Explore your land distribution options to determine which is the best fit for your family farm. By: Mike Downey Undivided interests By far the most common method I run across is one generation leaving the next equal undivided ownership interests in all the real estate. This is the easiest way to treat your children equally […]
A study warns the beef industry to watch the shift of next-gen consumer diets to plant protein. Researchers compared consumption of beef to plant-based protein alternatives and found consumers of both will pay more to support their lifestyle choice. According to a recent study from Kansas State University, consumers who regularly eat beef said they […]
Aiming for longevity, or ‘higher quality’ feeders may not be the best approach for long-term success By: Doug Ferguson Last week I read a couple articles that said it’s worth it to pay more for females that will be in the herd a long time, or for feeders of higher quality. I would really like […]
House Ag Committee begins deeper conversation of role farmers play in mitigating climate change. By: Jacqui Fatka “The question isn’t whether or not climate change is real. The question is not whether or not to reduce emissions. The question is how to best approach it,” House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn “GT” Thompson shared during […]
U.S. ag associations calling on Biden administration to use government tools to stem current ocean carrier practices. Seventy-one agricultural associations are calling for President Biden to intervene in a shipping container crisis that has injured food and other U.S. ag and forestry. In the letter sent Wednesday, the group requested that provisions available to the Federal […]
APHIS deploys 119 employees in Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington state and Oregon to assist in vaccinations. By: Jacqui Fatka The USDA announced plans to deploy qualified personnel across several states to assist in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. In a notice to stakeholders, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Acting Administrator Mike Watson says APHIS has […]
Pace of China export growth important for measuring the strength in ag commodity markets going forward. By: Jacqui Fatka The ag economy entered this year with one of its strongest financial outlooks it’s had in years. At the start of 2020, the expectation was a 15% decline in working capital in the ag sector, but […]
This is a presentation summary from the 2020 virtual Illinois Farm Economics Summit (IFES). A video of the webinar and PowerPoint Slides (PDF) are available here. Expectations of net incomes on Illinois grain farms changed over 2020. Above trend yields in 2020 combined with higher corn and soybean prices will lead to higher 2020 crop revenue […]
This is a presentation summary from the 2020 virtual Illinois Farm Economics Summit (IFES). A video of the webinar and PowerPoint Slides (PDF) are available here. The corn and soybean markets have been on a tear since bottoming in mid-August. Both markets have increased over 30% in just three months. This is certainly a welcome change […]
Just in time for Christmas, Congress delivered quite a package this morning by passing new COVID-19 relief legislation. President Trump is expected to sign the bill soon. Buried in the 5,593 pages of the legislation is an allocation of nearly $11.2 billion dollars to the USDA. A large portion of the USDA funds will provide […]