Author: staff

Alfalfa weevils are showing up in fields and can cause serious defoliation. Now is the time to get out and scout! How to Spot The adult alfalfa weevil is a light brown snout beetle that overwinters either down in the crowns of the alfalfa plant or other vegetation, said Matt Montgomery, agronomy education lead at Beck’s. The larvae are small, greenish caterpillars with a black head that have a white stripe on its back.  Alfalfa weevil larvae are a small, greenish caterpillar with a white stripe on its back. Matt Montgomery, CCA According to Iowa State University, there are look-alikes.…

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor published April 10, five top corn-growing states reported extreme drought, or worse. Colorado U.S. Drought Monitor Less than 1% of Colorado reported extreme drought Thursday. The D3 conditions cover portions of Mineral, Archuleta, Conejos, and Rio Grande counties. Crop Progress Colorado farmers have not started planting corn for the 2025 season, according to USDA data published Monday. However, winter wheat was rated 2% very poor, 13% poor, 22% fair, 48% good, and 15% excellent, according to the latest Crop Progress report. The Colorado Field Office noted, “A report from Kiowa County stated windy conditions…

A farming accident claimed the life of a Mishawaka, Indiana, woman Thursday morning after she became trapped inside a grain bin. According to 16NewsNow, the incident occurred around 10 a.m. in a rural area located between Plymouth and Bourbon. The Marshall County Coroner’s Office reported that the 58-year-old Marilyn Miller was working inside the grain bin attempting to loosen compacted grain when disaster struck. Investigators say Miller was pulled into the grain as it began shifting downward toward the auger. These types of accidents, often referred to as grain entrapments, can happen suddenly and are notoriously difficult to escape from…

Corn planting may not have started in many of the top-growing states, according to USDA’s first Crop Progress report of the season released earlier this week, but there are still plenty of pre-planting activities and even some experimental planting happening across the Midwest. Find out what agronomists in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Wisconsin have to say about how growers in their areas are gearing up for planting. Iowa According to USDA, Iowa farmers had an average of 3.3 days suitable for fieldwork the week ending April 6. The agency reported 0% corn planted for the state, which is…

U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany’s (R-Wis.) and Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and ensure that action is not subject to judicial review passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act will restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population. H.R. 845 will now head to the full House of Representatives for a vote. “The damage to pets, livestock, and wildlife from an unmanaged wolf population can no longer be ignored. The gray wolf has exceeded federal…

The American Farm Bureau Federation is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online by June 9 for the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 12th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. The overall winner of the competition will receive $100,000 in startup funds, the runner-up will be awarded $25,000, and two additional business owners who advance to the final four round will receive $10,000. “This competition supports incredible entrepreneurs who are making sure agriculture is ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” said…

At the market close, July corn was up 8¼¢ at $4.88¾ per bushel. May soybeans increased 16¼¢ at $10.29 per bushel. Jamey Kohake, Senior Risk Manager with Pinion said there was solid trade in row crops after the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report was released by the USDA, “Kind of firmed the beans up more than it did the corn. You throw in a sharply lower traded U.S. Dollar as well, you’ll be selling quite a bit of short covering into soy products.” You can read more about the WASDE report here. “The key going forward is…

Today, USDA released the April 2025 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. 2024/2025 U.S. Ending Stocks While the average trade expectation was for USDA to reduce 2024/2025 U.S. corn ending stocks, the agency went even lower than expected. Concerning soybeans and wheat, the trade expected increases in ending stocks. USDA defied expectations for soybeans by going lower, and took wheat ending stocks higher than the average expectation. 2024/2025 Global Ending Stocks Concerning 2024/2025 global corn, soybean, and wheat ending stocks, USDA was not too far off from the average trade expectation for each. For corn and wheat, USDA…

By Ryan Hanrahan The Associated Press’ Huizhong Wu reported that “President Donald Trump raised the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% on Wednesday, hours after China boosted the duty on American goods to 84% in an escalating battle that threatens to disrupt trade between the world’s two largest economies.” “Citing a lack of respect, Trump set China apart from other countries. He said in a social media post that he is pausing his so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on many other trading partners because they had responded by reaching out for talks rather than retaliating,” Wu reported. “The tit-for-tat hikes between the…

Despite U.S. per capita-milk consumption falling significantly in recent decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultural, Americans are consuming a record amount of dairy in butter and cheese — products made from milk fat. In a new study, a team led by researchers at Penn State demonstrated that supplementing dairy cattle feed with 15 percent whole cottonseed can increase milkfat concentration and yield. Whole cottonseed, which is high in unsaturated fatty acid and protein that cows need to produce milk fat, is a byproduct of processing cotton for fiber. “Dairy farmers are paid for fat and protein today because…