spicy chicken wings. Although Worthey thought the show’s concept was hilarious, he found himself connecting to host Sean Evans, a fellow Illinois native. Evans’s ability to connect to his guests through his hot sauce inspired Worthey to create his own sauces to share, noting he doesn’t like “almost all condiments besides the ones I make.”  At the same time, in a biology class, he was learning about capsaicin, a chemical compound found in chili peppers that influences heat level. Worthey’s family didn’t farm,…

It has been said that the only constant is change. This is true except if you’re hoping for change from a $20 bill after filling your car’s gas tank. Tremendous changes have taken place on the farm where I launched my dairy farming career 46 years ago. When I first rented that bedraggled little farm, the city of Brookings was a mile and a half away. The city has since, in an amoeba-like fashion, gradually engulfed the entire farm. The day I lost my lease on the farm, my elderly landlord’s son informed me that the entire half-section would soon…

Do you ever feel frustrated when you look at the ingredient list on a loaf of bread because you don’t know what most of the ingredients are? What if a bread product contained fewer ingredients? A new trio of Oklahoma State University wheat varieties might just be the food solution for consumers interested in fewer additives — the substances added to food products during processing to help improve color, texture, flavor, or, in the case of bread, dough quality. The use of the food additive called vital wheat gluten has increased over the past 20 years, making up 2-20 percent…

The latest Crop Protection Network map shows positive cases of tar spot have been reported in five Indiana counties so far this growing season. First reported in the U.S. in 2015, there is a history of the disease in all 92 Indiana counties. Tar spot has also been confirmed in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois this year. What Should Farmers Do? “This extremely hot weather is lowering the risk in the model. I would still wait to see what happens the next few weeks before pulling the fungicide trigger,” advised Associate Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology Darcy Telenko…

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/2025/06/ag-daily-2025-06-30.mp3

Today, USDA published the 13th Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season. Here’s a look at the latest corn, soybean, wheat, and oat numbers. Corn As of June 29, 8% of the corn crop across 14 of the country’s top 18 corn-growing states had reached the silking stage. That’s ahead of the five-year average of 6%. USDA reported the condition of the nation’s corn crop as follows: Good/excellent: 73%Fair: 22%Poor/very poor: 5% That’s the highest good/excellent percentage of the season. Soybeans The USDA said that as of June 29, 94% of the soybean crop across the top 18 soybean-growing states had…

Alltech’s newly released Sustainability Report outlines the company’s environmental impact reductions, support for agri-food producers, and agriculture’s role in strengthening food system resilience. “Our vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty recognizes that thriving farms and food businesses are essential for a more sustainable planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “When producers are equipped to succeed — to be profitable, to build a legacy and reinvest in their land and communities — we all move closer to a world of abundance.” The 2024 report highlights a year of strong momentum and measurable impact: In…

Today, the USDA released the 2025 Acreage report, containing updated estimates of corn, soybean, and wheat planted acres for the 2025/2026 crop. The estimates were little changed from the agency’s March 2025 Prospective Plantings report. The report methodology said the planted acreage estimates were based mainly on farmer surveys conducted the first two weeks of this month. Altogether, the USDA estimated a total of 224.1 million corn, soybean, and wheat acres for 2025/2026, up from 223.8 million for 2024/2025. Corn In today’s report USDA pegged 2025/2026 planted corn acres slightly lower than the average trade expectation and the agency’s March…

Image courtesy of Kayla Eaton, Smithville Attendance Center FFA Advisor From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to sunflower fields and petting zoos, agritourism continues to grow as a dynamic bridge between agriculture and the public. For students involved in FFA, it presents a unique opportunity to showcase agricultural practices, generate income, and creatively engage communities. A recent infographic titled The Path to an Agritourism Enterprise breaks this journey down into five manageable steps designed for students pursuing a Supervised Agricultural Experience or chapter-wide project. Self-reflect: Before launching into business planning, the first step is personal. Students are encouraged to assess…