TOP AG NEWS
Farm Bill Implementation Moves Forward
USDA is moving forward with implementing the 2018 farm bill even as another government shutdown remains a possibility come Feb.…
USDA Payments Provide Boost to Farmer Sentiment in January
The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rebounded sharply in January to a reading of 143, a 16-point improvement compared to December…
Impacts of Trend and High Yields on Corn and Soybean Profitability in Central Illinois
In recent years, yields over much of Illinois have been above average. A return to trend yields would result in…
The Farm Economy Slow Down-Commodity-level Impacts
A few weeks ago we considered the state-level impacts of the farm economy slow down. While net farm income has fallen…
Has Cattle Herd Expansion Ground to a Halt?
Normally, at this time of year, the Cattle industry focuses on information contained in the USDA’s January 1 estimates of…
Assessing Management Practice Skills
Introduction As farms continue to consolidate it becomes increasingly important to assess a farm’s management skills. At a certain farm…
2019 Crop Insurance Decisions
During the next few weeks, many farm operators will be finalizing their crop insurance decisions for the 2019 crop year.…
Who’s Lonelier-City Slickers or Country Folks?
A new study out of the University of Minnesota looked at the differences between rural and urban residents when it…
Ag Secretary-Long Way to Go on Substantive Agreements With China
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue focused on “trade, trade and trade” as he spoke Friday during the closing session of the…
Land Values Stubbornly Stable as Farmers Keep Buying
Despite the fifth year of lower commodity prices and projections for negative profit margins heading into 2019, farmland prices remain…