I’m worried about farmland prices if real interest rates stay higher for longer and crop prices drift back down to pre-Covid levels (i.e. corn sub-$4.00, soybeans sub-$10, wheat sub-$6). I’m not saying this will happen for certain, but if it does I have to imagine it heavily weighs on farmland prices. The good news (perhaps …
Land Values and Cash Rents Hold Up Even as Farm Income Slides… For the Moment Read More »
Researchers have been trying to figure out how to reduce the amount of methane released by cows and other “ruminant” animals for decades. Strategies utilizing feed additives and tools such as cow masks have had mixed results, and also stand to add substantially to production costs. Boston-based startup “ArkeaBio” is taking a different approach by …
Startup “ArkeaBio” Wants to Combat Livestock Emissions with a Vaccine Read More »
Brazil’s farmers have a mess on their hands with massive flooding in the south and unseasonably hot, dry weather in south-central parts of the country. The weather extremes will impact both soybean and corn production this year, and the flooding is already creating major logistical headaches in the south. The flood waters have also swallowed …
Brazil Crop Update… Both Too Much and Too Little Rain Read More »
Israeli-based Greeneye Technology has been selling its precision-spray technology in the US for a few years now. However, the systems are hard to come by, with the company already sold out for 2024, after selling out in both 2022 and 2023 as well. According to Greeneye CEO Nadav Bocher, many of 2025’s machines are already …
“Greeneye Technology” Scaling Precision-Spray Operations in US Read More »
A way to reliably identify and receive recommended controls for agricultural pests is at the top of nearly every farmer’s wishlist. While there are countless identification apps online, most of the digital bug and weed identifiers are limited in scope, difficult to use, and often unreliable. But with the increasing power of artificial intelligence (AI), …
Iowa State Researchers Developing AI-Powered Pest Identifier Win “Supercomputing” Time Read More »
It’s that time of year, and we’ve got lots of graduation parties happening. I always like hearing the kids talk about their dreams and goals for the future. Didn’t we all have so many big plans and aspirations standing in that gym in our caps and gowns? This past weekend Michael Wilson Hardy, known in the …
HARDY’S Commencement Address and a Few Great Life Hacks Read More »
Argentina’s corn growers have been fighting a plague of “leafhopper” insects that have led to dramatic downgrades to production estimates. The country earlier this year was headed toward a record corn crop but the stunt disease spread by the insects has caused those forecasts to plunge. The question now is, how much more of the …
What You Need to Know About the “Leafhopper” Plaguing Argentina’s Corn Fields Read More »
Agriculture is a favorite target among those looking for somewhere to place blame for greenhouse gas emissions. However, recent research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that agriculture has made more progress in cutting emissions than any other industry in the US. According to the report, “Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: …
US Agriculture Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions More Than Any Other Sector Read More »
A novel type of insurance product has been gaining traction amid increasingly extreme weather events that have roiled the industry. Known as “parametric insurance,” these contracts insure a policyholder against the occurrence of a specific event by paying a set amount triggered by a predetermined parameter. In other words, it pays out based on the …
“Parametric Insurance” Offers a Hedge Against Weather Extremes and More Read More »
Renewable diesel capacity in the US has almost doubled in the last two years. However, it’s not US soybean growers benefitting from the expansion of renewable diesel as many had anticipated. Instead, renewable fuel facilities are importing record amounts of canola oil from Canada and used cooking oil (UCO) from China, resulting in domestic soybean …
Canada and China are Big Winners in US Renewable Diesel Push Read More »
