Cheese and butter processors pick up production

The USDA says cheese and butter production started to pick up steam in March while other products remained mostly slumped. Total cheese production was more than 1.2 billion pounds, up […]

Waiting on dry conditions to resume planting

A farmer in north-central Missouri says he’d like to have a break in the consistent rains to finish soybean planting. “We shut down operations on Easter weekend and haven’t been […]

Farmer sentiment improves despite ongoing trade concerns

Farmer sentiment has improved despite ongoing trade concerns in this month’s Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Professor emeritus Jim Mintert says respondents remain optimistic the outcomes of President Trump’s […]

Midwest farmland sales surging

A farm real estate specialist says the recent surge in Iowa’s farmland market is similar to trends in other Midwestern states. Jim Rothermich is the vice president of Iowa Appraisal […]

Farmers tackle purple henbit

An agronomist in South Dakota says many Midwestern fields are blanketed in the color purple this spring. Darren Hefty, who is a co-host of Ag PhD Radio, says those flower-looking […]

MMPA says milk quality & safety are essential

The head of Michigan Milk Producers Association says USDA staff reductions won’t stop food safety efforts throughout the supply chain. Joe Diglio tells Brownfield, “While there might be maybe some less […]

USDA budget proposal gets mixed reviews

U.S. Senators have mixed reviews on President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal, which if realized, would cut 18% of federal spending at the USDA. At a Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee hearing […]

Reconciliation pivotal in farm bill discussions

A member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee says she’s gravely concerned about the effects of ongoing budget reconciliation efforts in Congress. Nikki Budzinski, an Illinois Democrat, says this week’s […]