Author: staff

President Donald Trump relied heavily on the rural vote for his election, but some of those voters have become increasingly anxious about his actions in recent weeks, especially when it comes to their farmworkers, uncertainty over new trade deals, and the MAHA movement. The Trump team also delivered some good news for farm country in the form of new investments to eradicate deadly screwworm, and favorable blending targets for fuel producers under the Renewable Fuel Standard.  1. Ag Operations on the Hot Seat, but ‘Criminals Come First’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will continue to conduct inspections of ag…

Image by Tractor Supply Company Tractor Supply Company and the Tractor Supply Company Foundation announced that they are donating an additional $1 million in total to charity organizations committed to supporting our nation’s military service members, veterans and first responders. The Company and its foundation made an initial $1 million donation in June 2024 to celebrate the launch of its Hometown Heroes initiative, which brings together the Company’s efforts to support the selfless men and women who serve America under one banner. Tractor Supply launched the second year of its Hometown Heroes initiative yesterday with a Back-to-School Brigade® event in…

Grocery competition is dwindling in rural America as federal funding to rebuild it is on the chopping block. If you live in a small town, you probably have fewer grocery stores than you did 30 years ago — and fewer choices inside them. Independent grocers have disappeared, replaced by big national chains that now decide what’s on the shelves, how much it costs, and who gets to profit. In 1990, the top four grocery chains controlled just 13 percent of nationwide sales. By 2019, the top four retailers — Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Ahold Delhaize — controlled 34 percent of…

At the market close, July corn was down 2¾¢ at $4.41¼ per bushel. July soybeans were down 7½¢ at $10.60¾ per bushel. Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting, said, “Collective trade was evident in [Friday’s] session, as futures were on both sides of unchanged during the session. Fresh news was light going into the weekend, as was trade volume following Thursday’s holiday.” Setzer added weather and geopolitical developments were the market’s main drivers. The wheat markets were also lower at the close. July CBOT wheat was down 7¢ at $5.83½ per bushel. September KC wheat dropped 7¾¢ at $5.78¾…

A coalition of over 200 trade and farm associations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is sounding the alarm on what they fear could be a repeat of the supply chain chaos seen during the pandemic. In a letter sent Tuesday to federal officials including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola, the group urges swift action as shifting tariffs and resumed trade with China put serious strain on the nation’s freight infrastructure. The letter paints a picture of déjà vu: after a steep spike in tariffs earlier this year caused…

Weeds are trying to corner the market on your soil. Left unchecked, a single waterhemp plant can flood your weed seed bank with hundreds of thousands of seeds. Without timely postemergence control and layered herbicide protection, you could be financing next year’s weed takeover.  Postemergence weed control is a balancing act to protect both the yield of this season as well as future productivity. In order to be effective, post applications must be timely, and layered with the right residuals, said Kurt Maertens, technical agronomist for BASF in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. “We can’t give weeds a break, not…

The U.S. Drought Monitor released its latest update on Thursday, June 19, showing widespread drought improvement across the northern and central Plains and the upper Midwest. Thanks to recent rainfall, drought-free conditions now stretch from the southern Plains to the Atlantic Coast. Map of U.S. showing drought intensity. Midwest Going in to this week’s report, drought covered less than 9% of the Midwest. Rainfall helped reduce areas of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate to severe drought (D1 to D2), although not all locations saw meaningful relief. The most notable improvements were in the upper Great Lakes and western Corn Belt.…

Entries are being accepted for the World Forage Analysis Superbowl, open to all forage producers across North America. The 2025 contest, held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo, is set to award over $26,000 in cash prizes, made possible by generous award sponsors. The deadline to submit corn silage samples is July 10, while all other entries must be submitted by August 21. The $40 entry fee provides entry into the contest along with a detailed sample analysis that is sent to entrants after judging is complete. Entry forms are available at www.foragesuperbowl.org or by contacting any of the following sponsors.…

It has been just over two months since the Trump Administration put a 90-day pause on the  “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs that were set to be imposed on every U.S. trade partner. Since the pause in early April, there have been trade deals officially announced by the administration with just two trade partners — the United Kingdom and China — despite reports of discussions with a number of nations.  Less than a month remains until the 90-day pause is slated to end on July 8. Iowa State University economist Chad Hart provided insight on how the uncertainty ahead is impacting…

AGDAILY Reporters · June 20, 2025 Recognizing the hardships many communities are facing, Illinois Milk Producers Association donated 24,000 pounds of milk, including lactose-free, to three local food banks. “Many families continue to struggle with food insecurity amid high prices at the grocery store,” said Don Mackinson, IMPA president. “Everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food, which is why Illinois dairy farmers have come together to once again donate milk to local food banks supporting our communities.” IMPA donated a combined 48,250 servings to River Bend Food Bank in Galesburg, Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva, Central Illinois Foodbank in…