Author: staff

In February, we made a big splash with the inaugural Farm Cruise — the world’s first “floating farm conference.” It was more than just an event; it was an experience that brought farmers together like never before. Farming is a demanding lifestyle, often requiring long hours with little time off. Many farmers dedicate themselves entirely to their operations, rarely stepping away to relax and recharge. The Farm Cruise — which left from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and sailed to the Bahamas — changed that by offering the perfect balance of education, networking, and vacation — something truly unique in the agriculture…

By Julie Ingwersen March 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in a weekly crop report on Monday rated 52% of the winter wheat in top producer Kansas in “good to excellent” condition, down from 54% the previous week. For Texas, the No. 2 winter wheat state by planted area, the USDA rated 28% of the crop as “good to excellent”, down from 34% a week earlier. However, for Oklahoma, the USDA rated 46% of the crop as “good to excellent”, an improvement from 35% last week, following much-needed rains in the state. Why It’s Important A strong winter wheat crop…

The 2024 yield contest winners for corn and soybeans joined me on the Successful Farming stage at Commodity Classic to talk about their success, the challenges they faced in 2024, and what they plan on doing differently in the coming growing season. David Hula of Charles City, Virginia, won the 2024 National Corn Growers Association corn yield contest for the 13th time with 490.6276 bushels per acre on his strip-tilled, irrigated contest plot. In 2023, he set the contest yield record with 623.843 bushels per acre (bpa); he’s the only farmer to exceed 600 bpa in the contest, and he’s…

When Danyelle Chinn isn’t busy with her family’s cattle operation in northeast Missouri, she’s working as a livestock economist with the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center. Chinn translates statistics and market reports into layman’s terms, helping farmers and ranchers make decisions about their business. Listen to the podcast Subscribe to 15 Minutes With a Farmer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us! Meet Danyelle Chinn Chinn grew up as the fourth generation of her family’s cow-calf operation near Green City, Missouri, and now works with her husband, Conner, and in-laws…

1. Wheat Futures Higher in Overnight Trading Wheat futures rose in overnight trading on concerns about dry weather in the southern Plains.  Little or no rain is expected in much of Kansas, the biggest U.S. producer of the grain, this week and instead windy, dry conditions are in the forecast.  Red flag warnings, an indicator of extremely dry weather, have been issued for much of Kansas and parts of several other states as dry weather moves in, according to the National Weather Service.  Strong winds and low relative humidity are forecast for much of the state throughout the week, according…

There was standing room only when Johnny Verell, Temple Rhodes, and Matt Miles took the stage at the 2025 Commodity Classic to discuss their success with early planted soybeans. The three farmers have gained the attention of their peers as yield contest winners and share the products and practices that have most improved their farms’ ROI through their teaching platform, XtremeAg. Meet Successful Farmers Jonny Verell accidentally found success when he started planting soybeans early on his Jackson, Tennessee farm in the mid-2000s. “It was dry. We didn’t have any more corn to plant, so we just started planting soybeans.”…

China’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural products took effect today, escalating trade tensions between the two nations. The move comes in response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Chinese imports, further deepening the ongoing economic standoff. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, China’s latest tariffs target a wide range of U.S. agricultural goods. Beginning March 10, 2025, additional tariffs will be applied to several key commodities. Livestock and animal products are among the affected sectors, with chicken facing a 15 percent tariff, while pork, beef, dairy, and aquatic products will see…

By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, March 7 (Reuters) – Canada has blocked imports from the biggest U.S. pork processing plant, a facility run by Smithfield Foods SFD.O in Tar Heel, North Carolina, the company said on Friday. The suspension comes as Washington and Ottawa have sparred in a heated dispute over trade tariffs. It is the latest blow for America’s farm sector, which has been roiled by concerns that U.S. tariffs will spark retaliation from top importers that reduces demand for American agricultural products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the suspension was in line with standard protocols and unrelated to recent trade activity. The agency and Smithfield, the largest U.S. pork…

Not all farmlands are created equal — some are flat, some are on a moderate slope, and some are hilly. On hilly agricultural landscapes, soil erosion can be a significant problem because soil properties and crop yields can vary throughout the field and often reflect the pattern of soil movement, resulting from the combined erosive effects of tillage and water. “Soil erosion is estimated to result in losses of about $44 billion each year in the United States alone, with similar losses throughout the world,” said Sharon Schneider, Research Leader at the Integrated Cropping Systems Research Unit in Brookings, South…

In many cases, the highest-yielding crops are coddled by a team of experts. Perfectly chosen seed, near-constant scouting, and spoon-fed nutrition are cornerstones of record-breaking production.  While applying the perfect nutrients at the perfect time may lead to high yields, that’s not economically viable for most production systems. The average farmer knows each pass across the field costs extra time and money when there’s often none to spare.  That’s not to say there are no lessons to be learned from highly managed acres. A scaled-back approach to maximizing fertilizer timing can offer production gains.  Know the Baseline and Target A…