University of Illinois research says more acres are needed to make combine investments pay
A farm management specialist with the University of Illinois says increased machinery costs continue to squeeze farmers’ profits. During a recent Illinois Soybean Association webinar, Gary Schnitkey says research shows […]
Cash dairy prices mostly steady to lower Thursday
Cash dairy prices steady-to-lower except for nonfat dry milk Thursday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Dry whey was unchanged at 0.70. No sales were recorded. Forty-pound cheese blocks were down $0.0350 at $1.33. Seven sales were recorded, ranging from $1.3350 to […]
Ag policy expert: ad-hoc farm aid payments ignore deeper problems in agriculture
An associate professor of ag policy at the University of Illinois says more ad-hoc assistance from the Trump administration or Congress isn’t addressing the bigger problems facing agriculture. “It’s merely […]
Some rural Indiana townships could face consolidation under new proposed legislation
New legislation in the Indiana General Assembly could change how some rural communities operate. District 16 representative Kendell Culp says House Bill 1315 would dissolve or consolidate certain townships with […]
Mostly slow holiday week for U.S. export sales as report gets back on schedule
The USDA says export sales were mixed during the week ending January 1st. Corn notched a marketing year low following a handful of cancelations led by unknown destinations. Soybeans were […]
Resiliency drives Iowa Pork Producers’ legislative goals for 2026
Resiliency is the theme for the Iowa Pork Producers as the Association prepares for the 2026 Iowa Legislative Session. Director of public policy Harrison Furlow says policy priorities are focused […]
USDA report expected to shape commodity prices heading into 2026
An ag economist says next/this week’s supply and demand report will likely set the tone for commodity prices in early 2026. Dan O’Brien with Kansas State University says there’s been […]
New soybean nematicide could help reduce drought stress in 2026
An agronomist says protecting root systems from Soybean Cyst Nematodes can help crops better mitigate drought conditions. George Huckabee is with Vive Crop Protection. “The root size of the plant […]
FSA urges farmers to act early when considering loan programs
The executive director of the Illinois Farm Service Agency says many farmers are turning to the agency’s various loan programs to help weather the down ag economy. William Graff says […]
Climatologist watching rain and snow potential this week
A climatologist says there are some strong chances of precipitation across parts of the Upper Midwest heading into the weekend. Dr. Justin Glisan, state climatologist for the Iowa Department of […]