Photo by Brownfield’s Erin Anderson. An Ohio state representative says he’s concerned about how the governor’s budget proposal will impact the state’s ag industry. District 65 Representative David Thomas tells Brownfield, “We have to use some of our state sales tax and income tax dollars to help property owners and give that relief. We used…… Continue Reading
ODA: Ohio has become a hotspot for avian flu
Ohio’s director of ag says the state has become a national hotspot for highly pathogenic avian influenza this year. Brian Baldridge says more than 11.5 million birds have been depopulated because of the virus. “As we’ve seen the numbers in Ohio, we’ve heard the poultry industry and them coming together to say we have to do…… Continue Reading
Verslues to retire
The CEO of MFA Incorporated, a farm cooperative based in Missouri, will be retiring this fall. Ernie Verslues has been at MFA for nearly 40 years and has been leading the cooperative for a decade. MFA says the Board of Directors is currently conducting a search, considering both internal and external candidates. The post Verslues…… Continue Reading
Parker McCollum Warns George Strait That He’s Coming for Him
McCollum is coming for the crown! Continue reading…… Continue Reading
USDA resumes a portion of funding to growers
The USDA has announced it will release the first tranche of funding that had been paused after a review of the Inflation Reduction Act dollars. $20 million in payments will go to farmers who signed contracts under the Environmental Quality Incentive Program or EQIP, the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Ag Conservation Easement Program. In a…… Continue Reading
Midwest farmland values down 1% in 2024
Midwestern farmland values decreased one percent in 2024. Chicago Federal Reserve Bank policy advisor David Oppedahl says the district, which includes Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, saw dips of two to three percent in every state except Wisconsin. “So we are not seeing everywhere that farmland values are down, but generally in most areas…… Continue Reading
Kansas Ag Secretary weighs in on Rollins’ vision for USDA
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam says he’s uncertain how a new USDA initiative will impact Kansas farmers. “I’m hoping that it’s going to be putting an emphasis and maybe even resources towards enhancing our research efforts. We need to be at the forefront, because in the end, it usually relates to science and economics,”…… Continue Reading
Minnesota sees Netherlands as “gateway” to EU for ag exports
The Netherlands is seen as a gateway to the European Union for U.S. ag exports. Minnesota Department of Agriculture deputy commissioner Andrea Vaubel spoke to Brownfield after returning from a recent trade mission to the east European country. “They’re one of the largest importing countries in the EU (and) we’ve got a really strong relationship…… Continue Reading
Strong heifer market
A northern Minnesota cattle producer is benefiting from continued strength in the heifer market. Rachel Gray of Blackduck says high calf prices are trickling down to bred heifers. “We’ve seen record-high bred heifers (and) we hope that it holds. And my hope for people is that as they’re paying for bred heifers, which is my…… Continue Reading
Meat export sales up on week
The USDA’s reporting a good week for U.S. meat export sales. Beef and pork sales during the week ending February 13th both saw improvements, with Japan leading the way for beef and Mexico topping the list for pork. Soybean, rice, and upland cotton sales were also up on the week. Export demand is influenced by…… Continue Reading
