Author: staff

A careful preseason planter inspection is time well spent. “I always tell operators to start at the hitch pin and work backwards,” said Brad Niensteadt, senior lead product specialist at Kinze. Follow this checklist to get your planter ready now.  Meter Maintenance Completely disassemble each meter, regardless of type. After cleaning, examine all the working parts for wear and tear, using the owner’s manuals as a guide. When it comes to finger pickup-style meters, Kevin Kimberley, Successful Farming’s planter doctor, replaces certain parts, such as brushes, belts, and their idlers, yearly. With pneumatic meters, the most challenging issue is removing…

Two days before Christmas, a land auction in northwest Iowa brought an early gift for the owners of a 76.56-acre farm when it sold for a whopping $2,047,980. The farm was split equally into two 38.28-acre tracts and, according to the agent handling the sale, checks all the boxes when a buyer is looking for land. Mark Zomer, one of the owners of Zomer Company Realty and Auction whose company sold the land, wasn’t surprised it brought such a high price. “Really good farms sell really well,” he said. “And this is a good one in our area.” He says…

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has joined the Federal Trade Commission and four other state attorneys general in a lawsuit against Deere & Company, alleging the agricultural equipment manufacturer has unlawfully monopolized key segments of the agricultural equipment repair market. The lawsuit claims that Deere’s restrictions on repairs have led to inflated costs and unnecessary delays for farmers. “Arizona farmers deserve the right to repair their own equipment without being held hostage by a corporate monopoly,” Mayes stated. “John Deere’s unlawful restrictions not only drive up costs but also create unnecessary delays that hurt Arizona’s farmers. My office is committed…

The massive amount of customization options available can make it difficult to compare planter models with exactly the same features. As the seasonal market for planters opens up through May, deals can be found both at dealerships and at auction, especially if you’re willing to expand your search geography.  Andy Campbell and Dave Mowitz explore not only planters, but also air seeders and seed tenders in this episode. Spring will be here before we know it! Meet Andy Campbell Andy Campbell is director of insights at Tractor Zoom. As a past engineer, professor, and entrepreneur, Campbell is passionate about bridging…

The first buyer of a piece of equipment is easy to identify. They order what they want and sometimes even have it made exactly to their specifications. However, once that farmer moves on from that machine, finding the next owner is more challenging, as the equipment gets larger. Andy Campbell, director of insights for Tractor Zoom, says there are a limited number of farms able to take on something like a Class 10 combine. “Your outfit has to be tailored to handle that much grain that fast,” he said. “If you’re pulling through 1,200, 1,300 bushels an hour, you have…

What Happened On Jan. 31, the USDA issued its cattle inventory report. The report is published every six months and quantifies the entire U.S. cattle herd. Once again, the report confirmed that the U.S. beef herd is not growing. In fact, it is shrinking. The long-term implications are for continued tight supply, high feeder prices, and concern that consumer demand could decline.  The highlights of the report indicated all cattle and calves in the U.S. (as of Jan. 1, 2025) totaled 86.7 million head, down 1% from the same time a year ago. All major categories, including all cows and…

By Lauren Manning Grass-fed beef presents a lucrative opportunity for cattle producers, who can realize major price premiums for grass-fed, pasture-raised, or local meat. On average, grass-fed beef sells for $2.50 to $3 more per pound than conventionally produced beef according to Consumer Reports. There are several different marketing channels for grass-fed beef, as well, including selling finished animals to a packer or direct marketing grass-fed beef to local consumers, chefs, and co-op grocery stores. It’s not as simple as parking the feed truck in the garage for good. Producing grass-fed beef requires careful management of forage and, most of…

The Central Nevada Health District has reported the first confirmed case of H5N1 avian flu in a human within the state. The individual, a dairy farm worker in Churchill County, was exposed to infected cattle. According to the CNHD, the worker exhibited only conjunctivitis as a symptom and is currently recovering. Health officials are reaching out to those who may have had contact with the infected individual and are providing them with protective equipment and antiviral medication. So far, there is no indication that the virus is spreading between people. “While the current public health risk to the general public…

New Holland has revamped its PowerStar Series tractors for 2025, offering new styling outside, greater comfort inside and a wide array of productivity-enhancing features across all four PowerStar models — the 90, 100, 110 and 120. The machines were put on display at this year’s National Farm Machinery Show, held at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville. Underneath the new hood is a powerful, fuel-efficient FPT Industrial 3.6-liter four-cylinder engine featured in all four models. “We know our customers are seeking solutions that help them reduce their fuel costs. While these engines still utilize common rail fuel injection technology like…

At the close Tuesday, March corn was down 7½¢ at $4.84 per bushel. March soybeans closed down 6¢ at $10.43½ per bushel. March wheat contracts were also lower. CBOT wheat was down 2½¢ at $5.77 per bushel. KC wheat was down 4¢ at $5.92¾ per bushel. Minneapolis wheat was down 7¢ at $6.18¼ per bushel. Earlier today, USDA released the February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. The report left 2024/2025 U.S. corn and soybean ending stocks unchanged month-over-month and pegged wheat ending stocks lower. The Grain Market Insider newsletter by Stewart-Peterson Inc. said, “Long liquidation pressured corn…