Author: staff

DAILY Bites The agricultural sector sees challenges as John Deere scales back operations amid a 4.4% farm income decline in 2024. John Deere’s Ottumwa Works plant faces a temporary shutdown in December, citing reduced equipment demand. Deere’s 2024 layoffs affected 26,000 employees, including 2,500 in Iowa, impacting local economies. DAILY Discussion The agricultural sector faces growing challenges, with major industry players such as John Deere decreasing farm income and experiencing workforce reductions. Marc Roe, John Deere’s Executive Director of Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress, expressed concern over these developments, emphasizing the economic ripple effects with news outlets. “It’s really unfortunate.…

According to the USDA Crop Progress report released Monday, Illinois’ winter wheat progress is ahead of the normal pace, and the majority of the crop was rated good. Here’s a closer look at the numbers and some perspective from an agronomist. Progress Winter wheat planting in Illinois reached 98% the week ending Nov. 17. Farmers took advantage of 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork — up from just 3.7 the week prior – to move progress along by 2 percentage points for the week. With that, planting is just ahead of progress last year at this time (97%) and the five-year…

DAILY Bites Researchers found that variable weather conditions significantly reduce the effectiveness of key post-emergence herbicides, threatening corn and soybean yields. Analysis of a 30-year dataset revealed that extreme air temperatures and precipitation patterns before and after POST herbicide application impacted weed control effectiveness against major agricultural weeds. The study highlights the need for integrated weed management strategies, including soil-applied herbicides and non-chemical tactics, to address climate-induced challenges in agriculture. DAILY Discussion A few years back, a group of weed scientists showed that soil-applied herbicides are less effective against agricultural weeds in the context of our changing climate. Now, the…

DAILY Bites Stabenow introduced a $39 billion bill addressing food insecurity and rural support but faces bipartisan criticism. Boozman condemned the bill’s timing amid warnings of a “dairy cliff” if no deal is reached by December. The proposal has garnered mixed reactions, with support from groups like MAZON and the American Farm Bureau Federation, but criticism from others, including the National Pork Producers Council over unaddressed issues like California’s Prop 12. DAILY Discussion On Monday, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the $39 billion Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act. The proposal aims to address…

Domino’s Pizza Inc. has been funding scholarships for FFA students for seven years and is announcing a significant expansion of its scholarship program for the 2024-25 cycle. This year, Domino’s is funding 10 scholarships worth $10,000 each for FFA members who are working toward a college degree in agricultural education and are intending to pursue a career as an agriculture science teacher. The new scholarship program was created in response to a need identified by FFA leaders and professionals in the industry — the need for more ag teachers to support FFA students and ultimately, future leaders in agriculture. “National…

By Steve Sonka For someone interested in how farmers and agribusiness managers make decisions, the past few decades have been particularly intriguing. As a young faculty member in the 1980s, I was among a group of faculty who successfully lobbied the Dean of the then College of Agriculture to buy Apple II and IBM PC microcomputers to use with students in the classroom. The course instituted at that time continues today, however, the content and the technology have markedly changed. In agriculture our information technology-based tools also have evolved. We’ve become familiar with use of the internet, precision agriculture, Big…

December corn is down a penny this morning. January soybeans are down 6¢. March wheat contracts are higher. CBOT wheat is up 3½¢. KC and Minneapolis wheat are up 2¾¢. Discussing the overnight trading session, The Brock Report said: “Grain and soybean futures are again mixed at the end of early trading with wheat futures higher for the third straight day despite stronger-than-expected U.S. winter wheat crop ratings [in yesterday’s USDA Crop Progress report] amid concerns the Russia-Ukraine war is escalating. “Corn futures ended a dull early trading session narrowly mixed amid an absence of fresh fundamental news, while soybean…

In the downtown urban landscape of Salt Lake City, there’s a unique space where a one-acre organic farm is making a difference far beyond what meets the eye. This farm — led by James Loomis, Director of Agricultural Operations for Wasatch Community Gardens, and Amber Nichols, Farm Manager– is transforming lives while growing food. I had the opportunity to sit down with Loomis to hear more about his journey and the impact of the Wasatch farm on the community. A certified organic urban farm with a purpose Loomis describes the farm as more than just a place for growing vegetables —…

It’s been 64 years since the Defense Department launched Transit, the world’s first global positioning satellite, allowing the Navy to track surface ships and submarines. Since then, the U.S., other countries, and private entities have launched hundreds of satellites that support everything from automatic guidance and variable-rate seeding to automatic sprayer shutoff. So it’s little wonder that farmers and researchers have irrigation scheduling, based on satellite images, in their sights.  “The trend toward the use of satellites to predict irrigation scheduling is definitely there,” says Andrew “Andy” French, a retired USDA/ARS research physical scientist, based in Arizona. “The obstacles have…

Listen to the Podcast Meet Sarah Morton Sarah Morton is a force of nature. The third-generation farmer from Ruckersville, Virginia, runs Cattle Run Farm with her siblings and other family members. As owner of Cattle Run Farm LLC Food Hub, she works to supply locally sourced protein to food banks across the region. Morton is also executive director of the Piedmont Regional Workforce Board, a fellow of VA Techs Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR), a founding member of The Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont, co-chair of Piedmont Action Coalition on Hunger (PACH), and a member of Virginia’s…