Month: April 2024

The Lower Sioux Indian Community, near Morton, Minnesota, has made a big bet on hemp to offer a better future for its residents. Construction is nearly complete on a 20,000-sq-ft manufacturing campus that will process hemp into a construction material known as “hempcrete.” The short-term goal is to use the natural building material to construct …

Lower Sioux Turn to “Hempcrete” to Create Better Homes and Secure Community Future Read More »

Plant-based meat alternatives hit the US market with a bang a few years ago to what seemed like enormous popularity. So much so that some US state have even moved to ban labeling these products as “meat.” The concerns about meat alternatives killing the livestock industry appear to be greatly overblown, however, as most Americans …

Most Consumers Just Don’t Like “Fake Meat” Read More »

A county in California could be the first in the nation to vote on a measure to limit CAFO sizes. In case you are wondering… CAFO is the acronym they use for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, aka CAFOs. The measure was approved for the ballot after a petition drive by the group “Coalition to End …

County in California Could Be First in Nation to Restrict CAFOs Read More »

Cattle producers are being urged to watch for signs of an emerging disease caused by “Theileria orientalis,” a protozoal organism transmitted by the Asian longhorned tick. While the invasive tick species is now found in 19 states, only 9 states have so far confirmed the presence of Theileria orientalis and the resulting disease known as …

Cattle Producers Being Urged to Watch for Signs of NEW Emerging Tick Disease Read More »

Each week our good friend and business partner Carter Williams will be sharing some of his thoughts on agriculture below are a few recent highlights from his weekly report called “Creative Destruction”, written by Carter Williams, CEO at iSelect Fund (@jcarterwil on x/twitter) What I learned this week… Crop yield and nutrition developments have been negatively …

“Creative Destruction”, by Carter William Read More »

China this year has released a string of policy priorities for agriculture aimed at boosting domestic production. According to state media, China has reached a “bottleneck” in these ongoing efforts where it is increasingly difficult to lift production any further. Roadblocks include an aging farm labor force and a lack of workers to take their …

A Look at China’s Latest Plans to Boost Grain Output Read More »

According to the latest outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, flooding is not expected to be an issue for the Mississippi River this spring thanks to an unusually hot, dry winter. Unfortunately, the lack of precipitation means shipping along the river could be disrupted again by low water levels …

More “Mississippi River” Shipping Problems Ahead? Read More »

Researchers for the first time ever have genetically altered a cow to produce insulin in its milk. The breakthrough is cause for celebration for the more than 3.6 million Americans with diabetes that use insulin to control their condition. Because global demand is so high, insulin is often expensive and can be difficult to obtain. …

Illinois Project Creates First Insulin-Producing Cow Read More »

Paraguay doesn’t get a lot of attention as a major agricultural producer but their output is a lot higher than you might realize. The South American country has been a long-time and consistent global soybean producer that is often relied upon to fill production gaps in neighboring Argentina and Brazil. Below are more details about …

What You Might Not Know About “Paraguay’s” Soybeans Read More »

Sales of E15, a 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline blend, are estimated to have hit a record 1.11 billion gallons last year, an increase of +8% over 2022, according to a Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). The RFA credits the jump to a combination of more retail stations offering E15 and the savings the blend continues …

Record High E15 Sales at Risk Without Summertime Waiver Read More »