A farmer in mid-Missouri says the recent rains have made baling hay a struggle. Jay Fischer says he got some second baling of alfalfa completed last week, but “the alfalfa should have been baled two weeks earlier. Everytime we’d get ready to go, there would be another chance of rain and we’d hold off.” He…… Continue Reading
Crop conditions stellar in Iowa
North-central Iowa farmer Brent Renner tells Brownfield large amounts of rainfall over the last week are impacting crop conditions. “I’m starting to see maybe some, especially in some of the wetter areas, some nitrogen deficiency show up in some of our corn.” The Klemme area grower says he’s also noticing an uptick in pest pressure.…… Continue Reading
Rain welcomed in east central Illinois
An east central Illinois certified crop advisor says weekend rains were needed. Kris Ehler, who’s based in Champaign County, says some farms saw up to three inches of beneficial moisture. “We’ve been pretty dry the last two and a half weeks.” He says, “You really started to see the soybeans starting to stress and then…… Continue Reading
Closing Grain and Livestock Futures: July 7, 2025
Sep. corn closed at $4.03 and 1/2, down 16 and 3/4 centsAug. soybeans closed at $10.31 and 1/2, down 24 centsAug. soybean meal closed at $272.20, down $5.20Aug. soybean oil closed at 53.94, down 61 pointsSep. wheat closed at $5.48 and 1/2, down 8 and 1/4 centsAug. live cattle closed at $215.90, up $1.85Aug. feeder…… Continue Reading
Fertilizer market volatility continues
The senior economist for The Fertilizer Institute says farmers continue to face a challenging fertilizer market. Veronic Nigh tells Brownfield some fertilizers were up again during the last week of June. “This time of year is typically when we see the lowest fertilizer prices. That’s just not what’s happening this year because of a number…… Continue Reading
Low commodity prices, exports impacting farmer profitability
An ag economist says several factors are impacting farmer profitability. Creighton University’s Ernie Goss tells Brownfield, “It’s primarily about (low) ag prices. Wheat, soybeans, and corn here in this part of the country.” He says ag exports are another concern. “Exports this year thus far compared to 2024 during the same period of time are…… Continue Reading
Deer hunts in season hope to mitigate damage
Some Michigan farmers are experiencing significant crop damage from deer as crops continue to develop. Michigan Soybean Committee Research Director Mark Seamon tells Brownfield feeding is especially persistent on soybeans in the early growth stages. “It takes a lot of soybean plants to fill up a deer, so we have a lot of feeding now,”…… Continue Reading
South Dakota farmer stays optimistic as trade timeline adjusts
Paul Casper, a farmer in eastern South Dakota, says he’s trying to stay optimistic as the Trump administration extends its timeline to work through new trade deals. “I hope Trump comes through with something on the ag sector side. He says he will and we’ll see what happens.” Ahead of Wednesday’s tariff deadline, President Trump…… Continue Reading
Concerns about the future of trade
A west central Indiana farmer says he’s concerned about the future of U.S. trade. Kevin Cox says certainty is needed. “I need the best crop that I’ve ever grown, and I needed the highest price I’ve ever had, and that’s not the case,” he says. “The industry in itself is just kind of in a flux right now…… Continue Reading
Supreme Court denies Iowa Pork Prop 12 petition
The Supreme Court recently denied a petition filed by the Iowa Pork Producers Association challenging Proposition 12. IPPA attorney Eldon McAfee says the challenge to California’s livestock confinement law was based on constitutional issues. “Some of which were addressed by the dissent mainly in the NPPC case, where the Supreme Court found that it was…… Continue Reading
