Author: staff

As a sixth-generation farmer, Jeff O’Connor has seen his family farm change through the generations. The one common thread is a love of taking care of the land.  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my family say, ‘Take care of the land, and it’ll take care of you,’” the Kankakee, Illinois, farmer said. “It’s made it easier for me to look at different ways to take care of the land as we learn more about the science behind what goes on in the soil.” Bringing science to actionable and practical insights to reduce nutrient runoff has been…

The United States’ window of opportunity to secure a trade deal with the United Kingdom could soon shrink, a trade policy analyst told lawmakers on Tuesday, as the Labour government mulls closer alignment with the European Union. The UK is in a “pivotal spot,” Meredith Broadbent, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told members of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee during a hearing on U.S. trade negotiations. During the UK general election last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer campaigned on a platform to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU. Since entering office,…

On a brisk October morning, two pickup trucks ground to a stop and parked side by side on a Northwest Arkansas dirt road. Dan Douglas, a cattle and hay farmer whose family has farmed in Benton County for 170 years, rolled down his window to chat with longtime neighbor Chris Harral. They spoke about the changes sweeping through their community: new subdivisions, soaring land prices, and the fading presence of a once robust farm community. After roughly 20 minutes of spirited discussion, Douglas asked: “Why the hell are we doing this?” “The only reason that Dan and I still do…

Researchers have discovered that an enzyme can serve as an ideal target for developing new therapeutics against Lyme disease and, most likely, other tick-borne diseases as well. The finding was reported in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe. Its causative pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, has evolved unique metabolic pathways to cope with its enzootic life cycle, some of which are specific and ideal targets for developing new ways to treat Lyme disease. In their previous work, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that…

A little past 8:30 a.m. CT, May corn was up 2½¢ at $4.60¼ per bushel. May soybeans were up 6¼¢ at $10.08 per bushel. May wheat contracts were also higher. CBOT wheat was up less than a penny at $5.43½ per bushel. KC wheat was up 3¢ at $5.72¼. Minneapolis wheat was up 1¾¢ at $5.90¼. On Monday, USDA is expected to release the annual Prospective Plantings report, which will include estimates for 2025/2026 corn, soybean, and wheat acres, and the quarterly Grain Stocks report. “The odds of a market-moving surprise in these numbers are high this year — in…

By Nick Paulson, Gary Schnitkey, and Carl Zulauf The American Relief Act of 2025 authorized $10 billion in economic assistance payments to partially offset economic losses suffered by producers of eligible commodities during the 2024 crop year. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA recently announced the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) application process and the per acre payment rates for each commodity. The FSA has provided an ECAP website that outlines the application process, eligibility requirements, payment rates and other information for producers. ECAP Payments ECAP will provide payments for 22 eligible commodities using a flat rate per payment acre. Payment acres…

By Roberto Samora SAO PAULO, March 24 (Reuters) – Brazilian farmers, who have harvested most of their soybean fields across the nation, are set to produce 165.9 million metric tons in the 2024/25 season, 2.3 million tons less than previously forecast, consultancy AgRural said on Monday. AgRural said that a drought in southern Brazil, impacting mainly Rio Grande do Sul state, has affected the supply outlook in the country, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of the oilseed. Rio Grande do Sul’s crop is now seen reaching 15 million tons, a cut of 3 million tons compared to a February forecast, and fresh…

By Ryan Hanrahan World-Grain’s Arvin Donley reported Monday that “Russia is expressing interest in resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative as part of its discussions with the U.S. on March 24 in Saudia Arabia regarding a potential ceasefire with Ukraine, Reuters reported.” “The deal, which originally was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, allowed safe passage of Ukrainian grain out of its Black Sea ports during the Russian-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022 and has been fought mostly on Ukrainian soil,” Donley reported. “The deal was signed in the summer of 2022 following five-month blockade of grain exports…

What Happened The first few months of 2025 have provided plenty of volatility for grain prices. Corn, wheat, and soybean futures enjoyed a nearly one-month price rally after the unexpectedly friendly January USDA WASDE report. Then in late February and early March, the selling kicked in due to tariff and trade uncertainty. As of this writing, prices for corn, soybeans, and wheat are back down to the same price points from early January. “Now what?” A client recently asked me. The question reflected sarcasm, philosophical tones, and genuine curiosity regarding how grain prices might trade for the spring and summer…

DAILY Bites Deere denies claims that its repair policies violate competition laws, asserting that its proprietary tools serve legitimate business purposes. The lawsuit centers on Deere’s Service ADVISOR software, which plaintiffs argue restricts independent repair access and increases costs for farmers. The case could set a precedent for right-to-repair legislation and manufacturers’ control over post-sale equipment repairs. DAILY Discussion Deere & Company has formally responded to a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of state attorneys general, rejecting claims that its repair restrictions on agricultural equipment violate competition laws. In a 49-page court filing…