Matt Davis and his son Adam who farm near Mendota, Illinois are going home from the Farm Progress Show this week with a Meridian Seed Tender, courtesy of GROWMARK and Grainco FS in honor of the 50th anniversary of HiSoy soybeans. “It’s fantastic, I didn’t actually believe it at first,” said Davis when he was awarded his prize at the …
WOTUS Topic at #FarmProgressShow
The current status of the EPA’s Clean Water Rule, formally known as Waters of the United States or WOTUS, is a big topic of discussion at the 2015 Farm Progress Show in Illinois this week. The rule was blocked by a federal judge last week in response to a lawsuit filed by 13 state attorney generals, but National Corn Growers …
Iowa Farmers Face Another Belt-Tightening Year
Iowa farmers are getting ready for another tight year. A new survey from Agri-Pulse and the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) shows that farm incomes are expected to drop again this year, and producers are expected to cut back on several items, including cash rent, fertilizer and farm equipment. Conservation is one of the few areas expected to have an increase …
Champion Corn Grower at @BASFAgProducts Event
He’s only been farming for less than ten years, but already Randy Dowdy of Valdosta, Georgia has made quite a name for himself by making history last year with a yield of nearly 504 bushels per acre in the National Corn Yield Contest. During a BASF media event in Tennessee this week, Dowdy talked about his philosophy when it comes …
Iowa Soybeans That Look Great
Over the last month Cindy and I have spoken by phone with many soybean and corn growers around the country. But getting out in the field really helps give you the best perspective on what conditions are like. Our travels often don’t allow time to just drive around and see what fields look like. But when they do I like …
NORA Spurring Bioheat, Biodiesel Production
John Huber is the President of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), the checkoff program for the oilheat industry. NORA has been helping spur the growth of Bioheat and ultimately biodiesel production. This week Huber was in Mankato, Minnesota participating in the Biodiesel & Bioheat Forum. His organization does research and development to create new equipment and new products for …
Biodiesel 2015 and Beyond
The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council is conducting a first ever event today in Mankato, MN. The event, “Biodiesel 2015 & Beyond: A Biodiesel/Bioheat Forum,” brings together biodiesel industry market developers, researchers and a number of representatives of east coast oil heat and fuel companies. The open forum is providing an educational look at what’s going on in the …
Planted Acreage Update From USDA
USDA is forecasting the third largest corn crop and the second largest soybean crop on record in a new planted acreage update released today. U.S. growers are forecast to produce 13.7 billion bushels of corn this year, according to the report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). That is actually a four percent decrease from last year’s production, but …
Join the Biodiesel & Bioheat Forum
Next week I’ll be attending the Biodiesel and Bioheat Forum, sponsored by the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Want to join me? Get registered now. Home heating oil and biodiesel leaders will discuss a biodiesel blend with significant environmental and economic benefits and the role Minnesota soybean farmers can play in meeting the demand of this market. “The Midwest …
Talking Soybean Issues at #AgMedia
The American Soybean Association booth at the Ag Media Summit came complete with president and farmer Wade Cowan of Texas to talk about some timely issues for the industry. I got to talk with Wade about last week’s passage of the Safe and Affordable Food Labeling bill and the role soybean growers played in helping to educate lawmakers about the …