Latest News From STATE

“When we can figure something out, come up with a solution, and then see it works with real yield data to show our decision made us money and we fixed an issue—that’s when it’s fun," says Jeff Kloucek.

At farm bill listening session in South Dakota members of the Senate Ag Committee expressed optimism about getting a farm bill done yet in 2024 and putting more farm in the farm bill. 

Marc and Meagan Kaiser are building their future — finding a way to be part of their families' corn and soybean operation and soil testing lab while starting a precision ag business and being active in farm groups.

The second USDA Crop Progress Report of the year shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop with six states pacing ahead of the five-year average.

Ohio has become the sixth state where dairy cattle have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu.

As most of the U.S. is still prepping for spring planting, USDA's weekly crop progress report shares Texas growers have already planted more than half their corn acres.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that a human case of bird flu has been confirmed in Texas and identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the disease.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced that HPAI, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been found in dairy cattle in Idaho.

In the study, Iowa farmers, custom operators and farm managers shared their average pricing for common agricultural services such as tillage, spraying and fertilizer application.

Mike Steenhoek, executive director at the Soy Transportation Coalition, shares what the collapse could mean for the supply chain.

Two new studies from Locus Ag and Pivot Bio found the use of biological products consistently increased yields in a variety of crops across a range of growing conditions.

America’s largest retail store has announced its plans to build a third milk processing plant, this time in Robinson, Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photographer Sam Craft was in the Texas Panhandle documenting the aftermath of the largest wildfire in Texas history, and the aid and support for fire victims.

After burning for more than six days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma was only 15% contained Sunday morning. Drifting sand now poses a threat to rural roads.

Nebraska officials say a mower ignited a wildfire that burned roughly 110 square miles of central Nebraska grasslands.

While the Smokehouse Creek Fire rapidly became the state's largest in history, four other wildfires are burning in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle area. (Additional images contained in story.)

Northey was most recently CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa and passed earlier this year on Feb. 5.

Devastating wildfires are burning in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle region and the Smokehouse Creek Fire has already become the second largest in Texas history, consuming at least three-quarters of a million acres.

Edgewood Locker got its start in rural northeast Iowa in 1966. The business now spans over three generations, and it's largely thanks to Joan Kerns who helped start the family business that's now seen phenomenal growth.

It’s important the friends, family, and business professionals close to farmers are prepared and able to effectively communicate in a mental health crisis.

Agtrinsic has expanded for the 2024 growing season to create a contiguous disease monitoring network from border to border in Illinois and Iowa as well as in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana and Wisconsin.

No step is too big for Top Producer finalist, PJ Haynie. Deep family roots are the foundation of his farming legacy. 

On Monday, February 5 the news of Bill Northey’s passing quickly spread through the agriculture industry, of which he dedicated his professional life to serving.

Working and training with her mother, in 2019 Hallie Shoffner took the lead as CEO and continues to focus on growing the business, searching for opportunities in specialty crops and value-added production.

The study’s team has found inputting excessive heat and cold data into their model slowed plant growth, though the heat proved to be a larger issue for the plant. 

The three facilities, located in Trousdale, Cullison and Greensburg, will handle corn, wheat, soybeans, milo and canola.

The survey uses records from ag retailers to measure the use of cover crops, nutrient management and conservation tillage and no-till by Iowa growers.

Effective Jan. 18, the existing employee team in Monticello joins the Ceres Solutions network of ag retail locations across Indiana and Michigan as part of a 100% farmer owned cooperative.

What’s the most challenging thing about running a legacy brand? “The biggest challenge is being pigeonholed. Everyone expects us to recreate the past, but the future doesn’t look like what we were," Lamar says.

Jones will work with customers and dealers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and the northwest corner of Iowa.

Also known for Willard Agri-Service, the Willard Family is the 55th inductee in the Maryland Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame.

With an enterprise mindset, MKC walks with its farmer-customers.

The project will more than double the footprint of SurePoint's existing facility.

The merger will be effective March 1, 2024.

Removal of the 84 turbines erected beginning 10 years ago without a mining permit from the Osage Nation ends a long legal battle and will cost the developers $300 million.

Debra Stroschein is the 2024 NAICC president. She has worked as a contract researcher in California for 30 years while operating her family’s third-generation farm.

Founded in 1962, Ramco Innovations has become a leading distributor of automation products across the Midwest. It has 65 employees, which will transition to the new entity. 

Combined, the organizations have a reach of over 85,000 producers in eight states.

The availability of livestock workers was ranked as more limited than crop workers and finding long-term help seen as more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

Rumbold and Kuhn, Inc., manages seven commercial grain elevator facilities in Illinois with locations in Duncan, Princeville, Putnam, Speer, Toulon, and two Wyoming locations.

OCI Global, the Dutch parent of Iowa Fertilizer Co., opened the plant in 2017 with the annual capacity to produce 3.5 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizers and diesel exhaust fluid.

Ron DeSantis, candidate for 2024 Republican presidential nomination and current Florida governor, joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk to share his motivation to be president and plans for agriculture if elected.

The transaction will give Sipcam Agro USA full integration along the value chain, with its own formulation and logistic assets. 

West Texas is the largest cotton production area in the country, but after battling drought and heat, area farmers say the dryland crop is a failure, and the irrigated acres are only yielding half of normal.

After a year of struggles in 2022, this year’s crop reaped weather that was much more favorable for growing cotton. Burlison, Tenn., farmer Brad Williams describes this year’s growing season as almost perfect.

Florida’s 2023-24 citrus crop should be significantly more robust than last season’s, according to the latest USDA forecast.

Grilled cheese is a staple food for children across America. But two Wisconsin brothers decided to take their version of grilled cheese sandwich to the next level.

America’s largest retail store has announced its plans to build a $350 million milk processing plant in Valdosta, Ga.

Iowa farmers, get out your toenail clippers! Anna Proctor, a University of Iowa Ph.D. student, is collecting samples for a study she will conduct later this year using Iowa farmers’ toenails to assess chemical exposure.

On Sunday evening at approximately 7:11 p.m. there was an explosion within ADM’s Decatur, Ill., processing complex. This is ADM’s largest facility globally.