Author: staff

Since early November, President-elect Donald Trump has been announcing his cabinet picks at a historic pace. To date, he’s named at least 24 of his closest advisors. Many of the positions will need to be confirmed by the Senate. In the last Trump administration, the role of USDA Secretary was among the last to be filled when Sonny Perdue was confirmed by the Senate in April 2017. Here’s a closer look at the names on Trump’s unofficial short list for the position in his second administration. Abel Maldonado Location: Santa Maria, California Current Role: Owner of Runway Vineyards Background: Maldonado…

Tractor and combine sales continued the year’s downward trend in October, according to numbers from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “October’s sales of ag tractors and combines follow a September that also showed a slowdown in sales,” says Curt Blades, senior vice president at AEM. “These declines point to the overall softness in the ag economy following a robust five years of positive industry results.” October continued the downward trend in overall tractor and combine sales, with every month in 2024 falling below the five-year average (2019-2023).  Association of Equipment Manufacturers Tractor sales Total farm tractor sales for October…

Blue Diamond Growers was recently awarded the Distinguished Service Citation by the National FFA Organization at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. The Distinguished Service Citation honors agencies, businesses, or other groups who have made outstanding contributions to FFA and agricultural education. Awardees must be nominated by a state association. Blue Diamond Growers was among the four awardees acknowledged at this year’s National FFA Convention. This year, the California Association FFA nominated Blue Diamond Growers, paying homage to their longstanding partnership on Giving Tuesday. This day is an annual tradition for FFA alumni, friends, and supporters to…

A strategic collaboration between Indigo Ag and Truterra aims to simplify and expand sustainability solutions for farmers. The companies plan to build a common framework for programs to ensure improved consistency and standardization of agricultural sustainability outcomes.  Indigo will provide industry-leading science, data, and technology capabilities while Truterra will offer farmer engagement and ag retailer expertise.  “Truterra is confident in its ability to lead [and] drive cooperation and certainty in the ag sustainability space,” said Jamie Leifker, president of Truterra, in a news release. “Our network of ag retailers is positioned to guide farmers to the programs that best matches…

DAILLY Bites Women in farming families juggle household tasks, childcare, finances, and off-farm jobs. Isolation and emotional labor add to the mental strain they face. Despite challenges, they take pride in farm life and seek greater recognition. DAILY Discussion If you’re like most Americans, you probably don’t give too much thought to where your food comes from. And you likely pay even less attention to the people who supply it. But recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make…

DAILY Bites Purdue’s new institute helps farmers commercialize food products. Support includes training, workshops, and product testing. Focus on boosting local economies and student learning. DAILY Discussion A newly formed institute at Purdue University is offering training and development support to agriculture producers with novel food and beverage product ideas. The new Institute for Food Product Innovation and Commercialization is funded by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. “This grant is focused on farmers who want to add value to their product,” said Dharmendra Mishra, institute director and associate professor of food science. Entrepreneurs…

Today the USDA released the 34th Crop Progress report of the 2024 growing season. Winter Wheat Progress According to the report, as of Nov. 17, 94% of winter wheat across the top 18 growing states was planted. This was up from 91% the week prior but behind the five-year average of 96%. The USDA said 84% of winter wheat across the top growing states was out of the ground. This was up from 76% the week prior and on track with the five-year average. The report said as of Nov. 17 the condition of the winter wheat crop in the…

AGDAILY Bites Oregon’s first case has been documented, but no evidence of person-to-person transmission. California has seen five new cases. Nationally, there have been 508 HPAI outbreaks across 15 states this year. AGDAILY Discussion The Oregon Health Authority has reported the state’s first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5, while California’s Department of Public Health announced five new infections among farm workers, bringing the state’s total to 26 since early October. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 52 human cases of H5 avian flu so far this year. The Oregon case, announced on their…

“How’s it going?” is a common conversation starter. I use the reply that Grandpa Nelson favored. “Steady by jerks,” I’ll say. This has never been truer than during my recovery from treatment for tonsil cancer. There are going to be repercussions whenever they slightly kill you with toxic chemicals and blast you with ionizing radiation. Think of Superman soaked in kryptonite. More than two months have passed since my last radiation. I was told that things would continue to get worse for the first two weeks. They weren’t kidding. My mouth and throat became so sore that the mere act…

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/2024/11/top-third-agdaily-2024-11-18.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of Nov. 18, 2024 appeared first on AGDAILY.