The EPA has set Renewable Volume Obligations for the next two years. Minnesota Biofuels Association executive director Brian Werner says RVO’s for 2026 were supposed to be finalized last fall. “So we’ve been pretty delayed on getting a Renewable Volume Obligation rule out, much less finalized. So we’re certainly pleased to see that EPA is…… Continue Reading
Van Orden asks Ag Secretary to address milk labeling issues
A Wisconsin Congressman has asked Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins to address milk labeling issues. Third District Republican Derrick Van Orden says milk substitutes made from things like almonds and oats are not milk according to USDA’s own definition, and they shouldn’t be called milk. “To get this done, we introduced a bill in the last…… Continue Reading
State Senators hear impacts of federal food & farm program cuts
Michigan food banks and farmers are warning state lawmakers about the impact federal nutrition funding and local food purchasing cuts are having across the state. Michigan Department of Education Director for the Office of Nutrition Services Deanne Kelleher says the termination of federal local food purchasing programs has left a $30 million void, “For getting…… Continue Reading
The challenges of addressing veterinary shortages
The dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine says a national shortage of veterinarians continues to impact rural communities. Dr. Bret Marsh says an increase in animals needing care and limited access to resources is making is harder for veterinarians to meet their client’s needs. “We’ve had significant shifts in our animal populations,” he says.…… Continue Reading
Seasonal warmth, heat & rainfall to continue across most of the Heartland
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of near- or above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for cooler-than-normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, near- or above-normal rainfall across much of the eastern half of the U.S., as well as the nation’s northern tier, should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in southern Florida and…… Continue Reading
Seasonal warmth except northern areas; welcome rains build across parts of the Corn Belt
Across the Corn Belt, a band of showers stretches from the Dakotas into the Great Lakes region. Cool weather accompanying and trailing the rain is temporarily slowing fieldwork and crop development across the northern Corn Belt. Warmth lingers, however, in the southern Corn Belt, where Friday’s high temperatures will approach 90°F. By June 8, threequarters…… Continue Reading
Wean-to-finish pig mortality trending the wrong way
A swine veterinarian says mortality rates in wean-to-finish pigs are on the rise. Dr. Dave Baumert is with Zoetis Pork. “Pigs from the time they start in the nursery to when they eventually go to market, mortality if we looked at those numbers ten to fifteen years ago they were bouncing about six percent. The…… Continue Reading
Cattle futures mostly lower heading into Friday
At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle closed mostly lower, watching direct business develop. August live cattle closed $1.07 lower at $216.95 and October live cattle closed $.67 lower at $214.35. August feeder cattle closed $.17 higher at $311.25 and September feeder cattle closed $.25 lower at $310.55. It was a solid day…… Continue Reading
Corn ekes out modest post-WASDE gain
Soybeans were lower on commercial and technical selling. The USDA made no changes to the domestic supply and demand tables this month, with not a lot of adjustments on the global side of the ledger either. CONAB did increase its soybean production guess for Brazil to 169.606 million tons on an improved yield estimate. CONAB’s…… Continue Reading
Pipeline veto draws mixed landowner reactions
Farmers and landowners in Iowa have had mixed reactions to Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto of a bill that would have limited the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. “Eminent domain is not good for rural Iowa, said Lee Tesdell, a landowner from Slater. Tesdell says the governor’s veto is disappointing. “The CO2 pipeline would…… Continue Reading
