Author: staff

July corn ended the day down 3¼¢ at $4.89½ per bushel. July soybeans closed down 3¾¢ at $10.46½ per bushel. July wheat contracts were also lower. CBOT wheat closed down 5¾¢ at $5.56 per bushel. KC wheat was down 1¾¢ at $5.68½. Minneapolis wheat was down 3½¢ at $6.15½. “Futures’ trade was choppy today, with futures seeing both sides of unchanged,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “Corn was the early leader of the market, taking support from the second consecutive day of flash [export] sales. Spread trading developed in corn as the session progressed, pressuring nearby contracts…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it has officially canceled the $3 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, a signature Biden-era initiative aimed at promoting environmentally friendly farming practices. The decision follows what the agency called a “comprehensive review,” which concluded that the program’s structure did not align with the priorities of the Trump administration and provided too little direct benefit to farmers. Originally launched to support projects that encouraged soil health, carbon sequestration, methane reduction, and other recognized sustainable practices, the PCSC program had awarded funding to 135 projects across all 50 states. Recipients included nonprofits like…

On April 14, the USDA announced it was cancelling the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC) program and renaming it the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative with a new set of rules.  Introduced under the Biden administration, the $3.1 billion PCSC program included more than 130 projects with the goal to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices to produce climate-smart commodities. Funds for PCSC have been frozen while the Trump administration reviewed the program.  In a press release, the USDA said, “Following a thorough line by line review of each of these Biden era partnerships, it became clear that the…

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced a new grant program Monday aimed at drawing more veterinarians to rural parts of the state to care for livestock. The Nebraska Rural Veterinary Grant Program will offer up to $150,000 each to 13 recent veterinary graduates who commit to working in rural Nebraska, where at least 80 percent of their practice is dedicated to “production animals” like cattle and other livestock. In exchange, recipients must agree to remain in rural Nebraska for eight years. “We’re running into an extraordinary shortage of food-animal practitioners across the state,” Pillen said at a news conference, reported by…

What Happened Trade wars and tariffs sent energy prices significantly lower in the last couple of weeks. While uncertainty exists in the world marketplace, the potential to lock in longer-term energy needs presents itself. An environment of tight margins for farmers means paying attention to every opportunity. Crude oil prices recently dropped from over $71 a barrel to under $55, a change of over 20%. The current administration has promoted the idea of increased energy production, yet there is no guarantee prices will stay low. The administration has also echoed concern that prices will be on the rise, as the…

DELAWARE, Iowa — In northeast Iowa, a wispy stand of trees looks out of place. It is surrounded by crop fields on the north side of a four-lane highway, an oasis of nature that is uncommon in rural Iowa, where farming every inch of land is paramount. Its owner hopes to cut and till it for cropland. But he can’t do it without risking his business. For now. Jim Conlan, an out-of-state investor in Iowa farmland, knew the federal government considered those nine acres to be a wetland before he bought it as part of a larger tract. If he clears and…

When you think of ag careers, what jobs do you think of? Chances are your first answers might be farmer, rancher, veterinarian, or agronomist — the kind of jobs that work directly with animals or the land. These are definitely jobs that are a key part of ag, but there are a lot more jobs in ag than you might think. According to the 2025 Feeding the Economy report, 47,181,643 people in the United States work in the agricultural and food industries. That is 29 percent of the U.S. population! This number might be surprising depending where you live. For…

USDA published the second Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season on April 14. Corn Planting Progress USDA said as of April 13, 4% of this year’s corn crop has been planted in the top 18 corn-growing states. That’s slightly behind the five-year average of 5%.According to today’s report, corn planting has begun in 11 of the top 18 states: Colorado: 1%Illinois: 1%Iowa: 2%Kansas: 11%Kentucky: 3%Minnesota: 1%Missouri: 9%Nebraska: 1%North Carolina: 19%Tennessee: 7%Texas: 63% This time last year, 13 states had started planting corn. Winter Wheat Progress USDA reported that 8% of the winter wheat crop across eight of the…

At the close, July corn was down 4¼¢ at $4.92¾ per bushel. July soybeans were down 2¾¢ at $10.50¼ per bushel. May CBOT wheat closed down 8¼¢ at $5.47½ per bushel. July KC wheat was down 13¢ at $5.70¼. July Minneapolis wheat was down 9½¢ at $6.19. “Corn futures declined to start the week, pulling back from overbought conditions as spillover weakness from the wheat market added pressure,” said the Grain Market Insider newsletter by Stewart-Peterson Inc. “Soybeans ended the day mixed, with front-month contracts closing lower while new-crop prices firmed…,” the newsletter said. Concerning wheat, Grain Market Insider said,…

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday said it had canceled a $3 billion program for climate-smart farming projects after a review found it did not align with the priorities of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has attempted to slash other climate efforts approved during the administration of former president Joe Biden, including a $20 billion funding program for projects that reduce greenhouse gases. The Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities allocated $3 billion to 135 projects in every state that encouraged soil health, carbon sequestration, reduced methane emissions and other climate-friendly practices, according to a project dashboard on the USDA…