An ag labor attorney is encouraging farmers to be prepared for government audits and inspections to raise workforce issues. Kim Clark with Varnum Law tells Brownfield, “Department of Labor is out in force doing their investigations.” “Immediate plans—have a meeting with your managers, review your practices, make sure your employment practices are in place, and…… Continue Reading
Clock ticking on Farm Bill 2.0
Members of the House Agriculture Committee say the clock is ticking on a skinny farm bill. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski says the reconciliation package secured an update to the commodities title, but it also created some issues. “The Republicans broke apart the Farm Bill Coalition with the One Big Bill.” She says, “So how do we,…… Continue Reading
Alpacas give Wisconsin farmer a unique business model
A former educator and dairy farmer has found his niche in fiber and ag tourism. Kevin Stoer started raising alpacas about thirty years ago on a former dairy farm near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. He says the alpaca fleece is cut once a year, usually in May, and that fiber is very useful for creating warm…… Continue Reading
Transition planning can be complicated
An agricultural law expert says farm transition planning can be difficult and complicated. Will McKinley with the Menn Law Firm tells Brownfield farm transition can be especially challenging for dairy farms, and he says farm families need good legal counsel, tax counsel, and financial counsel to avoid costly mistakes. McKinley says depending on how the…… Continue Reading
Connecting consumers to the pork industry
The 2025 interns for the Ohio Pork Council interns say the state fair was an opportunity for producers to connect directly with consumers. Anna Meyer says the organization’s educational experiences showcase the importance of the industry. “It really goes from start to finish,” she says. “The sow display really shows what our farmers do on a…… Continue Reading
Fertilizer prices continue to rise
The president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association says fertilizer prices continue to climb. KJ Johnson says global factors are weighing on all varieties of fertilizer. “There’s Russia, you’re talking China, you’re talking Morocco, talking about import duties, stuff like that.” He says, “I mean, there’s an import duty on phosphates. China also produces…… Continue Reading
Pest pressure hitting corn and soybeans
A cropping systems specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says insect pressure has been extremely variable this season. Ron Seymore tells Brownfield western bean cutworm infestations have been unusually high in corn. “The moth flight was very high. That insect will lay its eggs on the corn as its tasseling and the eggs will hatch…… Continue Reading
Cash dairy prices end the week mixed
Cash dairy prices were mixed Friday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was up $0.01 at $0.58. Six sales were recorded, ranging from $0.5750 to $0.58. Forty-pound cheese blocks were up $0.0250 at $1.85. Three sales were recorded, ranging from $1.8350 to $1.85. Cheese barrels were up $0.0025 at $1.7975. No sales were recorded. …… Continue Reading
Soybean aphids nearing thresholds in northwest Minnesota
A northwest Minnesota farmer tells Brownfield soybean aphid pressure is at or near threshold levels. Blair Hoseth farms near Mahnomen. “We’ve sprayed one field (for aphids), and then we’ve had some in another field. But the beneficials seem like they’ve done a decent job this year, so if we have a little patience to leave…… Continue Reading
Weather challenges make putting up hay difficult
Persistently wet weather this summer has frustrated many alfalfa growers, including Jolene Riessen in northwest Iowa. “The deal with the alfalfa is just trying to get it up around the rain showers. It’s been a real challenge this year.” Riessen farms near Ida Grove and tells Brownfield it took a long time to finish the…… Continue Reading
