December 31, 2024

Cash dairy prices were steady-to-lower except for cheese barrels Tuesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  Dry whey prices remained unchanged at $0.75.  No sales were recorded.  Forty-pound cheese blocks were unchanged at $1.91. Two sales were recorded at that price.  Cheese barrels were up $0.0175 at $1.8250.  No sales were recorded.  Butter was down $0.02 […] The post Cash dairy prices steady to lower Tuesday appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An export group leader says the potential work stoppage at U.S. ports in mid-January is already affecting markets. Joe Schuele with the U.S. Meat Export Federation tells Brownfield the industry has known about the January 15th, 2025 port worker contract deadline for several months, and he says ports and terminal operators are preparing for a […] The post Meat exporters already reacting to potential port strike appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed at a large Ohio commercial poultry operation. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge tells Brownfield it involves nearly a million birds at a laying facility in southwest Ohio. “We’re hopeful this is an isolated case. This was our only commercial flock in 2024. We did have […] The post HPAI confirmed at large Ohio poultry operation appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A central Illinois farmer says he’s been busy preparing for the 2025 growing season. Lance Muirhead, who farms in Macon County, tells Brownfield, “We’re getting there.”  He says, “We got everything cleaned up for the most part and put in the shed.  Doing a lot of book work, going a lot of conferences over the […] The post Central Illinois farmer prepping for 2025 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Across the Corn Belt, light precipitation is moving into areas east of the Mississippi River, in conjunction with a fast-moving storm system.  With uncharacteristically warm air accompanying the system, nearly all the precipitation is falling as rain.  In the storm’s wake, cooler, breezy weather is overspreading the western Corn Belt. On the Plains, temperatures are […] The post More moisture across the eastern Corn Belt; much colder air on-the-move appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation in most areas east of the Rockies, although drier-than-normal conditions should prevail in northern Minnesota and northern New England.  Meanwhile, warmer- and drier-than-normal weather will cover the Far West, including large sections of the Pacific Coast States, Great […] The post A sharply colder, still active pattern for the Heartland; more frequent snows ahead for most appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

One of the expenses farm families often deal with is child care for very young farm children, if it is even available. Michaela Hoffelmeyer and Trish Fisher at the University of Wisconsin- Madison are part of a multi-state research team looking into the availability and cost of rural childcare. The post Rural child care remains an expensive challenge appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story