A regional agronomist with AgroLiquid says many growers are having conservations about fall fertilizer purchases. Ryan Harbison tells Brownfield farmers have been adjusting to a weakening farm economy. “There’s a mixed bag of excitement and kind of that hesitation a little bit,” he said. “We’re in a little bit of a down market right now,…… Continue Reading
Indiana farmer concerned about high input costs and low commodity prices
A west central Indiana farmer says instability in the ag economy could impact his bottom line this fall. Kevin Cox says farmers continue to face low commodity prices and high input costs, like fertilizer. “We are one that puts everything on in the fall,” he says. “There’s a lot of that unknown anxiety right now in the…… Continue Reading
Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act reintroduced in Congress
An ag group says the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act, recently reintroduced in Congress, would help accelerate the adoption of biobased products. James Glueck, executive director of the Plant Based Products Council, says the bipartisan legislation would modernize and enhance USDA’s BioPreferred Program. “This is a 20-year-old program at USDA that’s voluntary for folks to go…… Continue Reading
Cool conditions to continue through next week
A climatologist says cooler conditions are expected to continue in the short-term. Lindsay Johnson with the National Drought Mitigation Center the weather pattern will be favorable for crop development. “This is a nice little false fall that we’re calling it, where we are expected to be below normal temperatures,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re not expecting…… Continue Reading
August RMI: Rural economy continues to weaken
The latest Rural Mainstreet Index says the ag economy weakened during August. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says many farmers are having a difficult time managing high input costs. “Agriculture commodity prices are still too low to break even for a lot of farmers,” he said. “In fact, bank CEOs expect about one-fifth of the…… Continue Reading
Walz concerned about ag economy
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is concerned about the state of the farm economy. “It’s always the uncertainty, commodity prices are not great where they need to be. And I think we’re trying to see the trade deals settle out.” Speaking to Brownfield at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, Walz said farmers in the state are…… Continue Reading
Grassley sees year-end spending package as most likely nationwide E15 vehicle
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley tells Brownfield the best chance for passing nationwide year-round E15 legislation is in a year-end spending package. “We’re hearing rumors the petroleum industry would appreciate, like the biofuels industry would, if we had ethanol, E15, year-round nationwide.” The Iowa Republican says the petroleum industry is looking for more certainty on biofuels…… Continue Reading
August cool down good for soybeans, rain needed
A soybean specialist at the University of Missouri says an end of August cool down is good for the soybeans. Andre Reis says cool temps help keep whatever water is left in the soil available a little longer. “We’re looking forward to having cool temperatures lasting awhile.” But he says most soybeans could use a…… Continue Reading
Risk management critical for farmers especially at current prices
An ag economist says current price levels are creating tight margins for producers. “It’s an inhibitor to buy farm machinery. It’s probably an inhibitor in the land market and to go out and spend lots more.” Dan O’Brien with Kansas State University says risk management should be a top priority for farmers with ongoing uncertainty…… Continue Reading
Honing in Biologicals Research
Several years of on-farm research with Michigan State University have shown that biologicals have little impact on yields, but researchers are beginning to observe long-term changes in soil biology. In this Pods for Profit, MSU’s cropping systems agronomist Manni Singh joins us to discuss possible reasons for the results. The post Honing in Biologicals Research…… Continue Reading
