Congress ended a chaotic week with a surprising weekend vote on a short-term spending bill. The House passed the continuing resolution with a vote of 335-to-91 with 90 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it. The same bill passed the…

Congress has rejected an appropriations bill that would have funded agriculture, rural development and the Food and Drug Administration. The vote was 237 against passage and 191 for the bill. All of the Democrats voted against the bill. They were…

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer and South Carolina Congressman Ralph Norman have introduced a bill requiring USDA to publicly disclose the names of the farmers receiving crop insurance payments and the amount received. If this bill passed, crop insurance payments would…

Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is being described as a threat to national security. At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, South Dakota Senator John Thune said USDA should have a larger role in overseeing foreign ownership of farmland. Earlier in…

The start of American Crystal Sugar Company’s full harvest campaign is uncertain at this point. General Agronomist Joe Hastings expects root temperatures to remain too warm. “Temperature is so important when we start piling these beets for long-term storage.” Pre-pile…

The full House worked until the early hours of Wednesday morning on the agriculture appropriations bill. A variety of issues were debated, ranging from climate change to animal identification. Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz introduced an amendment demanding more transparency in…

Sugar policy is under fire as appropriations bills are worked through in Washington. Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry has proposed an elimination of the no-cost USDA sugar loan program. Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association Executive Director Harrison Weber says they…

The National Pork Producers Council is asking all segments of the swine industry to provide feedback on the national swine traceability system. In 2006, U.S. pork producers voluntarily adopted animal traceability standards to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases.…

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s fight against a proposed rule for federal land grazing is ongoing. “The Bureau of Land Management proposed a rule that brings in conservation as a use on federal lands, however the way they redefine conservation…

In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Pork Producers Council First Vice President Jason Foster stresses the importance of corn as a feed tool during pork month.

In this week’s Pioneer Agronomy Report, Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner outlines the importance of prioritizing the corn fields to minimize harvestability issues.

Peterson Farms Seed Soybean and Corn Product Manager Dennis Schultze sees IDC as one of the biggest challenges in racing soybeans in this region. “The number one way to combat it is through soybean genetics.” In this update, Schultze outlines…

“The crude oil market and the dollar seem to have the most strength of all the commodities we look at,” said Randy Martinson, president, Martinson Ag Risk Management. A warm, dry forecast in the U.S. and rain in the outlook…

The University of Minnesota won the National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo. Ben Styer, who is part of the University of Minnesota team, was the top individual judge. Minnesota also took top honors in the National 4-H…

“The crude oil market and the dollar seem to have the most strength of all the commodities we look at,” said Randy Martinson, president, Martinson Ag Risk Management. A warm, dry forecast in the U.S. and rain in the outlook…

The August milk margin triggered the eighth consecutive payment for dairy farmers with Dairy Margin Coverage for the 2023 program year. The August income over feed margin is $6.46 per hundredweight with DMC payments expected to total $120 million

Congress ended a chaotic week with a surprising weekend vote on a short-term spending bill. The House passed the continuing resolution with a vote of 335-to-91 with 90 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it. The same bill passed the…

With a better-than-expected crop, Steffes Group President Scott Steffes is looking for farm equipment prices to remain strong this fall. “We still have a shortage of equipment so what’s going to be out there is going to be pretty well…

The economy, interest rates and input costs were part of the conversation at last week’s Ag Credit Conference in Bismarck. One of the speakers, Virginia Tech Professor Emeritus Dr. David Kohl said agriculture is experiencing what he calls ‘a triple…

North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring was part of a USDA trade delegation in Chile this past week. In a call from Santiago, USDA Undersecretary Alexis Taylor said there are opportunities to export meat, dairy products and grain. Goehring added…

As of September 1, there were 74.3 million hogs and pigs in the United States. That’s up slightly from last year and up two percent from the June report. The breeding herd inventory is at just over six million head,…

Peterson Farms Seed Soybean and Corn Product Manager Dennis Schultze sees IDC as one of the biggest challenges in racing soybeans in this region. “The number one way to combat it is through soybean genetics.” In this update, Schultze outlines…

The University of Minnesota won the National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo. Ben Styer, who is part of the University of Minnesota team, was the top individual judge. Minnesota also took top honors in the National 4-H…

Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman has named Caleb Crosswhite as the minority chief counsel for the committee. Most recently, Crosswhite was the deputy chief counsel for House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glen ‘GT’ Thompson. Crosswhite served on the House…

Today is the final day for farmers to purchase margin protection insurance for 2024. With the turn of the calendar to October, harvest prices for crop insurance will start setting averages today. That will continue through the end of the…

With a better-than-expected crop, Steffes Group President Scott Steffes is looking for farm equipment prices to remain strong this fall. “We still have a shortage of equipment so what’s going to be out there is going to be pretty well…

Looking ahead, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Senior Vice President Nate Kauffman sees farm profit margins tightening. This scenario is happening after a time of strong profitability. “They’re in a good position to be able to withstand some of…

The North Dakota Bankers Association held their annual Ag Credit Conference this past week in Bismarck, North Dakota. NDBA CEO Rick Clayburgh says the conference boasted almost 150 bankers that networked and discussed issues across the state. “Our speakers include…

In this week’s edition of South Dakota Corn Comments, South Dakota Pork Producers Council First Vice President Jason Foster stresses the importance of corn as a feed tool during pork month.

In this week’s Pioneer Agronomy Report, Field Agronomist Kevin Sinner outlines the importance of prioritizing the corn fields to minimize harvestability issues.

Peterson Farms Seed Soybean and Corn Product Manager Dennis Schultze sees IDC as one of the biggest challenges in racing soybeans in this region. “The number one way to combat it is through soybean genetics.” In this update, Schultze outlines…

Natural Resource Conservation Service cover crop seeding rates for cereal rye have changed this year due to lack of moisture according to University of Minnesota Extension Soil Health Specialist Anna Cates. “In a dry year you have to worry about…

According to Karlstad, Minnesota farmer Justin Dagen, harvest has been stop-and-go with frequent rains. Rain totals from May through August was below normal, but crops have done well. “Our farm received approximately 55 percent of normal precipitation, but it came…

The sugarbeet pre-pile harvest continues for Rebecca Sip near Ada, Minnesota. The soybean crop has been uneven. “When you’re combining, there’s some green in with the soybeans, but the soybeans themselves can be at like ten percent moisture.” Corn harvest…

The corn crop has been variable for East Grand Forks, Minnesota farmer Matthew Krueger. “We’re seeing yield swings of almost 50 to 200 which is a pretty big range that we normally wouldn’t see.”  There have been stand issues on…

The National Pork Producers Council is asking all segments of the swine industry to provide feedback on the national swine traceability system. In 2006, U.S. pork producers voluntarily adopted animal traceability standards to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases.…

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s fight against a proposed rule for federal land grazing is ongoing. “The Bureau of Land Management proposed a rule that brings in conservation as a use on federal lands, however the way they redefine conservation…

USDA has announced a new insurance option for cow-calf producers in four states. Weaned Calf Risk Protection offers Actual Production History coverage to ensure revenue from spring calving. This program will be available in South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas…

North Dakota FSA Executive Director Marcy Svenningsen explains that Emergency Relief Programs are closing out for livestock producers. In 2021 North Dakota livestock producers received $68 million in Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments. “In 2021, the entire state was in…

A different mindset is required for dairy farmers who want to feed dairy-beef crossbred calves. Purina Animal Nutrition Director of Nutrition Services Tom Earleywine says these calves need to be handled differently from purebred dairy calves. “There’s been years and years…

The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against an Indiana data collection firm called Agri Stats. The DOJ claims Agri Stats shared competitive information with competing meatpackers. With this data, the meatpackers reportedly reduced their slaughter numbers and increased…

As of September 1, there were 74.3 million hogs and pigs in the United States. That’s up slightly from last year and up two percent from the June report. The breeding herd inventory is at just over six million head,…

The National Pork Producers Council is asking all segments of the swine industry to provide feedback on the national swine traceability system. In 2006, U.S. pork producers voluntarily adopted animal traceability standards to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases.…

Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman has named Caleb Crosswhite as the minority chief counsel for the committee. Most recently, Crosswhite was the deputy chief counsel for House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glen ‘GT’ Thompson. Crosswhite served on the House…

While a government shutdown was averted, the farm bill expired over the weekend. Agriculture committee leadership has said the farm bill will likely be wrapped up in December. That timeline may be complicated by the next debate on government funding.…

Congress ended a chaotic week with a surprising weekend vote on a short-term spending bill. The House passed the continuing resolution with a vote of 335-to-91 with 90 Republicans and one Democrat voting against it. The same bill passed the…

The proposed carbon pipelines are receiving pushback from some groups as they work to secure permitting in the Midwest. American Carbon Alliance CEO Tom Buis says it can be difficult to do something that’s never been done before. “There’s people…

Looking ahead, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Senior Vice President Nate Kauffman sees farm profit margins tightening. This scenario is happening after a time of strong profitability. “They’re in a good position to be able to withstand some of…

According to Policy Solutions President Jay Truitt the Farm Bill will become a big factor in the next election cycle for swing states. “Like in every election where you have the magical number of seven or eight blue and red…