AG MOBILE
FREE E-MAIL NEWSLETTER
Log In
Doubts hang over drought relief By: John Walter 03/07/2013 @ 2:30pm
The drought gripping large parts of the U.S. is showing signs of decline in places, and weather forecasters are seeing improvements in the soil moisture outlook for planting season across parts of farm ...
Field data is the farmer's, says Deere By: John Walter 03/01/2013 @ 2:19pm
John Deere’s stance on the ownership of field data was reaffirmed today during a press conference at the Commodity Classic in Florida.During a briefing on additions to the company’s FarmSight precision ...
Snow is mostly a mirage for soil moisture By: John Walter 03/01/2013 @ 11:38am
Fresh snowfall has again covered large areas of the drought-stricken Great Plains and Midwest. Farmers have eyed the snowfall with hope, but also first-hand knowledge of what happens to snow covering frozen ...
'Chilly lamb' to start March weather By: John Walter 02/27/2013 @ 2:30pm
The latest snow storm in the central U.S. brought signficant snowfall that could translate into improved soil moisture conditions once melting occurs, forecasters say. Some areas of the region saw heavy, even ...
Secure the farm By: John Walter 02/04/2013 @ 4:20pm
The burglary and vandalism stories you hear from farmers sound like some kind of bad reality TV show or maybe even a horror movie. Stolen equipment, metal, and chemicals. People running vehicles through fences ...
Livestock profits could tilt higher vs. crops in '13 By: John Walter 01/17/2013 @ 2:26pm
In 2013, livestock producers could see a boost in their fortunes, tilting the pendulum of profitability upward relative to the crop sector, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas ...
Blizzard gives small relief to U.S. drought By: John Walter 12/20/2012 @ 11:37am
The blizzard this week in the Midwest and Plains states is expected to improve droughtconditions in the region, but much more precipitation will be needed to provide any major change in the situation ...
Agriculture.com launches new product ‘decision engine’ By: John Walter 12/14/2012 @ 2:22pm
A new agricultural product buyer’s guide was launched Friday by Successful Farming magazine’s website, Agriculture.com.The Agriculture.com Buyer’s Guide is a decision engine that enables farmers to ...
Crop insurance industry launches new 'activism website' By: John Walter 12/04/2012 @ 3:37pm
The crop insurance industry continues to press its case to the public and policymakers with new information products.In October, the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS), a group that ...
GM labeling defeated in California By: John Walter 11/07/2012 @ 1:02pm
California’s Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically modified foods, was defeated in Tuesday’s election by a margin of 53 to 47 percent. Passage of the ballot measure would ...
Saving soil moisture By: John Walter 11/01/2012 @ 2:48pm
In a postdrought year, soil moisture will take center stage for many farmers as they look ahead to next season. But in most years during a normal growing season, farmers experience soil moisture shortages ...
Clearer corn, soy numbers ahead? By: John Walter 10/10/2012 @ 3:41pm
An unusually clear picture of U.S. corn and soybean production should emerge in Thursday’s USDA Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate Reports, commodity analysts said on Wednesday ...
Plenty in the pipeline By: John Walter 10/01/2012 @ 2:44pm
However the drought plays out this year, it likely won't stop a good flow of new products and services that are headed to the marketplace. At least that was the impression gleaned from the trade show of ...
Cover crops a ‘great opportunity’ in drought year By: John Walter 08/20/2012 @ 1:44pm
Planting cover crops in a drought year can harvest large amounts of residual N and help jump start next year’s crops, according to experts appearing on a webinar Monday. The session, “Dealing with ...
Wheat extends recovery on export optimism By: John Walter 08/17/2012 @ 4:35pm
U.S. wheat futures end higher Friday, rebounding from prior losses for the third consecutive day on optimism for U.S. export demand. Chicago Board of Trade futures for September delivery settled 12 3/4 ...
Hay prices 'talk of the town' in drought country By: John Walter 07/13/2012 @ 9:16am
Bob Scharf, an auctioneer and one-time farmer, lives in north central Indiana, within one of the red zones of extreme drought identified on the U.S. Drought Monitor this week. Corn and soybeans in the area are ...
Deere unveils future at tech summit By: John Walter 06/29/2012 @ 3:20pm
Some of it seemed like pure fantasy. A farmer is seen managing his operation by moving icons on a large, air-borne screen in his office. Like a character in science fiction, he fathoms the ...
'Fire and ice' factors for double-crop soybeans this year By: John Walter 06/28/2012 @ 10:31am
A new information tool can help farmers judge one of the major risks of planting double crop soybeans. The Climate Corporation reported this week that it has developed a system that calculates median and ...
Ethanol remains 'bright spot' in global economy By: John Walter 06/26/2012 @ 9:35am
Global Ethanol production is expected to rise in 2012 by 1% to 22.5 billion gallons, according to a new report from the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA). Global annual production has now surpassed 536 ...
Corn takes dive in crop progress report By: John Walter 06/25/2012 @ 3:37pm
The U.S. corn crop took a significant turn for the worse during the week ending June 24, according to USDA in its weekly Crop Progress report. The report came on a day when corn futures ...
Is early corn planting worth the risk? By: John Walter 05/25/2012 @ 8:20am
Farmers who were able to plant corn early this spring could see a big benefit come pollination time, according to a new report released this week by The Climate Corporation. But the advantages of early ...
Beans gain on exports By: John Walter 04/26/2012 @ 3:20pm
U.S. soybean futures ended mixed Thursday, with futures representing the current marketing year supported by strong export demand and tightening global supplies.The most active July soybean contract finished 4 ...
'Fire and ice' weather? By: John Walter 03/28/2012 @ 1:19pm
After a winter in which temperatures averaged well above normal over large parts of the country, is a warm, dry summer in store for key crop areas of the nation? And what are the odds of a hard freeze that ...
Warm weather outlook supports early planting By: John Walter 03/23/2012 @ 11:59am
A warm weather pattern in large parts of the country will continue to support early planting prospects, though above-normal precipitation in the majority of the U.S. could cause farmers to tap the brakes a ...
Early corn planting poses risks By: John Walter 03/15/2012 @ 1:35pm
As is said about politics, all planting season conditions are local. But, 2012 is already shaping up as having its own national slant -- the prospect of a lot of farmers planting early -- maybe too early. The ...
'Sea of yellow' rising on the prairies By: John Walter 03/13/2012 @ 2:02pm
Will a “sea of yellow" take over a larger share of crop rotations on the North American prairies this year? In Canada, talk this spring has been of the potential for canola to top wheat as the western ...
New signups: Can CRP compete? By: John Walter 03/11/2012 @ 11:32am
A new era of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is being ushered in this week, one with a shifting focus from the initiative Ronald Reagan presided over 25 years ago. In that early phase of ...
Planting delays may hang on La Niña By: John Walter 03/06/2012 @ 2:34pm
The current La Niña may be on its last legs, but if it hangs on through spring planting, farmers in a large part of the Corn Belt could face some strong odds of planting delays, according to a new report ...
Blue-ribbon hay By: John Walter 03/06/2012 @ 9:55am
With hay prices rising across the country, the ability to judge hay quality is an increasingly critical skill for buyers and producers.If you're a buyer, getting valuable hay in the barn means more than ...
Farmers juggling planting options By: John Walter 03/02/2012 @ 11:01am
At the 2012 Commodity Classic on Thursday, March 1, it was hard to find a farmer who wasn't going to expand corn acres this spring. Some 5,800 attendees were on hand in Nashville, Tennessee to view the ...
Team declares success with leafy spurge control By: John Walter 02/22/2012 @ 10:02am
A group of researchers and land managers who created a team effort to control leafy spurge in the U.S. have claimed a victory in controlling a species that had been regarded as "the most feared land invader in ...
Rice growers address arsenic concerns By: John Walter 02/21/2012 @ 1:53pm
The California Rice Commission (CRC) and individual growers are addressing recent reports of arsenic being found in rice. The naturally occurring trace element is found throughout the world and people ...
Farmer rejoices over rare bird sighting By: John Walter 02/16/2012 @ 10:37am
“Build it and they will come,” Ray McCormick, an Indiana farmer, wrote in an e-mail to Agriculture.com this week. Attached was a press release from the state’s natural resource agency announcing the ...
Take a wetlands tour By: John Walter 02/16/2012 @ 9:50am
0n a hot, dry day when many farmers are starting to get ready for harvest, Ray McCormick is more than happy to take time out to talk about wetlands conservation.He jumps in his pickup and begins an ...
Wind energy powers ahead in 2012 By: John Walter 02/07/2012 @ 3:24pm
Wind energy development is on the rise in the U.S. again, after tough times in 2010, according to a new report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).The U.S. saw a 31 percent increase in production last ...
Planting weather watch turns up crop concerns By: John Walter 02/07/2012 @ 11:11am
Meterologists have begun to focus on spring crop planting prospects, with one eye on the dry weather threatening key agricultural areas of the country. While new precipitation has begun to improve conditions ...
Scrap iron beauty in eye of beholder By: John Walter 02/02/2012 @ 11:27am
Farmers have various views about the value of scrap iron that accumulates around the farm. Some see old machinery and other salvaged metal as a valuable resource for do-it-yourself projects, while others view ...
Brazil drought worse than feared By: John Walter 01/30/2012 @ 8:16am
New reports from Brazil's Parana state, a leading corn and soybean producing area in the southern part of the the country, say that the drought there is "worse-than-expected," according to a Dow ...
Drought to persist in key ag areas By: John Walter 01/25/2012 @ 10:36am
The most current drought outlook, released in this week's USDA crop weather bulletin, shows that the deep drought conditions plaguing large parts of the country are likely to continue into spring. Large ...
Winter to continue as lion and lamb By: John Walter 01/18/2012 @ 10:15am
National agricultural weather perspectives continue to focus on drought in Texas and the conditions of the U.S. winter wheat crop. Mild, dry weather is seen returning to the southern plains, according to ...
'Clipper' weather to chill farm country By: John Walter 01/17/2012 @ 9:04am
Large parts of farm country are slated for a shot of real winter weather this week, forecasters said on Tuesday. "Much colder temperatures" are returning to the Midwest, as well as more snow later in the week ...
Winter storm a mixed bag for ag By: John Walter 12/19/2011 @ 10:18am
The major winter storm shaping up in the Southern Plains, expected to bring as much as foot of snow in some areas and signficant rainfall in others, will offer some benefits to crops in the region, forecasters ...
White Christmas for farm country? By: John Walter 12/15/2011 @ 10:38am
Chances for a white Christmas across the nation's mid-section may be low, but an active weather pattern could bother holiday travel in some key locations. Turns out the best chance for snow on ...
A new two-month weather outlook brings one of the first mentions of potential planting delays next spring. In a report issued Wednesday by MDA EarthSat Weather, below-normal temperatures are seen for two ...
5 machines get top honors By: John Walter 12/06/2011 @ 9:29am
The best new equipment on the market was given special recognition this year at the AE50 Judge's Choice Awards Event, sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The ...
Corn left standing may have to wait By: John Walter 11/29/2011 @ 1:27pm
With December in sight, the corn harvest is widely regarded as "essentially over," according to individual state-level reports issued this week. There are enough exceptions in the countryside, though, to ...
How to ID a blue ribbon bale of hay By: John Walter 11/10/2011 @ 9:07am
With hay prices rising across the country, the ability to judge hay quality is an increasingly critical skill -- both for buyers and producers. Hay prices, though varying by region, quality and package ...
Tour Agriculture.com Mobile with Ashlie Kolb By: John Walter 11/02/2011 @ 10:04am
If you own a smartphone – or you are thinking about buying one – be sure to check out the new version of m.agriculture.com, the mobile website operated by Successful Farming magazine. The site is loaded ...
Smartphones a big trend By: John Walter 11/02/2011 @ 9:40am
Research conducted by Successful Farming magazine this year shows that farmers are quickly adopting smartphone technology and, in fact, are making greater use of the devices than does the general ...
Corn harvest seen through social media By: John Walter 10/26/2011 @ 12:58pm
A survey of social media sources shows that farmers are actively participating in the reporting of the 2011 corn harvest, along with the usual array of news organizations, commodity groups, and agribusiness ...
Markets find stability By: John Walter 10/03/2011 @ 3:52pm
U.S. grain and soybean prices stabilized Monday, ending a sharp selloff spurred by trader's views that the markets were undervalued and oversold.Grain traders managed to push prices up from multi-month ...
Sluggish demand pressures cash soy prices By: John Walter 09/08/2011 @ 1:27pm
The realization of slower export demand and the approaching autumn harvest are promoting weaker soybean cash prices and basis levels. Basis levels typically erode as harvest approaches, as grain buyers have ...
Cash grain basis flat in face of economic turmoil By: John Walter 08/08/2011 @ 2:42pm
U.S. cash basis levels for corn and soybeans are steady Monday, with many market participants content to sit on the sidelines in the midst of volatile grain futures and financial markets. The slower ...
Help ag address climate change, conservationists say By: John Walter 07/21/2011 @ 1:27pm
Global climate change presents a “formidable challenge” to food production and the environment, according to a policy position released recently by the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS). The ...
What to do with downed corn? By: John Walter 07/12/2011 @ 12:14pm
After a “massive windstorm” hammered property and cropland across the Corn Belt, farmers will be watching their fields anxiously as an already deteriorating corn crop struggles into pollination. The storm ...
Favorable weather ahead for corn and soybeans By: John Walter 06/07/2011 @ 8:40am
The national corn planting pace as of June 5 at 94 percent was very close to trade expectations but still showed that there were significant amounts of corn left to plant in key states. No more is that the ...
Country cemeteries shine this week By: John Walter 05/27/2011 @ 4:18pm
Driving the back roads this time of year, I can’t help but note the decorated country cemeteries. It’s often a colorful scene--against the back drop of young crops you see the fresh-mown grass ...
Soy basis firm; farm movement slows By: John Walter 04/14/2011 @ 3:40pm
U.S. cash basis bids were mixed Thursday, with soy basis firm amid limited farm movement of supplies. "Country movement of soybeans has ground to a halt, leaving commercial elevators to fill needs, and ...
More smartphones go to the field this spring By: John Walter 04/07/2011 @ 9:28am
Whenever Minnesota farmer Dave Revier takes to the field this spring, it’s certain he’ll have a smart phone in hand. In fact, he’ll have two of them--one for general use, and another in the cab to help ...
Cash grain basis levels steady, farm sales slow By: John Walter 04/05/2011 @ 3:35pm
U.S. cash basis levels were steady Tuesday, with movement of supplies tapering off after recent rallies in the futures market were curbed. After a heavy dose of farmer selling, particularly corn, following ...
U.S. farmers take personal view of Japan disaster By: John Walter 03/14/2011 @ 3:02pm
As the world watches in horror the ongoing story of destruction in Japan, attention has turned to the global economic aftershock of the tragedy. On Monday morning, for example, U.S. stock market prices sunk to ...
Soaking up sun & commodity insights in Tampa By: John Walter 03/03/2011 @ 10:57am
Western Minnesota farmers Dave and Gerald Revier, having been able to finish up their work yesterday, booked a last-minute flight to Tampa, Florida to attend the Commodity Classic, joining some 4700 ...
First in the field: Acreage battle begins in south Texas By: John Walter 02/15/2011 @ 3:20pm
Cameron County, Texas, farmers have a tradition of competing to produce the first bale of cotton in the U.S. Last year, Sam Simmons, a Harlingen,Texas, grower produced that first bale on July 13. (Photo above ...
Kansas farmers express concern about wheat crop By: John Walter 01/13/2011 @ 11:49am
Kansas farmers increased hard red winter wheat plantings by 5% last fall but don't yet know how many acres they will be able to harvest. The country's top wheat-growing state is dry and ...
Best of the [A] List: Ten top picks from the Internet By: John Walter 12/16/2010 @ 11:33am
In July, as part of a major redesign, Agriculture.com initiated a new feature, the [A] List of best agricultural features on the Internet. The section, housed on the home page and organized by categories on ...
Farmers debate election impacts on ag By: John Walter 11/03/2010 @ 10:58am
As the politicians and pundits sort out the results of Tuesday’s mid-term elections, farmers have begun to provide their own take on the historic balloting in which Republicans are expected to ...
Is new machinery a good investment? By: John Walter 10/14/2010 @ 4:27pm
"It seems there are two sides to this debate. Some farmers believe it's wise to trade every couple of years to keep machinery current and get the best return on your investment (i.e. tax strategy ...
Yields up in the air, farmers say By: John Walter 09/12/2010 @ 11:11am
Last week’s USDA monthly report kept farmers debating yield prospects for the 2010 crop, and left the market guessing the direction of the fall harvest. “Psychology will rule the grain markets from now ...
Black Sea drought raises Asia corn demand By: John Walter 09/08/2010 @ 8:40am
Asia's corn demand will likely rise over the next few months as buyers in Southeast Asia, facing a shortfall in feed wheat, are locking in purchases of the alternative grain, providing strong support to ...
Russia will lift grain ban once size of harvest known By: John Walter 09/06/2010 @ 2:00pm
MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Russia's grain export ban will be lifted as soon as there is a clear indication of how much grain has been gathered, President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday. The comments appear to ...
Brazil poised to produce bumper 2010-11 soybean crop By: John Walter 08/30/2010 @ 10:59am
Brazil's soybean farmers could notch up a bumper crop in the upcoming 2010-11 crop season as farmers shift away from corn. Brazil--the world's second-largest soybean exporter after the U.S.--is ...
Wheat Outlook: Up on Russian export ban, tighter supplies By: John Walter 08/06/2010 @ 8:30am
CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--U.S. wheat futures are expected to extend gains Friday after climbing to their highest level in nearly two years on concerns that Russia will not be the only country in the former Soviet ...
Go Green? By: John Walter 07/29/2010 @ 11:00pm
“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the cornfield.”– Dwight EisenhowerThis old saw about farming from afar is something to take to heart when writing ...
A highlight of the Agricultural Media Summit, being held this week in St. Paul, Minnesota, is InfoExpo, an exhibition for companies to show off their products and services to the media professionals who serve ...
