Author: staff

1. Grains, Soybeans Little Changed Ahead of WASDE Grain and soybean futures were little changed in overnight trading as investors square positions ahead of today’s supply and demand reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The government is expected to slightly reduce its new-crop production forecasts when it releases its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report at noon in Washington.  USDA will likely forecast corn production at 16.516 billion bushels on yield of 186.2 bushels an acre, according to analysts polled by Reuters. That would be down from the August forecast for 16.742 billion bushels on yield…

When her grandparents were curious about her work in a seed production business during college, Emma shared her experience by filming videos. That was the beginning of Ag With Emma. Today, her YouTube videos have had more than 54 million views, and hundreds of thousands of people follow her on Instagram and TikTok. Her motto: Bringing you along in the buddy seat. Watch Our Interview Meet Emma Agriculture was always a part of Emma’s life. She has fond memories of tagging along as her grandfather fed cows on the family’s Wisconsin dairy farm, and when she moved to southern Idaho…

The Make America Healthy Again Commission unveiled a final report which suggests easing some regulations on farms, increasing research on precision agriculture technology and removing restrictions on whole milk sales in schools. Agri-Pulse Newsmakers asked Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall about the report and how MAHA could expand through states in the future. Then, T.A. Hawks with Monument Advocacy and Mike Stranz with the National Farmers Union discuss trade, concerns about brain drain at USDA and the prospects for emergency farm assistance as well as a skinny farm bill this fall. Watch the Episode Want to receive Newsmakers in your inbox…

by Cami Koons Cattle at a nature preserve in eastern Iowa appear to roam the land freely — no fences or cowboys on horseback patrol their movement.  Instead, these cows wear special collars that keep them from grazing beyond the boundaries their owners designate via a phone or computer.  The Nature Conservancy has studied this form of virtual fencing with cattle at its Land of the Swamp White Oak Preserve for the past three years with the hope that the technology can be integrated into other ranchers’ operations.  Amy Crouch, The Nature Conservancy’s Little Sioux project director who headed the virtual fencing…

By Joshua Haiar A South Dakota economic development board this week approved up to $2.8 million in tax relief for a solar farm, a $10 million state loan for a cheese factory and a $7,500 state grant to help local businesses grow.  Officials expect the projects to result in a combined $395 million in private investment and create 163 jobs. “We’re supporting a major expansion in food production, investing in renewable energy, and fueling local economic development,” Gov. Larry Rhoden said in a press release. “Each project strengthens our communities and ensures long-term growth for our state.”   The Board of…

By Brooklyn Draisey A study by Iowa State University (ISU) researchers shows the viability of using bio-oils to plug abandoned oil wells, an application that could drive economic growth for Iowans with farm and forest waste. ISU mechanical engineering professor Mark Mba-Wright led a “techno-economic assessment” of technology that uses oil created from plant waste to fill orphan oil wells, or abandoned wells that need to be filled in, and sequester carbon dioxide. Mba-Wright, who has studied bio-oils and their applications for more than a decade, said he was surprised to learn about this use of the materials when the…

USDA published the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, September 8. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of North Carolina’s most important crops as September started out. Weather North Carolina has dried out since early June. In June, the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reported precipitation several inches above average during the month of May. North Carolina’s precipitation departure shows a drier than normal pattern. Iowa Environmental Mesonet More of the eastern side of the state is now abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.  The eastern half of North Carolina is abnormally drought. U.S. Drought Monitor…

DAILY Bites Corn: Forecast at 16.8 billion bushels, up 13% from 2024; planted area at 98.7 million acres (+9% YoY); yields at 186.7 bushels/acre, with multiple states expected to hit record highs. Soybeans: Production at 4.30 billion bushels, down 2% from 2024; planted area at 81.1 million acres (-7% YoY); yields projected at 53.5 bushels/acre, with record yields in several states. Cotton: Output forecast at 13.2 million bales, down 8% from 2024; planted area at 9.3 million acres (-17% YoY); yields averaging 861 pounds/acre, below both last month and last year. DAILY Discussion Corn production is up, while soybean and…

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor shows that abnormal dryness (D0) and short-term moderate (D1) to severe (D2) drought continued to expand across the lower to middle Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, Northeast, and Southeast last week. It wasn’t all degradations, heavy rainfall of 2 inches or more brought a 1-category improvement to parts of central and eastern portions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Map showing the U.S. Drought Monitor data for September 9, 2025 highlighting varying levels of drought intensity. Midwest Central and southern Missouri saw widespread 1-category degradations based on 30 to 60-day standardized precipitation index (SPI), soil…

DAILY Bites Phosphate prices surged nearly 36% between January and August 2025, while nitrogen and potash markets remain volatile due to energy and trade disruptions. Global policy shifts, including EU tariffs on Russian fertilizer, Canadian potash tariffs, and China’s export restrictions, are tightening supplies and driving up costs. Higher fertilizer expenses, combined with declining crop revenues, are expected to weigh heavily on farm income, especially for row crop producers. DAILY Discussion Farmers are once again bracing for higher input costs as fertilizer prices begin climbing after a brief period of stability. While prices remain below the record highs of 2022,…