Author: staff

Farmland values continued to climb in many areas in 2024, but the increases were more modest compared with recent years. Experts say prices are likely to dip in 2025.  “It’s a mixed bag,” says Steve Bruere, president of Peoples Co., an integrated land solutions firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. “For every sale you think might be a little weaker, there’s another one the next day that’s incredibly strong. But there’s just not as much strength in the market right now. You can just feel that with the number of people participating in the auctions and the number of bids,…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leader of the loosely defined Make America Healthy Again coalition, will head the Department of Health and Human Services in the new administration, said President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to public health,” said Trump in announcing the nomination on social media. The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees most of the U.S. food supply, is part of HHS. The USDA has jurisdiction over meat and poultry products. Before the Nov.…

by Amy Dalrymple Heat from natural gas flares combined with high winds and dry vegetation caused two of the October wildfires in western North Dakota, according to the state fire marshal. Investigations into an Oct. 5 fire near Keene and a fire the same day near New Town found that both originated with flares at oil and gas wells next to agricultural land with stubble or dry grass, according to investigative reports. The McKenzie County fires occurred in the hours before state regulators asked operators to voluntarily shut down oil and gas wells in areas with high fire danger, according to…

As of Nov. 10, another top corn-growing state joined Texas in completing this year’s corn harvest, and three more top soybean-growing states joined Minnesota in wrapping up soybean harvest. Here’s a closer look at which states are done, according to USDA’s most recent Crop Progress report. Corn Harvest: North Carolina Joining Texas as the second of the top 18 corn-growing states to have completed 2024 corn harvest is North Carolina. Corn harvest in the Tar Heel State reached 100% after a one percentage point increase for the week ending Nov. 10. With that, progress is just ahead of progress last…

December corn ended the day up 5¢. January soybeans closed up 11¢. March wheat contracts also ended the day higher. CBOT wheat was up 5¾¢ at the close. KC and Minneapolis wheat were up 5½¢. Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting, highlighted two pieces of positive news for soybeans today. The most supportive news, according to Setzer, was that China is eliminating the export tax rebate for used cooking oil. “Exporters in China have been receiving a 13% tax refund for exporting this product, with much coming to the U.S. for renewable fuel production,” said Setzer. “The immediate reaction…

The nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has vowed to “weaponize” regulatory agencies against modern agriculture and undo decades of farm policy. It’s official: President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Elections have consequences! Trump made the announcement Thursday afternoon on social media saying, in part: “HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.” I am…

A weak La Niña is predicted to take place this winter, bringing drier and warmer conditions, especially for the eastern United States. There is a 57% chance for the La Niña to emerge in October to December, and continue through January to March 2025, according to a recent report by the Climate Prediction Center.  Mild winter conditions pose issues for states in the High Plains such as North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, according to Bret Walts, chief marketing officer and meteorologist for BAM Weather. If the La Niña causes the jet stream to settle further south, the High Plains…

Starting in 2025, Channel customers will have access to Channel Edge — a downstream custom blend of individually registered soybean seed treatment products and the only combination of four fungicides plus imidacloprid insecticide currently available on the market. Channel Edge was developed based on feedback received from Channel SeedPros, with the goal of providing strong agronomic efficacy and increased yield potential. Available for soybeans in 2025, this suite of seed treatment products is designed to help mitigate key diseases and pests. Channel SeedPros will work closely with farmers to decide which treatment the seed will receive based on their individual…

Smithfield Foods has agreed to a $2 million settlement to resolve allegations of child labor law violations at its plant in St. James, Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry reported that the company’s subsidiary, Smithfield Packaged Meats, employed 11 minors, aged 14 to 17, from April 2021 to April 2023. Three of these children were hired at the age of 14. Investigators found that nine minors worked beyond legally permissible hours, and all 11 performed hazardous tasks prohibited for individuals younger than 18. The settlement includes measures to prevent future violations. State Labor Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach emphasized that…

What Happened The Nov. 8 USDA World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report confirmed what many had thought: Dry weather in August impacted U.S. soybean yield. However, at 51.7 bushels per acre (bpa), the November figure was lower than the pre-report estimate of 52.9 bpa and down 1.4 bushels from the previous month. Traders were quick to respond with advancing prices. Why This Is Important High crop ratings at the end of summer had some private estimates suggesting yield may have been closer to 54 or 55 bpa. However, the October estimate remained unchanged at 53.1 bpa from September,…