Author: staff

If you’ve ever thought angel hair pasta was too hefty, University College London researchers have just raised (or lowered?) the bar with spaghetti 200 times thinner than human hair. Measuring a mind-boggling 372 nanometers, this “nanopasta” is officially the skinniest carb in existence. But before you start planning a microscopic dinner party, this spaghetti isn’t meant for eating. Instead, it’s poised to revolutionize medicine and industry, potentially healing wounds and regenerating bones faster than your nonna can say “mangia!” The project, led by master’s student Beatrice Britton, involved using a technique called electrospinning. The researchers used an electric charge to…

Scenario [email from L.S.]: I am the farming son. We have a nice farm, and I appreciate my parents, but our farm lacks leadership, especially from my parents. They never have expressed any farming goals for themselves, but they tell me they want to help me keep farming in the future. They don’t want to make anyone in the family mad, so they don’t like to make decisions. Because of their lack of leadership, I feel like I’m in a bad spot for continuing the farm in the future. Can you help me? Solution: You are in a tough spot,…

Anah Higbie of Quenemo, Kansas, is the winner of the 12th annual National Cattlemen’s Beef Association National Anthem Contest. Higbie will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. “Cattle have been a defining part of who I am from a very early age,” said Higbie. “My heart is, and always will be, deeply passionate about the cattle industry.” Higbie’s family owns a commercial Simmental cow-calf operation in eastern Kansas. Besides thriving on the day-to-day operations of running cattle, she enjoys showing cattle and considers being an animal agriculture advocate one of the biggest passions of her…

A 176-acre century farm located in Waterloo, Illinois, sold at an auction on Oct. 29 for about $3.18 million, averaging $18,075 an acre. Waterloo is in the southwest part of the state and about a 30-minute drive from St. Louis. Brad and Brenda Chandler, the husband-and-wife team from Property Peddler Inc. who sold the acreage, describe Waterloo as a bedroom community and a desirable location for people who work in St. Louis to live and raise their families because of the lower cost of living and good schools.   The Chandlers say the final figure from the sale was not unexpected.…

Discussion about plans for the “largest deportation effort” in U.S. history had been part of the national landscape for months leading up to the presidential election. While such an endeavor is sure to have a broad impact on several areas of society, it’s not hard to see that agriculture would shoulder a significant weight if folks here in the U.S. illegally would be sent back to their home countries en masse. Many anticipate that President-elect Donald Trump will address deportations shortly after taking office in January. His national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has said, “A majority of Americans want mass…

March corn is down 1¼¢ this morning. January soybeans are down 4½¢. March wheat contracts are also lower. CBOT wheat is down 1½¢. KC wheat is down 3¢. Minneapolis wheat is down a penny. This morning, USDA announced new export sales: China is buying 198,000 metric tons of soybeans for the 2024/2025 marketing year.Unknown destinations are buying 135,000 metric tons of soybeans the 2024/2025 marketing year.The Philippines are buying 133,000 metric tons of soybean cake and meal for the 2024/2025 marketing year. USDA also released the weekly U.S. Export Sales report this morning. Concerning net sales for the 2024/2025 marketing…

He comes across like the guy who sold your grandfather a tractor back in ‘73, enjoys the look of a clean lawn, and every morning checks the chicken coop for fresh eggs. And today, he’s John Deere’s Chief Tractor Kid. John Deere is partnering with Jackson Laux, a 9-year-old farmer and viral social media sensation known for his love of tractors and farming. Jackson will create content for Deere’s social media channels throughout the next year to bring awareness to the people working tirelessly in agriculture. “Wise beyond his years, Jackson brings a fresh perspective to an industry that has…

By Joana Colussi, Nick Paulson, and Gary Schnitkey Corn production in South America’s two major agricultural countries is expected to follow two distinct paths during the 2024/25 crop season. In Brazil, planted acreage is projected to remain steady, but exports are likely to drop significantly due to intensified competition in the international market. In contrast, Argentina anticipates the largest relative decrease in corn acreage in 17 years, driven by concerns over the potential impact of corn stunt disease, which severely affected fields last season. Nonetheless, Argentine corn exports are projected to reach their highest levels since the 2020/21 season. This…

The story of the little-known Avery Company is a near-miss tale of a firm that did everything right but at the wrong time. Avery falls into that category of a very promising endeavor that could have become a major power in farm machinery. Instead, it hit economic roadblocks that, in time, brought it down. In its day, Avery was a firm to be reckoned with. The company’s line was extensive, featuring not only steam traction engines, tractors, and farm implements (its threshers were considered some of the best built at the time) but also road-building and construction vehicles, as well…

Soybean farmers in search of options for controlling herbicide-resistant weeds, such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, will have two new choices from Corteva in 2025. Corteva Agriscience has announced the launch of Kyber Pro herbicide and Sonic Boom herbicide — both are preemergence products with multiple modes of action and residual activity. Sonic Boom is active on many of the hard-to-control and resistant broadleaf weeds, such as waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, said Drake Robards, U.S. product manager, soybean herbicides, Corteva. Kyber Pro also controls many of the same broadleaf weeds as Sonic Boom, plus has a Group 15 active for additional…