Author: staff

By Maximilian Heath June 26 (Reuters) – Dry weather over the last week in most of Argentina boosted 2025/26 wheat planting, especially in key farm areas that had been suffering with excess moisture after heavy rains in May, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said on Thursday. “The good weather allowed the acceleration of farm work in particularly delayed regions … like the southern farming core and central Buenos Aires province,” the exchange said in its weekly grains report. Wheat sowing moved ahead 12.4 percentage points over the last week, with the total planted area rising to 72.7% of 6.7 million hectares expected for…

When Jessie Scott, editor in chief at Successful Farming, asked me to write an editorial for the 30th anniversary of Pork Powerhouses®, my first instinct was to turn her down. Do I want to revisit those years of reporting?  I retired from Successful Farming in 2021 after writing about the swine industry for 37 years and had seen the best and worst of that most maligned — yet fascinating — chunk of agriculture. During that time, the industry flipped from independent farrow-to-finish family farmers, like my father, to packers owning production.  The late 1990s, especially, were a time of tremendous…

The Institute for Competition Sciences and the National FFA Organization have announced an agreement to provide a competitive event for agricultural education students that emphasize skills in plant, soil, and aerospace science, as well as experimental design, data analysis, and teamwork. The Plant the Moon Challenge is a global citizen science experiment that invites students of all ages to explore the possibilities of growing vegetable crops in lunar or Martian soil simulants. It brings STEM and agriculture together in a hands-on, challenge-based, real-world learning project that is closely tied to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the…

The latest Crop Protection Network map indicates positive cases of tar spot have been reported in six Missouri counties so far this growing season. First reported in the U.S. in 2015, the disease has been confirmed in Missouri since 2019. In total, 63 of the state’s 114 counties have a history of the disease. The northern half of the state has been more impacted than southern counties. Tar spot has also been confirmed in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana this growing season. What Should Farmers Do? Good scouting is the best way to identify tar spot in corn, said…

I’ll confess to being a bit of a nerd about Nordic-designed gear. My best axe is a Hults Bruk, my sport watch of choice is a Suunto, my Bushcraft blade is made by Helle Knives, and my favorite running vest is from Uswe. And since my wife and I started wearing Helly Hansen Workwear a few years ago around our small Virginia farm, I’ve gravitated toward the brand’s blend of flexibility and durability that comfortably spans seasons. The Nordic approach Helly Hansen Workwear brings to farm and industrial clothing is innovative without being gimmicky, functional without being basic, and rugged…

Higher tariffs on nearly all major U.S. trading partners are piling pressure on farmers already struggling with soaring agricultural supply costs and elevated rates. For April Hemmes, a fourth-generation farmer on land her family has worked for almost 125 years in north-central Iowa, life is guided by a simple philosophy: “Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” It’s a mindset that has helped her navigate extreme weather, market shocks, and trade disputes. But this year, Hemmes said, feels different: President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hikes on nearly all major U.S. trading partners have escalated a trade war, fueling…

Plant-based products’ use of the term “milk” has caused friction for decades among consumers, dairy producers, and the companies that produce milk alternatives. Now, the American Butter Institute is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action against Country Crock’s Dairy Free Salted Butter, asserting the product is misbranded and violates multiple federal labeling laws. In a letter dated June 25, 2025, ABI Executive Director Christopher Galen emphasized that the product, labeled as “butter,” fails to meet the legal definition and creates a misleading impression for consumers. ABI’s central argument rests on the long-standing statutory definition of butter,…

According to the latest Crop Protection Network map, positive cases of tar spot have been reported in five Iowa counties so far this growing season. “This is no surprise!” Iowa State University Extension Field Crops Pathologist Alison Robertson wrote in a recent blog post. “Every county in Iowa has a history of tar spot and consequently the pathogen is present.” Corn is grown in all 99 counties, which means the host is present, too. First reported in the Corn Belt in 2015, the disease has been confirmed in Iowa since 2016. Tar spot has also been confirmed in Kansas, Nebraska,…

1. Corn Futures Slightly Higher in Overnight Trading Corn futures were modestly higher overnight on technical buying after this week’s selloff.  Investors who were short the market, or had bet on lower prices, likely bought back contracts and booked profits.  Favorable weather conditions have put a lid on prices in recent sessions.  Still, the condition of U.S. corn was reported at 70% good or excellent at the start of the week, down 2 percentage points from the week prior, the Department of Agriculture said in a report. Four percent of the crop was silking as of Sunday.  Soybean ratings were…

For the third consecutive year, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Les Voyageurs club earned the top prize in the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2024 College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. During the nine-week program, club members host 10 College Aggies events to inform students and community members about agriculture. “We want to be able to educate everyone, whether they come into our major or not, to make sure they have a well-rounded understanding of agriculture,” says Raegan West, the club’s vice president and a junior majoring in natural resource ecology and management with a concentration in wildlife ecology. 2024 States at…