Author: staff

By Joana Colussi, Jonathan Coppess, Nick Paulson, and Gary Schnitkey Trade disputes can be short-term disruptions, but history also suggests that even short-term disruptions can have lasting impacts — elevating new competitors and shifting the balance of global agricultural trade. The U.S.–China trade conflict, which began in 2018 and has escalated again in 2025 under Donald Trump’s second term, has revived concerns about the reliability of trade flows between the two largest global economies. The 1973 U.S. soybean embargo provides a valuable historical example. What started as a temporary policy decision triggered long-term consequences, leading key trading partners to rethink…

Load and speed index on tires represent vital information that must be matched to the machinery the tires will be used on. If the load/speed index is too low, the tires could be overloaded, according to James Crouch, national product manager, Agriculture and Forestry, for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires. “Overloaded tires can lead to premature wear, accidents and spills, and even injury or death,” he said. Load and Speed Ratings Load and speed ratings must be calculated based on the real-world weight of each axle. That means looking beyond the machine’s shipping weight and accounting for the weight of fuel, spray…

CNH Industrial — parent company of Case IH, New Holland, and Steyer — has signed an agreement with Starlink to bring satellite connectivity to farmers.  “We’re thrilled to offer our customers access to industry-leading satellite connectivity, enabling them to maximize the potential of our full suite of precision technology in even the most challenging rural environments,” said Stefano Pampalone, agriculture chief commercial officer at CNH. Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, is designed to provide low-latency, high-speed internet access via its satellite network. CNH will be using this network on its machinery to provide access to intelligent and precision functions to…

Nearly every state in the country has seen an increase in foreign interests owning farmland since 2014, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Foreign countries and interests own more than 45 million acres of farmland in the country, which accounts for just over 3 percent of the nation’s private farmland, but the number of agricultural acres owned by foreign interests increased by 67 percent from 2014 to 2023. The USDA tracks foreign investors “who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in” U.S. agricultural land. While Texas, Colorado and Maine have the largest amount of foreign-owned agricultural land in the…

At the Friday market close, July corn was down 5¢ at $4.43½ per bushel. July soybeans were 1¼¢ weaker at $10.50 per bushel. “It was no surprise that [Friday’s] trade was choppy and volatile after the week we have had.” Said Karl Setzer, Partner with Consus Ag Consulting, “Choppy trade started with the release of the monthly WASDE report on Monday that surprised the market with tighter new crop U.S. ending stocks on corn and soybeans, with soybeans well into a rationing range. Trade really did not react that positively to this news as future soy demand, mainly for biodiesel…

Tractor Supply Company has announced the results of its spring Paper Clover campaign to benefit 4-H. Customers donated $1,135,127.00 to support 4-H youth programs in local communities across the country, which will help send 4,540 children to 4-H summer camp this year, and brings the total funds raised to more than $25 million. The Paper Clover campaign, now in its 15th year, recently earned the top honor for Best Consumer Donation Initiative during Engage for Good’s 2025 Halo Awards. The Gold Halo Award was presented at the annual Gala on April 24, which recognizes the most outstanding partnerships between for-profit…

By Clark Kauffman After nine years as president of Iowa State University, Wendy Wintersteen will be retiring in January 2026. Wintersteen, the first woman and second ISU alum to hold the position of university president at the Ames school, made the announcement on Friday. ISU President Wendy Wintersteen. Courtesy Iowa State University “I am fortunate to have served Iowa State University in many roles over the past 46 years, and it’s been a fascinating journey,” Wintersteen said. “I am truly proud of Iowa State’s extraordinary faculty and staff for their remarkable performance these past years. Perhaps most of all, I…

Five Black U.S. farmworkers from Mississippi have filed a federal lawsuit against prominent Mississippi Delta farmer Gregory Carr, accusing him of systemic discrimination by favoring White South African workers over local Black employees. The lawsuit alleges that Carr misused the H-2A visa program, resulting in thousands of dollars in unpaid wages for the American workers. The suit — lodged in federal court in Greenville by Southern Migrant Legal Services, a project of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, and the Mississippi Center for Justice — makes allegations that Carr exploited the H-2A visa program. This federal program permits U.S. agricultural employers to hire…

The U.S. Drought Monitor released its latest report Thursday, showing worsened drought conditions in Nebraska. According to the monitor, around 62% of the state is in severe or extreme drought.  Eric Hunt, extension educator for Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said getting precipitation in the next 10 days to two weeks is critical.  “If things don’t shape up here in the next two weeks, we’re staring at 2012-type conditions square in the face again,” Hunt said. “And I don’t mean to put that lightly, but I think that’s what we’re facing.”  Compared to the May 8 report, the…

Benjamin Franklin famously said, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” The Founding Father didn’t know it then, but sometimes those two constants happen in quick succession. For farm families, estate taxes aren’t just an abstract policy debate — they’re a very real threat to generational farms and the livelihoods they support. While tax policy tends to fly under the radar for most people, recent developments out of Washington, D.C., are once again putting the federal estate tax front and center, especially for the agricultural community. This time the story starts with the 2017 Tax Cuts and…