Today we associate treadmills with the fitness and gym culture, but back in the nineteenth century, many historians argue the treadmill was actually designed and used as a form of punishment. Invented this week back in 1818 by William Cubitt, the treadmill was actually first created as a human-powered device for grinding corn. It didn’t …
Corn and the Interesting History of the Treadmill Read More »
A new report from the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) details several challenges currently impacting animal feed and pet food industries, including a lengthy regulatory process for new ingredients and persistent supply chain disruptions. Despite the headwinds, AFIA’s “2022-23 State of the US Animal Food Industry Report” forecasts nearly 5,650 US animal food manufacturing facilities …
The ostrich, a bizarre-looking, flightless bird that originates from Africa, is the world’s largest living bird. Apparently, it also tastes a lot like beef but is packed with even more protein and just a fraction of the fat. Ostrich also has a smaller environmental footprint than beef, requiring one-third of the water and one-fiftieth of …
The world’s extensive network of waterways are a vital part of global commerce. In fact, approximately 90% of all goods shipped end up traveling on a waterway at some point. Unfortunately, low water levels on the rivers and canals that help move the world’s merchandise threaten the lifeblood of the shipping industry and the disruptions …
Drought Again Disrupting Freight Flows on Critical Shipping Arteries Read More »
It likely comes as no surprise that farm incomes are set to decline in 2023 after hitting record levels in 2022. Still, the -22.8% year-over-year decline (approximately -$42 billion) currently projected by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) is a little hard to stomach. Accounting for inflation, the decline in net farm income from 2022 …
It’s been a century now since the original Farmall tractor was first introduced by International Harvester (IH). What came to be known as the “Regular” was not only the first commercially successful row crop tractor, it forever changed the way farmers farm. The first practical internal combustion tractor was built by Charles W. Hart and …
Despite China’s decades-long efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency, the country has been a net importer of agricultural products since 2004. In fact, China imports more soybeans, corn, wheat, rice, and dairy products – among others – than any other country in the world. Over the last two decades, the country’s self-sufficiency has actually been going …
Interesting Insights Into China’s Food Self-Sufficiency Struggles Read More »
The dog days of summer are now behind us but some of the sounds still linger in many parts of the country. One of the loudest is generated by ‘dog-day’ cicadas, also called ‘annual’ cicadas, that typically emerge every year from July to September. And every year, the fading sound of their buzzing signals cooler …
What You Might Not Know About Cicadas and Katydids, the Last Sounds of Summer Read More »
Finance startup “Fractal” has launched what it says is a first-of-its-kind farmland equity financing platform that can help farmers secure needed capital to expand and improve their operations. The Minneapolis-based company invests alongside farmers by taking a passive stake in their current farmland. The farmers in turn receive the needed capital – which they can …
“Fractal” Wants to Help Farmers Hold On to More Farmland Read More »
Brazil’s corn and soybean crops are again setting new records this season with national crop agency CONAB pegging combined production at a record 322.8 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of just over +50 MMT, or +18% from last year. CONAB estimates the country’s record soybean crop at 154.6 MMT, up +23% year-over-year. The record …
Brazil’s Corn and Soybean Crops Keep Getting Bigger Read More »
