Agriculture

Farm equipment manufacturers have invested billions in state-of-the-art technology that has helped make US row crop producers the most efficient in the world. Unfortunately, nearly one-third of US farmland acres lack sufficient broadband service to capitalize on digital technologies, and the lack of access is even greater in less developed parts of the world. Farm …

John Deere Strikes Deal to Bring “Starlink” Satellite Broadband to Farm Equipment Read More »

Every year, rural ag lender CoBank examines key factors expected to shape agriculture and market sectors that serve rural communities. The 2024 Year Ahead Report forecasts a continued slowdown in global growth, and increasingly stretched consumers here at home that will continue to be burdened with high prices. While high costs will also continue to …

CoBank’s 2024 Year Ahead Report Forecasts More US Soybean Acres, Tighter Cattle Numbers Read More »

If humans have any chance at all of living on the Moon or colonizing other planets, we’ve got to first find a way to grow food in those alien environments. The first stumbling block to accomplishing this is soil, arguably one of the most important elements to growing healthy crops. Recently, scientists have had some …

Scientists Develop New Techniques for Growing Crops on the Moon Read More »

According to an early 1920s study, only 6% of farmers in the corn belt states had tractors, with the rest saying as long as they had to keep enough horses or mules to do cultivating, they might as well use the animals for all their other farm fieldwork as well, so no need for a …

The Great Tractor Story Read More »

In the 2023 edition of “America’s Farms and Ranches at a Glance,” the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) finds that the majority of farming and ranching operations in the US during 2022 were still family-owned. What’s more, only around 26% had any debt. A “family farm” is of course one where the majority of the …

Most US Farms and Ranches are Still “Family-Owned”…and Debt Free! Read More »

Global supply chains are once again being thrown into chaos as attacks by Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea cause shippers to opt for longer and more expensive routes. The narrow waterway provides access to the Suez Canal, through which as much as 15% of global trade passes, including around 8% of global …

How Red Sea Hazards are Impacting Global Trade… Including Agriculture Read More »

In any given growing season, the list of potential yield-damaging threats to a corn crop is a long one. It can also sometimes be difficult and expensive to diagnose what’s ailing a crop and many a grower that’s likely wished their plants could just tell them what was wrong. That is exactly the idea behind …

USDA Approves “Intelligent” Corn Plants That Can Change Color Read More »

The story I included below is one of my all-time favorite Christmas Stories. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years. If you and your family have ever thought about implementing this, this might be the year to kick things off.For the Man Who Hated Christmas, By Nancy W. Gavin It’s …

One of My Favorite Christmas Stories! Read More »

Due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, the abbreviated trading sessions, and our upcoming multi-day annual FARMCON conference, I will not be issuing another morning report until Monday, January 8th. If something dramatic happens or I make a sizable adjustment to my portfolio or cash marketing strategy I will update paid subscribers via a …

No Van Trump Report Until January 8 Read More »

The brilliant red flowers of the Euphorbia pulcherrima plant, more commonly known as “poinsettias,” are synonymous with Christmas in the US. Considered the unofficial “Christmas flower,” it may surprise you to learn that the tradition of decorating our homes with poinsettias during the holidays is a relatively recent one. In fact, it was the vision …

How a California Farm Family Made Poinsettia’s a Holiday Tradition Read More »