Author: staff

Two cargo vessels were headed toward grain port terminals earlier this week near New Orleans to load with what will be the first U.S. soybean shipments to China since May. A third vessel is moved toward a Texas Gulf Coast terminal to be loaded with U.S. sorghum bound for China, marking the first American shipment of the feed grain since mid-March.  “U.S. farmers and grain traders have been awaiting shipments to China to resume after Beijing shunned U.S. crops for months due to a trade war with Washington, costing U.S. farmers billions on lost trade,” Reuters reported. China booked nearly 2…

By Ryan Hanrahan Civil Eats’ Meg Wilcox reported that “As the holidays approach, bird flu is once again sweeping through commercial and backyard poultry flocks, infecting and killing more than 8.9 million turkeys, chickens, and ducks in the U.S. since September.” “Consumers, however, are unlikely to feel a price squeeze this holiday season,” Wilcox reported. “A 50-state survey by the American Farm Bureau found retail prices for frozen turkey down by 16% in comparison to last year, even though wholesale prices are up 40% because retailers often sell turkeys as loss leaders. And turkeys will remain safe to eat as…

Just after 9:30 a.m. CT, March corn was up 5¢ at $4.43¼ per bushel. January soybeans were up 2½¢ at $11.27¼ per bushel. “The market is now in full holiday mode, and this weighed on overnight trade,” said Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting. “Big losses were not seen though, as selling interest is minimal as well. Much of what we will see [Wednesday] will be month end positioning, as many traders will take the rest of the week off. This could make for an interesting session on Friday, as it is the first notice day for December contracts…

By Jacob Orledge The North Dakota Industrial Commission on Tuesday gave the state bank a green light to proceed with two loan programs aiming to relieve agricultural producers hit by a combination of tariffs, low commodity prices, and high costs, as well as a series of summer storms.  The state-owned Bank of North Dakota is setting aside $300 million for the 2026 Farm Financial Stability Loan Program, the larger of the two initiatives. Farmers and ranchers who experienced an operating shortfall in 2024 or 2025 are eligible to apply for low-interest loans through their local banks and credit unions.  “Ag…

Whether you’re buying your first vintage tractor or adding to an existing collection, many collectors find that the search for the perfect model is the adventurous part of the project. Where you start your search, though, depends a lot on your goals.  If you’re buying a tractor strictly as a collector model, you need to realize that a whole different set of rules tend to apply. It depends, too, on whether you’re collecting the model for its value on the market, or its sentimental value to you alone. As an example, some tractor restorers simply have a desire to restore…

The National FFA Organization launched its new Chapter Connect pilot program this year. It facilitated the first in-person connections during the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo, with interactive activities expected to continue throughout the school year. This nationwide initiative was built around intentional engagement before, during and after the conference, and is designed to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships among FFA members. As part of this program, selected chapters from different regions and backgrounds were paired up and participated in workshops, sessions and planned convention activities together. These relationships built leading up to the National FFA Convention will continue…

What Happened As 2025 winds down, 2026 marketing decisions begin to loom larger on the horizon. Many decisions will need to be made as marketing opportunities unfold. Creating a balanced approach in front of the upcoming season will take time, energy, and concentrated effort. Yet, it can be kept somewhat simple with strategic planning and discipline. Make it your goal to market a portion of the crop prior to summer with forward sales and use options to cover both downside risk and upside opportunities.  Why This Is Important Assuming normal crop production, it is not unusual for the market to…

As U.S. poultry producers face a sharp resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a bipartisan coalition in Congress is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately restore full surveillance, reporting, and coordination efforts. The push comes amid more than 90 new detections in the last 30 days and over 1.6 million birds infected, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.  The letter, is led by Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and warns that weakened federal monitoring, coupled with the recent government shutdown and staffing reductions, has left farmers without the timely information they need as the…

March corn ended the day up 1½¢ at $4.38¼ per bushel. January soybeans closed up 1½¢ at $11.24¾ per bushel. March CBOT wheat closed up 4½¢ at $5.39¼ per bushel. March KC wheat was up 5¾¢ at $5.28¼ per bushel. March Minneapolis wheat was up 4¾¢ at $5.80¾. “Grains spent early trade on the plus side this morning while the soy complex was mostly lower,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “Short covering ahead of first notice day on December futures gave the grains support as did several overnight sales, especially on corn. While none of these were…

Gracyn Stevens of Kirklin, Indiana, is the winner of the 13th annual NCBA National Anthem Contest. Stevens will sing the Star-Spangled Banner at CattleCon 2026 in Nashville from Feb. 3 to 5.  “Cattle have nutritional and economic value, but to me their value is immeasurable; it is an honor to win this contest to represent an industry I love,” Stevens said. “I will strive to make a meaningful impact for years to come.” Stevens appreciates the lessons she learned growing up showing cattle in 4-H. The cattle industry taught her that success is not about the banners, but the effort…