Month: March 2024

A lot of questions, as well as alarms, are being raised as the ag world digests news that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), aka “bird flu,” is responsible for a mysterious illness afflicting dairy cows. According to the USDA, officials suspect the illness among primarily older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. Officials …

As Dairy Cattle Fall Victim, Stakes are Rising in the Fight Against Avian Influenza Read More »

As farmers are well aware, ag commodity prices have plunged from the peak levels reached in 2022. Unfortunately, new projections University of Missouri’s Food and Ag Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) indicate that the downward slide may continue though 2024 and possibly beyond. FAPRI’s recently released baseline projections for agricultural and biofuel markets shows lower commodity …

FAPRI Projects Lower Prices, Tight Margins for 2024 Read More »

As producers begin to hit the fields for the start of the 2024 planting season, it’s always a good idea to remind ourselves of the practices that keep farmers, their families, and their workers safe. National Grain Safety Week, which runs March 25-29 this year, is an industry wide initiative aimed at raising awareness of …

National Grain Safety Week Kicks Off This Week Read More »

As carbon dioxide pipelines continue to hit roadblocks, green methanol company “CapCO2 Solutions” is touting its technology as an alternative that can help the ethanol industry capture the maximum tax incentives provided by the US government.  Rather than relying on controversial pipelines to carry the captured carbon out of state, CapCO2’s technology can capture and …

Green Methanol Companies Tout Technology as Viable Alternative to Carbon Capture Pipelines Read More »

There is a developing health story happening with US Dairy Cattle. From what I understand, some dairy’s are starting to report sick cattle. Symptoms seem to be a fever, feed intake down -20% to -30%, and a drop in milk production. It sounds like the younger cattle aren’t being impacted as much as the older …

IMPORTANT – NEW Animal Health Situation Developing in Some US Dairy Cattle  Read More »

Venture capitalists seem to have lost their infatuation with the agrifoodtech space. According to AgFunder’s Global AgriFoodTech Investment 2024 report, investment in the space plunged nearly -50% last year compared to 2022 and versus the -35% decline experienced across venture capital markets as a whole. AgFunder in its report says last year’s decline was a …

Agrifoodtech Investment Hits Lowest Levels Since 2017 Read More »

I know yesterday I talked about National Ag Week, but today we officially celebrate “National Ag Day”, and from my perspective we need all the good media attention we can get so I thought I woudl share some additional thoughts and data.   It was back in 1973 when the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) …

Thinking More About “National Ag Day” Read More »

National Agriculture Week is here, organized every year by the Agriculture Council of America. The celebration this year runs March 17-23, and as always corresponds with National Ag Day, which is officially celebrated on Tuesday, March 19 this year. Both celebrations are about recognizing – and celebrating – the contributions of farmers and agriculture in …

Celebrate Farming During National Agriculture Week Read More »

St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, March 17th, which for many Americans means stuffing themselves with corned beef. Most probably assume this is a traditional Irish food but it was actually created right here in the US by Irish immigrants. While Ireland does have a long and somewhat complicated history with the dish, it was …

The History of America’s Most Popular St. Patrick’s Day Meal Read More »

A new study from a team of scientists at Chalmers University in Sweden describes how microbes in soil and water may be evolving to eat plastic. The researchers found the evidence in DNA samples taken from the environment, which revealed some 30,000 unique enzymes that are capable of degrading 10 different types of plastics. The …

Microbes Might be Evolving to Eat Plastic Read More »