Author: staff

Although harvest seems like the culmination of the year’s work, taking time now to complete fall tillage is key to setting your fields up for the next year. An even layer of residue means consistent moisture and temperature in spring when it’s time to plant. That process starts with the combine.  “Every pass on the field needs to complement the planter for the following spring,” said CJ Parker, Case IH North America tillage marketing manager. “As headers get wider and wider, it’s more important than ever to make sure you don’t have pockets of residue that can affect how your…

AgZen Inc. announced the signing of an agreement with Corteva to explore the commercial potential of AgZen’s crop spraying optimization technology, RealCoverage. The agreement includes evaluation of in-lab and on-field optimizations of various commercially relevant Corteva solutions. AgZen says it is pioneering feedback optimization for agrochemical applications — a new approach with potential to improve outcomes and reduce costs for every part of the direct-ag-inputs industry. AgZen’s first product, RealCoverage, can be bolted onto any sprayer and is the world’s only system that measures and optimizes the number of drops of agrochemicals applied to crops. Vishnu Jayaprakash, CEO of AgZen,…

By Leah Douglas and P.J. Huffstutter WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Reuters) – U.S. states this week warned food aid recipients that their benefits may not be distributed in November if the federal government shutdown stretches into its fourth week. Warnings issued on at least two dozen state websites flag the potential for an unprecedented benefit gap for more than 41 million people who get aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, and the nearly 7 million who receive aid from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC. Such a gap threatens to…

By Leah Douglas and Tom Polansek WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Reuters) – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday continued its campaign to cut the cost of beef, with Trump urging cattle ranchers to lower prices while several agencies announced an effort to rebuild the country’s decimated cattle herd. Earlier this week, Trump said the administration was considering importing Argentine beef as a means of lowering record-high consumer beef prices. The suggestion angered U.S. ranchers. U.S. farmers also recently lost out to Argentina on soybean sales to China. Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that cattle ranchers were benefiting from…

At the Thursday market close, December corn was up 5¢ at $4.28 per bushel. January soybeans were up 12¢ at $10.62 per bushel. “Corn, soybeans, and wheat were higher on the open [Thursday] morning as even without active buying activity, sellers were absent,” said Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting. December CBOT wheat was up 9¼¢ at $5.13 per bushel. December KC wheat were 11½¢ higher at $5.00 per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat rose 8¾¢ at $5.40¾ per bushel. December live cattle were up $1.35 at $241.17 per hundredweight (cwt). January feeder cattle were down $3.60 at $357.42 per…

Michigan FFA has announced a record-breaking surge in student membership for the 2024-25 academic year, growing from 8,800 members to 10,047 — an increase of over 14 percent, the largest percentage growth of any state FFA association in the country. This milestone reflects the expanding reach and relevance of agricultural education across Michigan. With 135 agriscience programs now active statewide and 162 dedicated agricultural educators leading the charge, Michigan FFA continues to cultivate the next generation of leaders in agriculture, food and natural resources. Six new programs launched this year, further strengthening Michigan’s commitment to hands-on, career-focused learning. These include:…

Marking the midpoint of a contentious week for the beef industry, President Trump and industry leaders on Wednesday continued their back-and-forth debate via social media posts and public statements. After the beef industry pushed back on his proposal to purchase Argentine beef over the weekend, the president took to Truth Social on Wednesday just after noon ET to voice his thoughts. “The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says roughly 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices will partially reopen today so producers can access about $3 billion in assistance from existing programs, even as the federal government remains shut down. The USDA says each county office will operate with two employees on site, five days a week. Offices will resume core functions such as farm loan processing, Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage payments, disaster relief payments, and accepting applications tied to programs funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation, however some services not CCC-funded will remain limited. According to The Associated Press, a USDA spokesperson…

By Jeff Mason, Tom Polansek, and Leah Douglas WASHINGTON/CHICAGO, Oct. 23 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is quadrupling the tariff rate quota on Argentine beef to 80,000 metric tons in a bid to reduce prices, a White House official said on Thursday. The move lets Argentina ship more beef to the U.S. at a lower rate of duty at a time when U.S. beef prices have set records due to tight cattle supplies and strong consumer demand. The plan to import more beef from Argentina has angered U.S. ranchers, who largely supported Trump in his campaigns for president. They said the government should support domestic…

On July 10, 2025, a quiet but seismic shift occurred deep within the corridors of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one with ripple effects for farmers of color, women producers, and the broader drive for inclusion in American agriculture. The agency issued a final rule stating it will no longer use race- or sex-based “socially disadvantaged” classifications in many of its grant, loan, conservation, and rural development programs, citing constitutional concerns. That phrase, “socially disadvantaged,” has long been more than bureaucratic shorthand. For decades, it represented a pathway, however imperfect, into federal supports for farmers who were systematically excluded: Black,…