Latest News From Retail Business

The latest round of agricultural credit condition surveys from the Federal Reserve banks show high farm real estate values are supporting farm finances. 

You can leave emerging crops alone, run a rotary hoe or replant. Ken Ferrie has developed online calculators to guide decision-making and help remove some of the emotions you might struggle with in the process.

On June 16, EFC Systems is sponsoring a free webinar for all of those in ag retail looking to inject innovation and more importantly an innovation mindset into their business. 

From the farmer perspective, e-commerce in agriculture shouldn’t just mean point, click, buy AgVend's Pat Sullivan says.

Cover crops, conservation tillage, irrigation optimization, fertilizers and pesticides all have a fit on Rondo Farms, but only when they're right for the land, the agronomy and the financials.

USDA made a historic move with its May 12 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, by dropping the national corn yield below trendline.

“I've learned patience—I’ve learned patience with employees, patience with customers. And they have learned patience with me,” Wyatt Smith says.

A little bit better is a little bit better, said Ted Matthews, director of Minnesota Rural Mental Health. Matthews dispels myths about mental health, counseling and anxiety on the farm.

With a territory the spans Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, Erin Hardin covers a diverse geography, and she says the reception to new technology tools varies.

Farmland in parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, for example, have seen 30% to 40% year-over-year moves up in price. One expert sees no land price weakness anywhere in the U.S. but shares how that could change.

It took nearly a month until the Stanton, VA, based cooperative was back to business in a new normal and no longer receiving communication from the threat actors.

It's also time to consider switching to corn planting if you are unable to plant corn and soybeans simultaneously. Beware of salt-burn risks in spring strip tillage, and start checking soybeans for bean leaf beetles.

When you plant corn does matter, but there are in-season factors that play a significant role in final outcomes as well, according to USDA and agronomists.

A bullish set of fundamentals pushed corn prices to this high level, says Dan Basse, president of AgResource Company, and those factors could actually be getting more bullish. 

Much of the Midwest is seeing cool, wet conditions while the West is increasingly dry. If you plant in poor soil conditions, you will pay for that mistake at harvest, say agronomists. Their recommendation: be patient.

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators play a valuable role in food production. Farmers can do their part to protect pollinators by implementing these best management practices.

With these high corn prices, plant corn when conditions are right, says Ken Ferrie. Don't act in haste and set yourself up for corn replant decisions. If you have to push conditions and plant, go with soybeans.

Harley Rensing, a customer success manager at CommoditAg, joins The Scoop podcast to talk about supply chain constraints and how focusing on the customer experience is growing e-commerce and ag retailers’ businesses.

For 17 straight months, the rural economy has posted healthy and consistent growth. That’s according to the March Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) from Creighton University.

Farmers and ag cooperative need to be on high alert this spring. That’s according to the FBI, which is predicting cyber criminals might attack the industry during planting and harvest. 

The last couple of years have affected employment in agriculture and food, changing where, how and the way we work and conduct business. Here's a look at AgCareers.com's annual review of trends in jobs and candidates.

Cooler than average temperatures, combined with rain and snow, have pushed many Midwest farmers' plans to plant back a few more weeks. The slow planting pace is impacting commodity prices, and it's not even May.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and that might be what’s happening in the grain and oilseed markets. This week kicked off with another big rally in prices.

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn futures topped $8 a bushel and reached their highest price in nearly a decade on Monday on concerns over unfavorable U.S. crop weather and the Ukraine war disrupting grain exports.

CF Industries is warning customers that fertilizer shipments might be delayed or may not reach farmers after Union Pacific (UP) railroad mandated certain shippers to reduce the volume of private cars on its railroad.

"In ag retail we need to get comfortable with the fact that digital tools and infrastructure are not only here to stay, but an essential differentiator for your business indefinitely," writes Shane Thomas.

"Agriculture labor is one of those funny challenges that sounds almost boring at first but once you dive in, you realize it’s one of the most fascinating parts of our industry," writes Tyler McGee.

"It is getting better, but also there isn’t just one answer either in how to work with data," writes Nathan Faleide.

"As we think about what technical developments will propel agriculture forward (broadacre row crop), what will NOT change can be an interesting framework, instead of the latest buzzword or trend," writes Rhishi Pethe.

For those ag retailers who are resistant to embrace opportunities, there could be a pretty big crowd saying coulda, woulda, shoulda. 

Running a high-speed disk with gang angles can put in compaction layers if soil is too wet. Same thing can happen with wheel tracks from vertical tillage. Make a soil ribbon to evaluate conditions and guide decisions.

EPA believes the current pesticide approval system has major “unsustainable and legally tenuous” setbacks. Courts currently dictate ESA cases for the EPA, but this new workplan will allow the Agency to work alone.

Stakeholders applaud President Biden following months of pleading for increased biofuel availability while others set the record straight on biofuel impacts on the climate.

McKaskle Family Farm finds ways to prove additionality in their long-standing regenerative operation.

It was the “big swap” many didn’t expect. What makes it believable is total corn and soybean acreage intentions of 180.5 million is nearly unchanged from 2021.

Larry Taylor said, “Sackett-Waconia’s success is its partnership with its customers. I look forward to continuing what has made us successful for so long as part of the PVS family.”

The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor will make an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for the second half of fiscal year 2022.

Not every product will deliver a positive return-on-investment. But some will and are worth trying out on your farm this season--especially if you're planting early soybeans, says Illinois Sales Agronomist Kris Ehler.

Build innovation into your plans as a high priority, and your team will make innovation a priority.

The March CME/Purdue Ag Economy Barometer posted the weakest farmer sentiment reading since May 2020, as the survey found the biggest concern among producers continues to be “higher input costs."

BASF and Bosch are developing new technology for weed management. Their system photographs weeds, signals nozzles to spray and records the data in milliseconds. Farmers then get a map printout for easy reference.

When a new customer comes to your company, you start with a debit to that customer to perform as promised. Every time products and services meet or exceed expectations, that is a credit.

China came in with a major buy to start the week. USDA confirmed in its daily export sales report that Beijing purchased 1.084 million tonnes of U.S. corn marking the biggest buy since May of 2021.

Before Putin’s forces even breached the Ukraine border, fear and speculation drove commodity prices skyward. Concerns are warranted.

USDA says there are currently no plans to provide direct payments to farmers impacted by soaring fertilizer prices. The news comes as farm groups and lawmakers are asking assistance to help with rising fertilizer costs.

A growing number of lawmakers, farm groups and farmers are pleading for assistance from still surging fertilizer prices. One possibility for USDA would be to tap the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act.

USDA’s Prospective Plantings report came with some shocks as farmers revealed 2022 planting plans. Despite the higher than expected soybean acreage numbers, some analysts say the soybean balance sheet is still tight.

The Ukranian government announced removal of corn and sunflower oil export license requirements to allow for easier exports, while also hoping the sale of the commodities will provide money for spring planting.

From changes in corn and wheat acres to more producers looking to plant soybeans, FBN's 2022 Planting Report could be an early indication of what USDA's March Prospective Plantings report will show later this week.

All eyes will be on USDA’s planting numbers on Thursday, March 31. Will acres swing hard to corn, soybeans or be split down the middle?