Missouri

House E15 Bill Could Boost Corn Prices While Pressuring Soybeans, FAPRI Finds

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:43:45 GMT

As the House prepares to vote on year-round E15 , there’s a new study out from the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) , and it’s is giving agriculture and biofuels groups an early look at what expanded year-round E15 sales and changes to Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) could mean for farmers and rural America. While there are positives for ethanol and corn demand, the report also highlights some clear tradeoffs, especially for soybean oil, biodiesel and even short-term farm income as soybeans could be negatively impacted by the House’s legislation.

According to FAPRI Director Seth Meyer, the study’s clearest takeaway is that year-round E15 alone doesn’t dramatically reshape the farm economy in the near term, but proposed changes to small refinery exemptions could pressure farm income while increasing government spending.

Meyer says the headline is pretty straightforward. The biggest market disruptions in the analysis don’t actually come from allowing year-round E15 sales. Instead, the larger economic consequences show up when the House proposal to reduce SRE reallocations gets layered into the equation.

“The key of the report is that E15 itself is not, at least in the short term, a major disruption to the market in terms of producer incomes or government costs,” Meyer says. “It becomes mostly a tradeoff between corn and soybeans.”

SRE Allocations Changes the Story

Meyer says the study found that if it was just a clean E15 bill, the results would be different. But when you factor in the SREs, and the fact it’s still unknown on how big that volume would end up being, the House version of the bill becomes a negative for the entire agriculture sector very quickly.

“I think what was important was to put out some information that says E15 in and of itself is largely, at least in the near term, a trade-off between corn and beans,” says Meyer. “It’s good for the corn part of the balance sheet, maybe a little harder on the soybean part of the ballot sheet because there are trade-offs. But then the bill also proposes small refinery exemptions that are essentially a reduction in the mandates, and that is a negative overall. That takes what is really a trade-off between corn and beans and makes it an overall negative for both what the government spends and for the farm income for the sector.”

In FAPRI’s modeling, reducing the amount of waived refinery obligations that get redistributed across the rest of the refining sector effectively lowers Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. That shift weakens biofuel feedstock demand and creates more pressure on soybean markets and farm income.

“It is the addition of the small refinery exemptions and the proposal to not reallocate 75% of those obligations that government costs we track begin to rise and farm income begins to fall,” Meyer explains. “Those SREs are the main drivers of government costs and reductions in farm income because they are, in effect, a reduction in the RVOs or mandates.”

The FAPRI analysis looked at three scenarios tied to HR 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act:

E15 expansion alone
E15 plus 600 million gallons of SRE reductions
E15 plus 900 million gallons of SRE reductions

Under the model, E15 adoption gradually grows by 0.25% annually, eventually pushing the average ethanol blend rate to 13% by 2035. That increase would add roughly 2 billion gallons of domestic ethanol use by the mid-2030s, while simultaneously changing the balance between ethanol and biomass-based diesel under the RFS structure.

What Happens to Corn and Soybeans?

FAPRI’s findings show E15 expansion boosts corn demand and corn acreage over time. By 2035, corn prices rise about 14 cents per bushel versus baseline levels, with additional corn acres pulled into production as ethanol demand expands.

But, according to the report, the gains for corn do not translate evenly across the broader crop sector. As ethanol demand rises, biomass-based diesel demand weakens, which directly pressures soybean oil values and eventually soybean prices. That’s especially true under the SRE scenarios, where lower mandated renewable fuel volumes further reduce demand for biodiesel feedstocks.

“So while corn may benefit, a reduction in the RVO has negative implications for soybeans that outweigh those corn benefits,” Meyer explains.

The report projects soybean prices could fall between 38 and 43 cents per bushel by 2035, depending on the SRE scenario. Soybean acreage also trends lower throughout the projection period as acres shift toward corn production.

Meanwhile, soybean oil prices take an even larger hit because biodiesel absorbs much of the downside under reduced RFS obligations. Meyer says that dynamic is rooted in how current mandates are being met today.

“You see bio-based diesel decline in all cases because, at the moment, the majority of the marginal gallons to meet the mandates are biodiesel,” Meyer says. “If you expand the small refinery exemptions, those volume reductions are no longer a tradeoff between ethanol and bio-based diesel, but a reduction in the marginal gallon, which is bio-based diesel.”

Farm Income Turns Negative Before Recovering

One of the more notable findings in the study is that net farm income trends negative for several years under the SRE scenarios before eventually recovering later in the outlook period. While stronger corn demand helps offset some losses, it isn’t enough in the early years to counter the broader drag from weaker soybean and bio-based diesel markets.

Under the larger 900-million-gallon SRE scenario, net farm income falls by as much as $1 billion annually during the early 2030s before improving later in the decade. FAPRI also projects higher government outlays under the SRE scenarios as weaker commodity prices trigger additional farm program support.

Meyer says soybean losses are the biggest driver behind the weaker farm income projections. He also notes that ripple effects extend into livestock feeding costs because of tighter soybean meal supplies and higher corn demand.

“The notable driver in the outcome is the losses for soybeans as the SREs cut mandates,” he adds.

The livestock sector also sees higher feed costs as corn demand rises and soybean meal supplies tighten. Over time, those higher feed costs work their way through animal agriculture and eventually impact consumer meat prices as producers adjust inventories and production decisions.

Key Points From the Study

E15 expansion alone modestly boosts corn demand with relatively limited disruption to overall farm income.
Reduced SRE reallocation lowers effective RFS mandates and creates the largest negative impacts on crop receipts and government outlays.
Biomass-based diesel demand declines more sharply than ethanol demand under the proposed changes.
Corn acreage rises while soybean acreage falls across all scenarios.
The long-term outcome depends heavily on how quickly E15 adoption actually happens — and whether EPA eventually expands the conventional ethanol “gap” above 15 billion gallons.

That final point may be one of the biggest wildcards in the entire discussion, said Meyer. FAPRI’s analysis assumes the conventional ethanol portion of the Renewable Fuel Standard effectively remains capped near 15 billion gallons. If EPA policy or future legislation allows that cap to move higher, the economics for agriculture could look considerably different.

“You call out a very important assumption,” Meyer says. “If the passage of E15 were to drive an expansion of that 15-billion-gallon conventional gap to 16 or 17 billion gallons and raise total mandates by that same amount, this would increase benefits or reduce losses in the ag sector across all the scenarios.”

Corn Growers React, Disagrees With “Two Fundamental Assumptions”

The recent analyses examining the potential impacts of year-round E15 adoption are drawing sharp disagreement from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), which says key assumptions in those models undercut the policy’s real-world effects.

In response to the reports, Krista Swanson, NCGA’s chief economist, argued that the studies fail to account for recent federal biofuel policy changes and underestimate how quickly E15 could be adopted in the marketplace.

“We disagree with two fundamental assumptions with recent analyses related to year-round E15 adoption: they do not factor in the historically high final RVO volumes recently set for biomass-based diesel and they assume slower E15 adoption than industry projections,” Swanson says.

Swanson added that NCGA’s own modeling reaches a very different conclusion on the policy’s impact on farm income and fuel markets.

“NCGA has also conducted its own analysis of year-round E15 and all outcomes point in the same direction: E15 strengthens corn demand and farm income for corn farmers, most of whom also raise soybeans. Year-round E15 saves drivers money at the pump, supports America’s corn farmers and improves energy security for our country. H.R. 1346 deserves a yes vote.”

The Biggest Unknowns

Meyer says there are still several major uncertainties surrounding both E15 adoption and how EPA ultimately implements future RFS obligations. Those unknowns could significantly alter how these market impacts unfold over the next decade.

“I don’t think there is a single assumption on this complicated issue, so let me state three,” he adds. “First is the true path of E15 expansion and more importantly, the second is how that might drive changes in mandates as a result. Third, what is the true volume of exemptions that would result from the legislation? Because we don’t have this information, we did two scenarios.”

The pace of actual consumer adoption also matters. While the model assumes gradual E15 growth over time, Meyer says a slower adoption curve would likely soften some of the corn demand benefits while making the negative impacts tied to SRE reductions more apparent.

“If growth in E15 is slower and we look just at the ‘clean’ E15, it just changes the amount of tradeoffs between corn and soybeans,” Meyer said. “But if we had slower E15 growth with SRE reductions, we would show more negative impacts on crop prices and farm income from the SREs.”

Soybean Gall Midge Emerges As Top-Tier Threat

Mon, 11 May 2026 20:19:27 GMT

Soybean gall midge is no longer just a curiosity or annoyance for many Midwest farmers. The pest is chewing into yield and profitability for soybean growers across parts of at least seven states – Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa State University Entomologist Erin Hodgson reports the pest’s footprint is significant, present in at least 42% of the 45.4 million acres of soybeans farmers harvested across the seven states in 2025.

“At least 19 million soybean acres are potentially impacted by this pest,” Hodgson says, noting that the pest continues to spread. Eight new counties were confirmed in 2025, with five of those being in Iowa .

According to a recent farmer survey led by University of Nebraska Entomologist Doug Golick, the pest has become a major threat in parts of Nebraska. “In the last year or two, soybean gall midge is approaching as near high of concern as herbicide-resistant weeds for survey respondents,” Golick says.

Since 2018, the soybean gall midge has spread to 185 total counties in seven states, including five new counties in Iowa this past year, according to Erin Hodgson, Iowa State University Extension entomologist and professor.

(Erin Hodgson)

Look For Small Orange Or White Larvae

Damage from the insect starts at the base of the soybean plants, largely out of sight. Adult midges emerge from the ground in May and June, then seek out tiny fissures in young soybean plants near the soil line to lay eggs, according to Thales Rodrigues da Silva, a master’s student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The larvae cause severe, localized yield losses from 20% to 100% loss along field edges and 17% to 50% reductions in entire fields average under heavy infestation, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension. The larvae – small, orange worm-like pests – feed inside the base of the stem, causing plants to wither, die, and lodge (break), with damages sometimes extending 100+ feet into fields. Scouting for the pest should occur after the second trifoliate (V2) growth stage, according to the Crop Protection Network.

This damage in a soybean plant at the soil level shows the result of soybean gall midge larvae feeding.

(University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)

Because the pest often feeds along field edges, the damage in affected plants is often mistaken for issues caused by compaction or herbicide injury, according to Stine Seed Company .

To confirm the pest’s presence, Stine agronomists recommend digging up compromised soybean plants and splitting open the stem. If white or orange larvae are found feeding within the inner layers, growers should check the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network tracking system to determine whether the pest has been reported in their area. Next, they should contact their local Extension specialist to help confirm the diagnosis and report the finding if their county is not yet documented in their area.

Cultural Practices Show Promise

Unfortunately, there are few strategies to manage and control soybean gall midge, according to Tony Lenz, Stine technical agronomist.
With no labeled, consistently effective in-season insecticide program and no established treatment threshold, researchers are testing cultural and mechanical tactics that might give farmers at least partial relief.

Tillage ahead of planting — a tough sell in no-till systems — shows some promise in reducing early infestations in current-year soybean fields.

“Turns out that disking alone, at least in (our) study… did reduce infestation,” says Justin McMechan an entomologist and associate professor at UNL.

“There’s a significant reduction as we move from no-till to that… where it’s just disked and planted into, and then disking and hilling (a practice used in growing potatoes), which really is effective, because you’re covering up the infestation site,” McMechan adds.

He notes that even subtle changes in seedbed shape may help by covering fissures or altering microclimates at the stem base.

On planters running row cleaners, McMechan says adjustments at field edges might be one of the more accessible tools.

“There are not huge differences, but they are statistically significant,” he adds.

Field edge management has been another area of experimentation, including mowing or managing dense vegetation next to infested fields. Results are mixed, but McMechan says there are situations where mowing modestly cuts pressure.

“Nebraska saw on occasion where mowing would reduce infestation and lead to marginal yield benefit… we’re talking like 6-bushel differences,” he says, adding that weather and nearby corn canopy can override those gains.

There are no insecticides currently available to control soybean gall midge. A combination of cultural practices and mechanical efforts is likely the best option, for now, to stop or slow the pest.

(Justin McMechan)

Scientists Evaluate ‘Out-Of-The-Box’ Practices

Other work by researchers is pushing even further outside the box to find control measures. At UNL, graduate research assistant Kristin Heinrichs Stark is testing whether a biodegradable surface barrier called BioWrap can physically trap larvae in the soil and prevent emergence.

The work is early-stage and raises reasonable questions about cost and field-scale application rates, but it points to the kind of layered, non-chemical tactics Extension researchers say will likely be needed to address the pest.

Even as these cultural and physical strategies are developed, Hodgson reminds farmers that the ag industry still lacks any clear control option once larvae are inside the soybean stem.

“We really don’t have a treatment threshold, or a rescue treatment option at this time,” she says. “We know that the soybean gall midge certainly can cause yield losses, plant death, and that directly relates to yield. But we don’t really have great answers on like, how many plants does it take? How many larvae per plant (causes yield loss)?”

For now, farmers dealing with soybean gall midge are being asked to combine careful field scouting, crop rotation, and targeted cultural tactics to address the pest as the research community races to find answers and close those gaps.

Specialists from three Midwest universities provided the latest updates on soybean gall midge (SGM) this spring in a webinar, available at the link below:

Growmark Expands St. Louis Manufacturing With Biologicals Production Plant

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:38:59 GMT

After acquiring AgraForm in 2024, Growmark continues to expand the St. Louis site with the construction of a biological crop input manufacturing plant. This announcement was made on Dec. 17.

“The scientific advancements in agricultural biologicals have introduced innovative methods for farmers to safeguard their plants and improve soil health with more sustainable options,” said Rod Wells, Growmark’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Logistics. “It’s beneficial for both farmers and consumers when we enable farmers to grow healthier and stronger crops using these sustainable practices.”

Expected to be operational for production in 2027, the manufacturing facility will produce biostimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers. The company says it’s also building capacity to manufacture animal biological and waste treatment products.

Growmark says the demand for biological products, and therefore manufacturing of those products, has outpaced what companies are able to produce.

“As demand for biological products continues to grow across the ag industry, the construction of the new manufacturing plant will allow Growmark to provide high-quality biological products, made in the United States, to stakeholders throughout North America,” said Growmark Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brad Drake. “It also allows Growmark to influence another critical point in the ag value chain to better serve its members and customers.”

Farm Drone News: AgEagle Multispectral Sensor, GPS Satellite Launched and Rantizo Spins Off Software

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:32:33 GMT

AgEagle Aerial Systems Unveils New RedEdge-P Green Camera

(AgEagle Aerial Systems)

AgEagle Aerial Systems announces the launch of its new RedEdge-P Green, a multispectral camera designed to enable precision agriculture from planting to harvest.

AgEagle says farmers that use the new sensor payload can achieve higher yields through quicker interventions both early on and late in the crop cycle. Operators can reduce fertilizer and irrigation inputs and engage in smart harvesting techniques using optimized indices and targeted indices like the Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI).

Available as a standalone camera or in paired configurations with the original RedEdge-P and the RedEdge-P Blue, users can leverage up to 15 noise-resistant, data-rich spectral bands essential for large-area precision agriculture.

The RedEdge-P Green camera is NDAA-compliant and integrates with multiple drone platforms. Each camera kit includes a Calibrated Reflectance Panel (CRP) and a Downwelling Light Sensor (DLS2) for radiometric calibration.

Production of the RedEdge-P Green camera is underway, and the first units are expected to ship this week. For more information about the RedEdge-P Green visit ageagle.com.

Dutch Startup Launches Largest GPS Network for Drones, Tractors

(Lindsey Pound, iStock)

FreshMiners, a Netherlands-based IOT firm, launched a GPS service that enables accurate positioning for agriculture, construction and drone navigation, according to AgriMarketing.com.

AgriMarketing.com writes that the Dutch company is launching a service for extra-accurate GPS. It is intended for drone pilots, farmers and others. With this new technology, users can correct their GPS positions down to the centimeter. Real-time correction signals are sent to the user’s GPS receiver via a global network of base stations. This correction is essential for applications in agriculture, land surveying and drone navigation, among other things.

A subscription gives users access to the GEODNET network, which, with more than 19,000 base stations in over 140 countries, is now reportedly the largest RTK network in the world.

Read more at AgriMarketing.com.

Missouri Doctoral Student Says Drones Are Fine Tool for Crop Scouting

(Photo by Abbie Lankitus)

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.

Instead of relying on handheld devices, which are slow and impractical for larger fields, the researchers surveyed corn fields in mid-Missouri using drones equipped with special cameras to capture images and data.

After combining the drone images with soil data, the Mizzou researchers used a type of AI known as machine learning to quickly predict the chlorophyll content in the corn leaves of the entire field with great accuracy.

The study was led by Fengkai Tian (pictured above), a Mizzou doctoral student who works in the lab of Jianfeng Zhou, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Read more from the University of Missouri here.

Rantizo Spin-Off American Autonomy Inc. Says It Can Close the Spray Drone Data Loop

Rantizo is now connected with the John Deere Operations Center through John Deere API services.

(Rantizo)

Ground rig as-applied data has been around for decades, and it comes in handy when you’re tabulating your end of year scorecard to find out which treatments boosted yields and where a spray might have fallen short.

Yet even though spray drones treated over 10 million crop acres in 2024 alone, there’s still a gap that exists in capturing that data and integrating it into your farm management software.

Former Rantizo CEO Mariah Scott, who is now the CEO of a spinoff operation dubbed American Autonomy Inc., says her new outfit’s AcreConnect platform can help close that gap with API connections into John Deere’s Operations Center and more major FMIS platforms.

“We talk to farmers about getting that complete view of your field management, by closing the loop so you understand what’s effective or what’s not,” Scott says. “Most of the farmers we talk to use spray drones and a ground sprayer, and that (as-applied) data from the sprayer goes right into their FMIS account, but with the spray drone it doesn’t always work like that.”

The deal to divest the spray drone operations side of the business was quietly announced on Aug. 1. The Rantizo name, the startup is a pioneering spray drone service provider, still lives on, but now there’s a clean break between the spraying operations and the software on the back end that enables it.

Learn more about the Rantizo-American Autonomy Spinoff over at PRNewswire.

Your Next Read: Southern Rust Has Infected Iowa Corn in ‘Likely Every County’

Meet The Forge: Kelly Hills Unmanned Puts New Spin on Ag Tech Field Testing

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:37:17 GMT

Over the weekend, Kelly Hills Unmanned, a company that says it is dedicated to accelerating multimodal technologies in agriculture and autonomy, announced the launch of The Forge.

It’s being described as a deployment-centered program designed to meld best-in-class ag technologies into new tools that farmers, ranchers and service providers can trust and use for decades to come, according to a press release from the group.

The Forge’s inaugural cohort hopes to bring together a “powerhouse group” of innovators and operators from across the ag technology landscape into a coordinated, systems approach to help growers identify and overcome agronomic issues before they become yield robbers.

The cohort members, or pillars, are:

Precision AI: Developers of real-time drone-based precision spraying systems that reduce chemical inputs and deliver hyper-targeted agronomic action.
Pyka: Builders of autonomous electric aircraft designed for aerial applications, logistics and mission-critical crop operations.
ScanIt Technologies: Experts in using early detection of airborne pathogens to maximize yields and minimize costs.
Heinen Brothers Agra Services: One of the nation’s largest aerial applicators and ag services companies, offering deployment scale and deep field expertise.
Yamaha Precision Agriculture: Pioneers of robotic and aerial technology for small scale, high-efficiency farming.
Drop Flight: Providers of droplet characterization and aircraft calibration tools to optimize spray accuracy and compliance in real-world operations.
Taranis: Global leaders in ultra-high-resolution aerial scouting, delivering precise field-level insights to boost agronomic decision-making.

For more information, head to www.kellyhills.us/the-forge .

Farm Journal reached out to Lukas Koch to pick his brain about this new, novel entrant to the ag tech ecosystem. We first met Koch last year during the Kelly Hills Unmanned summer field day near Seneca, Kan., where his group unveiled the Pyka Pelican Spray drone — at the time the largest, highest-capacity ag spray drone on the market (280-liter capacity). This year Kelly Hills is integrating the Pelican 2 (300-liter capacity, up to 222 acres per hour at 60-foot swath rate) into its aerial application arsenal.

Farm Journal: Would you call this an ag tech incubator or accelerator type of program, and if not, what’s makes The Forge different?

Lukas Koch (LK): “(The Forge) is neither of those, because we’re not taking a cash influx to create an R&D program. What we’re doing is creating new tools with existing technology — if they’re part of plug and play that’s fine, but we don’t care about that. We want to know if the tech has merit and does it fit on the acre, but maybe something with it is not fully there just yet? So, what are we supposed to do with it then? You have a technology and, for example, it can take high-res pictures and identify areas of your fields that need attention, but today the most likely options are using a ground rig or hiring an airplane to manage that in a meaningful way. For that example, we think there’s an opportunity to do that with a small spray drone, but then again the logistics are tough; you have to come back and land and swap out a battery or refill the tank so often. We’re going to take a bunch of existing technologies that already exist, ask them to change nothing and put them to the test — and we’ll push the bounds of what they can do, to make these all work together in a system.”

FJ: How will this all kind of come together and take shape this summer as the program rolls out?

LK: “We have a few drone companies (in the cohort), and there’s a droplet analysis program involved — I thought that was an important piece in analyzing the spray coverage we get. Right now, we have the in-field sensors out in the field to help us ground truth the data we get from overhead. And then the remote sensing piece gives us situational awareness; it tells us where we should be focusing our efforts. And overall, I think, OK, that’s great, but now you still have to make a treatment with either a ground rig or hire an airplane.

(www.KellyHills.us)

“But with our FAA test range (pictured above) that we were approved for last summer within Kelly Hills, now we can autonomously fly to those spots with a drone, either in line of sight or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and we can make those treatments autonomously. This year, the tool we’re focusing on is true spot spraying BVLOS in corn and soybeans, and then next year hopefully we can make more tools or take that technology that already exists and make it into a tool for a grower, who can sign up for this subscription and buy one of these drones, and now I have a full encompassing suite of tools and I can know for sure what works and what does not work.”

FJ: How can farmers in Kansas learn more and possibly sign up to work with you guys?

LK: “There’s really two ways right now. For anything specific they might want to do, maybe there are some projects they are thinking about, go ahead and ping us on the website , and we’ll get back to you. And the other way is, once we’re done with a set tool or we wrap up our summer series of projects, we plan to make the results and findings available online, kind of like Beck’s Hybrids does with its farm applied research studies. We want people to see what we’re doing and to reach out with their ideas on how we can make better tools inside of The Forge and showcase some of these technologies together in one new product, and growers are very interested in this and would love to understand if they can package these technologies together and make an ROI.”

FJ: You already have this inaugural cohort in place, but are you already thinking about what’s next?

LK: “I have a couple companies that I need to further engage with now that they can see what The Forge is all about. A couple of those are involved in year-over-year (data) modeling technology that can say, OK, help me start to determine this is my pattern, and this is what I did last year; now can you tell me what to do next year and how to create more ROI? And then I think soil is a huge key right now, too. I don’t have any any soil type products in there, and soil sampling is great, but there are some neat companies that are focusing on soil-sensing technology that I think would be interesting to package in there, too. You know, in due time I think we’ll get there.”

Koch says the plan is to unveil many of the insights and results from The Forge at this summer’s Kelly Hills Unmanned Field Day. That event is set for Aug. 19, and you can get registered for it here.

And, just for fun, here’s a video breakdown of the Pyka Pelican 2:

Your Next Read: How To Navigate Foliar Fungicide Use in a Tight Soybean Market

From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:38:03 GMT

After releasing our “Where Farm Equipment Is Made” 2025 update in February , we circled back with farm equipment manufacturers to get a read on how tariffs will affect where machines are made.

Many companies across a wide range of industries are considering or even moving forward with plans to reshore production from overseas back into the United States. We’ve learned this process involves long-term, strategic investments in new facilities and/or expanding factories already established here in the States.

Although each manufacturer shared differing visions for how, when and where it plans to build out additional manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead, a common theme did emerge: farm equipment builders are investing big dollars into reshoring, and many have been for quite some time now.

Let’s hear what the machinery companies are planning:

AGCO Corp.

(AGCO Corp.)

The Duluth, Ga.-based equipment manufacturer says its dedication to American farmers and its own strategic investment plans are “key drivers of our overall growth strategy,” according to an AGCO spokesperson.

The rest of the statement from AGCO, which builds the Fendt and Massey Ferguson equipment brands along with its own AGCO machines, regarding U.S. expansion plans can be found below:

Since 2020, we have invested just under $3 billion in the U.S. across new and expanded manufacturing facilities, product innovations and the largest ag tech deal in the history of the industry. Our commitment has extended across our various brands, locations and Research & Development (R&D) efforts, including the notable 2024 joint venture establishing Colorado-based PTx Trimble, the inauguration of Fendt Lodge – the North American headquarters of Fendt – in Minnesota, a new precision ag production facility in Illinois, modernization of systems and technologies in one of our Kansas plants, and U.S.-based R&D for new sprayer and planter technology.

These investments, AGCO says, will not only enhance production at its U.S. facilities for years to come, but also ensure AGCO remains at the forefront of ag innovation around the world.

Claas

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Claas is still a somewhat fresh face to the North American farm equipment market, but the company has deep roots in Europe. It was founded over 100 years ago in a small German farming town, and today the company has global headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany.

But you may not be aware that Claas has also built a significant manufacturing operation in America’s heartland. The company opened its Lexion combine production campus, located just south of downtown Omaha, Neb., in 1997. This year marks 10,000 Lexion combines rolling off the main production line inside the 120,000 sq. ft. facility.

(Photos: John Deere, Matthew J. Grassi, AGCO, Kubota)

Claas has significant expansion plans in place for its Omaha campus, including doubling its overall production footprint for the main manufacturing building as well as adding a new training and apprenticeship building.

Here is the statement Matthias Ristow, president & managing director of business administration – Claas Omaha, shared regarding the company’s expansion plans:

Claas is investing significantly in its production hub in the United States, and not only recently. Over the last five years, we have added to our production facility to provide a better location for our rework and reconfiguration areas, as well as a dedicated work area for our quality control department for the pre-delivery inspections each machine must go through before being shipped. This is part of our comprehensive quality assurance program.

We also have built a new service academy where we train all the technicians from our U.S. dealer network (we have a similar location in Canada) so we can keep their skills up to date and make sure they have the proper certifications to work on our machines. Technology updates and changes are trained there as well.

Furthermore, our new service academy houses our apprenticeship program where we train the future assembly technicians in a three-year rigorous training program, managed by the German Chamber of Commerce. The program has several advantages. Technicians receive a regular paycheck (“earn while you learn”), receive an associate’s degree from a community college we partner with, receive a certificate from the German Chamber and have a job when they graduate from the program debt free.

Farm Journal recently had the opportunity to tour Claas’ Omaha operation, where we learned the manufacturer is also expanding its partnerships with domestic material and component manufacturers. For example, it recently began working with a finished parts supplier local to Nebraska to fabricate the grain spout for each Lexion combine.

CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland)

(CNH Industrial)

Although short on specifics, CNH Industrial (Racine, Wisc.) confirms it plans to “continue to expand our footprint through capital investments in our U.S. facilities, partnerships with local suppliers and programs that strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

CNH adds it currently employs more than 9,000 people across 17 U.S. states, with 14 manufacturing facilities and 22 R&D centers active throughout North America.

And approximately 70% of the components used in CNH Industrial’s U.S. plants are sourced from domestic suppliers while 95% its steel is purchased from U.S.-based mills. It says this approach to domestic material sourcing supports thousands of suppliers’ jobs and reinforces its investment in American-made quality.

John Deere

(John Deere)

The farm equipment manufacturer with global headquarters in Moline, Ill., was first to share its future investment plans with Farm Journal. Back in May, the company announced a 10-year, $20 billion outlay plan for its U.S. production base. This year alone, Deere says it will pour $100 million into its U.S. operations.

John Deere says this initiative includes:

A 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of the company’s remanufacturing facility in Missouri.
Construction of a new excavator factory in Kernersville, N.C.
Expansion of its Greeneville, Tenn., turf equipment factory.
New assembly lines for 9RX high-horsepower tractor production in Waterloo, Iowa.

John Deere plans to invest a total of $22.5 billion into its U.S. manufacturing network once the 10-year project is complete.

Kubota North America

(Kubota North America)

Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) established its North America headquarters in Grapevine, TX., in 2017. The Japanese equipment manufacturer shared the following statement regarding U.S. expansion plans.

North America is critical for Kubota, and the U.S. is our largest market. We firmly believe in local production for local consumption and have made more than $1 billion in U.S. infrastructure investments in the last couple years to meet the growing needs of our dealers and customers. For example, we recently announced the opening of a new loader facility in Gainesville, Ga., (invested $190 million), a new Western Distribution Center in California (invested $72 million), and an R&D facility (invested $100 million) that’s also in Georgia. We have other network investment announcements in the works, and we plan to continue to invest over the next five to 10 years as we respond to market demands. Today, we are more than 7,000 American workers strong who market and sell, and fabricate, weld and assemble equipment with domestic and global parts.

Want to learn more about where your favorite farm machines are made? Check out “From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made”.

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Why U.S. Agriculture Needs More AI Investment to Stay Ahead in Global Crop Innovation Race

Tue, 20 May 2025 18:15:48 GMT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key tool in accelerating the discovery, development and manufacturing of new crop protection molecules to fight yield-robbing weeds, pests, and diseases in U.S. farm fields.

The technology helps researchers shorten the discovery window and find new and novel active-ingredient molecules that are much more difficult and expensive to uncover using traditional research methods.

That was among the talking points that emerged from Tuesday’s congressional hearing on AI in farming, held in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space, and Technology Committee in Washington, D.C.

Related: The New Space Race: Why America Must Focus On AI

At the hearing, key agricultural stakeholders advocated for increasing government investment in AI technology and infrastructure. The group warned Congress that America’s status as a world leader in AI has been usurped by Japan and China, while other rival countries are also gunning for top positions.

Testifying on behalf of U.S. agriculture was Corteva Vice President of Agricultural Solutions Brian Lutz, University of Florida associate professor Chris Swale and University of Illinois assistant professor Boris Camiletti.

“AI is without a doubt one of the most profound technologies ever to be invented,” Lutz said. “We believe there is tremendous opportunity for our government to support and incentivize advanced innovation — including by leveraging the benefits of AI — to benefit American farmers. If we want to win, we need to move smarter and faster than our competition. Corteva believes with the support of our government, we will do exactly that.”

Lutz said researchers at Corteva recently used AI to model how 10,000 different molecules might be used in crop protection, all within a matter of weeks. The Corteva model was able to identify dozens of new potential crop protection molecules that its overworked chemists could not have found otherwise. He said the company is currently testing a handful of these molecules and AI will also play a role in moving the testing phase along more quickly than traditional lab-based methods.

Lutz also told Congress how Corteva scientists have deployed AI technology in its fermentation processes, which the company uses to create what he called “molecules of interest” for evaluation. Over the past few years, Corteva has used AI modeling to engineer various bacterial strains that drive fermentation reactions and optimize reaction conditions, allowing the company to run a manufacturing operation that is as efficient as possible. This application of AI helps Corteva maintain a strong U.S. manufacturing base in the Midwest, Lutz said.

“This is the new face of ag innovation,” he added. “We can accelerate discovery of new classes of crop protection products, like biologicals — nature-based solutions that help farmers grow more food by working alongside traditional crop protection products. With AI, we can begin to predict the incredible diversity of biomolecules and metabolites that are produced by microbes and other organisms, with the goal of unlocking the secrets within plant biology to develop the next generation of safe, highly targeted, nature-inspired products.”

Swale testified to AI’s role in helping researchers on his team find and develop biological-based treatments to combat Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive pest that has left the Florida citrus industry — valued at almost $10 billion just five years ago — teetering on the brink of collapse. Effective synthetic chemicals to manage the Asian citrus psyllid exist, but the regulatory hurdles to get those products onto the market are too high, he said

“We have turned to using AI to help discover chemicals of the natural world because the registration requirements are significantly lower when compared to synthetic insecticides,” Swale said.

Camiletti leads a team of researchers combining plant pathology, remote sensing and AI to help U.S. soybean farmers overcome red crown rot, a soil-borne disease first detected in Illinois soybean fields in 2018.

Illinois has been hit the hardest by the yield-robbing disease, Camiletti said, and the pathogen is spreading rapidly to Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. The disease is difficult to detect visually, he added, and once symptoms appear it’s often too late for successful remediation.

“My team uses satellite imagery and machine learning to identify red crown rot hot spots, and we train the models with high resolution multi-spectral data to near-infrared bands and use ground observations to teach the algorithm what diseased plants look like,” Camiletti said. “This technology has real on-farm impact. We are building tools that generate prescription maps so instead of applying fungicides across entire fields farmers can target only the affected areas.”

After key witness testimony concluded, the committee opened the floor to questions from members of Congress. Watch the full hearing via the video embedded below:

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Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:23:50 GMT

Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Bradley Schad, who still helps out around the family farm in his spare time, is calling on Ford Motor Company to reconsider a recent decision he believes will cause long-term harm to U.S. farmers.

“They stopped selling new flex fuel vehicles, so now they don’t have a single new engine platform option for growers to purchase,” Schad says. “The F-Series truck is one of the most important vehicles that we have on the farm today. They’re trying to change that (series) to an electric fleet, and we don’t like that.”

Farm Journal reached out to Ford for comment via a contact form for media on its website. We will update this post if we hear back from anyone at Ford Motor Company.

According to Schad, Ford’s F-150 is not only the top-selling truck in the U.S., but also the top-selling used vehicle in the top five corn-producing states: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana. It is also No. 1 in a handful of ag-friendly states like Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Dakotas and the Carolinas.

Model Year 2023 was the last iteration of the F-150 that Ford offered with the V8 5.0-liter Flex Fuel option. Schad, who is a longtime F-150 owner, says he’s not interested in criticizing Ford for the change. After all, recent regulations removed many of the manufacturer incentives that used to exist for flex fuel and E-85 vehicles.

Bradley Schad, Missouri Corn Growers Association

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association )

“We’re just trying to bring some awareness and work with Ford to change the legislation and regulations and help bring that (option) back,” Schad says. “We realize it’s not entirely their own fault necessarily, but work with us to pass some beneficial legislation that helps farmers and rural consumers purchase a more economical fuel and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Schad says Ford is still supporting its higher-ethanol compatible engines in South America. Brazil, for example, has a minimum ethanol blend in its fuel of 27.5%.

The company’s chief truck-building rivals at GM still offer flex fuel as an engine option on new base models of the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra. Ford, it would seem, is stepping away from the same farmers that helped catapult its trucks to the top of the auto industry, he argues.

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association)

“We need Ford to stand strong with farmers – the No. 1 customer base of F Series trucks in the nation. I don’t think there’s any business sector that buys more F Series trucks than the agriculture sector,” he says. “We need Ford to give us the option to use our own product and help build demand for corn-based ethanol.”

RELATED - Grassley: Farmers Can Feed And Fuel The World At The Same Time. It’s Not Either/Or

Schad is optimistic a long-awaited-but-yet-to-be-passed new Farm Bill will include some type of carve out supporting ethanol-based fuels. Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has also been advocating for year-round E-15 fuel availability for years. Grassley and Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R) reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 in February. If passed, that bill would enable year-round, nationwide sales of ethanol fuel blends up to 15%.

“We need permanency and predictability with ethanol and biodiesel,” Grassley recently told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

And while Schad admits he has heard all the critiques of ethanol-based fuels - subpar performance, increased engine problems, etc. - his experience is that higher ethanol fuels are clean burning, high performing and safe.

“There’s nothing more helpful to a farmer than having a strong truck with a strong fuel providing more horsepower and torque in these engines,” Schad says. “Octane is key, and we want to make sure to partner with everyone we can. Hopefully Ford is willing to help us pass some beneficial legislation that brings ethanol the ability to be produced and consumed across the nation.”

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced USDA will release funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. Established at USDA Rural Development during President Trump’s first term, HBIIP helps expand the production of domestic biofuels by helping fueling stations install the pumps, storage containers and other necessary infrastructure needed to offer biofuel options at the pump.

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Industry News: Leadership Transitions at MFA and Virginia Agribusiness Council

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:26:40 GMT

MFA Incorporated Begins Search Process for Next President and CEO
Following a 38-year tenure at MFA Incorporated, and 10 years as president and CEO, Ernie Verslues is planning to retire this fall.

“Ernie’s contributions to the company have bolstered its mission. His leadership will continue to inspire and guide MFA long after his retirement,” said Don Schlesselman, chairman of the MFA Incorporated board of directors.

The MFA board of directors says they will conduct a thorough and disciplined search process in identifying the best candidate to lead the company into the future, and they will consider both internal and external candidates.

Virginia Agribusiness Council Announces Transition
Virginia Agribusiness Council (VAC) has shared a change in leadership, and this will be executive director Cliff Williamson’s last week on the job.

“The Virginia Agribusiness Council’s Board of Directors have determined that a change in leadership is needed, and I will be leaving effective March 1,” Williamson wrote in an email. “Serving Virginia’s agricultural and forestry communities has always been my dream, and I am grateful for the chance to play a small part in this great work. I am grateful for words of encouragement I have received of these last few days, and I hope to find a new opportunity within Virgina’s great agricultural community.”

Beginning Monday, March 3, VAC will have a new president and CEO in Trey Davis.

Davis has previously held government relations roles at Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Monsanto, Bayer CropScience and Tetra Pak. He outlines his vision for VAC as the following:

Expanding membership
Enhancing advocacy and government relations
Fostering partnerships

“We are excited to have Trey Davis at the helm of the Virginia Agribusiness Council,” said Paul Franklin, board chair for VAC and president/CEO of Colonial Farm Credit. “His combination of strategic vision, industry experience, and passion for agribusiness makes him uniquely qualified to lead VAC through its next phase of growth and reinvention. His leadership will allow us to advocate for agribusinesses across Virginia with additional energy and focus.”

Strategic Alliance: MFA Incorporated Joins Forces with Land O’Lakes

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:36:00 GMT

With plans to share expertise and resources in technology, data and solutions, Land O’Lakes and MFA Incorporated announce a strategic alliance.

“In addition to strengthening our presence in a key geography, this collaboration with MFA supports Land O’Lakes’ ongoing pursuit of growth opportunities that drive more predictable profitability for our businesses, our retail-owners and the farmers we all serve,” says Brett Bruggeman, COO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.

This includes:

New market development. For example, Truterra
Data management. Combining localized insights and nationwide trends
Asset utilization. Efficient and strategic distribution

“So many of the pain points faced by farmers, ag retailers, and others in our community can only be overcome by working together,” Bruggeman says. “Teaming with MFA Incorporated, we can strengthen the economic prosperity of our shared businesses and communities and help address some of the greatest obstacles in feeding the world.”

Headquartered in Missouri, MFA Incorporated’s service footprint extends to several neighboring states.

“One of the principles of a cooperative is to collaborate with like-minded organizations,” says Jason Weirich, executive vice president of operations at MFA Incorporated. “With our regional expertise and the scale of the Land O’Lakes cooperative, we can drive real change.”

He adds, “When you have a model that’s in the marketplace and working successfully, it makes sense–especially between cooperatives–to investigate collaboration. Platforms that navigate the sustainability opportunities in agriculture require significant overhead costs. That’s especially the case if we’re looking to get the benefits of participating in these programs transmitted all the way through the supply chain to the grower, which is MFA’s focus. I’d say the catalyst, the timing, is down to a desire to fulfil a need from our members in ways that don’t duplicate investment and can deliver results quickly.” Weirich says.

Risk and Reward: How These Farms Found Success With Vertical Integration

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:29:47 GMT

Johnny Hunter II was just 10 years old when he lost his dad. At the time, Hunter’s family had 12,000 acres of rice and soybeans under cultivation near Dexter, Mo. And while his mom could have sold the family acreage, she chose to keep the farm for her two children, preserving an already existing family legacy of planning for future generations.

“My dad was an early adopter of precision - leveling and irrigation and no-till,” Hunter says. “That was an extremely smart business move.”

The third generation to run what’s now known as Castor River Habitat and Farm, Hunter points out his dad’s decision improved the value of the land as well as its production.

Eight years ago, Hunter made an equally important decision for the farm: vertically integrating.

“At one time I was farming 6,000 acres, and I was miserable,” he says.

Hunter says he saw two paths to stay in farming: Be a low-cost producer with tens of thousands of acres with economies of scale or learn how to create value by putting a product in the world so consumers can reward you for it.

Castor River Achieves Market Distinguishment
Hunter’s family made the decision to vertically integrate in 2017. The following year they constructed a rice mill, created a CPG brand and built out their own packaging line. Then, they launched a trucking company to cover first-mile distribution of their long-grain rice. They also partnered with warehouses in strategic areas of the country.

“From field to warehouse, it’s all Castor River,” Hunter says.

Now, rather than aspiring to farm tens of thousands of acres, Hunter’s family owns and operates a land company, farming company, trucking company and a parent corporation.

“Before [vertically integrating], we employed two full-time people,” he says. “Now we employ over a dozen, farming 2,500 acres of rice, soybeans and corn.”

Castor River’s target audience is anyone who wants sustainably grown, high-quality food, Hunter explains. Business channels include food service, partnering with restaurants, college campuses, institutions and catering companies. High-end grocery retail stores comprise the farm’s other channel. They also sell their long-grain rice products directly to consumers online.

“Having your own brand opens up the opportunity for new revenue channels,” Hunter says.

“Landowners and farmers are all highly concerned about what yearly revenues are going to be,” Hunter adds. “By vertically integrating and going direct, we have transformed ourselves from price-takers to price-makers.”

Reviving a State’s Tradition
Unlike the Hunters, South Carolina’s Coxe family did not begin their operation in rice production. When Campbell Coxe graduated college in 1981, he came home for the summer to help his grandfather farm the family’s 1,000 acres of mostly cotton.

“I was a geography major and was going to see the world,” Coxe says. “But I fell in love with this piece of property and never left.”

In 1986, Coxe took over the operation, but disillusionment set in quickly. Over the course of a decade, the farm averaged about $16,000 per year, and Coxe was borrowing close to $1 million just to plant cotton.

“At the time, the cost of cotton was incredibly high, and the return was so low I couldn’t get my hands around it,” he notes.

He searched for a crop he could take directly to customers — growing and processing on the farm.

Located in the Pee Dee River watershed, Coxe’s fifth-generation farm sits about two hours north of the Lowcountry. The state’s subtropical, humid climate makes growing conditions ideal for nearly any crop.

But Coxe was looking for gold — Carolina Gold rice, that is. Once the largest producer of rice throughout the Colonial period, South Carolina’s rice industry began its steep decline after the Civil War, owing to labor, pest and weather issues. By the early 1900s, rice all but disappeared.

“South Carolina’s rice culture was interesting, but rice wouldn’t come back commercially unless it’s profitable,” Coxe says.

In 1998, he decided to plant 10 acres of Carolina Gold, the original 1685 varietal grown in the area. Timing became key.

“The internet was picking up speed, and there was an interest in farm-to-dinner plate just as we were getting up and running,” he says.

As his business and his acreage expanded, Coxe constructed a rice mill on-site. “There hadn’t been a mill in South Carolina since the Civil War, but I didn’t want to keep sending my rice to Arkansas with diesel fuel prices at $5 a gallon.”

Striking Gold with Vertical Integration
Today, Carolina Plantation Rice includes 200 acres of rice, composed of four varieties. It produces cornmeal, grits, fish fry breading and rice flour. Unlike larger producers, Coxe doesn’t keep the highly aromatic rice stored for prolonged periods.

“When it’s fresh and new, it has a pungent taste and smell. We want the consumer to get as fresh from the farm as they can get.”

Direct-to-consumer online sales make up 40% of the farm’s orders, with the balance in wholesale orders from national supermarket chains, such as Whole Foods and Fresh Market, as well as large restaurant groups.

“We’re growing more and more every year because market shares increase,” Coxe says.

Though vertical integration has transformed his operation, Coxe notes that challenges still remain.

“Every bit of it is hard,” he says. “You’ve got to have a good market, and you have to have your marketing planned in your mind or on paper. Where are you going to take this stuff? What’s it going to cost? And who’s going to implement it?”

Growmark Acquires Chemical Manufacturer AgraForm

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:47:10 GMT

Growmark has signed a letter of intent to acquire AgraForm, an agrichemical manufacturing company located in St. Louis.

“AgraForm employs a talented team and is a very well-run operation with strong commitments to safety, environmental responsibility, and customer service. Growmark is pleased to be part of continuing their legacy of success,” said Growmark COO Wade Mittelstadt.

AgraForm provides bulk formulation, agrichemical processing, spray drying, milling, packaging and storage services for chemical manufacturers. The company has two properties in St. Louis, one for manufacturing and one for dry storage.

“The AgraForm team is extremely excited to partner with Growmark to couple formulation processing with distribution for additional long-term value and growth for our current clients, Growmark customers, and FS Cooperatives,” said AgraForm president Ron Cunningham.

Because AgraForm produces and packages insecticides, fungicides, and biological products, Mittelstadt says the acquisition aligns with the company’s strategic priorities.

“This purchase enables us to grow efficiently in these product lines while providing the opportunity to produce proprietary product offerings in the future,” he said. “We can also strengthen our relationships with key suppliers who currently utilize AgraForm’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.”

The deal is expected to close at the end of June.

Next-Gen Spotlight: Technology and Side Hustle Help Missouri Couple Come Back to the Farm

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:44:40 GMT

Marc and Meagan Kaiser are building their agricultural future in Missouri. Marc is a 5th generation corn and soybean farmer from Carrollton, and Meagan’s family owns a soil testing business in Bowling Green. Together, the couple is finding a way to be part of both family businesses while keeping an eye on their two young children, Mak and Nora. From being active in organizations such as the United Soybean Board to starting their own precision ag business now serving 15 states and three countries, the pair are laser focused on growing the future of the industry.

Q: You both had other careers. How did you know you wanted to come back and farm?

Marc: I went to school thinking I wasn’t going to be back on my family’s farm. We got married in 2012, started our precision ag business and that became the conduit that allowed me to go back to the farm. This was important to me because I didn’t want to be a burden on the farm financially.

Meagan: I was committed with him to joining the farm because it was, in large part, my idea — which is probably how it had to be given the level of commitment. We looked at each other and said, you know, it would be a shame to let this out of the family when we don’t have to.

We live in two different homes in two different towns, and door to door they’re 2.5 hours apart. It was admittedly easier at the beginning when it was just the two of us. Then all of a sudden, a baby is going back and forth. It’s not easy, but we also know we’re not alone. There are so many farmers who farm hundreds of miles apart and their families figure it out.

Q: Has anything surprised you, good or bad, coming back to the farm?

Marc: We wouldn’t be able to do this without the technology that has developed in the past 10 years. When it comes to being able to check irrigation, check grain bin moisture or even check ground moisture under our pivots, there’s so much I can see on my iPad or phone. It’s the same thing when it comes to our other businesses. We are able to check things from afar. Meagan can also look at soil lab equipment while she’s on the farm and watch how the machines are running. That has made the distance an option, and it also allows us to spend more time at each place versus having to run back and forth and commute constantly.

Meagan: The biggest surprise to me, and I hear this a lot when it comes to obstacles of generational farming, was that our parents let us make decisions and sometimes they let us fail. I think they knew what was going to happen before we did, but they let us do it anyway. For the farmers reading this, if your next generation is joining you, remember to let them have some autonomy. Sometimes you might be surprised and they might be right. We’ve been right on technologies and other things, but really, we’ve been blessed with parents who have thought our opinion mattered and incorporated it. That has given us ownership and more pride in the operation too.

Q: What advice would you give next-gen producers?

Meagan: Be observant and be curious. There are a lot of people willing to sell you things, but you have to be a scientist and test things because your profitability relies on it. The most successful farmers we work with are super focused on infield observations. They’re monitoring what they put on, measuring what they take off and running it against their return on investment. It’s hard. It can be a little overwhelming when you go to Commodity Classic and walk the trade show floor. You could obviously grow 200-bu. soybeans if you bought everything on the floor. I admire farmers because they have to try to pinpoint which decision is the right one that will add an extra 5 bu. It’s not easy.

Marc: It’s important to understand where your parents came from, what they’ve done, the decisions they made and what they learned. You can learn two different ways: either by somebody else’s mistakes or by your own mistakes. It’s a lot easier to learn from the previous generation’s mistakes. Everybody says they don’t want to farm like their parents did. I do. I want to farm like they did but with the adjustments they’ve learned to make. Take that knowledge they’ve gained for the past 40, 50 or 60 years. Don’t just throw it to the side. Use that knowledge to then make your decisions going forward.

Q: Why should a next-gen farmer consider getting involved in one of the national farm groups?

Meagan: The most important reason is that it makes us think beyond our own farm gate. I’ve had international conversations about sustainability and about our farm practices with a fish farmer in Cambodia. It made me think about everything we do on our farm, every aspect we can measure and every portion we can prove. I realize I wasn’t considering the need to prove it to anybody before.

If you don’t have the commodity organizations, for instance, doing the research to prove our sustainability gains, then nobody knows about it. We have to prove it. That means showing up and taking part is half of the battle. It’s hard. I have two young children, but I still think it’s important for every farm family to think about how can we engage — not from a glory standpoint, but just to make sure somebody is showing up to tell this story and proving our sustainability.

Q: Is having a side hustle a good idea?

Meagan: For us, admittedly, there’s probably a little pride in having an off-farm job. We both didn’t want to be a drain on the operation. We had successful careers before we came back to our family businesses, and we wanted to say we’re contributing — not just taking. I think it gives you a little bit of independence and that might be why it’s a good idea. That said, we’ve had a lot of all-nighters getting our side hustle going. Be prepared to work because you don’t get to take off time from the farm or that other business.

Marc: Our side hustle and farming are mutually beneficial. Some of the resources we use in our precision ag business translate directly to the farm.

Meagan: I joke that I turned the farm into a giant research trial and Marc is always willing to try something new.

Q: Your career, either on or off the farm, has revolved around agriculture. Why?

Marc: In a way, we’re helping feed not only people in America, but people around the world. We get to be involved with family businesses. It isn’t always perfect, but there are always lots of laughs. Ultimately, it’s rewarding taking on and being part of this responsibility.

Meagan: We get to live our daily lives a little bit more tactically focused, but we keep the big picture in mind. We get to raise our kids in agriculture and, in the end, we get to be around our kids and our parents a lot more because of this life. All of those things are things we really value. I do think our kids get tired of hearing about boron trials at the dinner table, but we’re having a good time.

Want to read more inspiring stories about farming’s next generation?

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Corn Planting is Now Already Underway in 7 States

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:02:05 GMT

The second Crop Progress Report of the year from USDA shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop. As of Sunday, USDA indicates planting the 2024 crop has started in seven states, and six of the seven states are already beating the five-year average.

Highlights of the weekly progress report include:

59% of Texas’ corn is in the ground, two percentage points ahead of the five-year average but one point behind a year ago.
7% of the corn crop in Tennessee is planted, two points above average and three points ahead of last year.
7 % of Missouri’s corn is planted, four points ahead of average and two points quicker than last year’s record pace.
5% is planted in Kentucky, two points ahead of the five-year average but one point behind last year.
4% of the corn in Kansas is planted, one point ahead of average and one point behind last year.
2% of Illinois’ corn crop is in the ground, one point quicker than average and last year.

Related News: Spring Planting Progress Off To A Good Start

The only state trailing the average pace is North Carolina where 8% of the crop is in the ground, one point behind average and last year.

A year ago, hints were starting to roll in about just how early the planting season could be for farmers in parts of the Corn Belt. After April and early March were dominated by cold temperatures, as well as rain and snow in 2023, drier conditions took hold, and forecasts for milder temperatures and dry weather opened a large window for planting.

As of April 9, 2023, USDA’s second planting progress report of the season showed 3% of the nation’s corn crop was planted, up one percentage point from the previous week, previous year and the five-year average.

Highlights of the state-by-state breakdown a year ago showed:

61% of Texas’ corn is in the ground, three percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
12% of North Carolina’s corn crop is planted, two points behind average.
7% of the corn crop is Missouri is planted, four points ahead of the five-year average.
6% of the crop in Kansas is in the ground, up two points from average.

Back to present day, and the weather looks prime for planting to continue this week. Growers across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri are talking about starting to plant this week if the forecast holds.

Photos of Planting Progress So Far

In Texas, farmers were planting under the solar eclipse. Ale Frick says they survived the eclipse, and soybean planting continues on their farm.

Well, we‘ve officially survived #eclipse24 #soybean #plant24 continues pic.twitter.com/cnn3BphUpC
— Ale Frick (@Engineer_Farmer) April 8, 2024

In northwest Iowa, at least one farmer took the opportunity to plant over the weekend.

Well, ok then. #plant24 #nwiowa pic.twitter.com/nVMWcaO9wH
— Punkin Lady 🎃🍿💥 (@AmySolsma) April 5, 2024

Also in Iowa, more reports of planters starting to roll this week, according to Dusty Rich.

Planters will roll this week in our area! Wishing everyone a safe and successful #plant24
— Dusty Rich 🇺🇸 (@drich82) April 8, 2024

We want to see how planting is progressing in your area. Make sure to keep AgWeb updated with Crop Comments throughout the season.

US Treasury Dept. Moves to Limit Foreign Land Purchases Near Military Bases

Mon, 08 May 2023 20:20:32 GMT

By now, you’ve likely heard of the Chinese balloons that made their way across the U.S. in late January and early February and were eventually shot down. The spy balloons, coupled with a Chinese-owned company purchasing land 12 miles from a U.S. Air Force base in North Dakota, have sounded alarms on both state and federal levels.

To limit further foreign activity on U.S. lands, particularly the sale of land, the Treasury Department’s Office of Investment Security proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign entities to garner U.S. government approval before they are able to purchase land within 100 miles of eight military bases.

Related story: Out-of-Country Farmland Investors: Here’s What The Numbers Show

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) welcomed news of the proposed rule, which could have blocked the North Dakota land sale to the Fufeng Group.

“This is a good first step to bolster reviews and mitigate threats similar to what we saw with Fufeng,” Cramer said in a statement on Thursday.

The Office of Investment Security is responsible for screening foreign business dealings in the U.S. and has the authority to block or force term changes in sales in order to protect national security.

Backstory on Fufeng Group’s North Dakota Purchase

Fufeng Group says it plans to use the land to build a $700 million corn milling plant, which would create at least 200 jobs, as well as residual opportunities for logistics, trucking and other services.

Many North Dakotans made their sentiments on the sale known, which led to a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. However, the committee’s review found no issue with the sale.

Related story: China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk

“More needs to be done to ensure the U.S. food supply chain is secure and independent,” says Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). “If we do not prevent these land grabs, we are failing to protect our farmers, our families and our country.”

In September, Newhouse, along with 50 other members of Congress, asked USDA and other agencies to take effective action in addressing the potential national security risks that appear to arise from this transaction.

Instead of waiting on the government, some states are taking legislative action on their own.

Missouri Puts Up a Foreign Land Ownership Wall

The Missouri Senate made moves on the issue in April when it backed a plan to amend the state’s foreign land ownership threshold from 1% to 0.5%. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries — including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“We’re not going to allow for foreign ownership in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31). “We have to draw a line in the sand today. It protects our sovereignty as a nation.”

Related story: Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, foreign land ownership in Missouri accounts for 0.36%, just shy of the 0.5% proposed limit. In total, the department says China owns roughly 42,596 acres in Missouri.

Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:31:34 GMT

Months after a Chinese company, Fufeng Group, was granted approval for a North Dakota land purchase in close proximity to a U.S. military base, foreign land ownership concerns are being raised on a local and national level.

The purchase set off alarms for other U.S. states to create legislative roadblocks for foreign land ownership within their borders. Missouri is the latest state to initiate the policy change.

Related story: China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk

The Missouri Senate on Wednesday backed a plan to amend the state’s foreign land ownership threshold from 1% to 0.5%. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries—including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea—from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“We’re not going to allow for foreign ownership in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31). “We have to draw a line in the sand today. It protects our sovereignty as a nation.”

While the vote passed 31-3, the bill’s opposers felt the legislation would breach property owner’s rights.

“I’m just a little lost here today as to how we have transformed this conversation of foreign entities owning our properties into the removal of individual rights,” said Lincoln Hough, (R-30). “I don’t want to disenfranchise property owners.”

Related story: Out-of-Country Farmland Investors: Here’s What The Numbers Show

Brattain offered a rebuttal, saying Hough is only looking to “muddy the waters.”

The bill comes following a 2013 measure that allowed Smithfield Foods—a Chinese-owned company—to own property in Missouri.

According to the Missouri Department of Ag, foreign land ownership in Missouri measures out to 0.36%, just shy of the 0.5% proposed limit. Of all of Missouri land, the department finds China owns roughly 42,596.

Another Farmer Pleads Guilty in $142 Million Organic Grain Fraud

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:16:09 GMT

A farmer in Missouri is the fifth person to plead guilty in a case that involves fraudulent marketing of organic grain that netted at least $142 million in sales.

According to a press release from the U.S. Justice Department , John Burton, age 52, from Clarksdale, Missouri, entered his plea on May 10 at a federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Burton was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He admitted that in the conspiracy grain was grown on non-organic fields, then marketed and sold as organic while unapproved substances were used on fields certified as organic.

The guilty plea is part of a wider case involving a brokerage company owned and operated by Randy Constant in Ossian, Iowa, known as Jericho Solutions. Constant, age 61, from Chillicothe, Missouri, had pled guilty on December 20, 2018, to being involved in the organic grain fraud scheme. At least $142 million worth of grain sales were made with majority of sales being fraudulent, and they had been made through Jericho Solutions. As part of Constant’s plea he agreed to forfeit $128,190,128 in proceeds from the fraudulent scheme.

Three other farmers – Tom Brennan, age 70; James Brennan, age 40; and Mike Potter, age 41 – all from Overton, Nebraska, all pled guilty to selling fraudulently marketed organic grain in the scheme . The trio of Nebraska farmers entered their pleas October 12, 2018. During each of their respective hearings, the men all admitted to growing non-organic grain from 2010 to 2017. They admitted to knowing it was being marketed and sold as organic despite being grown using non-organic practices. The three Nebraska farmers are alleged to have received more than $2.5 million each for grain marketed as organic.

Sentencing is scheduled on August 16, 2019, for Randy Constant, Tom Brennan, James Brennan, and Mike Potter. They will appear before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams at the United States Courthouse in Cedar Rapids. All four face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, at least a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Sentencing will be scheduled for Burton after a presentence report is prepared. Burton is currently free on bond. Burton could face a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a fine of at least $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jake Schunk and Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For more on this case read the following stories from AgWeb: