In 1863, Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University) became the nation’s first operational “land-grant” college. The land-grant college system was established starting with the passage of the Morrill Act in 1862 which was meant to extend higher education to the “industrial class,” or the common person. Because of the land granted to each …

How “Agriculture” Became Part of America’s Most Important Institutions Read More »

Silos are one of the most recognizable architectural features of rural America. While they dot the landscape across the entire country, they also come with a host of issues that many farmers think make them more trouble than they’re worth. Martin Reiff, a long-time Wisconsin dairy farmer and past president of the International Silo Association, …

“Greenwood Silo” Introduces a Fresh Approach to Feed and Forage Storage Read More »

The US cattle herd started the year as the smallest in 73 years after shrinking for the fifth year in a row in 2023. Cattle producers are expected to begin building their herds this year amid better pasture conditions and cheaper feed prices. However, this is always a slow process and will come at a …

Brace Yourself for Even Higher Beef Prices Read More »

Agribusiness is an industry that readers of the Van Trump Report know. Conceivably it’s one where we have a competitive edge. The purpose of this periodic report is to discuss opportunities in agribusiness equities. During the next 12 months, several large interdependent events, including the U.S. November elections, the Ukrainian war, Israeli war, oil prices, …

“Beating Inflation”… Broke Bob’s Second Ag Equity Report Read More »

Dr. Sunshin Jung and his team of researchers at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a breakthrough technology that effectively eliminates pests without the use of pesticides and protects farms from soil diseases by using microwave heating, the core mechanism of microwave ovens. Soil diseases caused by monocultures are a major concern for …

Microwave Technology Now Being Used to Heat Soil and Eliminate Pests Read More »

From 1997 to 2018,  soybean seeding rates decreased from over 200,000 seeds per acre to about 157,000 seeds per acre, according to data compiled by Bryn Swearingen and Kate Vaiknoras at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). At the same time, soybean seeds and other production costs have skyrocketed. According to Swearingen and Vaiknoras, U.S. farmers …

US Soybean Production Costs Have Climbed More Than +150% Since 1997 Read More »

The process of breeding new plant varieties is a long and arduous process, even with newer gene-editing technology like CRISPR. As Ohalo CEO Dave Friedberg explains, the main problem is that when plants are crossbred, only around half of the genes from each parent are transferred to their offspring. Additionally, the genes that each plant …

Ohalo Unveils Game-Changing “Boosted Breeding” Technology Read More »

Earlier this year, the only sugar mill in Texas – and one of only three in the U.S. – was shuttered due to repeated water shortages that have left the surrounding sugarcane fields barren. The end of the plant marks the end of the sugar industry in South Texas, which will cost the region hundreds …

What You Need to Know About the Brewing US-Mexico Water War Read More »

Startup “ZoomAgri” may not be a well-known name but their customers include some of the biggest companies in the food and agriculture sector. Companies like commodity trading giants Cargill and ADM, and beverage conglomerate ABInBev are among those using ZoomAgri’s AI-powered technology that can recognize grain and seed varieties as well as their quality in …

AI-Powered System From “ZoomAgri” Provides Fast, Accurate Grain and Seed Inspection Read More »

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 »