Grains
16Dec

ASF: Will It Be Coming to a Farm Near You?

As much as the US pork industry hopes African swine fever (ASF) won’t enter the country, the challenge is formidable. An enormous number of food products are confiscated every day at the border, and the number of people traveling to the US from infected countries continues to grow. Both scenarios create a constant threat, but the enduring goal is to keep the virus out of US pork operations. “It’s each country’s responsibility to control ASF,” says Juan LuBroth, DVM, Chief Veterinary...

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02Dec

Market Pop from South American Weather Not Likely

Harvest 2019 may be far from over for some farmers in the upper Midwest, yet as the calendar flips to 2020, the market’s focus will shift to South America. If farmers are hoping for a market run fueled by imperfect weather in South America, some meteorologists say that may not be in the cards this winter. “The weather right now in South America is turning around,” says Drew Lerner of World Weather, Inc. “It looks very normal to me for both...

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07Nov

Plants are Taking Root in the Dairy Case

If you’re wondering why domestic demand for U.S. fluid milk is down, look no further than your grocer’s dairy case. There, you’ll surely find traditional dairy products. But increasingly, the real thing is being crowded on the shelves by plant-based alternatives. What was once a near-sacred haven for real milk, butter, yogurt, ice cream and cheese has become a cornucopia of alternatives, with those same products mimicked by new, plant-based offerings manufactured from soybeans, almonds, coconuts, oats and peas. “Growing Roots in...

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07Nov

Win-Win Partnership Between Farmer and Startup

Better, faster and stronger. Testing new technology and innovation on farms, rather than in labs or controlled trials, serves as the ultimate measuring tape. When Tennessee producer Grant Norwood partnered with GroGuru, a startup with unique irrigation management technology enabling permanent soil sensor installation below till depth, the result was a big win for both farmer and company. Steered by AgLaunch, an ag tech-focused business acceleration program that connects growers and entrepreneurs, the Norwood-GroGuru collaboration serves as a blueprint for farmer-startup...

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07Nov

Farmer on River Bottoms: "If I Can't Get Insurance, I Won't Farm It"

Michael Stenzel is harvesting outside of Hamburg, Iowa. It’s a surprise after the spring he describes in one word. “Hell, plain and simple,” said Stenzel. Stenzel’s bins busted during March. They remain with the grain still there as well. “They are still sitting there, rotting, decaying and smelling,” said Stenzel. He is looking into federal disaster aid relief passed by Congress, but doesn’t know what he will get just yet. Stenzel said, “[The] payment limitation is $125,000. The way I figure it, I lost close...

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