MFU delegates sound alarm on farm economy, demand new farm bill

Minnesota Farmers Union developed resolutions around what members describe as a farm crisis during their annual convention in late November. MFU president Gary Wertish says long-term reforms are necessary to stabilize the ag economy. “We’re still dealing with a 2018 Farm Bill that we keep kicking down the road, so we need to make some…Continue Reading

Grassley says farmer assistance talks have gone quiet

The status of financial assistance for farmers from the Trump administration remains unclear. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley was asked by Brownfield Tuesday morning what he’s hearing on potential payments. “Not enough. And hearing less than we did a few weeks ago on the $10 to $14 billion that they were planning to do.” The Iowa…Continue Reading

Economist says long-term tariff impacts won’t be clear for several years

A long-time agricultural economist says the full effect of the Trump administration’s use of tariffs won’t be felt for a few years. Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech University, tells Brownfield, “These tariffs aren’t agreements, and I’m being very blunt about it, they’re just temporary subscriptions, and they can be changed on a…Continue Reading

Nationwide, year-round E15 seen as key demand driver for sorghum

The chairwoman of the National Sorghum Producers says year-round, nationwide E15 could provide much-needed price support for the industry.   Amy France says sorghum is an important feedstock for biofuels that can be overlooked. “Often times people don’t know that sorghum can be used in ethanol production. We have ethanol plants that are using 80…Continue Reading

Collaborating for Corn

The Illinois Corn Marketing Board utilizes corn checkoff funding to partner with numerous organizations to strengthen Illinois agriculture. In this Managing for Profit, John Klemm, a central Illinois farmer and director on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, discusses a few of these partnerships and how they benefit Illinois corn farmers. The post Collaborating for Corn…Continue Reading

A mid-Winter look & feel dominates virtually all of the Heartland

Across the Corn Belt, the latest round of wintry weather has largely ended.  Substantial snow from recent winter storms blankets much of the Midwest, leading to locally challenging conditions regarding rural travel and livestock access.  December began with official snow depths of 6 inches in Chicago and Des Moines, along with 7 inches in Milwaukee…Continue Reading

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