January 13, 2025

A market expert says there might be an opportunity for some dairy producers to expand, despite challenging economic times. Mike North with Ever.ag says, “Instead of being overwhelmed by milk supply, most processors are always shopping to get their hands on an extra load here and there.” North tells Brownfield there are processors who have […] The post Dairy expansion possible for some producers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A central Ohio farmer says recent winter precipitation has helped mitigate drought conditions across the state. But, Nick Wolford tells Brownfield he’s still concerned about the long-term impacts. “We’ve been pretty fortunate with the winner precipitation,” he says. “We’ve gotten to the point now where the tiles have started to run again, so that’s encouraging. […] The post Ohio farmer optimistic about winter precipitation helping drought conditions appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag economist says the suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico following the detection of New World screwworm in the southern part of the country continues to impact cattle prices. University of Tennessee’s Charley Martinez says it’s most notable on lighter-weight cattle. “If you think about a $35 to $40 per hundredweight change that […] The post Ban of live cattle imports from Mexico continues to impact markets appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A central Illinois cattle producer says the extended stretch of cold weather has posed some challenges. Chase Brown, who’s cattle and row crop operation is based in Macon County, tells Brownfield, “The snowfall wasn’t that bad.  It was more the drifting from the wind.”  He says, “I’ve had a couple frozen hydrants and frozen waterers, […] The post Extended deep freeze challenging cattle producers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A Kentucky-based agronomist says prioritizing soil fertility during the economic downturn could benefit farmers in 2025. Josh Johnston with AgriGold tells Brownfield farmers should start with a soil test. “It starts with a good quality soil test,” he says. “It’s important to get good representative samples that accurately represent your field.” He says farmers can […] The post Agronomist says soil fertility should be a focus in 2025 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Cash dairy prices were steady-to-higher with a sizable jump in the cheese market Monday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  Dry whey remains unchanged at $0.74.  No sales were recorded.  Forty-pound cheese blocks were up $0.09 at $1.91. Three sales were recorded, ranging from $1.82 to $1.91.  Cheese barrels were up $0.03 at $1.88.  Two sales were […] The post Cash dairy markets steady to higher Monday appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

New research shows soybean cyst nematode continues to spread across North America. Greg Tylka with Iowa State University says researchers have been mapping known SCN distribution since 2000, and data between 2020 and 2023 reveals 31 counties in 10 states reported the pest for the first time. “Time marches on, and so does soybean cyst […] The post Map shows soybean cyst nematode “marches on” appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Pictured: Stanton, Iowa farmer Mark Peterson at the 2025 Practical Farmers of Iowa conference in Des Moines (Photo by Brent Barnett/Brownfield) A southwest Iowa farmer says he’s cautiously optimistic about soil conditions heading into spring. Mark Peterson farms near Stanton and represents Practical Farmers of Iowa. “We did get some moisture in the fall. We’re […] The post Farmer retains soil moisture with cover crops appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The lead Democrat on the Senate Ag Committee will be pushing for year-round E15 this year. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota tells Brownfield language allowing nationwide sales of fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol all year nearly made it across the finish line at the end of 2024. “We were so close to getting year-round E15, […] The post Klobuchar pushing for year-round E15 nationwide appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story