A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

As the coronavirus has spread across the country, weak links in the food supply chain that have created temporary shortages have led to real worries about food insecurity. Google searches for things like gardening and food preservation have exploded, much to the delight of many health advocates. However, the recent surge in backyard chicken farming has experts worried about the ...

CORN bulls are hoping to find improved demand and a few weather hiccups in the forecast ahead. The USDA reported another week of strong export inspections which should keep us on track to beat the current USDA estimate. Ethanol should probably see another uptick this week as the economy fires back up. There's been more debate and speculation about how ...

For full disclosure I am currently long rice. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell any commodity rather just an explanation of my current thoughts about this particular market. I have been asked many times the past few weeks and wanted to update my perspective. The purpose of this comparison is to point out how much things can ...

The dairy sector has struggled with low milk prices and rapid consolidation in the industry that continues to force producers out of business. There has been even greater complications in the wake of COVID-19. Farm bankruptcies jumped by nearly +20% in 2019, and Wisconsin, a top dairy-producing state, had the most. I suspect the bankruptcy numbers will move even higher ...

Thirty years ago Montana's open plains held nothing put pastureland and tens of thousands of acres of wheat. But there were a few guys who started looking at things differently and set our to find new markets. David Oien and three friends would start Timeless Seeds Inc., with just a few hundred acres, some volunteer help, and a mission to ...

Rural infrastructure has been in need of major rehabilitation for years and there are real concerns that the coronavirus pandemic could make the situation even worse. The sharp drop-off in travel alone is expected to rip a hole in state and local transportation revenues, in turn likely adding even more projects to the backlog already waiting for much-needed repairs. A ...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently finalized a major overhaul of biotech regulations that will exempt many genetic modifications from the lengthy regulatory approval process. This is the first significant change to the agency's rules for GE crops since it was put in place over thirty years ago. USDA claims the "Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient" (SECURE) rule will ...

Technological advancements are coming in huge waves and creating massive changes in agriculture. American farm families are being increasingly disrupted every day. I believe I have some insight and solutions that will not only make your farm more competitive today, but at the same time, help you build a better bridge to the future for your children and many generations ...

Cicadas are an annual "sound of summer" across many parts of the Midwest and East Coast but the chorus will be even louder than usual in some areas this year. Folks in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia will see far more of the bugs this summer as Brood IX emerges from the ground after 17 long years. Science has ...

There was a report circulating inside the trade yesterday that "Record Sums of Money Flowed Into Alternative Meats in First Quarter." As I've been saying for the past couple of years, if millennials and other investors are going to keep throwing huge sums of money in that direction, those companies are going to be able to hire brighter and brighter ...