Author: staff

Thousands of ice cream enthusiasts — including members of Congress, federal officials, and Capitol Hill staff — came together last week at the International Dairy Foods Association’s 41st Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party. Held at Union Square Park on Capitol Hill, the popular summertime celebration provided attendees with America’s favorite and newest ice cream flavors, floats, and novelties. Over the course of the two-hour celebration, guests enjoyed: 3,900 cups of ice cream 1,100 root beer floats 350 slices of ice cream cake 660 ice cream sandwiches 180 additional ice cream novelties “This event has become an annual tradition that…

Corn and soybean planting and emergence are lagging behind historical trends in Indiana, and the same goes for winter wheat progress. The delay can be chalked up to weather conditions described as “cooler and wetter than they have been in a long time.” Here’s a closer look at the numbers from USDA’s latest Crop Progress report, along with some expert perspectives. Corn As of June 15, Indiana farmers had planted 96% of the state’s corn crop, according to USDA. The five-year planting average is 99%. The crop was 89% emerged the week that ended June 15, USDA said, which is…

Hundreds of leading agricultural organizations are demanding a greater voice in federal health policy following the release of the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s controversial report. In a letter addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, farm groups criticized the report’s lack of transparency, scientific rigor, and public input. The groups argue that the report misrepresents U.S. agriculture and could lead to policy decisions that harm American farmers, drive up food prices, and increase dependence on foreign imports. The letter, signed by national and state organizations representing millions…

Certain bacteria isolated from soil could knock out “eternal pollutants”, substances that, once dispersed in the environment, do not degrade and threaten human and planetary health: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), present in a wide range of products, from cosmetics to food packaging, from kitchen utensils to detergents. In fact, a research group from the Catholic University, Piacenza, has isolated about 20 species of bacteria from PFAS-contaminated soil in Veneto that are capable of degrading them, i.e., using them as a source of energy (as their sole source of carbon). The increasing soil and groundwater contamination by PFAS represents a…

North Carolina farmers reported 100% of their 2025 corn crop emerged the week ended June 15, according to USDA’s latest Crop Progress report. Minnesota and South Dakota corn emergence rates are close behind at 98%. The report said 94% of the national corn crop had emerged. North Carolina North Carolina was the first state to report 100% corn emergence this year. This is on pace with the five-year average and last year at this time. Kevin Matthews farms in northwestern North Carolina, near East Bend. Recent weather can be described as “rain, rain, rain,” he said. However, “after last year’s…

After a brief reprieve for agriculture and hospitality businesses, the Department of Homeland Security has reversed its guidance exempting farms, hotels, and restaurants from worksite immigration raids. The about-face came just days after President Donald Trump signaled sympathy for producers relying on immigrant labor, only to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to carrying out what he now calls the “largest Mass Deportation Program in history.” Late last week, President Trump had directed the Department of Homeland Security to halt immigration enforcement operations targeting farms, meatpacking plants, produce operations, and hotels, following a string of high-profile ICE raids over the past week.…

As of 8:36 a.m. CT, July corn was up 1½¢ at $4.36¼ per bushel. July soybeans were down 1¼¢ at $10.68½ per bushel. July CBOT wheat was up 9¢ at $5.45½ per bushel. September KC wheat was up 8¼¢ at $5.59. September Minneapolis wheat was up 1¼¢ at $6.37¼. “As Friday’s options expiration approaches for the July grain contracts, futures prices often move toward strike prices with large open interest,” said Cole Raisbeck, commodities broker at Kluis Commodity Advisors. “Right now, there is significant open interest near the $4.50 and $4.40 calls, as well as the $4.40 and $4.30 puts,…

For those who grew up on the farm or ranch, saying it’s “in my blood” might be a pretty common thing. It’s a nice saying, basically sharing that ag is more than a job, it’s a way of life. But is that sentiment true? Does ag really need to be something you’re born into, or can anyone find their calling in agriculture? Agriculture has long been a generational industry. Almost 98 percent of all farms are family owned. With a deep history of family farming comes generations of experience, knowledge, and often land and equipment that is passed on. For…

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order enacting parts of a long-anticipated tariff reduction agreement with the United Kingdom, easing trade tensions between the two allies while falling short of a comprehensive free trade deal. The agreement, unveiled alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the G7 Summit in Canada, immediately eliminates tariffs on U.K. aerospace products and lowers tariffs on the first 100,000 British vehicles imported to the U.S. annually — from 27.5 to 10 percent. Trump called the deal “fair for both” nations and said it would generate “a lot of jobs, a lot of income.”…

1. Wheat Futures Rise as Winter Conditions Fall Wheat futures were higher in overnight trading amid declining winter crop conditions.  About 52% of U.S. winter wheat was in good or excellent condition at the start of the week, down from 54% seven days earlier, the Department of Agriculture said in a weekly report.  Analysts polled by Reuters had expected the agency to leave winter wheat ratings unchanged.  Ten percent of the crop had been harvested as of Sunday, up from 4% the previous week, but behind the prior five-year average of 16%.  Still, overnight gains were capped as spring wheat…