Sara Schafer

Sara (Muri) Schafer, editor of Top Producer magazine, grew up on a family farm where they raised hogs and cattle, along with soybeans, corn, wheat, milo and hay. Since joining Farm Journal Media in 2008, she has covered a broad range of topics pivotal to the success of U.S. farmers. In addition to being an award-winning journalist, she has played several key roles with the transformative relaunch of AgWeb.com and spearheaded the Farm Journal Legacy Project expansion. Sara graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in agricultural journalism and a minor in agricultural economics. She resides in Columbia, Mo., with her husband and daughter.

Latest Stories
$100 Ideas
Corn Pops
Got sprouts? Wet conditions and tight husks are causing some kernels to sprout in the ear. Here’s what it means.
November 17, 2020 01:18 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
TP Radio: Bower Trading Comments on the Election and its Affect on Commodities
Jim Bower, president of Bower Trading, talks about what the election means to commodities.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Farm Journal Exclusive: Cash for Cobs
Corn cobs could soon contribute to the nation’s fuel supply. Poet is currently expanding its corn ethanol facility in Emmetsburg, Iowa, into one of the world’s first cellulosic ethanol plants. Once complete in 2011, Project Liberty, will produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year, with 25 million gallons coming from corn cobs.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Size Up Your Soil
Knowing your soil water-holding capacity is essential to setting realistic yield goals
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
More Ethanol Plant Bankruptcies Predicted
Look for more ethanol plant bankruptcies soon. Mark Lakers, president of Ag and Food Associates, an Omaha, Neb., middle market merger and acquisitions investment bank, expects as many as 40 Chapter 11 filings by the end of January.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Top Three Mistakes to Avoid when Drying Grain
No producer wants to throw away money, especially when the majority of input costs are on the rise. As harvest time approaches, many producers will be flipping the switch on their grain bins and watching their energy bills soar. Tom Dorn, extension educator with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County, provides advice on how to avoid common and costly mistakes when drying grain.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Basis swings more extreme but not unseasonal
Corn basis at -45¢ and soybeans in the -90¢ area have a lot of growers up in arms—and wondering if cash prices have lost all relationship to futures.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Troubled Waters: Barge Rates Soar to 18-Year High
The transportation bill for barge operators on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is skyrocketing. Currently, barge rates are at their highest mark since 1990. Seasonable demand, late harvests, damaged crops, and a shrinking barge fleet are all to blame.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Cash Grain Commentary
Corn and soybean basis levels were higher this week as sharply lower barge rates and a slow-paced corn harvest helped fuel the gains. For the week, corn basis was up 4-cents a bushel while soybean basis levels climbed 10 cents on average around the country.
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
$100 Ideas
Harvest Super Bowl
It will take teamwork and patience to move this record harvest
November 17, 2020 01:17 AM
 · 
Sara Schafer
Load More