May 13, 2026

An economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation says tight margins and ongoing economic challenges are straining farm finances. “This is going to be the third to fourth year of losses for some farmers,” AFBF’s Faith Parum said. Parum tells Brownfield the situation is expected to continue unless production costs decline significantly. “We know that […] The post AFBF economist warns of continued strain on agriculture appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A field crops entomologist says recent storm systems have brought with them early-season pests from the South. Chris DiFonzo with Michigan State University tells Brownfield, “Your risk for black cutworm depends on having low-growing weed mats like chickweed.” “For true armyworm, they’re going to focus in on areas like wheat especially, or weedy areas,” she […] The post Early-season crop pests move north as weather shifts, entomologists encouraging scouting appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A South Dakota farmer says recent reports of record profits in the fertilizer industry are concerning. In a U.S. Senate Ag Committee hearing Tuesday, Trent Kubik, president of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, says the news is disheartening as farmers face skyrocketing fertilizer prices. “The recent earning reports indicate record profits for fertilizer companies.”  […] The post Fertilizer industry profits under scrutiny appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The USDA says it is removing 10 lenders from Rural Development guaranteed loan programs as part of an effort to reduce delinquencies and strengthen oversight. In a statement on Monday, Secretary Brooke Rollins says the lenders’ $620 million in overdue loans make up nearly half of the department’s delinquencies. Florida-based North Avenue Capital accounts for […] The post USDA pulls 10 institutions from Rural Loan Guarantee Programs over delinquent loans appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag policy specialist suggests the Make America Healthy Again Movement is here to stay. Val Dolcini with Syngenta tells Brownfield, “It really is not just a moment in time. It’s something that will likely affect both consumers and consumers of food in urban settings, as well as farmers and ranchers around the nation.” He […] The post Dolcini: MAHA movement could have lasting impact on agriculture appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

U.S. ethanol stocks moved to multi-month lows last week thanks to solid demand. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the domestic supply 24.87 million barrels was the tightest since last October, falling 1.15 million on the week and 575,000 on the year. Net inputs of ethanol purchased by refiners and blenders were up fractionally, while […] The post Demand pulls U.S. ethanol stocks to multi-month lows appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

After attaching the year-round nationwide E15 bill to the farm bill a week ago, the House of Representatives voted to separate them and vote on a stand-alone E15 package.  Today, the House voted on a rule allowing separate votes. Farmer Randy Woodruff from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was in Washington D.C. with other corn growers early […] The post E15 decoupled from farm bill, farmer optimistic about passage appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A northwest Indiana dairy farmer says anaerobic digesters are helping improve sustainability and energy efficiency throughout his operation.  Carl Ramsey with Curtis Creek Dairy says the technology converts waste into methane gas.  “We can use it to operate our boilers, which helps warm up the manure in the digester,” he says. “We run our generators. We also […] The post Northwest Indiana dairy farm using anaerobic digesters to produce renewable energy appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An extension wheat and forage specialist says he expects a significant amount of wheat acres to be abandoned in parts of the Central Plains. Romulo Lollato with Kansas State University says conditions of fields surveyed on the second day of the Hard Red Winter Wheat Tour were terrible. “We’re stopping to sample the best fields […] The post Hard Red Winter Wheat Tour shows severe crop losses in Central Plains appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story