January 7, 2026

The executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association says much is still unknown about the USDA’s billion-dollar Farmer Bridge Assistance program targeted for specialty producers. Raghela Scavuzzo tells Brownfield, “Specialty crops are harder to do, which I think is why you’re seeing the delay in the information on it.”  She says, “We don’t have […] The post Specialty growers await clarity on USDA’s billion-dollar Farmer Bridge Assistance program appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The head of the US Meat Export Federation says China’s recently announced tariffs on imports of beef are misguided. Dan Halstrom says the government is doing it to address inflationary pressures. “However, they should be looking at it from, in our opinion, let’s bolster consumer confidence in China,” he says.  “Because there’s enough demand in China for all […] The post Tariffs, quotas, and registration hurdles limit U.S. beef access to China appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A Nebraska farmer says a legislative priority for 2026 is addressing property taxes. But, Jan TenBensel, says the state is facing a $471 million budget shortfall and that may make that difficult for the Legislature to accomplish that. “Everything from property tax relief to how many dollars the state feeds into the K-12 state-aid formula […] The post Property taxes a 2026 priority as Nebraska legislature faces budget gap appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Farmers should consider planting cover crops for the 2026 season. In this episode of Managing for Profit, Nebraska-based Channel Technical Agronomist Andy Swanson explains the key management strategies farmers should include on their winter-to-spring checklist. The post What to Know Before Planting Cover Crops appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The vice president of fertilizer with Stone X Group says potash is likely the best fertilizer buy for farmers heading into 2026. Josh Linville tells Brownfield, “Potash is probably going to continue to be one of the standouts as far as a good value to farmers.”  He says, “Now, could prices be lower? Yeah, it […] The post Potash seen as best fertilizer value for farmers heading into 2026 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

There’s been an increase in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza cases in Arkansas. State Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Fidler says there’s been eight effected poultry flocks since October, with the latest confirmed January 2. “It started off relatively slow in October and November, but then in mid-to-late December we had a number of of detections. We’ve been […] The post Avian influenza returns to Arkansas poultry flocks appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Across the Corn Belt, precipitation across the Great Lakes region has ended, although cloudiness lingers.  With a sharp Midwestern temperature gradient in place, Wednesday’s maximum readings will range from near 35°F in the vicinity of the Great Lakes to 60°F or higher in much of Nebraska, Missouri, and southwestern Iowa. On the Plains, unusual warmth […] The post Rather mild, (unseasonable) generally tranquil early-January weather across the Heartland appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The president and CEO of the National Cotton Council says the USDA’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program provides critical relief for farmers dealing with market challenges and revenue shortfalls from last year. Gary Adams tells Brownfield it doesn’t make farmers whole, but helps with lender confidence for 2026. “This is apart of the picture. I think […] The post USDA bridge program boosts cotton farmers, gap remains appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story