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Chris Bennett

Writing from the level land of the Delta just outside of Clarksdale, Miss., Bennett has blogged for several years on agriculture, surrounded by cotton and plenty of cottonmouths.

Latest Stories
REED 1
Corn
Driven by Dollars to Non-GMO Seed
In 2014, Nathan Reed fought for financial breath even after skinning inputs one by one. No matter how he shifted the figures, the pencil always pointed to the glaring expense of biotech seed. With an eye on cost control, he began switching portions of his ground to non-GMO production supported by a minimum till cover crop scheme, and the change led to farm-wide profitability.
January 27, 2021 02:10 PM
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Chris Bennett
Soybeans Miss cc070114
Crop Production
Breaking Farming’s Veil of Secrecy
Secrecy is farming’s seductive mistress, but concealing production tips isn’t a formula for long-term success, according to some top-yielding producers.
January 27, 2021 02:10 PM
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Chris Bennett
On both sides of the dicamba issue, Arkansas growers are forced to walk a high-wire in a farming atmosphere fraught with fears, threats and entrenched opinions.
Soybeans
Dicamba Ban Passes, Heads to Gov.'s Desk
A rollercoaster dicamba ride passed a major benchmark as the Arkansas State Plant Board (ASPB) voted to recommend an emergency dicamba ban.
January 27, 2021 02:10 PM
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Chris Bennett
Extension agent Robert Goodson holds up dicamba-damaged soybean leaves in Phillips County. The Arkansas county presently has 20,000 acres affected by off-target dicamba movement.
Cotton
Dicamba Drift Blowing Farm Trouble Again in 2017
Reports of dicamba drift incidents are pouring in and producer concerns are mounting, particularly with the echoes of 2016 still fresh across farmland. Pared down, the damage is alarming and there are plenty of passes left in the spray season.
January 27, 2021 02:10 PM
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Chris Bennett
27 producers in eight west Tennessee counties have filed complaints with TDA regarding possible pesticide drift incidents.
Soybeans
Dicamba Drift Reports Rise in Tennessee
As of June 26, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is investigating 27 alleged dicamba-related drift incidents. Looking a year backward, the TDA had received only three cases of dicamba-related drift by June 26, 2016.
January 27, 2021 02:10 PM
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Chris Bennett
Jeff Rutledge
Crops
Floodwater Brings Tide of Trouble to Farmers
After an early planting kick-start to the crop season, torrential rains blanketed northeast Arkansas and Missouri Bootheel farmland in late April and early May. The flood disaster raises a tangle of questions about crop insurance, risk and water management.
January 27, 2021 02:09 PM
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Chris Bennett
MATT_REIMER_1
Technology
Farmer’s Ingenuity Creates Robot Tractor
What does it take to make a robot tractor? A batch of free software, some drone parts, a tablet computer, and one curious farmer to cobble the bits together. Matt Reimer’s remote control 7930 is proof in the dirt.
January 27, 2021 02:09 PM
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Chris Bennett
Jack Shoup wanted to keep a fraction of the checkoff assessment he was required by law to submit.
Corn
Refusal to Pay Fees Brings USDA Knocking
When Jack Shoup refused to pay late fees to the Iowa Soybean Association on tardy checkoff payments as the first purchaser of grain at Dinsdale Elevator, he drew a straight line in his Reinbeck dirt and prepared for a legal battle.
January 27, 2021 02:09 PM
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Chris Bennett
Laura Collins and Will Hunter
Succession Planning
A Legacy Preserved
Will and Laura run Willow & Co., a well-oiled farming machine squeezing every drop of profit from a shrinking commodity barrel. Pennies and nickels are precious in an anemic market, and the duo adheres to a strict regimen of efficiency, diversification and adjustment. The overall machine is geared for present gain, but the parts are deeply rooted to the past.
January 27, 2021 02:09 PM
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Chris Bennett
“Frankly, anybody who predicts this case is a bold fool. This case could bring radical change to water law regardless of what state you are in," says Noah Hall.
Corn
Agriculture Beware: Groundwater Future Belongs to SCOTUS
U.S. agriculture has a tremendous amount of skin at stake in an off-the-radar fight that may impact the future of groundwater regulations at federal, state and private levels.
January 27, 2021 02:09 PM
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Chris Bennett
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