Author: staff

Low commodity prices are driving interest in carbon market programs, according to Jarod Creed, owner of JC Ag Financial Services, and owner and partner of Elite Ag Insurance. That was evident at the 2025 Commodity Classic as farmers packed into the Successful Farming Main Stage to attend the panel “Finding the Right Carbon Program.”  In addition to Creed, panelists included Kelly Garrett, Pete Meyer, and Kaylynn Henkenius. In 2020, Garrett, a sixth-generation Iowa farmer with a 7,000-acre no-till operation, became the first farmer in the nation to sell carbon credits to a corporate buyer. In 2024, Garrett teamed up with…

Watching scientific principles come to life in the eyes of the farmers he works with is one of agronomist Travis Gustafson’s favorite parts of the job. That, and riding in combines. Gustafson is an agronomic service representative for Syngenta covering central and western Nebraska. On an almost weekly basis during the growing season, he contributes his expertise to Successful Farming’s coverage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress report.  Gustafson took some time to speak with Successful Farming about his science background, how Syngenta prioritizes farmer success, and why he enjoys harvest. SF: Tell us about your road to…

Al Kluis, managing director of Kluis Commodity Advisors, said he expects seasonal marketing will work for farmers in 2025.  At the 2025 Commodity Classic conference in Denver this week, Kluis discussed what happened in the corn and soybean markets in 2024, as well as his recommendations for 2025. He emphasized the importance of seasonal marketing (selling grain in the spring and summer and avoiding the fall) and making several small sales into rallies rather than making a few large sales.  “Time is just as important as price,” he said during one of his two presentations at the event. “If you…

The U.S. ethanol industry has identified carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) pipelines as a solution to achieve lower carbon intensity (CI), but not everyone impacted by the pipelines, such as landowners, is sold. In this installment of our CCS pipeline coverage, we explore why ethanol producers are pursuing pipelines and which other options are available if the pipelines fail.  CCS Pipelines: Silver Bullet or Misfire?   In 2022, former President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which created the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit and upped the benefit for the 45Q tax credit for carbon sequestration.  The year before, the…

On a bitter cold February morning when the temperature outside struggled to get above zero degrees, a group so large it was standing room only gathered to watch an Iowa farm change hands for the first time since 1882. The 635.91 acres of prime farmland, spread out in Guthrie County, Iowa, was split into eight tracts and sold to five buyers for a grand total of about $9.5 million.  The Sale David Whitaker sold the land and said it was one of the most well attended auctions in the 18 years he’s owned Whitaker Marketing Group. In addition, he said…

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a temporary suspension of the 25 percent tariffs he had imposed earlier this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico. This decision marks another turn in the administration’s evolving trade policy, which has caused volatility in financial markets and raised concerns about inflation and economic growth. The exemptions, which include the United States’ two largest trading partners, are set to expire on April 2. At that point, Trump has indicated he may implement a broader tariff system based on reciprocity with all U.S. trading partners. Initially, the White House had only confirmed an…

By Ed White WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 6 (Reuters) – With only weeks until spring planting on both sides of the border gets underway, Canadian and U.S. farmers, already facing low grain prices, are bracing for another economic blow: even bigger fertilizer bills amid a North American trade war. Some farming supply costs already turned sharply higher due to trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada. After threatening tariffs for months, U.S. President Donald Trump enacted 25% duties on most Canadian products on Tuesday before announcing a one-month reprieve on some goods, including fertilizers, on Thursday. Canada said on Thursday it will delay a planned second wave of retaliatory tariffs until April 2. Many U.S. farmers need to add potassium to their soils, so they use potash…

The Holstein Foundation has created the Raymond LeBlanc Memorial Scholarship, a college scholarship dedicated to honoring the legacy of Raymond LeBlanc while supporting a qualified student. Applications for this $1,000 scholarship are now open, with a submission deadline of April 1, 2025. LeBlanc was a dedicated cattleman and an influential figure in the Holstein community, largely known for his role as a cattle salesman and ring man. He also volunteered his time to help mentor youth in the dairy industry, making this honor fitting. “Raymond worked harder, made more calls, had more contacts and more bids than anyone going into…

How well your implements perform this spring is determined by your devotion to remedial maintenance. The following is an inspection repair tip list created by Kevin Kimberley, a farm operations consultant in Iowa, based on his field experience. Mechanical Inspection Hitch and Frame Beginning with the hitch and walking your way to the rear, examine the frame by scrutinizing welds — particularly at hinges — for cracks, as well as for twisted or bent steel, and worn or loose fasteners and their bushings. “Catch and correct these problems in the shop before they break in the field,” Kimberley said. Hydraulics…

Agriculture is crucial to North Carolina’s economy, environment, and culture. From the mountains to the coasts, farming is a fabric of the literal and figurative landscape. Yet in recent years, many of the state’s farms have struggled. Data from the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture, which was released in 2024, shows that between 2012 and 2022, North Carolina saw a decline of 7,400 farms. That’s a 15 percent decrease — from more than 50,000 farms to less than 43,000 — in only 10 years. Some counties and communities feel this loss more acutely than others, but the trend is truly…