John Phipps

Latest Stories
Has U.S. gasoline demand peaked? And what will more electric vehicles mean for gasoline prices down the road? John Phipps looks into the issue in John’s World.
John Phipps doesn’t get the farmer obsession with the Super Bowl and beer ads. In fact, he says beer sales are declining. He explains in John’s World.
John Phipps reflects on his 30 years of writing for Farm Journal’s audience.
While the Farmers’ Almanac and Old Farmer’s Almanac are both backward looking – derived from past data that come close to current conditions. Weather agencies are tending more toward predictive computer models.
Farmers have struggled with the same business and family problem essentially forever: what happens to the farm when parents die. The conflict between fairness and equality has never been truly resolved.
Declining populations might contribute to environmental improvement but worsen rural quality of life
As more Americans become hooked on weight-loss medication, the impact on farmers could be substantial as more and cheaper versions of these drugs are released in the next few months.
Recently a new theory of comprehending Chinese government action has emerged and seems plausible if not likely: Xi Jinping may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, even borderline incompetent.
There are efforts underway to mitigate the concern about losing farmland to solar panels. One of these is agrivoltaics, which is combining agriculture with solar installations, and it’s already turning heads in Canada.
New veterinarians are overwhelmingly women, and technology is helping entice more female farmers. Are women on track to become the majority in agriculture? John Phipps provides his thoughts in Customer Support.