Earliest harvest in recent memory for Birkey

An ag consultant says his region has only received two inches of rain over the past two months in southeast Michigan. Ned Birkey tells Brownfield its very, very dry. “The soybeans are all running about 10 percent moisture,” he shares. “Some of the corn is running 15 percent going directly into bins. The weather has…Continue Reading

September cattle placements below a year ago

The USDA says fewer cattle entered U.S. feedlots in September 2024 than September 2023. Placements were 2.156 million head, a decrease of 2% on the year, despite expanding drought conditions in many major feeding areas and declining feed costs. A big chunk of those placements weighed between 700 and 900 pounds, which will head to…Continue Reading

Michigan announces specialty crop investments

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced $2.5 million will fund 23 specialty crop projects this year. Director Tim Boring tells Brownfield the Specialty Crop Block grants support the long-term viability of the sector. “I think this grant program in particular here in Michigan is really powerful because of the partnership with…Continue Reading

Dry fall posing challenges for cover crop seeding

An agronomist says the dry fall has made seeding cover crops a challenge. Ryan Gentle, who covers Illinois with Wyffels Hybrids, says some farmers timed it right. “If you’re early enough to do it, like maybe after silage early on, and we caught that half inch of rain, some of those fields look pretty nice.” …Continue Reading

Playlist