February 9, 2026

Cattle producers in Minnesota are voting this spring to increase the state Beef Checkoff by fifty cents. Kaitlyn Root, executive director of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association says producers are supportive of the effort.  “We support it because we know the good work that the beef checkoff does,” she says. “The ultimate goal is increasing demand for beef. If we did […] The post Beef Checkoff referendum in Minnesota could double in‑state funding for producer‑driven programs appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The National Cotton Council says it’s pleased the U.S. EPA will allow the use of over-the-top dicamba herbicides for the next two years.  “They did get it out just in time.” Chad Brewer, the vice president of technical services, tells Brownfield if the agency would have waited any longer to issue its approval, there could have […] The post Dicamba back for cotton: EPA approval arrives “just in time” appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The USDA’s weekly export inspections numbers were mostly up on the year. Soybeans and sorghum inspections as of the week ending February 5th continue to pick up the pace thanks to improved sales to China following last year’s trade deal framework agreement with the U.S. Wheat inspections were just above a year ago, with sales […] The post Sorghum, soybean export inspections rise year-over-year appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag attorney says regular financial reviews could help producers avoid loan defaults and bankruptcy. Austin Peiffer is with Iowa-based Ag and Business Legal Strategies. “It’s essential to have a cash flow,” he says. “Once you’ve got that data, then you have to act on it. Is there a line of your operation that isn’t making money? […] The post Proactive financial reviews are a critical tool to farm risk management  appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The USDA says processors increased production of most dairy products in December, with butter seeing the largest monthly gains. Total cheese production was 1.28 billion pounds, nearly seven percent more than December 2024 and 4.4 percent above the prior month. Italian cheese production increased more than seven percent on the year, and five percent from […] The post USDA reports strong December gains for cheese, butter; dry milk production lags appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says the Trump administration needs to prioritize maintaining current and finalizing new trade deals. Ted McKinney, the former Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the USDA, says the path to fair trade has been a bumpy ride. “We’re in that deep and sometimes very […] The post NASDA: New trade agreements could open the door for U.S. farmers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The grain merchandiser with Premier Cooperative says many farmers are likely still holding onto significant portions of their 2025 corn and soybean crops. Doug Crop tells Brownfield, “In central Illinois, there definitely is maybe more than we saw the last couple of years still on the farm.”  He says, “Mainly because even with the weather […] The post Grain markets search for pricing opportunities as old-crop supplies linger appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The vice president for advocacy with National Farmers Union says EPA’s latest right to repair guidance isn’t a complete fix.    Mike Stranz says the agency’s guidance was much needed. “This certainly helps but the Clean Air Act is only one piece of this, and farmers still need to have a guaranteed right to repair […] The post Farmers Still Need Full Right-to-Repair Access, NFU Says appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Planting delays are anticipated for Brazil’s second crop corn. Michael Cordonnier with Soybean and Corn Advisor says about 15 percent of the safrinha crop has been planted. “The big state is Mato Grosso, and it’s estimated that about 25 percent of the safrinha corn is going to be planted after the ideal window closes. Which […] The post Planting delays raise risk for Brazil’s safrinha corn crop appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

One lawmaker says the debate over nationwide, year-round sales of E15 fuel blends has gone on longer than she ever anticipated. Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa says the issue has been kicked around in Congress for more than a decade. “I am in my 12th year here in the United States Senate and […] The post Ernst says decade-long E15 debate must be settled by Congress appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story