At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were higher, waiting on the rest of the week’s direct business to develop and Friday’s On Feed report from the USDA.  February live cattle closed $1.05 higher at $201.10 and April lives closed $.95 higher at $200.72.  March feeder cattle closed...

U.S. Senate Ag Committee members are urging President Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture nominee to protect farmers from tariff retaliation. Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin encouraged Brooke Rollins to use her relationship with the president to find other solutions during Thursday’s confirmation hearing. “Can you say that you will throw your body...

The director of government affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association says the re-introduction of the bipartisan Farm to Fly Act is a win for farmers. Jared Mullendore says expanding the use of ethanol in sustainable aviation fuel could create new demand for U.S. corn. “It’s just a matter of streamlining...

A Wisconsin Congressman has renewed his efforts to get more milk on the military menu.  Former Navy Seal and 3rd District Republican Derrick Van Orden’s first bill of the 119th Congress is the Strengthening Service Members with Milk Act.  If passed, the Secretary of Defense would be required to provide...

From Storage to Repairs: 14 Farmer-Approved Shop Hacks

Mar. corn closed at $4.89 and 3/4, up 5 and 1/2 centsMar. soybeans closed at $10.65 and 1/2, up 9 and 1/2 centsMar. soybean meal closed at $315.30, down 50 centsMar. soybean oil closed at 45.04, up 62 pointsMar. wheat closed at $5.54, unchangedFeb. live cattle closed at $201.10, up...

A marketing expert says many producers have been taking advantage of a recent rally. John Heinberg with Total Farm Marketing says USDA’s January supply and demand report triggered many corn and soybean sales. “Bringing that corn carry-out down to 1.54 billion bushels, that was a big chop, and that was...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in Missouri.  According to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the virus has hit four commercial turkey farms in Jasper, Lawrence, and Newton counties, and more than 146,000 birds have been depopulated.  It has also been detected in two egg-laying facilities...

Soybeans were higher on fund and technical buying. Most forecasts have a dry pattern in portions of Argentina, which could cause some damage and yield loss. Harvest delays due to rain are an issue in parts of northern and central Brazil. Still, analysts are generally projecting a very large if...

U.S. commercial red meat production during December 2024 was 4.545 billion pounds. The USDA says that was slightly less than during December 2023, with the cattle and hog slaughters both posting year-to-year declines, canceling out the steady to higher average live weights. Beef production of 2.201 billion pounds, was fractionally...

Two Ohio farmers are taking a hard look at where they can cut costs ahead of the upcoming growing season. Northeast Ohio farmer Owen Niese says one of the biggest costs for his farm is fertilizer. “My total input costs are about half of what they are,” he says. “Due...

Governor Walz has introduced his 2025 infrastructure plan. Walz says his bonding bill expands on last year’s significant work and makes strategic investments to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy. “Heavily focused on maintaining what we have, it matters both in terms of usefulness but it also matters in how our...

John Deere Improves Residue Flow on High-Speed Disk Series

Pictured: Brownfield’s Brent Barnett (left) interviews southeast Iowa farmer Matt Gent at the 2025 Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines A southeast Iowa hog farmer says advancements in on-farm technology have helped producers manage bitter cold temperatures. Matt Gent has a farrow-to-finish operation near Wellman in Washington County, and says...

U.S. ethanol production was up modestly over the past week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says production averaged 1.099 million barrels per day, up 4,000 on the week as plants try to meet expected demand and 281,000 on the year, when production was restricted by a burst of winter weather...