A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

US cropland values for 2023 averaged $5,460 per acre, an increase of +$410 per acre, or +8.1%, from 2021, and +33% higher than the average of $4,100 in 2020. In fact, cropland values had been stuck at around $4,100 since 2014, before seeing the first significant gain (+7.8%) in 2021 and obviously making further gains the last two years. The ...
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It is no secret that farm production expenses are at nosebleed levels and a new report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts some hard numbers to this cold truth. In its annual "Farm Production Expenditures" report, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) found that production costs in 2022 climbed to an estimated $452.7 billion, up +15.2% ...
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Controversy surrounding the use of glyphosate in food production systems remains a hot topic of debate in the US and around the world. Consumers claim to want food free from "chemicals," policymakers continue to push for more "sustainable" farming practices, and special interest groups keep raising fears about health consequences, all of which have kept the world's most widely used ...
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Today, the agricultural and aviation communities quietly celebrate the 102nd anniversary of the first use of the airplane for crop dusting. On this day in 1921, Army Air Corps pilot Lieutenant John A. Macready, piloting a specially modified Curtiss JN4 Jenny, spread lead arsenate over a six-acre grove of 6,000 catalpa trees at Postmaster Harry Carver’s farm in Troy, Ohio ...
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Vietnam has approved the commercial use of two locally-made vaccines for African swine fever (ASF). The vaccines, both of which was developed in collaboration with researchers from the United States Agricultural Research Institute (ARS), are the first to ever be approved anywhere in the world for commercial use against the deadly pig virus.The vaccines include "NAVET-ASFVAC," co-developed by Navetco Central ...
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State Fairs are kicking off the 2023 season across America! For so many families, there is just no better way to wrap up a long, hot summer than a couple of deep-fried Twinkies, a rickety carnival ride, and some dusty livestock pens! Below I've included a map with all of the dates for most all of the US state fairs ...
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According to the USDA, Florida's orange production peaked in 1998 at 244 million boxes and has been on a precipitous decline ever since. A significant decline occurred after the historic 2004 hurricane season with production falling from 242 million boxes to 149.8 million, then dropped below 100 million boxes in 2015 for the first time in decades. The 2022-23 season ...
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The folks over at FarmdocDaily have released new research showing the dramatic change in farm employment over the last five decades. It probably comes as no surprise that farm employment has fallen by -35% since 1969 amid greater adoption of labor-saving technologies and the ongoing trend of farm consolidation. These changes have also had consequences for rural communities. The full ...
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With all of the fresh watermelon hitting the market, I thought it would be good to again review a few tips about how to pick just the right one. A few of our readers happen to be some of the largest watermelon producers in the U.S. and have passed along a few inside tips through the years. I was certainly ...
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Vertical farming seems to have lost its appeal to venture capitalists, with funding for the sector plunging some -91% over the last year. The once-hot industry promised to change the future of farming with its high-tech approach but has instead delivered exorbitant energy costs and a lot of high-priced leafy greens. Despite some $4 billion in funding over the last ...
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