Author: staff

By Nick Evans The past year hasn’t been good to many Ohio farmers. In August, a handful of southeastern counties received drought disaster designations. Before the month was out, that list had ballooned to 22 counties throughout Appalachian Ohio. As of early November, the total has risen to 52 counties, cutting a diagonal swath from Northwest Ohio to the Southeast. The U.S. Drought Monitor ranks drought conditions on a five-point scale running from D0 (abnormally dry) to D4 (exceptional drought). At that highest level, you can expect “exceptional and widespread” crop or pasture losses, and water emergencies stemming from shortages…

He’s a fifth-generation farmer. She’s a fourth-generation rancher. Those are the roles Jordan and Jacki Christman know and love, and when they got married in 2010, they decided there was no need to change them. Now, in addition to raising their daughter, Citti, 10, and sons Cahan, 11, and Conway, 8, they manage their own areas of expertise within JC Farms but help each other when needed. Jordan grew up farming with his dad and grandpa in southwest North Dakota’s Adams County. The county diagonally to the southwest is Harding County, South Dakota, where Jacki grew up on her family’s…

When Ray Gaesser watches land auctions near his Corning, Iowa, farm, he sees a growing share —up to 25% — of ground going to investors. Local buyers still make top bids on more parcels, the smaller ones. “The larger farms, investors tend to buy those,” he says. “It takes a lot of money to buy 500 acres at $12,000 an acre.”  He’s not a buyer. “The last few years, it didn’t pencil out,” he says. Gaesser, 71, and his wife, Elaine, have shifted 88% of their 5,000-acre operation to their son, Chris, and his wife, Shannon. The family rents about four-fifths…

Tractor Supply Company has kicked off its second 4-H Paper Clover campaign of 2024. Beginning on Black Friday, customers began to be able to donate at checkout, which will help strengthen 4-H educational programs and increase hands-on opportunities for young people nationwide. The biannual fundraiser, now in its 14th year, generates millions of dollars in scholarships for 4-H youth. “During our biannual Paper Clover fundraisers, our customers always show up for our 4-H partners. Their donations have made it possible for thousands of young people to take advantage of life-changing learning opportunities,” said John Ordus, chief stores officer at Tractor…

Joel Salatin, the self-proclaimed “Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer,” has used a recent podcast episode to categorically deny rumors that he might be taking a role within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In true Salatin fashion, his tone oscillated between bemused and exasperated as he dismantled the notion that he’d ever trade in his pitchfork in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for a desk job in D.C. Yet while he was quick to point fingers at social media run amok, the confusion seems to stem from a November 6 blog post where Salatin himself teased: “I’ve been contacted by the Trump transition…

By Brooklyn Draisey As Iowa and the U.S. begin to rely more heavily on renewable energy sources, the greenhouse gas emissions from industries like agriculture are starting to take on greater significance. Michael Castellano, an agronomy professor at Iowa State University, and a team of researchers are hoping to lower emissions from a previously unexplored area of agriculture through research into soybean planting and production. “We have great interest in making sure all of our crops have low greenhouse gas emissions footprints, and we felt like the first step to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from soybean production was quantifying those…

The NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative highlights the charitable passions of its players, with hundreds of athletes donning custom-designed cleats to bring attention to causes close to their hearts. This year, over 1 million FFA members will have their eyes on Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who has chosen to support the National FFA Organization, emphasizing the importance of agricultural education and leadership development for youth. Carter, who’s family owns Lucky Charm Family Farm, a small 40-acre operation in Georgia that raises sheep, chickens, cattle, and an assortment of crops, enjoys working on the farm when football isn’t…

Top Third Ag Marketing helps farmers become better agricultural marketers with the goal of marketing crops and livestock in the top third of prices. Mark Gold and his team provide AGDAILY.com with the latest information and a look ahead in their audio commentary. Listen here! https://www.agdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/top-third-agdaily-2024-12-03.mp3 The post Markets in Minutes: Top Third looks ahead for week of Dec. 2, 2024 appeared first on AGDAILY.

What Happened Since late September, the U.S. dollar has surged, gaining 8% in value. There are many reasons the dollar can rally, often related to expectations for stronger interest rates or increased confidence in the U.S. economy. In this case, it is likely the latter. Interest rates have moved lower in 2024, yet confidence in the U.S. economy — and perhaps in the new administration — may have helped propel the desire to own U.S. dollars. Why This Is Important From the perspective of agricultural exports, a rising dollar increases the cost of imports for foreign countries. When the dollar…

A Thanksgiving talk between President-elect Donald Trump and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo may have stymied tariff threats between the two countries.  “We discussed Mexico’s strategy on the migration phenomenon, and I shared that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico,” wrote Sheinbaum on her Twitter account. “We also discussed strengthening collaboration on security issues within the framework of our sovereignty and the campaign we are carrying out in the country to prevent the consumption of fentanyl.” Tuve una excelente conversación con el presidente Donald Trump. Abordamos la estrategia mexicana…