USDA says farmers intend to plant 90 million acres of corn this year, which is lower than the trade expected prior to USDA's big Prospective Plantings report.
Scouts saw drought damage instead of derecho devastation in eastern and north-central portions of Iowa on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour this year. Minnesota was much the same, with fields showing clear signs of stress.
Iowa's crop size will play a role in the prices buyers pay for Iowa farmland this year. Real estate experts call the land market the hottest in 40 years as inflation and more buyers than sellers also fuel the market.
Drought dominated headlines in western Iowa last year during the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, and even as drought continues to be the talk of Iowa this year, fields in some portions of the state produced a different tone.
Biofuels groups are asking for a rehearing on a recent appeals court decision that blocked the sale of E15 year-round. The approval of E15 sales during the summer driving season was made by the Trump Administration.
Fields sprouted the possibiity of big bushels on Tuesday. In Nebraska, scouts saw dryness, but also big potential for soybeans this year. And Indiana's crops also showed potential records in areas of the state.
As scouts set out on the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Monday they got a soggy start, a good sign for soybeans in August. While Ohio did not disappoint, South Dakota showed scars from the drought with a mature crop.
Shipping issues continue to surface. The latest is in China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan container port, which is the third-busiest in the world, and has been partially shut down for six days, with no sign of reopening yet.
Lush cornfields and a picture-perfect sunset. The first-ever MLB game played at the "Field of Dreams" put not only agriculture on center stage but all of Iowa, as social media was buzzing. And agriculture played a part.
USDA's August Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) produced a few surprises, both when it came to possible crop supplies and adjustments to demand.
USDA’s August crop production report produced a few surprises, including a 5 bu./a cut to the national corn yield. The report sent corn futures up nearly 20 cents immediately after the report was published.
The iconic "Field of Dreams" cornfields will come to life in Iowa on Thursday, Aug. 12, as two MLB teams prepare to face off at the first-time event. NCGA is an official sponsor of the game.
Ahead of USDA's August supply and demand reports, analysts expect little change to yield, but what about demand? Jarod Creed and Mike North provide their expectations leading into Thursday's reports.
The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Tuesday, and transportation could receive more than half the new funding slated in the bill, but the plan is expected to hit a major roadblock in the House.
From corn fields flattened to grain bins ripped to shreds, the scene was stark after the derecho ravaged the heartland on August 10, 2020. One year later, crop potential is promising, but rebuilding is still underway.
The drought in the West is producing many firsts, as farmers and ranchers grapple with dire decisions including pulling their cattle off federal lands early. Now many worry they won't source enough feed for winter.
USDA is preparing to release its next Crop Production and WASDE reports on Thursday, August 12. Ahead of the release, debate is heating up on whether the U.S. can achieve a trendline yield in corn this year.
Biden signed an executive order to create a zero-emissions auto fleet by boosting the sale of electric vehicles. The plan also updated emissions standards for light cars and trucks but made no mention of ethanol.
COVID-19 testing and cases are on the rise as the push to get America vaccinated continues. New data shows rural vaccination rates are up in 19 states, while questions remain about the new Delta variant.
During August, markets watchers will debate the possibilities of national yields. USDA's gauge of crop conditions are posted every week, Pro Farmer says the condition ratings aren't the best indication of yield.
July proved to be a scorcher in the West, but the weather story flipped to start August, with much of the eastern half of the country enjoying cooler and dryer air during the first few days of the month.
As Arkansas farmers work to battle an outbreak of fall armyworms, entomologists say the pest is proving to be devastating in later planted crops. And as farmers see increased pest pressure, the costs are adding up.
The 2021 Farm Journal Corn and Soybean College kicks off this week and will take a deep dive into everything from cover crops and nutrient management and regulation, to create an environment for high-yield soybeans.
EPA announced it's creating a durable definition of WOTUS by reverting back to the pre-Obama era rule as a framework. EPA is encouraging farmers and ranchers to weigh in during a series of public meetings in August.
Southern farmers are battling an infestation of fall armyworms. From hay fields to soybeans and rice, armyworms are causing severe damage. And now, Arkansas farmers have one more option to control the pest in rice.
The Senate cleared a key procedural vote on a bipartisan infrastructure deal Wednesday, which could set Biden’s infrastructure focus into action. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called it “a very big moment."
New WHIP+ legislation made its way out of the House Agriculture Committee Tuesday. The $8.5B bill expands not only the type of weather events and resulted losses covered, but also the level of drought needed to qualify.
Emerging pest pressures can create problems for farmers every year. And as certain pest pressures build, Farm Journal Associate Agronomist Missy Bauer says the issues are often geography based.
July rains calmed some concern about the corn crop this year, but between crop conditions, weather issues and other factors stirring in the markets, analysts say soybeans may still have a bullish story this summer.
Even with the heat in the forecast, rains have helped remove the panic from the corn and soybean markets the past month. And as July enters its final weeks, the corn “weather market” may be behind the U.S.
As smoke covers much of the Midwest, it's providing a layer of protection from high heat in areas like eastern North Dakota. One agronomist says some of the crops in the central and western parts are already fried.
Despite precision agriculture getting its start decades ago, the majority farmers aren’t fully using their farm data today. Just as technology has transformed agriculture, harvesting data could do the same.
With drought causing spring wheat to shrivel, the heat next week will be lethal for that portion of the crop barely hanging on. Now, grasshoppers are preying on battered fields, possibly shrinking the crop to zero.
From too much rain to not enough, to the intensity and direction of the wind, weather plays a vital role in the the amount of pests farmers see from year to year. Agronomists and entomologists debunk myths with facts.
The shipping snafus are gaining steam, as congestion along one major rail system now causing shippers to halt the hauling of ocean shipping containers from the West Cost. That's as ocean freight costs jumped 333%.
After President Biden signed a sweeping Executive Order late last week, NCBA and other livestock groups praised the President's focus on meat, poultry. However, not every ag group is on board with the President's plan.
Less than two weeks after USDA issued an updated June Acreage Report, which revealed fewer planted acres than expected, USDA says it still expects larger corn supplies and an uptick in ending stocks.
President Biden is tackling anti-competitive issues in the U.S. with a new Executive Order. Signed Friday at the White House, the order could have a sweeping impact on agriculture.
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says unfavorable weather means everything from barley to spring and durum wheat are getting scorched this year. Crop condition ratings continue to tumble as dryness and heat persist.
USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack is scheduled to travel to Nebraska Friday for what the agency is calling a "major announcement." It could include details of the Biden Administration's plan to create more competition within ag.
After more than a decade of legislative proposals, the Biden Administration is preparing plans to allow equipment owners to have the right to repair their own equipment. AEM and John Deere responded to the planned order.
Wet weather forecasts across the Midwest caused commodity prices to tank Tuesday, with soybean oil and corn hitting the daily limits lower. Much of the Midwest is forecast to receive rain at key pollination time.
U.S. farmers' optimism about current and future conditions are seeing a sharp decline to start the summer, as a monthly gauge of producer sentiments hit the lowest reading since July 2020.
As June closed on a wetter note for portions of the Midwest, three agricultural meteorologists forecast July, indicating continued rains for the corn crop in some areas, but drastic drought areas growing even drier.
As USDA prepares to post its June 30 planted acreage report, the trade expects U.S. acres to increase. Farmers from Michigan to Mississippi weigh in on how much their planting plans did or didn't change since March.
Rains continue to fall across portions of the Midwest this week, a sign one ag meteorologist says could mean Midwestern drought conditions have peaked. However, the news isn't as promising for the northern Corn Belt.
After months of negotiations, President Biden and announced Thursday a deal was reached on an infrastructure spending plan. The news came after a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators Thursday.
Areas of the Corn Belt in need of moisture are finally seeing rain this week, but it came with severe crop damage to portions of Iowa after hail wiped out some farm fields this week.
USDA's weekly Crop Progress report released Monday shows the corn crop condition ratings fell nationwide, down to 65% good to excellent. That compares to the 68% rated posted last week.
The Department of Justice filed court documents Friday in defense of USDA’s plan to forgive debt for socially disadvantaged farmers. The filing is in response to a Judge's recent ruling to halt the payments.
As higher commodity prices could entice more farmers to make technology investments, Ken Ferrie expects the use of variable rate technology to grow over the next five to 10 years.