Officers of the National Corn Growers Association are busy at the 2017 Farm Progress Show this week. I had a chance to chat with NCGA president Wesley Spurlock of Texas, first vice president Kevin Skunes from South Dakota, and 1st VP elect Lynn Chrisp first thing yesterday morning at show. We talked about a variety of topics, including crop conditions … Read More
Bright Outlook for #FPS17
The forecast for the 2017 Farm Progress Show is so bright Don Tourte has to wear shades inside the media tent! Tourte, who is Penton Agriculture vice president and Farm Progress Show manager, says the weather is great and the crowds are here, despite the downturn in the farm economy. “I say, maybe farmers need the Farm Progress Show more … Read More
Harvey Hits Texas Agriculture
Rescuing people trapped in flood waters continues to be the number one priority in Texas but it’s clear that Hurricane Harvey has hit agriculture hard. Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller says cotton farmers who were looking at a bumper crop this year were especially hard hit. “Best estimate so far is about a 150 million dollar loss for the … Read More
Taiwanese Rice Importers Visit Missouri
No one traveled father for the Missouri Rice Council annual Rice Field Day in Campbell, Missouri than Taiwanese Rice Importer, Chris Lee. Forty years ago his father began a rice business in Taiwan and today Lee and his brothers have taken that business global by importing rice from around the world. Last week they were in the U.S. to learn more … Read More
U.S. Rice Production Finding New Markets
Greg Yielding of the U.S. Rice Producers Association says rice is looking good this year. He brought an outlook message to attendees of the recent Missouri Rice Council Field Day and says growers with good crops need to be deciding now if they’ll sell or wait at harvest time. Indicators point to a pretty tight market, he says. Whatever farmers … Read More
SMART Farmer Anne Meis
Anne Meis is a family farmer from Elgin, Nebraska who raises corn, soybeans, and beef with her husband Jim, and serves on the boards of the Nebraska Soybean Board and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). In this SMART farmer podcast episode, she talks about the importance of technology such as genetically modified crops for smart farmers. She also … Read More
Missouri Rice Council Hosts Field Day
The Missouri Rice Council hosted their annual Rice Field Day August 24, at the Rice Research Farm in Campbell, Missouri. Research personnel from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) and the University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research Center were on hand to provide area farmers a chance to see and learn about recent developments in rice research and other agricultural related … Read More
Nebraska Corn & Soy Grows Future Leaders
Lori Luebbe, Executive Director for the Nebraska Soybean Association, attended the 2017 U.S. Global Soy Trade Exchange with agriculture students participating in the Nebraska Corn & Soy Ambassador Program. The program is a co-sponsored partnership that reaches out to agriculture majors from the University of Nebraska to show them different aspects of the soy and corn checkoff organizations and teach … Read More
USDA Making the Most of Tax and Checkoff Dollars
Michele Kennedy Kouadio works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Services, specifically interacting with the United Soybean Export Council and watching how the organization uses tax payer dollars to promote exports around the world. Kouadio also helps create a better understanding of U.S. soy for international customers and helps growers here diversify soybeans to meet demands, so for … Read More
Baize Offers View of Soy Past and Future
When John Baize spoke to attendees of the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, it wasn’t just some nice thoughts. Baize comes from 38 years of working the global market on behalf of soybeans and other farm products. That experience gives him a great him not just a good view of the past, but also of the future. “By all … Read More