A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

Corn Belt farmers already know that the region - the midwestern U.S. roughly covering western Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Kansas - has some of the most fertile soils on Earth. The amount of corn harvested in this region annually has increased by +400% since 1950. But perhaps there is more to the story... Interestingly, the region’s climate ...
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The amount of U.S. land owned by foreign entities climbed by +1.58 million acres between 2022 and 2023, or an increase of +3.6%, based on data collected by USDA under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978. An American Farm Bureau analysis of the latest data shows foreign investors owned 45.85 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of ...
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Seattle-based startup Aigen, founded in 2020, is pioneering a sustainable solution to one of farming's most persistent problems, "weed control." The company's approach combines artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy to offer farmers an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical herbicides. At the heart of Aigen's offering is the Element robot, an autonomous, solar-powered machine designed to navigate crop rows and ...
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Amber waves of grain have given way to fields of solar panels across wide swaths of rural America. While some say the amount of farmland taken out of production is so small (less than 0.5%) that its loss won’t be felt, others say taking even small amounts of the best cropland out of production threatens U.S. security, not to mention ...
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There has been a lot of talk that Argentina’s crops are at risk from recent hot and dry weather. Soybeans, especially, are said to be facing yield declines as dry conditions look to continue through at least mid-January. However, the soybean crop is currently in good condition and some feel recent production forecasts don’t fully reflect the fading prospects.USDA’s Foreign ...
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In 1873, at the age of 14, Oscar Ferdinand Mayer immigrated with his elder cousin, John Scholl, and John’s young family to the United States from Germany. According to the family biography, the Scholls and young Oscar found their way to Detroit, and within days of his arrival, Oscar was combing the streets of Detroit, looking for his first “opportunity.” ...
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Sam Phillips was the youngest of eight children, born on a 200-acre farm near Florence, Alabama. As a child, he picked cotton in the fields with his parents alongside black laborers. The experience of hearing black laborers singing in the fields left a big impression on the young Phillips. Traveling through Memphis with his family in 1939 on the way ...
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Please keep in mind, for the remainder of this week our family will be preparing and hosting our annual FARMCON event in Kansas City. For those who are attending, safe travels, and we look forward to seeing you real soon. The last Van Trump Report this week will be sent Tuesday morning January 7th. I will be sending out all ...
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CoBank economists are forecasting a year of uncertainty and volatility for the U.S. agricultural economy in 2025 amid an administration change in Washington. The “2025 Year Ahead” outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange says policy uncertainties will add to an already long list of headwinds and challenges facing rural industries. “The environment we enter in 2025 hasn’t fully defined itself ...
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In the ever-evolving world of agricultural technology, a new player has emerged with the potential to transform how farmers access and use nitrogen fertilizer. Green Lightning, is pioneering an innovative approach to on-farm nitrogen production that promises to reduce costs, increase sustainability, and give farmers greater control over their fertilizer supply.Good friend and founder of Green Lightning, Travis Potter, is ...
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