Farmers contend with a long list of potential crop hazards every growing season, from droughts and floods, to disease and pests. But multiple farmer surveys done at the many conferences and workshops held this summer and fall reveal that the top challenge on the mind of farmers is labor. The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates …

The H-2B Visa Program Isn’t Keeping Up With Seasonal Immigrant Worker Demand Read More »

U.S. farmers are expected to produce over 4 billion bushels of soybeans this season and next, putting it second after only corn among the country’s biggest row crops. The “miracle crop,” as it is sometimes called because of its many dynamic uses, traces back to Asia where there is evidence of domestication as early as …

How Soybeans Finally Became a Major Crop in America Read More »

While some forecasts show chances for rainfall across a good portion of the country might be setting up, it may not be enough to set cattle producers up for herd expansion in 2025. The outlook is complicated by the fact that USDA cancelled its mid-year July Cattle Inventory Report, making it unclear how much rebuilding, …

U.S. Cattle Herd Expansion Likely Delayed By Drought, Wildfires Read More »

Turkey producers are battling a new disease threat that is being blamed for low U.S. inventories of turkey eggs in incubators. According to the National Turkey Federation (NTF), Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) has been seen in every poultry-producing state in the U.S. and will likely impact supplies heading into the holiday season. Meaning consumers could be …

NEW Poultry Disease Outbreak Likely to Raise Prices for Thanksgiving Birds Read More »

While most farmers wouldn’t give up their lifestyle for any amount of money in the world, their chosen occupation often puts them under higher levels of stress than other professions. Sadly, farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the National Rural Health Association.  Interestingly, a new …

Farm Life Takes Mental Toll on Both Men and Women Read More »

John Louis Bragg had made four thousand dollars picking blueberries during his senior year in high school and he never forgot. John attended college and went to law school, but he left law school to go back home in hopes of buying into his Dad and brother’s small sawmill business. Keep in mind, the Bragg …

The Blueberry Billionaire… John Louis Bragg Read More »

Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, and his brothers Morgan and Virgil faced off against the Clanton gang in one of the most prolific gunfights in American history back on October 26, 1881. The legendary shootout took place at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona at 3:00pm. Tombstone had become a booming town shortly after silver was …

“I’m Your Huckleberry…” Read More »

Farmers in the U.S. have faced numerous natural disasters this year, although that can really be said about any year. And just like everyone else, farmers must navigate the major illnesses and injuries that life doles out, all while trying to keep time-sensitive operations running. For nearly two decades, Bill Gross and the “Farm Rescue” …

“Farm Rescue” Has Been a Lifeline for Over 1,000 American Farm and Ranch Families Read More »

Illinois is one of the country’s leading agricultural states, including a top producer of soybeans, corn, and livestock. The state is the fifth-highest producing state for agricultural sales (behind California, Iowa, Texas, and Nebraska, and just ahead of Minnesota, Kansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Indiana), with 81% coming from crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, …

What Are They Growing Out There in “Illinois” Read More »

Ranchers in the US spend a lot of time and money building and repairing fences. But this never-ending chore could be a thing of the past with the use of new “virtual fencing” (VF) technology that is finally making its way to the US. Producers can also now get help funding VF projects via a …

NEW “Virtual Fencing” Read More »