Kansas

Soybean Gall Midge Emerges As Top-Tier Threat

Mon, 11 May 2026 20:19:03 GMT

Soybean gall midge is no longer just a curiosity or annoyance for many Midwest farmers. The pest is chewing into yield and profitability for soybean growers across parts of at least seven states – Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa State University Entomologist Erin Hodgson reports the pest’s footprint is significant, present in at least 42% of the 45.4 million acres of soybeans farmers harvested across the seven states in 2025.

“At least 19 million soybean acres are potentially impacted by this pest,” Hodgson says, noting that the pest continues to spread. Eight new counties were confirmed in 2025, with five of those being in Iowa .

According to a recent farmer survey led by University of Nebraska Entomologist Doug Golick, the pest has become a major threat in parts of Nebraska. “In the last year or two, soybean gall midge is approaching as near high of concern as herbicide-resistant weeds for survey respondents,” Golick says.

Since 2018, the soybean gall midge has spread to 185 total counties in seven states, including five new counties in Iowa this past year, according to Erin Hodgson, Iowa State University Extension entomologist and professor.

(Erin Hodgson)

Look For Small Orange Or White Larvae

Damage from the insect starts at the base of the soybean plants, largely out of sight. Adult midges emerge from the ground in May and June, then seek out tiny fissures in young soybean plants near the soil line to lay eggs, according to Thales Rodrigues da Silva, a master’s student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The larvae cause severe, localized yield losses from 20% to 100% loss along field edges and 17% to 50% reductions in entire fields average under heavy infestation, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension. The larvae – small, orange worm-like pests – feed inside the base of the stem, causing plants to wither, die, and lodge (break), with damages sometimes extending 100+ feet into fields. Scouting for the pest should occur after the second trifoliate (V2) growth stage, according to the Crop Protection Network.

This damage in a soybean plant at the soil level shows the result of soybean gall midge larvae feeding.

(University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)

Because the pest often feeds along field edges, the damage in affected plants is often mistaken for issues caused by compaction or herbicide injury, according to Stine Seed Company .

To confirm the pest’s presence, Stine agronomists recommend digging up compromised soybean plants and splitting open the stem. If white or orange larvae are found feeding within the inner layers, growers should check the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network tracking system to determine whether the pest has been reported in their area. Next, they should contact their local Extension specialist to help confirm the diagnosis and report the finding if their county is not yet documented in their area.

Cultural Practices Show Promise

Unfortunately, there are few strategies to manage and control soybean gall midge, according to Tony Lenz, Stine technical agronomist.
With no labeled, consistently effective in-season insecticide program and no established treatment threshold, researchers are testing cultural and mechanical tactics that might give farmers at least partial relief.

Tillage ahead of planting — a tough sell in no-till systems — shows some promise in reducing early infestations in current-year soybean fields.

“Turns out that disking alone, at least in (our) study… did reduce infestation,” says Justin McMechan an entomologist and associate professor at UNL.

“There’s a significant reduction as we move from no-till to that… where it’s just disked and planted into, and then disking and hilling (a practice used in growing potatoes), which really is effective, because you’re covering up the infestation site,” McMechan adds.

He notes that even subtle changes in seedbed shape may help by covering fissures or altering microclimates at the stem base.

On planters running row cleaners, McMechan says adjustments at field edges might be one of the more accessible tools.

“There are not huge differences, but they are statistically significant,” he adds.

Field edge management has been another area of experimentation, including mowing or managing dense vegetation next to infested fields. Results are mixed, but McMechan says there are situations where mowing modestly cuts pressure.

“Nebraska saw on occasion where mowing would reduce infestation and lead to marginal yield benefit… we’re talking like 6-bushel differences,” he says, adding that weather and nearby corn canopy can override those gains.

There are no insecticides currently available to control soybean gall midge. A combination of cultural practices and mechanical efforts is likely the best option, for now, to stop or slow the pest.

(Justin McMechan)

Scientists Evaluate ‘Out-Of-The-Box’ Practices

Other work by researchers is pushing even further outside the box to find control measures. At UNL, graduate research assistant Kristin Heinrichs Stark is testing whether a biodegradable surface barrier called BioWrap can physically trap larvae in the soil and prevent emergence.

The work is early-stage and raises reasonable questions about cost and field-scale application rates, but it points to the kind of layered, non-chemical tactics Extension researchers say will likely be needed to address the pest.

Even as these cultural and physical strategies are developed, Hodgson reminds farmers that the ag industry still lacks any clear control option once larvae are inside the soybean stem.

“We really don’t have a treatment threshold, or a rescue treatment option at this time,” she says. “We know that the soybean gall midge certainly can cause yield losses, plant death, and that directly relates to yield. But we don’t really have great answers on like, how many plants does it take? How many larvae per plant (causes yield loss)?”

For now, farmers dealing with soybean gall midge are being asked to combine careful field scouting, crop rotation, and targeted cultural tactics to address the pest as the research community races to find answers and close those gaps.

Specialists from three Midwest universities provided the latest updates on soybean gall midge (SGM) this spring in a webinar, available at the link below:

Navigating Tighter Margins: What the 2026 Income Projections Mean for Missouri and Kansas

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:36:35 GMT

Key Takeaways: 2026 Farm Income Outlook

Diverging Downturns: While both states face a decline in Net Farm Income (NFI), the causes are different. Missouri is facing a market-driven correction in livestock, while Kansas is navigating a “support cliff” as emergency government payments expire.
The Bottom Line: Missouri’s NFI is projected to drop 6% to $4.84 billion, while Kansas is expected to see a 5% dip to $8.67 billion.
Price Baselines: Producers are eyeing a tighter revenue environment with national price projections of $4.31/bu for corn, $10.39/bu for soybeans, and $5.85/bu for wheat.
Expense Pressure: Missouri faces a “real-cost increase” as production expenses remain flat at $12.24 billion despite falling revenues. Kansas sees slight relief as some input costs, like feed, begin to moderate.
The National Safety Net: Nationally, farm income remains stable only because of a $13.8 billion surge in government support, which now accounts for nearly 29% of all U.S. net farm income.
Management Focus: With narrower margins, the 2026 playbook shifts from “capturing upside” to “protecting downside” through rigorous marketing discipline and yield execution.

Based on the Spring 2026 Farm Income Outlook reports from the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), new net farm income projections for 2026 are giving producers an early read on what kind of financial year may lie ahead.

Economic Outlook Comparison: Missouri vs. Kansas (Spring 2026)

National net farm income is forecast at $153.38 billion (down 0.7%). This stability is largely driven by a $13.8 billion surge in government payments, which are expected to make up 29% of total farm income this year.

While both states are navigating the same broad ag economy—softer commodity prices, elevated costs, and shifting government support—the details matter. Commodity mix, recent weather patterns, and reliance on livestock versus crops are shaping very different income expectations heading into 2026.

Here’s what stands out—and what it could mean for your operation.

Missouri: A Year of Margin Pressure

The outlook for Missouri points to a clear theme: tightening margins.

Net farm income in the state is projected to fall about 6% in 2026, reaching a total of $4.84 billion, a steeper decline than the modest dip expected nationally. While the decline is broad, the livestock sector is taking the hardest hit with a projected 11% drop in receipts.

For Missouri producers with diversified operations, this creates a double challenge: fewer bright spots to offset losses elsewhere.

Crops Showing Stability

On the crop side, the outlook is more stable—but not strong enough to counterbalance livestock losses.

Crop receipts are expected to edge slightly lower with a projected 2% decrease. This is driven by a combination of price pressure and a slight reduction in planted acreage. Prices remain under pressure across major commodities, and while yields may hold steady in some areas, they’re not expected to drive significant revenue gains.

In other words, crops may help limit the downside, but they’re unlikely to pull overall income higher.

What It Means on the Farm

Missouri farmers are facing a margin squeeze:

Revenues are falling in key sectors
Input costs remain relatively high
Policy support is easing

That combination tends to show up quickly in cash flow. Producers may find themselves relying more heavily on operating lines, re-evaluating capital purchases, or tightening discretionary spending.

Expenses are projected to remain “flat” or “stable,” holding steady at $12.24 billion. When expenses don’t move but income does, the ‘flat’ line on a ledger feels like a loss in the field.

Risk management also becomes more critical in this kind of environment. Whether it’s marketing discipline, cost control, or enterprise diversification, the focus shifts from capturing upside to protecting downside.

Kansas: Stabilizing After a Strong Run

The foundation for Kansas’ outlook is what happened in 2025. Farm income surged, driven in large part by a combination of improved crop production and significant government payments.

That surge reset balance sheets for many operations. Working capital improved, debt positions strengthened, and overall financial resilience increased heading into 2026. Kansas’s decline is primarily a result of a “support cliff,” where a 63% reduction in emergency program payments (a massive $1.20 billion drop) and a 43% decrease in direct government payments outweigh the gains made in market receipts. Total net farm income for Kansas is projected at $8.67 billion (a 5% decrease).

Crops Drive the Outlook

Kansas remains heavily crop-focused, and income is being supported more by yield than by price. Production is expected to improve in several key commodities, particularly where prior-year conditions limited yields. That recovery helps offset the reality that prices for many crops—corn, soybeans, and wheat—are under pressure. Specifically, producers are looking at national price projections of $4.31/bu for corn, $10.39/bu for soybeans, and $5.85/bu for wheat. In Kansas, the path to profitability at these price levels relies almost entirely on hitting or exceeding yield targets.

That makes the outlook highly dependent on weather and growing conditions throughout the season. If yields come through, the numbers can work. If they don’t, margins could tighten quickly.

Expenses Offer Some Relief

One bright spot for Kansas producers is on the cost side. Some expense categories—especially feed—have moderated, helping to ease overall cost pressure.

While not enough to fully offset lower prices, this cost relief does provide a bit more breathing room compared to what many producers experienced in prior years.

What It Means on the Farm

For Kansas farmers, 2026 looks less like a downturn and more like a transition:

Income is stabilizing after a strong year
Crop production is carrying more of the load
Margins depend heavily on yields

That creates a different kind of risk profile. Instead of widespread pressure across sectors, the focus narrows to execution—particularly in crop production.

Strong yields can keep operations in a solid position. Poor yields, combined with softer prices, could quickly erode the gains made in 2025.

A Shared Reality: Tighter Margins Ahead

Even with their differences, Missouri and Kansas farmers share a common reality heading into 2026: the era of wide margins has narrowed. Nationally, the safety net has shifted; while Missouri and Kansas face local declines, the USDA notes that government payments now account for 29% of projected national net farm income, highlighting just how much the industry is leaning on policy to offset market volatility.

Now, the environment is shifting: lower income projections and tighter cash flow.

The playbook looks familiar:

Stay disciplined on costs
Be proactive with marketing
Keep a close eye on cash flow
Plan for variability, not certainty

The Bottom Line

The 2026 outlooks highlight how much local factors matter in agriculture.

Two neighboring states, facing many of the same macroeconomic conditions, are seeing very different income projections. In Missouri, livestock-driven declines and reduced support are creating a challenging year. In Kansas, crop production and a strong recent past are helping stabilize the outlook—for now.

For farmers, the takeaway isn’t just about which state looks better on paper. It’s about understanding the specific drivers behind your own operation—and making decisions that reflect the realities you’re facing on the ground.

Because in a year like this, managing the margins will matter more than ever.

How One Kansas Family is Cultivating a New Legacy by Diversifying their Farm

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:52:31 GMT

In a state where wheat, cattle and corn fill the fields of Kansas, broccoli doesn’t typically make the list of farm favorites. But it’s Jacob Thomas’, the co-owner of Jet Produce and Meats , favorite food to grow. His family’s farm started as a livestock operation in the 1950s. Today, it’s making a way for the next generation by diversifying the operation and connecting to the personal side of producing food.

“When I pick a head of broccoli, I know exactly ... what’s going to happen to it. Somebody’s going to buy that to eat for dinner,” Thomas said. His passion for produce began at age 14 when he asked his dad if he could plant a garden. “I think the draw to it for me was that a lot of farms are growing corn, soybeans and even raising livestock. How does that actually feed a person?”

Jacob and his wife Jennifer, started their farm and business while Thomas was a junior in college at Iowa State University. Their venture began on a quarter of an acre. “It was like, wow, there really is something to this. People will stop on the side of the road and buy vegetables. This is interesting.”

The following year, their business model grew to selling food at the farmers markets. Today, the operation, spans nearly 17 acres, includes eight greenhouses, and operates its own storefront on the family farm. Jet Produce also sells its products to farmers markets in the Kansas City area.

(Jet Produce and Meats Facebook Page)

Jet Produce grows most vegetables, pumpkins, popcorn and flowers. Thomas said flowers account for nearly 20% of their sales and help them manage risk throughout the year. Jacob notes that the direct connection to the consumer changes the experience of farming.

“That’s something that’s just really nice for me,” he said. "[To] have all that positive interaction with customers that are just so thankful for the food.”

Back to the Roots

Jacob and Jennifer have help from their daughters Lisa and Sarah, ages 7 and 5. Jacob’s parents are also active in the operation. Dale Thomas, Jacob’s dad, can be found managing the storefront. He wasn’t originally sure about Jacob’s interest in horticulture, but he now sees the value of adding produce to their operation.

“It’s a lot more personable than the farming I ever did,” he said. Dale’s primary role on the farm is taking care of the livestock and hay. It’s a job that brought the family back to its roots. “The Leavenworth Farmers Market, just basically said to Jacob one day, ‘you know there’s nobody here selling beef, why don’t you grow beef or sell beef?’”

Now, Jet Produce sells beef, pork, chickens, and lamb directly to customers. But the family isn’t just building consumer connections; their focus is also at home.

“My girls were at that age where they just want to hang out with me all day and they want to learn,” Jacob said. “Every opportunity I can get to have them help me plant something, help me sorting, anything that they can do.”

Jacob, Jennifer, Lisa and Sarah Thomas.

(Credits: Jet Produce and Meats Facebook)

Overall, Jacob said the wide variety of crops and livestock has gained the respect of other farmers in the area, even if it started as a different model of farming. “They realize now that what I’m doing isn’t just like a really big backyard garden. That it is farming,” he said. “It’s just different farming.”

How Will U.S. Producers Maintain Business when New World Screwworm Invades?

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:59:34 GMT

With animal disease, prevention and preparation beat panic. Since New World screwworm (NWS) was last eradicated from the U.S. in the 1960s, the tools and infrastructure to deal with foreign animal disease have dramatically changed.

Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas animal health commissioner and state veterinarian, during the recent Kansas State University Cattlemen’s Day gave an update on how Kansas and other states are preparing for NWS. The approach is designed to keep producers in business, keep cattle and products moving, and manage NWS in a way that protects both herds and markets.

He says the U.S. animal health officials along with USDA are planning a multistate, coordinated response that aims for consistency across state borders.

Smith summarizes the industry’s preparation to tackle NWS is like a three-legged stool. U.S. producers will be able to maintain business when NWS invades through surveillance, treatment and movement controls.

Surveillance: Eyes on Animals

The first leg of the stool is surveillance. He stresses early detection depends heavily on producers and veterinarians watching animals closely and reporting anything suspicious.

Smith emphasizes they would rather over investigate than miss a case.

“We want to make sure that we err on the side of having to say no on many occasions, versus saying, ‘Yep, this is what we got.’ Eyes on animals is going to be key.”

He was clear this should feel like partnership, not policing.

“They don’t want it to look like Big Brother coming over your shoulder,” he explains. “I hope we want to get this thing quickly.”

Smith explains that once a positive premises is identified, surveillance becomes structured around zones. The infested premises sit at the center, surrounded by an infested zone, an adjacent surveillance zone and a broader fly surveillance area.

The infested zone is 12.4 miles in radius from the infested premises. In this zone, there will be frequent on‑animal checks for wounds and larvae, plus enhanced monitoring in surrounding zones using fly traps and animal observation. The adjacent surveillance zone is another 12.4 miles radius and then there will be a fly surveillance area — an 124-mile radius from the infested premises.

Smith says movements out of the infested zone will require visual inspection for wounds and systemic treatment, including a treatment window of three to 14 days before movement plus a documented certificate of veterinary inspection.

He says the current Kansas response plan aligns with USDA’s playbook and neighboring states’ plans while taking into account specific needs of the Kansas livestock industry.

He stresses the playbook will continue to evolve, and state-by-state implementation may vary, but he says the “zone approach” will be utilized by all states.

Treatment: Limited Tools, Use Strategically

The second leg is treatment. Smith says that after decades without large domestic outbreaks, labeled options are limited.

From the fact that we haven’t had this new tool in our nation, in a large-spread outbreak since the 60s, we don’t have a lot of treatments out there that are labeled for this organism.”

To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four products for large animals:

He cautions, “The goal is not to go out there and just habitually treat your animals just in case. We want to make sure that we’re utilizing these [products] responsibly. There’s not an unlimited supply out there, and so we want to make sure that it’s available for us when we do need it.”

On a positive premises, Smith says treatment will be mandatory and systematic.

“There will be a quarantine placed on that premises. We’re also going to require a certain level of treatment on that premises,” he explains.

There will be protocols for daily mortality disposal, so carcasses don’t become breeding sites.

“The last thing you want to do is bury an animal that has larvae and has the ability to advance.”

He says treatment is also tied to movement out of infested zones, with most animals needing prophylactic treatment before leaving.

Movement Controls: Targeted, Not Statewide Shutdowns

The third leg is movement control, designed to be precise rather than broad-brush. Smith stresses NWS is an infestation, not an infection , emphasizing it is not a systemic disease problem, but an infestation that still demands strong controls.

He says there will be movement restrictions if a premises falls into an infested region. To move animals out of that zone, there will be steps to follow but movement will not be completely shut down.

He explains some exceptions exist:

Animals moving directly to slaughter can go without pre‑movement treatment, but those animals have to be hanging on the rail within 72 hours.
Baby dairy calves must be treated but can move right away if treatment and navel care are documented.

He says Kansas is also coordinating with neighboring states to create “synergistic” rules, especially for cattle from higher‑risk states such as Texas. Cattle entering Kansas from recognized infested zones will face inspection, treatment requirements and at least 14 days in drylot containment on arrival.

NWS is Not a Food Safety Issue

Smith reassures producers and consumers that NWS is not a meat safety threat.

“This is not a food safety issue,” he says. “If an animal is presented to slaughter, it has a screwworm wound then it has the ability to be trimmed. That carcass will not be condemned. There are no restrictions on any inspected product for food safety reasons.”

Smith summarizes underpinning all three legs is a commitment to dynamic planning and continuity. He notes a revised USDA playbook is forthcoming and that “plans will be a little bit dynamic” as they learn more.

The core message for producers is clear: watch your cattle, report early, use treatments wisely and expect targeted movement controls — not blanket shutdowns — if NWS crosses the border.

USDA Announces Sterile Fly Production Facility Construction Contract

USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced March 9 a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas.

This facility is a key component in U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong strategy to fight NWS. USACE is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering and construction of the facility.

“The Army Corps of Engineers is an essential partner in bringing this facility to life and further highlights the Trump Administration’s government-wide effort to fight the New World Screwworm threat in Mexico,” Rollins says. “The Army Corps is the best in the business and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come. This first-of-its-kind facility on U.S. soil will ensure we are not reliant on other countries for sterile flies.”

A sterile fly production facility is a specialized biosecure complex where NWS flies are raised and sterilized using irradiation and then released into targeted areas.

USDA currently produces about 100 million sterile flies per week at the COPEG facility in Panama and disperses them within and just north of affected areas in Mexico. In addition to the COPEG facility in Panama, USDA invested $21 million to support Mexico’s renovation of an existing fruit fly facility in Metapa , which will double NWS production capacity once complete.

With ongoing support from APHIS technical experts, Mexico anticipates sterile fly production will begin at this facility in summer 2026. The new facility at Moore Air Base will be the only U.S.-based sterile fly production facility and will work in tandem with facilities in Panama and Mexico to help eradicate the pest and protect American agriculture.

USDA and USACE will break ground on this new facility later this spring, after initial planning and development meetings with the new contractor. By November 2027, the production facility at Moore Air Base is expected to reach its initial goal of producing 100 million sterile flies per week. After that, construction will continue at the facility to increase production with the long-term goal of producing 300 million sterile flies per week.

Why the Southern Plains Became a ‘Perfect Recipe’ for Wildfires

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:29:07 GMT

Farmers and ranchers across the Plains are dealing with the aftermath of devastating wildfires .

According to Drovers , fast-moving Ranger Road Fire has already scorched more than 283,000 acres in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas since last week. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture said Monday it’s now 65% contained, but the devastation has charred thousands of pasture and farmland, also killing an unknown number of cattle.

Flames spread across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico since last week. While March through April is typically wildfire season in Kansas, conditions across the Plains are creating conditions that are fueling the flames.

According to Brian Bledsoe of Brian Bledsoe Weather, the devastation is the result of a “worst-case scenario” pattern that has been building for months.

A Windy Season Meets Dry Fuels

Bledsoe says in order to understand why conditions are so ripe for wildfires this year, the calendar alone raises red flags.

“From February through early to mid-April, that’s traditionally when we see some of these higher-end wind events,” he explains. “But it’s not just about the wind. It’s about what the wind and fire combine to burn.”

The Southern Plains experienced adequate to above-average moisture over parts of the region during the past year. However, that broader window masks a sharp turn toward dryness in recent months.

When looking at the last 180 days, moisture held on in portions of the Oklahoma Panhandle and southwest Kansas. But conditions deteriorated quickly moving south into the Texas Panhandle. Over the past 90 days, dryness expanded northward into the heart of the wildfire zone.

90-day precip map for the Plains

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather )

Zooming in further, the last 30 days tell the most concerning story. Some locations in the Oklahoma Panhandle and southwest Kansas have received just 5% to 20% of average precipitation.

That rapid drying followed a warm-season growing period that produced ample vegetation. Once cured and left without additional moisture or snow cover, those grasses became prime fuel.

“You grow up all that vegetation during the warm season, then you dry it out and don’t get anything else to keep it somewhat wet so it doesn’t burn. It’s a perfect recipe,” Bledsoe says.

Precipitation over the past 30 days.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

Wildfires in the Plains

The setup isn’t without precedent. In late February 2024, the Smokehouse Creek Fire burned more than a million acres in the Canadian River Valley of the Texas Panhandle under similar conditions, which were strong winds, above-average warmth and critically dry fuels.

“This is not unprecedented for the Western High Plains this time of year,” Bledsoe notes. “It’s just the worst-case scenario when you put all those things together.”

Little Relief in the Forecast

Unfortunately for producers hoping for moisture, the near-term outlook offers limited help.

Over the next 10 days, much of the U.S. is expected to trend drier than average. The only notably wet areas are projected to be in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, above-average temperatures are likely to persist across much of the Plains, with colder air remaining locked in Canada.

The short-term forecast shows little relief for much of the U.S.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

Above normal temperatures could also pose a problem for producers in the West and Plains.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

“This pattern is not going to be that favorable to grace those areas that we’re dealing with the wildfires with any real significant moisture,” Bledsoe says. “In fact, you see a pretty good chunk of the U.S. that will likely see just drier than average conditions for that 10-day period. Not necessarily dry for everybody, but drier than average. The only really wet areas will be in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. And we’re going to revert back to the warmth too.”

Looking ahead to March, extended European model guidance suggests a continuation of the pattern: dry conditions across California, Arizona, New Mexico and much of Texas and the Southwest High Plains, with wetter conditions developing farther east.

The extended forecast shows little relief across the Plains.

(Brian Bledsoe, Brian Bledsoe Weather)

March is often a volatile month, Bledsoe says, bringing sharp contrasts between “haves” and “have-nots” in terms of precipitation.

“You’re going to the haves farther east, and then areas farther south and west that have been kind of shut out are probably going struggle a little bit. And time, I know it only takes one storm to change this narrative here in the Western High Plains to cover the ground with snow or put more moisture in the ground or kind of turn the corner,” he says. “But right now this pattern is not conducive to bringing one of those significant storms into the fray.”

Bledsoe knows more than anyone that the forecast can change, but the set-up right now doesn’t look favorable for moisture in the Plains through March.

“It only takes one storm to change the narrative, to cover the ground with snow or put meaningful moisture back into the soil,” he says. “But right now, this pattern is not conducive to bringing one of those significant storms into the fray.”

For livestock producers and farmers across the High Plains, that means continued vigilance. With cured grasses, persistent wind and limited precipitation in the forecast, wildfire risk may remain elevated as the region moves deeper into its traditional spring wind season.

After the Fire: The Need for Feed, Fence and Prayers

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:19:02 GMT

Wildfires plagued the Plains last week from southern Kansas into Oklahoma and Texas. Hundreds of thousands of acres of grass are now burned to sand.

The Ranger Road Fire, which started in Oklahoma and made its way into southern Kansas, to date has burned more than 283,000 acres and is 65% contained as of Monday morning, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry .

The Oklahoma Forestry Services reports moderated fire weather over dormant fuels resulted in a downtick in wildfire activity over the weekend, allowing firefighters to improve the containment of recent large fires.

“Conditions also supported opportunity to execute burn plans for prescribed fires,” the report says. “If you engaged in prescribed burning, controlled burns or pile burns over the weekend, please ensure that fire perimeters are mopped up and secured ahead of increasing fire weather concerns Tuesday through the remainder of the week.”

Read more about how strong winds, above-average warmth and months of worsening dryness created a “perfect recipe”

for wildfires across the Southern Plains, scorching pasture and farmland — with little moisture relief in the forecast:

Why the Southern Plains Became a ‘Perfect Recipe’ for Wildfire

The wildfires have left a path of heartbreak and devastation. From the loss of livestock and homes, barns and shops to pastures and fence, the damage is hard to fathom.

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur visited Oklahoma producers impacted by the wildfires on Thursday. “Please pray for our farmers and ranchers and our first responders who continue to battle challenging fires and weather,” she says.

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

Dr. Randall Spare, Ashland Veterinary Center Inc., says nine years after the losses resulting from the Starbuck Wildfire — still the largest, most extensive wildfire in Kansas history — many of the same ranchers have been affected by the Ranger Road Fire.

Spare explains the wildfire was unstoppable with little farmland or breaks to get ahead of the fire plus the extreme wind. The fire started near Beaver, Okla., at 11 a.m., and he reports many ranchers in the path were moving cattle by noon. He says the highest losses occurred where there were no nearby wheat fields or safe pasture alternatives for the cattle.

“When you have contiguous grass for 90 miles, and the fire line was 90 miles long, from Beaver, Okla. to Protection, Kan., and it was moving 70 miles an hour, it’s hard to get in front of it,” he says.

He also explains because of the good moisture in 2025 and good stewardship of the land, there was a lot of tall, dense forage to fuel the fire.

“Many of the best stewards — those who don’t overgraze and stockpile grass for calving and drought management — actually experienced some of the worst damage,” he explains. “Because they’ve done a good job of managing their grass and have forage to eat in the spring of the year before the growing season starts to calve on, they experienced some of the greatest damage.”

Spare says the Ranger Road Fire took the same path as the Starbuck Fire, but it did not burn as many acres in Kansas — about one-third less in comparison.

“The good thing is it did not go north of Ashland. It’s five miles south of Ashland before it starts and not near the acreage burned,” he summarizes. “Since it isn’t like the Starbuck Fire, we have an opportunity as neighbors to help neighbors, whereas before we couldn’t do that because we were all affected.”

He predicts producers in Kansas lost 1,000 to 1,100 head. He adds there will continue to be more loss as producers evaluate cattle condition.

“One of the biggest damage is feet,” he explains. “The walls of their hooves start to fall off due to the fire. And sometimes that doesn’t show up for five days.”

How Can You Help?

According to Reuters , other fires have burned thousands more acres in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

In agriculture, community is strong. When one producer hurts we all feel it and, if possible, we step up and help our neighbors in need. Along with prayers, Spare adds the immediate needs are:

Hay
Money (financial support)

In response to producers offering help, Spare shares a list of ways others can support ranchers recovering from the wildfires on social media, including lessons learned from the Starbuck Fire.

“I would like to share what we learned from the Starbuck Fire that, hopefully, will be helpful as you consider making decisions about how to help,” he writes.

Fencing supplies: “After the Starbuck Fire, we learned that if federal funds are used to rebuild and replace fences, the construction requirements to access those funds are very specific regarding type of wire, posts, etc. While the generosity of those giving nine years ago was remarkable, we were limited in how much of the donated resources actually could be used simply because federal loss recovery funds needed to be used, and the donated fencing supplies didn’t meet government specifications.”
Money: “Today, money is the most precious resource and in the greatest need. Many of the ranching operations affected need time to truly assess their losses. Some are finding cattle they first thought to be lost, alive and safe. Others are experiencing the opposite and unfortunately are seeing the losses increase.”
Available pasture and grassland: “If you have pasture available either short term or long term, please reach out to Ashland Community Foundation, Kansas Livestock Association or Ashland Veterinary Center,” he suggests.
Hay: There are designated drop off locations ready to accept loads of hay.

Multiple organizations have stepped up and are organizing supplies and assistance.

• Kansas Livestock Association. KLA is helping connect those wishing to donate with the most suitable drop location. If you’re hoping to donate goods including livestock feed or hay, you can contact KLA at (785) 273-5115, or visit this website . On KLA’s Facebook page you can find posts from feedlots that are offering pen space to wildfire victims.

• The Ashland Community Foundation. ACF is accepting monetary donations to help those affected by the fires in their community. To donate, please visit the ACF website and select “Become A Partner” in the dropdown. Donations are also being accepted at Stockgrowers State Bank or can be mailed to ACF at P.O. Box 276, Ashland, KS 67831.

• Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation. OCF has established a relief fund to help cattle producers who have been affected. As the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, the fire relief fund at the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation will distribute 100% of received funds to affected cattle producers. You can give online or make checks payable to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation with “Fire Relief” in the memo line and mail to P.O. Box 82395, Oklahoma City, OK 73148.

• Beaver County Stockyards and Beaver County OSU Extension office. For those willing to donate feed or hay to the Beaver County, Okla., area, visit the Stockyards website or the Extension office website .

• Beaneighbor.org . The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, provides access to local support including financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help. Search for aid in your area at Beaneighbor.org.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry reminds the public to use caution before bringing hay to northwest Oklahoma to prevent the spread of invasive fire ants. Find out if your county is under quarantine for fire ants on the USDA website

Fire Weather is Not Over: Stay Prepared

The Kansas Forest Service reminds producers there are still months of fire season to come.

“As firefighters continue to mop up or extinguish hot spots along miles of fire line, recovery begins for the communities most impacted by recent wildfires,” the agency says. “Many wildfire managers are already preparing for the next round of fire weather.”

While recovery and readiness are happening at the same time, the forest service share these two tips:

Learn how to prepare your home and property for a wildfire. Proper preparation can help your home withstand a wildfire.
Have a plan when the wildfire is heading toward your home or property.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a Fires & Wildfires website dedicated to providing resources to help prepare for and survive wildfires.

A Note to Survivors

Spare says his message to producers who are recovering from the wildfires is to:

Think beyond today. Plan not only for immediate survival but for summer grazing and next winter’s feed. Recognize that hay now is also about having feed later, since grass is gone.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. “If you are struggling, reach out to a trusted friend and accept neighbor and outside assistance,” he stresses.

Spare summarizes producers from his area are deeply appreciative and humbled by people from across the country who helped nine years ago and are helping again now, even to the point that local folks feel “almost embarrassed” it happened again.

“But it is life, and we’re going to trust God and go on,” he says.

Your Next Read: Tips for Care Following Wildfire

Ranchers on Alert as Wildfires Spread Across the Plains

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:16:50 GMT

High fire danger continues after wildfires swept across western Oklahoma, southwest Kansas and the Texas Panhandle on Tuesday forcing numerous evacuations. High wind gusts and low humidity Thursday will cause more threats for fire danger. Thursday morning, red-flag warnings were issued once again for the same region, including most of Oklahoma; Southern Kansas and Western North Texas.

The message to those in the red flag warning areas: do not burn, and if you see smoke, report it.

With containment efforts underway and the situation still unfolding, here is the current status of the fires challenging Plains ranchers:

Oklahoma

Reports say more than 300,000 acres have burned across Oklahoma since Tuesday.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2026-09 declaring a State of Emergency in Beaver, Texas and Woodward counties following a series of destructive wildfires across northwest Oklahoma.

“The Woodward fires are about 20% contained, and we were very fortunate to keep most neighborhoods safe. A few homes were lost, and we’re keeping four injured firefighters in our prayers as they recover after working tirelessly through the night,” Governor Stitt reports on Wednesday. “I’m deeply grateful for the incredible efforts of our firefighters and forestry crews on the ground. In Beaver County, the town of Tyrone was evacuated earlier as a precaution. As we head into today and tomorrow, conditions remain dangerous. We need every Oklahoman to stay alert and continue taking fire warnings seriously.”

The Stevens Fire, that started east of Hooker, Okla., had burned an estimated 12,428 acres as of Thursday morning and is 50% contained.

Track Oklahoma Wildfires

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation has established a Fire Relief Fund to support cattle producers impacted by the recent wildfires in Northwest Oklahoma. Read the full press release and donate now at okcattlemen.org.

Kansas

According to the Kansas Forest Service , fires across Kansas remained active overnight with firefighters working through the night and are making steady progress on many incidents today.

In coordination with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, additional resources from across the state have deployed and are supporting local responders. With continued elevated fire weather statewide, more firefighters are available and strategically staged for rapid response.

Winds have decreased enough to allow aviation resources to assist where needed. Kansas is coordinating aircraft with Oklahoma Forestry Services on the Ranger Road Fire.

“At this time, all evacuation notices have been rescinded,” the Kansas Forest Service reports. “Evacuations, if needed, will be coordinated through local emergency management agencies. Please make sure you are signed up for your county’s emergency alert text notifications so you can receive timely updates.”

Updates as of 6 a.m. Thursday:
Stevens Fire (Seward Co. Fire): Burned from Texas County, Okla, into Seward County, KS. Located southwest of Liberal. The fire is 50% contained and has burned 12,428 acres.

Andrew Lane Fire (Seward Co. Fire #2): Located southeast of Liberal and remains active. Aviation resources are assisting firefighters on the ground. The Johnson County Task Force and Kansas Forest Service DFMO Williams are coordinating closely with local departments.

Tennis Fire (Garden City Fire): Good progress continues. Kansas Forest Service DFMO Brad Ilonummi is transitioning to assist with other fires in the area. A state task force remains integrated with local firefighters.

Ranger Road Fire (Started in Beaver Co., Okla.): Remains active. Coordination continues between Oklahoma and Kansas state resources.

The Ranger Road Fire originated in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle spread north into southern Kansas, impacting areas in Clark and Meade counties. The fire crossed the Oklahoma and Kansas state line, burned near the Cimarron River, and affected communities along Highways 64, 270 and 283. The blaze was moving east-northeast under strong wind conditions. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, the Ranger Road Fire has burned more than 283,283 acres and is 15% contained.

“Extremely high winds and dry ground and air produced conditions ideal for multiple fires to build and spread in several counties in southwest Kansas yesterday, with some still uncontained,” explains Scarlett Madinger, KLA vice president of communications. “While we continue to assess the needs of those in the hardest hit areas, we know producers have lost fence, livestock and feed resources. Donations of hay and fencing supplies are being accepted at various collection sites, as those are the most immediate needs. If people would like to donate, they can call the KLA office at (785) 273-5115 and we will help coordinate a drop-off.”

Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk Wednesday and discussed the wildfire situation in Kansas and what recovery resources are available.

Texas

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the organization received nine requests for assistance on wildfires burning 18,522.9 acres on Tuesday. Wednesday was a quieter day in Texas with three requests burning 371 acres.

As of 9 a.m. on Thursday, there are four active — Jones 1507, 8 Ball, Lavendar and Canadian Bridge. The 8 Ball Fire in Armstrong County is 40% contained and has burned about 13,000 acres. The Lavendar fire in Oldham County is 20% contained and has burned about 12,000 acres.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller declared an Agricultural Emergency, rallying Texans to back the State of Texas Agriculture Relief (STAR) Fund and urging wildfire-hit producers and agribusinesses to seek financial aid. Across the Panhandle and West Texas, Texans are facing devastating losses due to wildfires.

“Texans always rise for neighbors in crisis,” Commissioner Miller says. “I’m calling on individuals, businesses, and groups statewide to fuel the STAR Fund to help sustain the backbone of our food, fiber and fuel supply.”

The STAR Fund, administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture, is a private-donation-funded disaster relief program that provides recovery grants to eligible farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses at no cost to taxpayers to help repair or rebuild damaged agricultural infrastructure.

Ranchers needing hay can use TDA’s Hay Hotline, (877) 429-1998, a free service linking hay providers and those in need, including during emergencies, for donations.

TDA reminds Texans that mental health support is available 24/7 through the AgriStress Helpline, staffed by trained professionals familiar with rural challenges. Commissioner Miller stresses the importance of mental well-being in crises. If you or a loved one experiences a mental health crisis during this time, call 833-897-2474.

Lawsuit Claims Rail Fee Blocks Competition, Cuts Plains Farmers’ Grain Prices

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 20:42:03 GMT

In a lawsuit filed in late January in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, two agribusiness plaintiffs and 13 farmers allege antitrust violations by a Class I railroad, Union Pacific, and a short-line operator, Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad.

Plaintiffs include Weskan Grain and Colorado Pacific Railroad, along with D&L Farms, GP; E&D Farms, GP; D&C Farms, GP; L&E Farms, GP; North Four Farms, GP; Marienthal Grain, LLC; D&A Farms, GP; Hineman Land & Cattle, Inc.; Hineman Ranch, L.L.C.; Circle C Farms, Inc.; Steven Compton; Mark Sanders; and JLD Partnership.

The lawsuit alleges UP and K&O worked together to stifle competition after Colorado Pacific Railroad rehabilitated the Towner Line. Plaintiffs claim the alleged conduct gave the railroads unfair control over westbound grain shipments — affecting the prices farmers receive for grain in Lane, Scott, Wichita, and Greeley Counties in Kansas and Kiowa County, Colo.

Union Pacific provided this statement, noting its view that the matter falls under the Surface Transportation Board’s purview: “Union Pacific denies the allegations of the lawsuit and will present the facts to the court and Surface Transportation Board who handles these issues.”

Will Bramblett, CEO of Weskan Grain, said after Soloviev Group acquired Colorado Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific and K&O put in place what he described as a “paper barrier” that makes interchange across the Kansas-Colorado line uneconomic–reportedly over $500 per car.

“What we’re trying to do is just get a more competitive environment for our local producers — farmers in the area — to be able to ship grain to markets across the U.S. and export markets in a more competitive manner,” Bramblett said.

As an example, he said in eastern Colorado, Weskan has been able to use a 110-car shuttle served by both BNSF and Union Pacific to bring cost savings and basis improvements of 25 to 40 cents.

“We’d just like to see that same thing happen in western Kansas,” he said.

Watco, the parent company of K&O, provided this statement: “We do not comment on litigation matters, but as a matter of course we will defend our commitment to the values that define us through the proper legal channels.”

Farm Journal TV subscribers: Watch the full fireside chat with Stefan Soloviev, chairman of the Soloviev Group, from the 2026 Top Producer Summit.

Top Producer of the Year Finalist: Splitter Farms

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:39:13 GMT

During the hustle of harvest in central Kansas, Matt Splitter pauses to take in what’s coming off his fields, and even he’s surprised.

“We’re seeing really good yields,” says Splitter, who farms across three counties but calls Sterling, Kan., home. “These are the best corn and soybean yields we’ve ever seen, and the wheat yields this summer were just phenomenal.”

The strong production comes as a welcome bright spot in a year when margins are tight and opportunities to lock in profits are scarce. For Splitter, yield alone isn’t enough to carry an operation forward.

“Usually there are times when you can capture margins with forward sales and things like that, but we’re just not seeing that this year,” he explains. “We’ve had to trim our input costs tremendously and think outside the box.”

That means rethinking everything, from products to application methods.

“Instead of using a certain product, let’s think about using product B,” Splitter says. “How do we apply it? Do we need in-ground injection, or can we go over the top with a sprayer? What’s the lowest cost of operation? Those are the things we’re constantly evaluating.”

Growth Without a Conventional Playbook

Splitter Farms grows corn, soybeans, milo and wheat, but it’s not the crop mix that makes the operation stand out. It’s how the business has grown.

In 2021, Splitter received the Top Producer Horizon Award . At the time, they were in the middle of a transition and expansion plan with the goal to farm 10,000 acres. Five years later, the operation looks dramatically different.

“We farm about 12,000 to 13,000 exclusive acres, and then we custom farm another 6,000 on top of that,” he says.

That scale-up happened quickly. Just five years ago, Splitter Farms covered roughly 7,000 acres.

“Relationship building is the biggest reason,” Splitter says when asked how he’s been able to achieve such growth. “Janna has done an incredible job creating relationships, fostering them and following through.”

Some of the growth came from family members retiring, others from neighboring farmers stepping away from agriculture altogether.

“With the economy the way it is, some farmers are just deciding to get out,” he says. “We’ve been able to take on some of that ground.”

Splitter admits growth felt inevitable, but the pace caught him off guard.

“I believed growth was coming. I just didn’t know to what extent,” he says. “And I’m not sure we’re done. We might be. But it’s been a fun ride the last five years.”

A Sudden Start and a Steep Learning Curve

That growth is even more striking considering where the operation began.

When Matt and Janna Splitter started farming full time, the operation totaled just over 1,000 acres. Their decision to farm wasn’t planned, though. It was sudden.

“In 2010, my father passed away very suddenly,” Splitter says. “I was working for the National Sorghum Association out of Lubbock, Texas, but living in Kansas. After he passed, we were given the opportunity to farm. We weren’t given a whole lot of assets,” he says. “But we were given an incredible opportunity to come back and take over.”

With 1,200 acres and three landowners, the Splitters farmed part time for several years before committing fully.

“When we came on full time around 2012 and 2013, it still took extra income,” Splitter says. “Those winters were spent doing repairs, fixing fence, cleaning pastures, really whatever it took.”

The work ethic was there. What challenged them most was the learning curve.

“We had to ask a lot of questions,” Splitter says. “We leaned on accountants, attorneys, agronomists— really focused on surrounding ourselves with people who knew more than we did.”

The Right Mentors

That willingness to learn led to one of the most pivotal relationships in Splitter Farms’ history. After making a poor wheat marketing decision early on, Splitter knew they needed guidance.

“We just needed a little push and some advice,” he says. “That’s when we found Lee and Margaret Scheifler.”

Splitter approached Lee at a local meeting.

“I told him my father had passed and that I had questions,” he recalls. “That conversation turned into a relationship where we never once felt judged.”

The Scheiflers recognized something important.

“They saw we were willing to learn and willing to take a chance on the next step,” Splitter says.

In 2016, the Scheiflers asked Matt and Janna if they’d consider taking over their farm.

“We didn’t know how to answer,” Splitter says. “We had just come out of a really tough time, and we were asking ourselves how we could grow and do it right without letting anyone down.”

Eventually, they said yes, and then orchestrated a carefully planned transition plan, taking over about 1,000 acres per year.

What they couldn’t predict was how quickly other opportunities would follow.

“Other people saw how we were developing and wanted to be part of it,” Splitter says. “Five years turned into six, seven, eight. That transition is now complete, and we’re just pedaling the bike.”

Relationships as a Business Strategy

Today, Splitter Farms spans three counties in central Kansas. Matt is quick to credit much of the operation’s success to his wife, Janna, who is the co-owner and controller of the farm.

“Every relationship we build, we want people to feel like they are our No. 1 relationship,” Janna says. “Whether it’s vendors or landowners, we want them to feel that we go above and beyond.”

That mindset has helped sustain long-term partnerships and fuel continued growth.

One of the toughest decisions the Splitters made was relocating their headquarters from land Matt’s family homesteaded in 1878 to a newer farm 30 miles away.

“I knew that to grow at the pace that we needed to grow to get ahead of the curve was not where I grew up. The growth just wasn’t there. It will be, and we will continue to grow there, but at the time for us to grow, for us be mentored, for us to learn, it required us to make this move and move our headquarters here,” Splitter says. “And the mentorship side, being close to Lee and Margaret, being right across the road as neighbors to him now as well, that was so important to just be in close proximity to him.”

Culture, Efficiency and the Next Chapter

From moving to 100% no-till during downturns to operating two farming entities with one equipment lineup, every decision is calculated.

“There’s no playbook,” Splitter says. “We just know what the end goal looks like. There have been lifts and plateaus along the way, and this is probably one of those plateaus, until the next opportunity comes.”

Inside the business, professionalism and culture are non-negotiable. That philosophy is visible in their “dream” farm office the Splitters built nearly two years ago .

“The office is really the framework of what makes everything happen in the field,” Janna says. “It elevates professionalism, and it’s something we dreamed about for years.”

As the operation grows, Janna has watched Matt’s role evolve.

“We used to be the young people in the room,” she says. “Now we’re becoming teachers instead of learners.”

That influence is part of what makes Matt Splitter a finalist for the 2026 Top Producer of the Year.

“His ability to connect with people is what stands out,” Janna says. “He does it humbly, and he never seeks attention, but the impact he’s had on others is really special.”

Splitter may credit luck for some of the success, but those who know the operation see something else: disciplined growth, relationship-driven leadership and efficiency-focused decisions.

Congratulations to Splitter Farms, finalist for the 2026 Top Producer of the Year, which is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

Click here to register for the 2026 Top Producer Summit.

CattleFax Predicts Profitability Despite Increased Uncertainty

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 20:15:24 GMT

The beef industry has experienced a year of “hybrid vigor” as cattle prices soared due to tight supplies and increasing consumer demand, summarizes CattleFax’s Kevin Good.

“The market has gotten a lot higher than any of us would have suggested as we started the year,” he says. “Now the market is anticipating some of those things that propelled the market to higher highs to come off. In other words, tariffs being reduced as well as the Mexican border reopening.”

Forecasting strong prices into 2026, the next market phase will be shaped by herd rebuilding and shifting global trade, Good adds. The volatility and political noise will continue, but the fundamentals will still matter.

(CattleFax)

Here are five key takeaways from Good’s presentation at the recent Kansas Livestock Association Convention:

1. The markets are experiencing significant volatility, largely influenced by noise in the media, tariffs and the Mexican border closure.

Good says regional market dynamics spotlight Kansas and the Midwest as more advantaged relative to Texas, for example, which faces tighter supplies and higher costs until the Mexican border reopens.

Market volatility is strongly influenced by psychology and external policy issues.

“Psychology can take the markets higher than they should otherwise, and they can take them lower than they should otherwise,” he explains.

2. The dairy industry’s role in the beef supply is growing.

“We are getting more beef out of the dairy industry than we ever have in the past,” Good says.

This is the largest dairy herd in about 25 years.
A bigger percentage of the dairy producers’ income is derived from beef — salvage cow value or day-old beef-on-dairy calves.
In 2025, 18% of the cattle harvested will be dairy or beef-on-dairy cross.
Slower culling: Dairy producers have transitioned from culling cows after their third lactation to their fourth lactation.
The export portion of dairy revenue has tripled in the last 25 years.

(CattleFax)

3. Strong consumer demand continues, but high prices pose risks.

Beef demand and evolving consumer preferences are shaping industry profitability. Consumer demand for high-quality protein remains strong, but there is concern about potential pushback if prices stay high. Good predicts retail prices may soften somewhat next year, but market fundamentals are still solid.

“If we just continue to focus on what’s paid us over the last 25 years as beef demand has improved — quality and consistency — it is as simple as that,” he says.

(CattleFax)

4. Future expansion remains tentative, hinging on weather and profitability.

“We liquidated for about six years, probably one to two years longer than the economics suggested because of drought,” Good says.

The outlook projects continued tight supply for the first half of next year and possibly lower prices in the second half, with gradual expansion expected to follow depending on weather and economic conditions.

5. The overall market outlook is healthy but shifting.

Good says packing capacity continues to favor cattle feeders for now, but labor challenges and changing market cycles could impact this leverage in the coming years.

“Big picture … we’re suggesting we’ve seen our cycle high. The trends changed. Fundamentals are still solid. Beef demand is great,” Good says.

“Generally speaking, I would say [there’s a] positive outlook looking at prices,” he says. “If we make the assumption the border reopens in the first half of next year, and at the same time tariffs are more normalized … average prices for next year will be a little bit lower. [2026] will be a tale of two halves — the first half will resemble the second half of this year and then you’ve got more risk as you go through the second half of next year.”

Good is optimistic for continued profitability for the cow-calf producer in 2026.

“Just think about the dollars in the system,” Good summarizes. “Our prices have gone up at least 2% on an annual basis, faster than inflation, for 25 years. Those are real dollars — real dollars that are now landing in your pocket no matter what segment of the business you’re in.”

Your next read: What Does Talk of $10 Ground Beef Mean to Producers?

A Kansas Comeback: Farm Income Set to Nearly Double in 2025

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 18:47:33 GMT

When it comes to the farm economy, 2025 has been a year of contrasts. Some farmers are finally seeing brighter days, while others are fighting just to stay afloat.

Kansas State University’s Joe Parcell says the latest farm financial data tells a story of both opportunity and risk — and of two very different realities across American agriculture.

A Center Focused on Risk — and Reality

Inside the business school at K-State, Parcell leads what he calls a “pretty unique” operation. As director of the K-State Risk Management Center, Parcell’s work spans across the College of Business, College of Agriculture, and College of Engineering.

“I have the pleasure of leading a center here that’s pretty unique out there in the country,” he says. “It’s the Risk Management Center, and here we believe it’s interdisciplinary, that as you get into your career and making decisions, it’s not just about your discipline — it’s about learning from others, because we don’t work in disciplines. We work interdisciplinary when we’re trying to solve problems with firms. So, we’re a joint [operation] between really the College of Business, the Ag College, and the Engineering College here at K-State.”

That interdisciplinary approach is helping shed new light on farm-level financial pressures. Recently, Parcell’s team joined forces with the University of Missouri to study leading indicators of farm financial stress. What they found, he says, reveals a growing divide within agriculture.

Row Crops Versus Livestock: A Tale of Two Economies

“The one glaring [issue] out there is the difference between row crop farming and livestock farming right now,” Parcell explains. “The other is what’s going on in the equipment sector — and not just at the farm. I mean, this really extends into our communities and our rural areas. And, you know, probably the third one is the banks. It’s not just the farms, but it’s the banks that are lending them money and what kind of situation that they’re in, especially our local community banks.”

The disparity between the sectors has widened dramatically, as noted in a recently released report called “Leading Indicators of Farm Financial Stress: Fall 2025.” Cattle producers are seeing strong profits and renewed optimism, while many young row-crop farmers are dealing with tight margins and higher costs that have become the new normal.

Parcell notes part of the challenge is policy-related.

“Frankly, we need the government to reopen,” he says, referring to the ongoing federal shutdown. “We got some good news last week with our FSA offices reopening on limited staff, but we’ve got a lot of money out there to push out to the farmers from even last year yet — and this year. Plus, we need the Risk Management Agency to be open and help those producers out with what’s going on in crop insurance and stuff.”

Cattle Drive Kansas’ Rebound

Despite the challenges, Kansas agriculture is showing signs of recovery — thanks largely to cattle. Parcell says farm income in Kansas is set to double from last year. That’s one of the revelations that showed up in a report released last last week called the “Fall 2025 Farm Income Outlook for Kansas.” The report was released jointly between the University of Missouri and K-State.

“We’re going to have farm income about doubling from last year to this year,” he says. “And that’s a combination of three things really driven by an increase in revenues more than a drop in expenses. That revenue is being driven — of the $6.2 billion we’re going to add to the farm revenue side — 58% of that is with the cattle side or livestock side. We’ve got 34% of the government payments and only 8% in row crop.”

Kansas crop receipts are projected to rise by $559.18 million (8%) in 2025, with increases expected across all four major commodities despite lower prices. This is because yields are estimated to recover from recent lows as the state recovers from persistent drought.

(Kansas State University )

The report shows Kansas crop receipts are projected to rise by $559.18 million (8%) in 2025, with increases expected across all four major commodities despite lower prices. This is because yields are estimated to recover from recent lows as the state recovers from persistent drought.

According to the new report:

Corn planted area is projected 550,000 acres (9%) higher at 6.85 million acres in 2025. This, combined with higher yields than in 2024, results in a 17% projected increase in production that would offset a 9% drop in price and generate a $316.34 million (11%) increase in cash receipts. Crop receipts will increase by 8%, and 2025 Kansas net farm income will increase by 88% in 2025.
Soybean cash receipts are projected to jump $182.98 million (13%) in 2025, driven largely by recovering yields after three years of drought. Total production is expected to increase 2% to 157.95 million bushels, despite a decline of 430,000 planted acres (-9%).
Wheat planted acres dipped by 300,000 (-4%) in 2025; however, an increase in yield is projected to contribute to a $25.49 million (2%) increase in cash receipts.

A breakdown of the share of projected crop receipts in Kansas.

(Kansas State University and University of Missouri )

Recovery from drought is also helping fuel the cattle sector. According to the report,

Cash receipts for cattle and calves, which account for 90% of Kansas’s livestock receipts, are projected to increase by $3.54 billion (24%) to $18.33 billion in 2025.
Marketings for cattle and calves are projected to increase by 4%, and fed steer prices are projected to increase by 21%.

Cash receipts for cattle and calves, which account for 90% of Kansas’s livestock receipts, are projected to increase by $3.54 billion (24%) to $18.33 billion in 2025. Marketings for cattle and calves are projected to increase by 4% and fed steer prices are projected to increase by 21%.

(Kansas State University and University of Missouri)

After years of drought and depressed prices, cow-calf producers are finally getting a chance to reinvest.

“These cattle producers, especially the cow-calf producers, I mean they’ve suffered through a lot of years,” Parcell says. “They’ve had drought years, they’ve had low prices, and this has just given them a chance to kind of replenish their supplies so they’re getting ready for the next cycle — because we know everything will come to an end and we’ll end up the other way as part of this cattle cycle. High prices sell high prices, and we’re going to be at low prices in the near future.”

Equipment and Banking Pressures Build

While higher cattle prices offer temporary relief, Parcell warns that other parts of the rural economy are under real stress. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ latest flash report shows new 4-wheel-drive tractor and combine sales are down almost 40% this year — a sign of cautious spending and shrinking margins.

“I think our biggest concern in this is with the equipment dealers themselves,” Parcell says. “We saw a lot of consolidation last year. These equipment dealers hire a lot of folks in the rural areas. They’re an important source for our farmers when it comes time to fix equipment and get parts and stuff. It’s just their survivability — and they’re carrying some pretty expensive equipment on that yard right now with some higher interest rates than we had a few years ago.”

Still, despite the softening in sentiment among farmers, Parcell says bankers aren’t panicking — at least not yet.

“That’s the most interesting one,” he says. “Because you really see things in a declining mode, but it’s not in a fully worrisome mode. So, in what we talk about, or what we use as kind of our benchmark, we go back to 2016, ’17, ’18, where we had similar things. We had depressed commodity prices, we had some trade wars going on in there, and sentiment is not strong. But it’s not as weak as what it was back during that period.”

Looking Ahead: Volatility Rules

When asked what worries him most, Parcell doesn’t hesitate. It’s not what’s happening today — it’s what could happen next.

“I think the biggest concern is what’s to come,” he says. “There’s so much volatility out there in the market right now. We have trade wars. We have what’s going to be said next out of the administration. We have a government shutdown right now. We continue to have, again, strong land prices. There’s just so much uncertainty — some things that maybe we don’t typically associate with a downturn in the farm economy. Or counter to what we might expect to see right now in there. So, I think that’s the biggest challenge in all this — we all feel like things should be worse. At least the indicators should be worse than what they are.”

As the new year unfolds, Parcell says Kansas farmers and ranchers will continue navigating this uncertain terrain — balancing optimism with caution, and watching closely for what’s next in this unpredictable farm economy.

A Farm Office: An Investment in The Future

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:45:24 GMT

Two years ago, Matt and Janna Splitter were having a business meeting with executives from one of their suppliers, and that was the breaking point.

“There were 10 people working around our kitchen island — which is really designed for four — sitting in mismatched chairs,” Janna describes. “It was the only space we had to have the meeting, and as a business, we want more of those types of meetings. So, we knew it was time to get serious about building an office.”

In less than a year, and notably under the original budget, the building they had been drawing for a decade over and over again on paper napkins was finally ready for them to use.

(Nick Hemphill)

Dreams to Reality
Splitter Farms is headquartered in Rice County, Kan., and Matt was named the Top Producer Next Gen award winner in 2021. Before the construction of the 1,600 sq. ft. office, the Splitters were working in makeshift areas of their house.

Janna tapped her interior design and architectural background to get the plans 95% done. A local general contractor and subtractors then brought the plans on paper into a 3D reality.

Specifically for the Splitters, they wanted to pay careful attention to the layout of the office space.

(Nick Hemphill)

Matt and Janna’s office doors intentionally don’t face one another. They say this keeps them from yelling across the hallway at each other and instead getting up and walking into their offices to talk. It also prevents them from unintentionally peeking at what the other person is doing throughout the day.

“I don’t see her on her phone and unintentionally criticize how she’s spending her time, and she doesn’t stare at me taking a quick nap at 4 p.m.,” Matt says.

The natural flow from the front door means Janna’s office is the first visitors would walk to, not around the corner to Matt’s, which buffers him from intercepting every visitor.

Additionally, Matt’s office is sound proofed for confidential conversations. Janna says not soundproofing her office is one of the biggest regrets from the project.

Both offices have large 5’x5' windows for natural light. Matt’s overlooks the farm yard and driveway, and Janna’s overlooks the driveway and the house.

(Nick Hemphill)

Creating a barrier between where the Splitters live their personal life and do their work for the farm was important. The full kitchen and pantry allows the team to keep everything farm related centralized at the farm office — especially the preparation of field meals. A benefit yielded from the space has been a deepening of the team’s communication and farm culture.

“It adds up — having our employees all be able to gather and want to be together to eat lunch,” Matt says. “The culture of our farm has completely changed.”

(Nick Hemphill)

Built With Purpose
There are many intentional, albeit seemingly small, design considerations Matt and Janna take pride in. While the walls are white, the trim is dark. That means if employees or visitors lean on doorways, they are less likely to leave a mark. There’s enclosed storage with cabinets and credenzas to minimize clutter. The covered front porch — from its stepped approach, to size at 6’x8' — provides an easy meeting spot for Matt to talk with vendors he only needs to meet for a short time rather than inviting inside for a sit down. The flat screen displays in the executive offices and conference room allow the Splitter Farms team to wirelessly mirror their tablet or computer screen for meetings. The Splitters found their impressive conference table on Facebook Marketplace and shopped seasonal sales to get the best deals on appliances, light fixtures and more.

(Nick Hemphill)

Matt says the farm footprint didn’t allow for the office to be built anywhere else, but they feel they maximized the space they had with the structure they built.

Related: Kansas Farmer Harvests Corn Yields 30%-Plus Above APH

Quick Stats
Matt and Janna’s executive offices:
• Each 12’x14'

Shared office for employees:
• 10’x10'

Conference room:
• Seats up to 12

Other features:
• Full kitchen
• Full bathroom with shower facility for employees
• Triple paned, sealed windows

(Nick Hemphill)

Veterinarian Becomes Disease Detective: Nichols Connects Animal Disease and Human Health

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 19:24:05 GMT

Growing up on a New Mexico ranch, veterinarian and public health leader Megin Nichols says she learned early the health of animals, humans and the environment are deeply connected.

Initially planning to practice small animal medicine, she says her plans began to pivot when she met a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemic intelligence service officer who sparked her interest in public health. That realization led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota, with a focus on food safety and biosecurity. Her career has included roles in local, state and federal health departments, investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and developing strategies to prevent them.

“Life has a way of taking you in places you never anticipated,” she shared during the 2025 Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture Oct. 6 at Kansas State University.

Today, as the CDC’s director in the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases, she lends her expertise to efforts involving disease investigation, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and agriculture literacy.

Megin Nichols has more than 15 years of zoonotic disease experience and has served at the federal and state levels. She has served as the lead of the Enteric Zoonoses Team investigating multistate outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli. Prior to joining CDC, Nichols worked as the Principal Investigator of the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Program at the New Mexico Department of Health for five years.

(Angie Stump Denton)

One Health: Connecting Animal Disease and Human Health

Nichols’ work focuses on the One Health concept.

“One Health is recognizing the health and well-being of humans, of animals and our environment are all interconnected,” she explains. “One Health is something that many of us do every single day and are very, very aware of, especially if you have ties to agriculture and the land. But One Health as a concept oftentimes is difficult to fully understand.”

Nichols says One Health is:

Ongoing relationships with animal agencies.
Understand the culture of agriculture.
Having access to integrated human and animal surveillance.
Protocols for conducting joint response investigations.
Agreements for sharing biological samples and lab results.
Established lines of communication with agriculture and animal industry.
Plans for unified communication messaging.
Need to build linkages and trust before and outbreak.

“What happens in one area can significantly impact others — whether it’s a wildfire, a disease outbreak or environmental changes,” Nichols summarizes.

Pandemic and Disease Response Insights

Nichols was a leader in investigating and finding unique solutions for the livestock industry and specifically meat packing industry related to COVID-19.

“In April 2020, I got a call from my supervisor saying there are some meat, poultry packing plants that are going down because of labor shortages and illness,” she explains.

She selected and lead a team to figure out how to get the plants opened back up safely and to find unique solution to deal with the related animal welfare issues.

Summarizing the experiences, Nichols reports the estimated economic cost of COVID-19 is $14 trillion. Along with supply chain disruptions the industry experienced changes in consumer behavior, labor shortage and complex operations challenges. On a positive note, she says the industry did experience a lot of innovation and uptake of technology due to the pandemic, which resulted in innovative approaches to workplace safety and communication.

“We saw innovative strategies where if one person got sick, they looked around that worker and said, ‘OK, who do we need to monitor quickly for symptoms?’” she says.

Nichols also discussed the increase in salmonella outbreaks during the pandemic. She links the rise to the increase in backyard poultry ownership and the improper handling of backyard chickens.

“Many new chicken owners were unaware of disease transmission risks,” she explains.

Nichols also shared insights to H5N1 influenza and emphasized the complexity of tracking and preventing. She highlights the need for integrated, cross-species surveillance and communication strategies.

She also touched on emerging threats, including New World screwworm (NWS) . Her message emphasized the importance of prevention, control and preparedness.

She shares these five key strategies related to NWS:

Surveillance. Early dection through wound inspections and reporting in livestock.
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Ongoing release of serile male flies to prevent reproduction.
Biosecurity. Movement control of imported animals and monitoring at entry points.
Public Awareness. Education for doctors, ranchers, veterinarians and travelers.
Rapid Response Planning. Multi-agency coordination to contain outbreaks swiftly and deploy sterile flies.

Agricultural Literacy, Communication is Key

“Growing up in the middle of nowhere, I also came to understand that not everyone appreciates — or even understands — where their food comes from,” Nichols says.

She shared a 1993 study that revealed significant gaps in public knowledge about agriculture. She summarizes understanding food systems involves knowing:

Where food comes from.
How it’s produced.
Its impact on economy, environment and technology.

Throughout her lecture she shared the importance of transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible insights that resonate with students, farmers, ranchers and public health professionals alike.

“It doesn’t matter how much information we have if we don’t get it out to the people,” Nichols says.

She stresses the importance of agricultural communication specialists in translating scientific information and engaging audiences.

“Don’t leave the communications to the scientists,” she says.

Nichols emphasizes that agricultural literacy and effective communication are crucial for bridging knowledge gaps and building public understanding of food systems.

She shares this advice for agricultural advocates:

Bring agricultural perspective to discussions by speaking up and sharing lived experiences.
Challenge misconceptions with personal stories by focusing on storytelling rather than technical details.
Understand your audience and use relatable language and provide context.

Nichols stresses the importance of preparedness and collaboration. She explains the importance of local-level discussions and community preparedness, suggesting that some of the most effective emergency preparedness conversations happen “at the coffee house” or during casual community gatherings.

Kelly Hills Pushes the AgTech R&D Envelope with Driverless Tractor Pilot, Fungicide Spray Timing Tool

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 19:05:56 GMT

Emerging from its annual summer field day , Kelly Hills Unmanned announces the launch of two interesting endeavors that will surely move the needle forward on smart farming technology R&D:

The outfit is co-launching what it is calling the Rural Autonomous Mobility Program (RAMP), a pioneering public-private initiative to bring autonomous farm equipment onto public roads for the first time in the U.S.
Kelly Hills is also launching SpraySense, an AI-powered, autonomous application intelligence product developed through the company’s accelerator program, The Forge.

We’ll start with RAMP

Sabanto, founded in 2018, is working to allow farmers and ag retailers to convert any make and model into an autonomous tractor through an equipment retrofit kit.

(Sabanto)

RAMP, or the Rural Autonomous Mobility Program, was born from the vision of Kelly Hills CEO Lukas Koch and was made possible by the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Innovative Technology Program.

RAMP’s mission is to enable autonomous tractors and farm machinery to safely and legally operate on rural public roads, solving logistical bottlenecks and revitalizing rural economies.

Initial RAMP collaborators include:

Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems (Program Manager)
Sabanto (Autonomous Tractor Manufacturer)
Nemaha County in Kansas (Local Partner)
KDOT
Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA)
Kansas State University (K-State)

According to a press release, the partners aim to develop policy, infrastructure and safety protocols to allow fully autonomous tractors to move between fields and operational bases without human drivers.

RAMP will operate within a pilot phase in Kansas through 2026, collecting data on autonomous road operations, engaging with local communities and working with regulators to build a scalable model for other states and agricultural regions.

Let’s learn about SpraySense

(Heinen Brothers)

The inaugural 2025 cohort of The Forge, which we wrote about back in June, brought together ag tech and drone technology companies like Yamaha Precision Agriculture, Pyka, Precision AI, Scanit Technologies, Heinen Brothers Agra Services, and Taranis to co-develop solutions that address one of farming’s most persistent questions: When is the right time to apply fungicide?

According to Koch, the group was originally focused on optimizing fungicide application for corn and soybean growers, but the collaborative efforts exceeded expectations, resulting in the creation of SpraySense.

The platform, an end-to-end AI-driven recommendation and application system, brings together aerial imagery, weather and environmental conditions, disease risk models and traditional agronomy data sets to deliver real-time recommendations on whether, when, where and how to spray.

While its debut application targets fungicide optimization, SpraySense is designed as a modular, flexible platform. Kelly Hills plans to adapt the technology to other crop inputs including fertilizer, biologicals, herbicides and insecticides.

There’s a lot of cool, innovative stuff happening in those gently rolling, emerald green north Kansas hills. Check out KellyHills.us to learn more.

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Federal Court Rules on Fate of Prairie-Chicken

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:08:30 GMT

A U.S. District judge on Aug. 12 ruled in favor of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, finding that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service committed a “foundational error” when it declared the prairie-chicken endangered in 2022.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a press release praised the ruling from U.S. District Judge David Counts of the Western District of Texas, who issued the order reversing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as endangered and threatened.

“This is a big win for Texas, and one we fought hard to get,” Miller says. “From day one, I’ve pushed back against Biden’s federal overreach because it was wrong for our farmers, ranchers and rural communities. This court decision is more than just a legal victory. We stood our ground, and we won.”

PRESS RELEASE: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised a decisive ruling from U.S. District Judge David Counts of the Western District of Texas, who issued an order reversing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as… pic.twitter.com/UzP2FlkFE6
— Texas Agriculture (@TexasDeptofAg) August 18, 2025

Under the Trump administration, FWS determined that it previously failed to provide “adequate justification and analysis” to support identifying two designated population segments of lesser prairie-chicken.

Judge Counts granted the motion for vacatur and remand, finding that remand alone would not correct the agency’s fundamental error in listing the species as endangered and threatened. The court denied all motions to intervene.

About the Prairie Chicken

The lesser prairie-chicken is a bird historically found in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. The bird has faced both habitat loss and population decline since the 1960s and has found itself the subject of proposed Endangered Species Act protections.

According to Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M agricultural law Extension specialist, in 2014 FWS listed the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Numerous lawsuits were filed, and the listing was ultimately vacated by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in 2015.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an order last week vacating the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) listing of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act.https://t.co/BTobyZb9MF pic.twitter.com/CEV82UWJ8P
— TiffanyDowellLashmet (@TiffDowell) August 18, 2025

In 2016, another petition was filed with FWS to list the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act. In 2022, the FWS finalized a rule listing the Northern Distinct Population Segment as threatened and the Southern Distinct Population Segment as endangered. In March 2023, the State of Texas and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association filed suit challenging the listing. Specifically, they claimed the listing violated both the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.

Lashmet says following the administration change in January 2025, the FWS reevaluated the listing and found it erred in passing the final rule listing the lesser prairie-chicken.

“FWS now believes it erred by failing to provide sufficient justification to have two population segments of the lesser prairie-chicken, which then affected the assessment of extinction risk to the species,” she says. “This, FWS believes, was a significant error justifying immediate vacatur of the listing decision. FWS moved for a voluntary vacatur and remand of the listing rule. Several groups sought to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the listing rule.”

The Decision

Lashmet explains the court addressed two separate issues: the proper remedy and the motions to intervene.

“This case is extremely important for landowners, agricultural producers, oil and gas companies, and others across the portions of the United States where the lesser prairie-chickens are located, including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas,” Lashmet says. “As of now, the lesser prairie-chicken is not listed under the Endangered Species Act, and there is no threat of liability under the Endangered Species Act for a ‘take’ of these animals.”

She says the story is not over.

“The FWS will now reconsider the 2016 application to have the lesser prairie-chicken listed,” she says. “It will determine how properly to view the distinction population segment, and then analyze the various factors required under the Endangered Species Act in making its listing decision. The FWS told the court it expected to have this completed by November 2026.”

Fusing The Best of Regenerative Ag and Smart Farming: Senator Marshall’s Take on MAHA

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 14:22:10 GMT

Having grown up as a Kansas fifth generation farm kid and spending many years as a physician, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, R-Kan., views the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda through a different lens than many of his Beltway colleagues.

“I delivered a baby every day for some 25 years in my hometown,” Marshall says. “And certainly, diet and nutrition are so, so, so important. When I came to Congress, this was one of the things I wanted to address. And I want to start by saying there’s no MAHA without American agriculture leadership.”

RELATED: MAHA Report’s Surprising Stance on Glyphosate, Atrazine Explained

While much of the recent reporting around MAHA focuses on unpacking the movement’s outwardly anti-pesticide bent , Marshall has fashioned his own, more conventional ag-friendly version covering four distinct pillars:

Increase American agricultural efficiency
Grow healthier, nutrient rich food
Unlock affordable health care access for millions of Americans
Focus on health care resources to combat the mental health epidemic

“I believe soil health leads to healthy food, which leads to healthy people,” Marshall says. “I hear the MAHA group and I hear the ag folks. I have a foot in each of those worlds, and I am trying to bring them together. Because guess what? American agriculture wants healthy children just as much as anybody.”

RELATED: Decode MAHA’s Potential Effect on the Agriculture Sector

Marshall believes MAHA can achieve that goal by embracing some – but not all – of the regenerative ag principles Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., espoused on the campaign trail. American farmers are already reducing chemical use with tools like selective spraying systems and mechanical weeding implements, but the senator knows there’s still meat on that bone. He views it less as a return to “40 acres and a mule” and more as a combination of pieces and parts from the regenerative ag playbook with precision ag technology generously sprinkled into the mix.

“Regenerative ag should be centered around precision ag and growing more with less,” he says. “We’re already using 60% less fertilizers and less pesticides. I think we must continue to decrease the amount of fertilizers and pesticides, so there’s less residue on that loaf of bread in the grocery store.”

Marshall is currently rallying Congressional support for the bipartisan Plant Biostimulant Act. This yet-to-be-ratified farm policy would streamline the FDA approval process under FIFRA for new, novel and natural modes of action. But the senator emphasizes the program must remain voluntary.

“About 5% of the farm bill is conservation practices,” he says. “So, I would streamline the FDA process and allow these biostimulants to be one of the options. It’s not a subsidy, though. I just want to make the regulatory process easier. And that’s going to make it more affordable, as well.”

More MAHA: 250-Plus Ag Groups Ask Trump Administration To ‘Correct’ MAHA Commission’s ‘Activities’

Another goal is for the American producer to embrace best-in-class crop production and sustainability practices. The Kansas senator points to one example from his home state as the creative and nimble thinking he wants to see American farmers embrace.

“We have a group of sorghum growers that have their own mill,” Marshall says. “And they’re selling that flour directly to the infant formula (companies) as well as to European markets. The EU has higher standards, so to speak, than America does, and so be it. I don’t know if they’re necessary, but I don’t make the rules. These Kansas farmers have cracked the code and they’re getting a premium for their sorghum right now, and all it takes is a little extra effort.”

Your Next Read: Can Pulse Crops Double Acreage by 2030? The Push to Include More Pulses in the MAHA Movement

Pete's Pick: Used Equipment Trio Turns Heads

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 20:31:09 GMT

This week’s “Pete’s Pick of the Week” is a trio of used farm machines that sold at two separate auctions in the Dakotas.

And stay with us until the end as Machinery Pete has a line on two upcoming auctions that you need to check out if you’re in the market for some nice, late-model equipment.

Pete’s Pick of the Week for July 7, 2025

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Last Wednesday, the team at Big Iron Auctions held a sale in Flandreau, S.D., where a “very sharp” 2020 Kubota M6141 tractor with a loader attachment (shown above) and just 846 hours on it sold for $85,000. According to Machinery Pete, that’s the third highest price all-time for that make/model of tractor on the used auction market.

“It’s kind of interesting,” Pete says. “The only two higher (prices) were both from back in ‘22, which as we have talked about often, that was clearly the highest watermark I’ve ever seen in the used farm equipment market.”

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Another item that caught Pete’s eye in that same auction is a 2023 Schaffer 6680 T telescoping wheel loader (237 hours) that sold for $81,000.

And in a Steffes Group auction near Williston, N.D., that took place last Monday, a 2005 John Deere 8320 tractor (3,561 hours) sold for $122,000, which is the highest auction price on that make/model of tractor in 2025 thus far.

“I’ll be really interested to see (auction prices) from July and on,” Pete says. “I don’t think we’re going to see quite the heavy volume (we saw in 2024), but there are definitely some dealer auctions with more volume starting to appear.”

Bonus Video: Looking for a used combine for harvest this fall and want to find the price “sweet spot”? Check out this recent AgDay segment where Machinery Pete breaks down three harvester transactions:

Upcoming Auctions To Watch
On July 14, Machinery Pete will be making the drive out to Mandan, N.D., for the Burger Cattle Company/Freddie Burger Estate Auction. Brent Ulmer and Ulmer Auctions will be handling the bidding there. A quick video preview is available below if you’re interested:

“I’m sure many of you knew Fred. He passed away in January. He was only 67, but Fred had an amazing life,” Pete says. “Fred was well known throughout the country in the cattle sector and also in bull riding. I think he had been inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, last year.”

You can check out the auction docket and get registered for online bidding on that sale here.

The Adam Marshall Land & Auction Company is also holding its statewide sale loaded with used farm equipment pulled out of farms and dealer lots across Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. That is a no buyer premium/fees, no reserves auction, Pete adds.

You can check out the details on that online sale here.

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Meet The Forge: Kelly Hills Unmanned Puts New Spin on Ag Tech Field Testing

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:53:55 GMT

Over the weekend, Kelly Hills Unmanned, a company that says it is dedicated to accelerating multimodal technologies in agriculture and autonomy, announced the launch of The Forge.

It’s being described as a deployment-centered program designed to meld best-in-class ag technologies into new tools that farmers, ranchers and service providers can trust and use for decades to come, according to a press release from the group.

The Forge’s inaugural cohort hopes to bring together a “powerhouse group” of innovators and operators from across the ag technology landscape into a coordinated, systems approach to help growers identify and overcome agronomic issues before they become yield robbers.

The cohort members, or pillars, are:

Precision AI: Developers of real-time drone-based precision spraying systems that reduce chemical inputs and deliver hyper-targeted agronomic action.
Pyka: Builders of autonomous electric aircraft designed for aerial applications, logistics and mission-critical crop operations.
ScanIt Technologies: Experts in using early detection of airborne pathogens to maximize yields and minimize costs.
Heinen Brothers Agra Services: One of the nation’s largest aerial applicators and ag services companies, offering deployment scale and deep field expertise.
Yamaha Precision Agriculture: Pioneers of robotic and aerial technology for small scale, high-efficiency farming.
Drop Flight: Providers of droplet characterization and aircraft calibration tools to optimize spray accuracy and compliance in real-world operations.
Taranis: Global leaders in ultra-high-resolution aerial scouting, delivering precise field-level insights to boost agronomic decision-making.

For more information, head to www.kellyhills.us/the-forge .

Farm Journal reached out to Lukas Koch to pick his brain about this new, novel entrant to the ag tech ecosystem. We first met Koch last year during the Kelly Hills Unmanned summer field day near Seneca, Kan., where his group unveiled the Pyka Pelican Spray drone — at the time the largest, highest-capacity ag spray drone on the market (280-liter capacity). This year Kelly Hills is integrating the Pelican 2 (300-liter capacity, up to 222 acres per hour at 60-foot swath rate) into its aerial application arsenal.

Farm Journal: Would you call this an ag tech incubator or accelerator type of program, and if not, what’s makes The Forge different?

Lukas Koch (LK): “(The Forge) is neither of those, because we’re not taking a cash influx to create an R&D program. What we’re doing is creating new tools with existing technology — if they’re part of plug and play that’s fine, but we don’t care about that. We want to know if the tech has merit and does it fit on the acre, but maybe something with it is not fully there just yet? So, what are we supposed to do with it then? You have a technology and, for example, it can take high-res pictures and identify areas of your fields that need attention, but today the most likely options are using a ground rig or hiring an airplane to manage that in a meaningful way. For that example, we think there’s an opportunity to do that with a small spray drone, but then again the logistics are tough; you have to come back and land and swap out a battery or refill the tank so often. We’re going to take a bunch of existing technologies that already exist, ask them to change nothing and put them to the test — and we’ll push the bounds of what they can do, to make these all work together in a system.”

FJ: How will this all kind of come together and take shape this summer as the program rolls out?

LK: “We have a few drone companies (in the cohort), and there’s a droplet analysis program involved — I thought that was an important piece in analyzing the spray coverage we get. Right now, we have the in-field sensors out in the field to help us ground truth the data we get from overhead. And then the remote sensing piece gives us situational awareness; it tells us where we should be focusing our efforts. And overall, I think, OK, that’s great, but now you still have to make a treatment with either a ground rig or hire an airplane.

(www.KellyHills.us)

“But with our FAA test range (pictured above) that we were approved for last summer within Kelly Hills, now we can autonomously fly to those spots with a drone, either in line of sight or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and we can make those treatments autonomously. This year, the tool we’re focusing on is true spot spraying BVLOS in corn and soybeans, and then next year hopefully we can make more tools or take that technology that already exists and make it into a tool for a grower, who can sign up for this subscription and buy one of these drones, and now I have a full encompassing suite of tools and I can know for sure what works and what does not work.”

FJ: How can farmers in Kansas learn more and possibly sign up to work with you guys?

LK: “There’s really two ways right now. For anything specific they might want to do, maybe there are some projects they are thinking about, go ahead and ping us on the website , and we’ll get back to you. And the other way is, once we’re done with a set tool or we wrap up our summer series of projects, we plan to make the results and findings available online, kind of like Beck’s Hybrids does with its farm applied research studies. We want people to see what we’re doing and to reach out with their ideas on how we can make better tools inside of The Forge and showcase some of these technologies together in one new product, and growers are very interested in this and would love to understand if they can package these technologies together and make an ROI.”

FJ: You already have this inaugural cohort in place, but are you already thinking about what’s next?

LK: “I have a couple companies that I need to further engage with now that they can see what The Forge is all about. A couple of those are involved in year-over-year (data) modeling technology that can say, OK, help me start to determine this is my pattern, and this is what I did last year; now can you tell me what to do next year and how to create more ROI? And then I think soil is a huge key right now, too. I don’t have any any soil type products in there, and soil sampling is great, but there are some neat companies that are focusing on soil-sensing technology that I think would be interesting to package in there, too. You know, in due time I think we’ll get there.”

Koch says the plan is to unveil many of the insights and results from The Forge at this summer’s Kelly Hills Unmanned Field Day. That event is set for Aug. 19, and you can get registered for it here.

And, just for fun, here’s a video breakdown of the Pyka Pelican 2:

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From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 19:04:17 GMT

After releasing our “Where Farm Equipment Is Made” 2025 update in February , we circled back with farm equipment manufacturers to get a read on how tariffs will affect where machines are made.

Many companies across a wide range of industries are considering or even moving forward with plans to reshore production from overseas back into the United States. We’ve learned this process involves long-term, strategic investments in new facilities and/or expanding factories already established here in the States.

Although each manufacturer shared differing visions for how, when and where it plans to build out additional manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead, a common theme did emerge: farm equipment builders are investing big dollars into reshoring, and many have been for quite some time now.

Let’s hear what the machinery companies are planning:

AGCO Corp.

(AGCO Corp.)

The Duluth, Ga.-based equipment manufacturer says its dedication to American farmers and its own strategic investment plans are “key drivers of our overall growth strategy,” according to an AGCO spokesperson.

The rest of the statement from AGCO, which builds the Fendt and Massey Ferguson equipment brands along with its own AGCO machines, regarding U.S. expansion plans can be found below:

Since 2020, we have invested just under $3 billion in the U.S. across new and expanded manufacturing facilities, product innovations and the largest ag tech deal in the history of the industry. Our commitment has extended across our various brands, locations and Research & Development (R&D) efforts, including the notable 2024 joint venture establishing Colorado-based PTx Trimble, the inauguration of Fendt Lodge – the North American headquarters of Fendt – in Minnesota, a new precision ag production facility in Illinois, modernization of systems and technologies in one of our Kansas plants, and U.S.-based R&D for new sprayer and planter technology.

These investments, AGCO says, will not only enhance production at its U.S. facilities for years to come, but also ensure AGCO remains at the forefront of ag innovation around the world.

Claas

(Matthew J. Grassi)

Claas is still a somewhat fresh face to the North American farm equipment market, but the company has deep roots in Europe. It was founded over 100 years ago in a small German farming town, and today the company has global headquarters in Harsewinkel, Germany.

But you may not be aware that Claas has also built a significant manufacturing operation in America’s heartland. The company opened its Lexion combine production campus, located just south of downtown Omaha, Neb., in 1997. This year marks 10,000 Lexion combines rolling off the main production line inside the 120,000 sq. ft. facility.

(Photos: John Deere, Matthew J. Grassi, AGCO, Kubota)

Claas has significant expansion plans in place for its Omaha campus, including doubling its overall production footprint for the main manufacturing building as well as adding a new training and apprenticeship building.

Here is the statement Matthias Ristow, president & managing director of business administration – Claas Omaha, shared regarding the company’s expansion plans:

Claas is investing significantly in its production hub in the United States, and not only recently. Over the last five years, we have added to our production facility to provide a better location for our rework and reconfiguration areas, as well as a dedicated work area for our quality control department for the pre-delivery inspections each machine must go through before being shipped. This is part of our comprehensive quality assurance program.

We also have built a new service academy where we train all the technicians from our U.S. dealer network (we have a similar location in Canada) so we can keep their skills up to date and make sure they have the proper certifications to work on our machines. Technology updates and changes are trained there as well.

Furthermore, our new service academy houses our apprenticeship program where we train the future assembly technicians in a three-year rigorous training program, managed by the German Chamber of Commerce. The program has several advantages. Technicians receive a regular paycheck (“earn while you learn”), receive an associate’s degree from a community college we partner with, receive a certificate from the German Chamber and have a job when they graduate from the program debt free.

Farm Journal recently had the opportunity to tour Claas’ Omaha operation, where we learned the manufacturer is also expanding its partnerships with domestic material and component manufacturers. For example, it recently began working with a finished parts supplier local to Nebraska to fabricate the grain spout for each Lexion combine.

CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland)

(CNH Industrial)

Although short on specifics, CNH Industrial (Racine, Wisc.) confirms it plans to “continue to expand our footprint through capital investments in our U.S. facilities, partnerships with local suppliers and programs that strengthen the communities where we live and work.”

CNH adds it currently employs more than 9,000 people across 17 U.S. states, with 14 manufacturing facilities and 22 R&D centers active throughout North America.

And approximately 70% of the components used in CNH Industrial’s U.S. plants are sourced from domestic suppliers while 95% its steel is purchased from U.S.-based mills. It says this approach to domestic material sourcing supports thousands of suppliers’ jobs and reinforces its investment in American-made quality.

John Deere

(John Deere)

The farm equipment manufacturer with global headquarters in Moline, Ill., was first to share its future investment plans with Farm Journal. Back in May, the company announced a 10-year, $20 billion outlay plan for its U.S. production base. This year alone, Deere says it will pour $100 million into its U.S. operations.

John Deere says this initiative includes:

A 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of the company’s remanufacturing facility in Missouri.
Construction of a new excavator factory in Kernersville, N.C.
Expansion of its Greeneville, Tenn., turf equipment factory.
New assembly lines for 9RX high-horsepower tractor production in Waterloo, Iowa.

John Deere plans to invest a total of $22.5 billion into its U.S. manufacturing network once the 10-year project is complete.

Kubota North America

(Kubota North America)

Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) established its North America headquarters in Grapevine, TX., in 2017. The Japanese equipment manufacturer shared the following statement regarding U.S. expansion plans.

North America is critical for Kubota, and the U.S. is our largest market. We firmly believe in local production for local consumption and have made more than $1 billion in U.S. infrastructure investments in the last couple years to meet the growing needs of our dealers and customers. For example, we recently announced the opening of a new loader facility in Gainesville, Ga., (invested $190 million), a new Western Distribution Center in California (invested $72 million), and an R&D facility (invested $100 million) that’s also in Georgia. We have other network investment announcements in the works, and we plan to continue to invest over the next five to 10 years as we respond to market demands. Today, we are more than 7,000 American workers strong who market and sell, and fabricate, weld and assemble equipment with domestic and global parts.

Want to learn more about where your favorite farm machines are made? Check out “From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made”.

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Vintage Vibes: 4 Old Tractors Make Pete's Pick Of The Week

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:53:07 GMT

The vintage trend is hot in 2025, but who knew it goes for farm tractors, too?

Well, Machinery Pete knew, that’s who!

For this week’s “Pete’s Pick of the Week”, Machinery Pete highlighted a handful of vintage tractors as living proof that old machinery is still in high demand — especially when the price is right.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

First up is a 1968 Oliver 1950T mechanical front-wheel drive tractor (shown above) with 5,040 hours that sold last week for $35,000 in a Steffes Group farm estate auction for farmer Bob Donowski. Pete says that is the highest auction price ever on a Oliver 1950T. The previous record high was $26,000.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Pete was also intrigued by a 1989 White 185 mechanical front-wheel drive tractor with 38,163 hours that brought $21,750.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And a 1984 White 2-155 2WD tractor with 31,181 hours that sold for $16,750.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Rounding out the Steffes Group auction was a 1997 White 6085 mechanical front wheel drive tractor with 21,135 hours that sold for $16,250.

And finally, at a Union, Iowa, auction helmed by Mid Iowa Auction Company, a 1972 John Deere 4020 front-wheel drive power shift tractor (above) sold for $45,500.

Auctions This Week
On Tuesday, June 10, Pete says it might be worth checking out the Adam Marshall Land and Auction no reserve, online equipment auction. The Nebraska-wide sale will also pull in used machinery from Kansas and Colorado.

Specifically, Pete is watching a 1987 Case IH 2594 2WD tractor with 44,145 hours on it in that sale.

Another promising sale on Tuesday is the Weiman Land & Auction Company annual summer farmers and dealers consignment sale. Pete says there are some nice, low-hour items as well as some interesting, hard-to-find machines in that sale — like a 1980 Big Bud tractor he says is “really sharp.”

There is also a retirement auction in Mapleton, Iowa, for Al Bruhn on Saturday, June 21, that Pete says you don’t want to miss. Iowa Machinery Man is handling the bidding for that sale.

And on the same day, a farm estate auction in Lime Springs, Iowa, for Harry and Lola Blackburn features low-hour John Deere equipment, including a 2009 Gold Key-certified, one owner JD 7230 tractor. Joel’s Tractor & Auction will handle the bidding there.

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Pete's Pick of the Week: Paying Homage to Fallen Auction Legends, John Deere Machines Fetch High Prices

Mon, 19 May 2025 16:59:51 GMT

Farm equipment industry legend Conrad Clement is Machinery Pete’s “Pick of the Week.” Clement, 80, passed away on May 6 at his home in Decorah, Iowa.

Conrad Clement

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

After getting his start as a mechanic at his local implement dealer in Iowa, Clement moved to Grand Meadow, Minn., where he founded the pre-internet auction house Midwest Auctions in 1969. Clement also purchased Featherline Trailers in Cresco, Iowa, in 1989 and then went on to own the Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

“We just want to send a shout-out and say thank you to Conrad for all his contributions to the ag community in Minnesota, Iowa and beyond,” Machinery Pete says. “And another shout-out to Carroll Olson from Atkinson, Neb. Now, Carroll passed away some time ago but his online estate auction was just last Wednesday by our friends at Big Iron. Carroll was quite a legendary figure out in Nebraska.”

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Olson’s pair of Big Bud Tractors, both 1979 52550 models (one is pictured above), were auctioned off last week. One of the machines brought $77,500 and the other went for $78,000.

If you want to learn more about Conrad Clement’s legacy in the farm equipment world, check out the YouTube video above. Machinery Pete put it together last year during a visit to Minnesota.

John Deere 8285R, S780 Bring In Big Bids
Pete also highlighted a pair of used John Deere machines that caught his eye from last week’s auction results:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2012 8285R tractor with 975 hours (shown above) sold for $211,200 at a farm retirement auction helmed by Purple Wave Auction in Rogersville, Mo. Pete says that is the eighth highest auction price of all-time on a 8285R.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)
A 2024 S780 combine with 288 hours sold for $425,250 on May 14 at an online farm auction in Belleville, Kan.

Bonus Pete: If you missed Machinery Pete’s segment on “AgDay” talking about vintage farm equipment that recently sold at auction you can check it out at the video below.

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Mo Technology, Mo Problems? 2 Farmers Sound Off on Unreliable, High Maintenance Farm Equipment

Thu, 15 May 2025 18:20:24 GMT

Northeast Iowa farmer Tim Burrack is getting a little taste of Murphy’s Law this spring, and he’s not too thrilled about it. The same goes for Kansas farmer Matt Splitter. Both men are dealing with farm equipment that is breaking down more often than it is getting the job done.

It’s easy to see why such a situation would be so frustrating from the farmer point-of-view: the ag technology they’ve invested in to keep things on track this spring has basically done the complete opposite. And when the ideal planting windows are as compressed and as brief as they are today, stalled equipment is more than just a little problematic.

“There’s been a lot of problems for me — that’s a reason I’m not done planting yet — there’s just all these issues slowing us down, and more often than not, it’s (a problem with) the technology,” Burrack told “AgriTalk” host Chip Flory this week during his appearance on the weekly Farmer Forum segment.

Just yesterday, Burrack says, one row on his planter completely shut down. He took it down to the local dealership, but even the dealer technician was stumped. Lucky for Brook, the dealer’s IT guy was in the office that day and he figured out how to get his planter back up and running.

“He said let’s do an ISOBUS shutdown. Now, I’d never even heard that term before, but it’s when you shut everything off, you unplug the planter from the tractor, and then you start the tractor, back it up, and then plug the planter back in while the tractor is running,” he says. “That ended up solving my problem, but then something else shut down, and we sat there for another hour and a half before we figured that out. Stuff like that — as a farmer it makes you want to pull your hair right out.”

Kansas farmer Matt Splitter considers himself an early tech adopter, but even he is feeling a bit of tech-fatigue after having to do more “hard resets than I can count on all my extremities” this spring.

“There’s just something coming at us every day, all the time,” he says. “You get error codes. You get warnings. We’ve got a tractor down right now because of (an issue with) wiring, and we’ve got planters shut down. We can’t go a full day without some kind of technology issue, and what’s crazy is it’s not something that completely stops you in your tracks, just something that makes you want to pull your hair out. And there’s nothing you can really do other than chase down a mile of wires or do a hard reset.”

Splitter puts the onus for the dodgy tech and machinery squarely on farm equipment and ag tech providers. He believes they are not perfecting new products and machines before releasing them for sale, and then they simply move on to the next new product in the pipeline.

“And the technicians at the dealerships are not being properly trained, either,” he adds. “They’re at a loss for how to fix a lot of these problems, as well.”

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Pete's Pick of the Week: Single Owner New Holland Tractor, Low Acre Kinze Planter and Strip Tillage Tool

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:11:18 GMT

The weather is finally starting to turn warmer and (sometimes) sunny in many areas of the country. The latest Pete’s Pick of the Week comes from the Eastern Corn Belt, where many growers are still waiting on fields to dry up before putting pedal to metal and going full boar into the #plant25 season.

Pete’s Pick of the Week
This week’s eye-catching machine comes to us from a Kiko auction that took place on Saturday in Diamond, Ohio. Machinery Pete says the sale featured a fine selection of low hour, single owner, well-conditioned machinery for the taking, but a pair of machines in particular drew his attention.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2013 New Holland T7 260 tractor with 1,226 hours on it (shown above) sold for $152,000. The T7 was among a fleet of six New Holland tractors at the sale, Pete says.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And a 2024 Kinze 3505 planter with low acres planted (172) sold for an even $100,000 at the same Ohio auction.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

He says last Wednesday’s PurpleWave.com farm auction near Oakley, Kan., was another notable sale, with an Orthman 1tRIPr (One Tripper) 40-foot, 30-row strip tillage tool going for $90,000.

Promising Auction This Week

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Pete adds it might pay off to check out the Kerr Auction online sale that finishes up Tuesday, April 22, in Mount Pleasant, PA.

He added he is excited to see how much cash a Case IH 8920 Magnum tractor (shown above) with 2,887 hours on it will end up fetching. It’s not every day you can track one of these machines down with less than 3,000 operating hours on it, Pete says.

“There’s a lot of very nice equipment on that sale, so that will be interesting for sure,” he says.

Go to KerrAuction.com to see what’s up for auction and to register to bid. You can also check out this video preview Pete put together and shared on Facebook :

The State of the Used Farm Equipment Market
Looking at the bigger picture, Machinery Pete says two buyer behavior trends are playing out across the used farm equipment auction market:

Even with budgets tightened, he says there is still solid buyer demand for good condition, low-hour used equipment.
The used combine market, which is usually six to 12 months ahead of the high horsepower tractor segment, is starting to firm up value-wise after two years of high supply price erosion. The segment today is only down about 10% overall, which Pete is taking as a good sign used tractor values could firm up in the near future.

“Good condition, low hour used is still bringing out the buyers,” he told AgriTalk host Chip Flory on Monday. “We’re seeing prices firmer on the combine side, but what will the dealer market do this summer? Last year we saw a huge flow of late model tractors and combines from the dealer lot into the auction market, which caused prices to drop. Will we see the same this year?”

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Kansas Farmer Chase Larson's Ability to Overcome Adversity, and Still Grow, Will Inspire You

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:22:43 GMT

A pilot by training and a farmer by trade, Chase Larson runs his Kansas operation more like a Fortune 500 company than he does a farm.

“Being able to get outside of what you’re doing every day and hearing other people’s experience is crucial to making a successful company,” says Chase Larson, CEO of Bestifor Farms , which is based in Belleville, Kansas.

The Decision to Make Chase CEO
From regular board meetings to his involvement in peer groups, Chase took over as CEO just over a year ago.

Chase Larson sits in the company’s board room.

(Tyne Morgan, Farm Journal)

“He was doing a lot of the responsibilities up to that point, as far as negotiations, cropping decisions, and relationships - everything it takes to run a farm. He earned that respect and my feeling the time was right,” says Thayne Larson, Chase’s dad who also now serves as Bestifor board president.

Chase recalls the point his dad decided it was time to fully transition, “He walked in, and actually my mom was there too, and said, ‘You are CEO of all of Bestifor.”

An aerial view of harvest for Bestifor Farms.

(Chase Larson)

That moment was a surprise in a way, but Chase has always been an integral part of the operation, even buying and brokering loads of hay in college.

“That’s how I really got into it was through logistics and shipping and negotiating when we got into the trucking business,” Larson says.

Bestifor Farms is one of six companies for this sixth-generation farm family.

(Matt Mormann, Farm Journal )

Today, Bestifor Hay Company and Bestifor Farms are just two of the six businesses that make up the Bestifor family of companies.

“We hired better and better people and provided benefits. We worked off of that model, and we’re still working off that model today. But not only the farm and the hay company, but all the additional companies that we have surrounded that support it,” Thayne says.

Bestifor family of brands includes six companies today.

(Matt Mormann, Farm Journal)

Pursuit to Enter Into Pet Food
With 40 employees, 30 of which are full time, each of the Bestifor companies inject values into the overall Bestifor brand, and one of the businesses that’s sprouted within the last decade is a company called Grandpa’s Best.

“We realized we had some really good talent around us being in the hay business for a long time. We said, ‘How hard can it be to start a pet food company?’ And turns out, it’s really hard,” Chase says.

Grandpa’s Best is a small family company committed to providing premium quality Timothy Hay, Orchard Grass Hay, Alfalfa Hay, and native Kansas Prairie Hay to small herbivores and exotic animals.

(Matt Mormann, Farm Journal)

The wild idea to start a pet food company didn’t come from Chase or Thayne. The idea came from Chase’s late wife Celine.

“She came out here and she just got a curious mind,” Thayne says. “She walked the pastures and she was a K-State grad who grew up in California. She said, ‘I wonder what else can eat this grass besides cattle. So, she got seven or eight or 10 different species of grasses, and she sent samples to K-State for research asking what else will eat this? And it came back with rabbits and gerbils.”

They hired a firm to help explain the pet food business, uncovering a $3 billion pet food market worldwide.

“And we said, ‘Well, sure, there’s a piece of that we can find,’” Thayne says.

And they did - a business that’s doubled in sales every year since 2019.

“Chase and Celine, they brought a different side to the operation,” Thayne says. “They showed us there’s more to this than just local and quality for what we’re trying to accomplish as a family. And they have just taken it to another level and put it on steroids. It’s taken off in a whole different direction, and we’re excited about it.”

Constantly uncovering new opportunities, Chase’s late wife Celine was the one who came up with the idea for Grandpa’s Best.

(Chase Larson )

The Battle Against Cancer
Celine Larson was a light on the farm, in their family and in their community.

“She was someone who was an entrepreneurial spirit,” Larson says. “She enjoyed agriculture.”

In 2017, Celine was diagnosed with cancer. Their four kids were 2, 4, 6 and 8 at the time, and Chase’s focus shifted from farming, to fighting for Celine’s life with treatments in Texas.

“I think the longest stint was like 36 days that we never came back,” Chase says. “My mom took the girls to school every day, got them ready, fed them and took over that role while we were down there fighting cancer.”

Chase, along with his late wife Celine, have four daughters.

(Chase Larson )

On Dec. 9, 2019, a little over two years since she was first diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma, Celine Larson passed away at the age of 35.

“When she passed away, it changed our perspective on what’s important in life,” Chase says. “You rethink what you want to do, what you don’t want to do. But the family support on both sides was unbelievable. And most people think, ‘How do you get through things like that?’ But it these negatives are not negatives.”

Thayne adds, “He hasn’t talked about his faith, but it’s rock solid. He’s just such an inspiration and so dedicated. And that’s part of the balance of his life.”

Water Management Software Built By Farmers
Constantly striving for balance, Chase is also always uncovering new ways to grow. One example is through is latest endeavor, which is an app for real-time water management called VandWater, a company that was built by farmers for farmers.

“We figured out how to write it, got the right coders, hired them and went from concept to that in three months,” Chase says.

Chase Larson created VandWater two years ago, which is software for anyone who manages water. The goal is to make comprehensive water management more simple through software.

(VandWater )

Today, VandWater is a fully web-based app, available on any iPhone or Android. It has thousands of wells on the system across three states.

The new ventures are allowing the operation to grow in new ways, all while not losing sight of their roots, which is the farm. Bestifor Farms has managed to double in size over the last 16 years - growing to 12,000 acres today.

Sixth Generation Farm With Sights Set on the Future
And Chase says this sixth-generation farm isn’t finished growing yet.

“We’re very entrepreneurial driven,” Chase says. “We’re not afraid to fail, not to figure out a mistake here or there. You’re not going to grow without constant change and being outside of your borders.”

Chase’s constant hunger to find value, while not losing sight of the fact quality is their legacy here, makes Chase Larson a finalist for 2025 Top Producer of the Year.

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Tractor Tales: Rediscover Classics from John Deere and International Harvester

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:31:23 GMT

If you love antique and unique farm tractors, then Machinery Pete’s Tractor Tales segment is right up your alley. You can find the videos on YouTube. The segments are also featured each weekend on U.S. Farm Report.

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest Tractor Tales videos.

John Deere Tractor Tales

Ohio farmer Chris Durham has one of only 39 John Deere 435 diesel tractors on his McClure, Ohio, farm. Making this tractor even more special is the original engine Deere planned to use for this model was swapped out for a General Motors 253 hp “Detroit Diesel” two stroke engine. Durham said that Deere did not like how the engine sounded or its rough starts in cold weather, so large-scale production was scrapped.

Manlius, Ill., farmer Kim Sanden and a couple buddies took the time to painstakingly restore this 1970 John Deere 4070 diesel tractor, which Sanden purchased from a lady in Springfield, Ill. The old workhorse tractor was pretty beat up when Sanden and his friends first got to wrenching on it, but you’d never be able to tell looking at it today. That is one sweet, sweet looking restored John Deere tractor.

Colorado farmer Tyson Hanson and his family have restored a John Deere GP tractor that has been in the family for over 50 years. It’s the first tractor Hanson ever drove as a kid growing up on the farm, and it’s not one you’d easily forget due to the unique clickity-clackity-sputtering cadence of its engine. It was owned by Hanson’s great-grandfather, who owned 200-plus two-cylinder tractors during his life. Apparently, the old tractor is still a beast when it comes to tractor pulls: The Hansons have only lost a handful of pulls with the GP.

Fun with Farmall

You’re going to start picking up on a theme with these: Farmers love to go back and buy the first tractor they ever drove, and that’s exactly the case with Saint Mary’s, Kan., farmer Dan Kennedy and his candy-apple red Farmall BN tractor.

Kennedy purchased the tractor from a farm in Shanksville, Penn., that was right next to the field where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on 9/11. Kennedy says he still gets choked up even today talking about this special tractor. That’s one farmer who will truly never forget.

Adrian, N.D., farmer Lee Miller has a beautifully restored 1949 M-D Diesel that also takes unleaded gasoline. He says the diesel engine is more powerful than the gasoline combustion engine, so most farmers would take the tractor to a local machine shop and have them widen the original rims a few inches so they could use wider footprint tires to take advantage of that additional torque to the ground.

Northfield, Minn., farmer Jeremy Sevcik bought and restored a 1946 H Series tractor as part of a 4-H project during high school. He fixed a broken gear box, sandblasted all the sheet metal and gave it a fresh coat of paint. It turned out to be a pretty solid school project: Sevcik bought the tractor off his Dad last fall, and he uses it for pulling trailers and moving around hay racks.

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Pete's Pick of the Week: John Deere Tractors Take the Spotlight

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 09:26:00 GMT

For the last week of January, Machinery Pete has selected a 1980 John Deere 4640 out of Sheffield, Ill., that sold for $57,250 at BigIron Auctions for his Pete’s Pick of the Week.

Pete’s Pick of the Week for January 26, 2025.

(BigIron.com)

The listed operating hours on this 45-year old tractor (1,708) are a bit deceiving: Machinery Pete says it has been overhauled with a reman engine and quad range transmission. It also has upgraded steps and an add-on LED lighting package with extended mirrors.

Why Pete Picked It: Machinery Pete says this machine has undergone “basically tons of detail work to make it look new, and I mean it did look like new.”

The price it brought at auction is the third highest used auction price ever for a 1980 John Deere 4640. The all-time record is $61,000, set at a Sullivan Auctioneers auction in Bingham Lake, Minn., in August 2019.

At that same Sheffield, Ill., auction, a 2023 John Deere 8RX 410 with only 208 hours sold for $352,750. Considering a comparable model is currently listed for sale online at a large Midwest-based John Deere dealer for $579,900, it seems fair to say the lucky buyer took home quite a bargain.

One of four 2022 JD 8R 410 tractors.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Four 2022 John Deere 8R 410 tractors sold for an average price of $343,750 at a Wheeler Auctions & Real Estate consignment sale in Paris, Mo. That’s down about $6,000 from last year’s average auction price of $349,660, which according to Machinery Pete is down 14% from the 2023 average price.

On Monday, Machinery Pete joined Chip Flory on “AgriTalk.” Catch his segment here:

Dealer acquisition news
Machinery Pete shared that Eis Implement, a third-generation, family-owned John Deere dealership located near Manitowoc, Wis., is being acquired by Riesterer & Schnell, another family-owned John Deere dealer with deep roots in The Badger State.

And in Illinois, Martin Tractor and Prairie State Tractor are merging together and joining forces with Heritage Tractor. Heritage has dealerships in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and now in Illinois. The newly merged Illinois dealer network will operate across 22 outlets.

“There’s a lot happening in the dealer space and it’s driven by this inventory and pressure on dealers to pay 8% interest on all their used stuff,” Peterson told AgriTalk Radio host Chip Flory. “But one thing I’m seeing, Chip, as these dealers get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, it is fascinating to me they are exerting a lot of pressure back on the manufacturer and it’s doing things I’ve never seen before. So, the ecosystem is changing as we speak.”

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Have a used tractor you’re looking to sell? List it with MachineryPete.com , the most trusted name in farm equipment, reaching thousands of prospective buyers every day. Follow Machinery Pete on Facebook and on YouTube for the latest updates straight from the man himself.

Battle Against Resistant Weeds: How One Technology Could Revive No-Till On the Plains

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:02:11 GMT

Farming in southwest Kansas isn’t for the faint of heart. Producing a crop in an arid climate can be a challenge, but this year, Luke Jaeger is thankful for some much needed rain.

“It was the wettest November on record for us in some areas of the farm, which is crazy this time of year.” says Jaeger, a farmer in Minneola, Kan.

For an area that typically receives less than 20" of rain each year, Jaeger says some of his farms have seen 6" of rain during the month of November alone.

The deluge of rain is much needed moisture the winter wheat is soaking up, and it’s also planting ideas for different crop plans next spring.

“I was just talking with our local dealer here about how on our farm, for the first time ever, we will probably plant more dryland corn than we will grain sorghum, because of the subsoil moisture we have in the ground.

Jaeger and his brother farm a mix of corn, sorghum, soybeans and wheat, most of which is dryland, across 20,000 acres.

“Every year, my brother and I, Matthew, take a 30,000' approach and poke holes in our operation to find where we are spending too much money and where can we save,” Jaeger says.

A never ending journey to solve problems on their own farm, they started EGE Products to manufacture specialty ag chemicals and fertilizers.

“I like to say our farm is a 20,000 acre research farm,” Jaeger says. “In our office, we have a full-scale laboratory with formulation chemists, Ph.D.s, chemists and chemical engineers. So, we see problems on the farm and bring them back to our formulations team to work on solutions.”

With the farm to then put those products to the test, Jaeger says it’s a constant journey to innovate.

“I think it’s important to be relevant in the marketplace and always be innovating, whether it’s on the farm or with EGE. We’re always trying to innovate,” Jaeger says. “I think if you’re not innovating, you’re dying. A lot of people bristle at adopting newer technologies and we just dive right into it and go.”

One of the latest products they decided to try wasn’t something they produced on their own. Instead, it was added to their sprayer: John Deere’s See & Spray.

“It’s like that technology was built for our farm,” Jaeger says. “We didn’t approach See & Spray technology to specifically reduce costs. A lot of it was reducing the toxicity of some of the chemicals that we were using on the farm.”

Able to Use More Effective, But More Expensive Herbicides

Jaeger says they run their sprayer 11 months out of the year, and he’s the one who’s typically in the driver’s seat.

“I put about 600 hours a year in the seat of one of our sprayers, and I don’t like Paraquat,” he explains. “What See & Spray has allowed us to do is chemistries that perform the same, but they were a little too expensive, it has allowed us to integrate that chemistry more into our operation.”

Jaeger says in his area, a chemistry like Paraquat is widely used out of necessity, mainly because it’s the most affordable and best option available for farmers

However, they Jaegers don’t like to use that particular herbicide, saying it drifts too much and is too toxic. Now, thanks to the new spraying technology that allows them to only spray where weeds are present, their farm has been able to make the switch.

“It’s allowed us to move to other chemistries that were more expensive and hard to justify when you were spraying every acre. And now we’ve been able able to move to to some of those less toxic. I mean, the chemistry that we use now is less toxic than table salt. So, I mean, you can get real excited about that,” said Jaeger.

The Battle Against Resistant Weeds

Instead of looking at the technology to save on costs, Jaeger sees it as a way to do a more effective job.

“I found that we’re going out earlier, more often than we normally would,” he adds. “If you’re going to blanket spray, you want to wait until there are enough weeds out there to justify the the application. And for us, we didn’t. We don’t have to wait because we know maybe we’re only going to spray 5% of the field.”

Because of their location, the Jaegers had to transition to nearly 100% no-till, a necessity to control wind erosion and help preserve and protect any moisture in the soil.

“A lot of farmers have had to abandon no till because it’s just too expensive, and it became harder and harder to control those resistant weeds,” Jaeger says. “But with this technology, I think we’re going to see more farmers coming back into no till because they can cost effectively control those weeds.

In 2011, it was kochia that Roundup herbicide would no longer control. Now Jaeger says Pigweed and resistant grasses, like switchgrass, have become a yearly battle.

“What this See & Spray technology allows us to do is run a more concentrated spray mixture, a high rate of glyphosate or cluster them. But we’re only spraying that particular weed and not the whole field. So, we can run a higher rate of that chemical, get way better control, and our costs are still very minimal because we’re only spraying that target weed that’s out there,” he explained.

When farming smarter and always trying to innovate, the Jaegers say it’s technology like See & Spray that seems to have a perfect fit here in southwest Kansas.

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