Missouri

House E15 Bill Could Boost Corn Prices While Pressuring Soybeans, FAPRI Finds

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:37:31 GMT

As the House prepares to vote on year-round E15 , there’s a new study out from the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) , and it’s is giving agriculture and biofuels groups an early look at what expanded year-round E15 sales and changes to Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) could mean for farmers and rural America. While there are positives for ethanol and corn demand, the report also highlights some clear tradeoffs, especially for soybean oil, biodiesel and even short-term farm income as soybeans could be negatively impacted by the House’s legislation.

According to FAPRI Director Seth Meyer, the study’s clearest takeaway is that year-round E15 alone doesn’t dramatically reshape the farm economy in the near term, but proposed changes to small refinery exemptions could pressure farm income while increasing government spending.

Meyer says the headline is pretty straightforward. The biggest market disruptions in the analysis don’t actually come from allowing year-round E15 sales. Instead, the larger economic consequences show up when the House proposal to reduce SRE reallocations gets layered into the equation.

“The key of the report is that E15 itself is not, at least in the short term, a major disruption to the market in terms of producer incomes or government costs,” Meyer says. “It becomes mostly a tradeoff between corn and soybeans.”

SRE Allocations Changes the Story

Meyer says the study found that if it was just a clean E15 bill, the results would be different. But when you factor in the SREs, and the fact it’s still unknown on how big that volume would end up being, the House version of the bill becomes a negative for the entire agriculture sector very quickly.

“I think what was important was to put out some information that says E15 in and of itself is largely, at least in the near term, a trade-off between corn and beans,” says Meyer. “It’s good for the corn part of the balance sheet, maybe a little harder on the soybean part of the ballot sheet because there are trade-offs. But then the bill also proposes small refinery exemptions that are essentially a reduction in the mandates, and that is a negative overall. That takes what is really a trade-off between corn and beans and makes it an overall negative for both what the government spends and for the farm income for the sector.”

In FAPRI’s modeling, reducing the amount of waived refinery obligations that get redistributed across the rest of the refining sector effectively lowers Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. That shift weakens biofuel feedstock demand and creates more pressure on soybean markets and farm income.

“It is the addition of the small refinery exemptions and the proposal to not reallocate 75% of those obligations that government costs we track begin to rise and farm income begins to fall,” Meyer explains. “Those SREs are the main drivers of government costs and reductions in farm income because they are, in effect, a reduction in the RVOs or mandates.”

The FAPRI analysis looked at three scenarios tied to HR 1346, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act:

E15 expansion alone
E15 plus 600 million gallons of SRE reductions
E15 plus 900 million gallons of SRE reductions

Under the model, E15 adoption gradually grows by 0.25% annually, eventually pushing the average ethanol blend rate to 13% by 2035. That increase would add roughly 2 billion gallons of domestic ethanol use by the mid-2030s, while simultaneously changing the balance between ethanol and biomass-based diesel under the RFS structure.

What Happens to Corn and Soybeans?

FAPRI’s findings show E15 expansion boosts corn demand and corn acreage over time. By 2035, corn prices rise about 14 cents per bushel versus baseline levels, with additional corn acres pulled into production as ethanol demand expands.

But, according to the report, the gains for corn do not translate evenly across the broader crop sector. As ethanol demand rises, biomass-based diesel demand weakens, which directly pressures soybean oil values and eventually soybean prices. That’s especially true under the SRE scenarios, where lower mandated renewable fuel volumes further reduce demand for biodiesel feedstocks.

“So while corn may benefit, a reduction in the RVO has negative implications for soybeans that outweigh those corn benefits,” Meyer explains.

The report projects soybean prices could fall between 38 and 43 cents per bushel by 2035, depending on the SRE scenario. Soybean acreage also trends lower throughout the projection period as acres shift toward corn production.

Meanwhile, soybean oil prices take an even larger hit because biodiesel absorbs much of the downside under reduced RFS obligations. Meyer says that dynamic is rooted in how current mandates are being met today.

“You see bio-based diesel decline in all cases because, at the moment, the majority of the marginal gallons to meet the mandates are biodiesel,” Meyer says. “If you expand the small refinery exemptions, those volume reductions are no longer a tradeoff between ethanol and bio-based diesel, but a reduction in the marginal gallon, which is bio-based diesel.”

Farm Income Turns Negative Before Recovering

One of the more notable findings in the study is that net farm income trends negative for several years under the SRE scenarios before eventually recovering later in the outlook period. While stronger corn demand helps offset some losses, it isn’t enough in the early years to counter the broader drag from weaker soybean and bio-based diesel markets.

Under the larger 900-million-gallon SRE scenario, net farm income falls by as much as $1 billion annually during the early 2030s before improving later in the decade. FAPRI also projects higher government outlays under the SRE scenarios as weaker commodity prices trigger additional farm program support.

Meyer says soybean losses are the biggest driver behind the weaker farm income projections. He also notes that ripple effects extend into livestock feeding costs because of tighter soybean meal supplies and higher corn demand.

“The notable driver in the outcome is the losses for soybeans as the SREs cut mandates,” he adds.

The livestock sector also sees higher feed costs as corn demand rises and soybean meal supplies tighten. Over time, those higher feed costs work their way through animal agriculture and eventually impact consumer meat prices as producers adjust inventories and production decisions.

Key Points From the Study

E15 expansion alone modestly boosts corn demand with relatively limited disruption to overall farm income.
Reduced SRE reallocation lowers effective RFS mandates and creates the largest negative impacts on crop receipts and government outlays.
Biomass-based diesel demand declines more sharply than ethanol demand under the proposed changes.
Corn acreage rises while soybean acreage falls across all scenarios.
The long-term outcome depends heavily on how quickly E15 adoption actually happens — and whether EPA eventually expands the conventional ethanol “gap” above 15 billion gallons.

That final point may be one of the biggest wildcards in the entire discussion, said Meyer. FAPRI’s analysis assumes the conventional ethanol portion of the Renewable Fuel Standard effectively remains capped near 15 billion gallons. If EPA policy or future legislation allows that cap to move higher, the economics for agriculture could look considerably different.

“You call out a very important assumption,” Meyer says. “If the passage of E15 were to drive an expansion of that 15-billion-gallon conventional gap to 16 or 17 billion gallons and raise total mandates by that same amount, this would increase benefits or reduce losses in the ag sector across all the scenarios.”

Corn Growers React, Disagrees With “Two Fundamental Assumptions”

The recent analyses examining the potential impacts of year-round E15 adoption are drawing sharp disagreement from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), which says key assumptions in those models undercut the policy’s real-world effects.

In response to the reports, Krista Swanson, NCGA’s chief economist, argued that the studies fail to account for recent federal biofuel policy changes and underestimate how quickly E15 could be adopted in the marketplace.

“We disagree with two fundamental assumptions with recent analyses related to year-round E15 adoption: they do not factor in the historically high final RVO volumes recently set for biomass-based diesel and they assume slower E15 adoption than industry projections,” Swanson says.

Swanson added that NCGA’s own modeling reaches a very different conclusion on the policy’s impact on farm income and fuel markets.

“NCGA has also conducted its own analysis of year-round E15 and all outcomes point in the same direction: E15 strengthens corn demand and farm income for corn farmers, most of whom also raise soybeans. Year-round E15 saves drivers money at the pump, supports America’s corn farmers and improves energy security for our country. H.R. 1346 deserves a yes vote.”

The Biggest Unknowns

Meyer says there are still several major uncertainties surrounding both E15 adoption and how EPA ultimately implements future RFS obligations. Those unknowns could significantly alter how these market impacts unfold over the next decade.

“I don’t think there is a single assumption on this complicated issue, so let me state three,” he adds. “First is the true path of E15 expansion and more importantly, the second is how that might drive changes in mandates as a result. Third, what is the true volume of exemptions that would result from the legislation? Because we don’t have this information, we did two scenarios.”

The pace of actual consumer adoption also matters. While the model assumes gradual E15 growth over time, Meyer says a slower adoption curve would likely soften some of the corn demand benefits while making the negative impacts tied to SRE reductions more apparent.

“If growth in E15 is slower and we look just at the ‘clean’ E15, it just changes the amount of tradeoffs between corn and soybeans,” Meyer said. “But if we had slower E15 growth with SRE reductions, we would show more negative impacts on crop prices and farm income from the SREs.”

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.

Cotton Acres Projected to Slide Again in 2026 as Economic Pressures Mount

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:02:53 GMT

The U.S. cotton industry is bracing for another year of contraction as a “perfect storm” of high production costs, sluggish global demand, and stiff competition from alternative crops pushes producers to rethink their acreage.

According to the National Cotton Council’s (NCC) 45th Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey , U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.0 million cotton acres this spring, a 3.2% decline from 2025. While a 3% dip might seem modest in isolation, it follows a massive 17% reduction in acreage last year, signaling a sustained and sobering period of tough economic times for the industry.

And considering cotton producers lost, on average, more than $300 per acre last year, another year of declining acreage comes as little surprise to those in the industry, as some fear if the economist situation doesn’t change for cotton, more producers could exit farming in 2026.

The Economic Squeeze: Why the Shift?

In a recent interview on AgriTalk with host Chip Flory, NCC President and CEO Dr. Gary Adams highlighted the mounting pressure on farm balance sheets.

“Times are tough,” Adams says. “Prices have been declining and costs of production have continued to stay at high levels. It really is starting to mount up on producers in terms of the balance sheet for their farming operations.”

The survey reflects a strategic shift across the Cotton Belt. With cotton prices struggling to compete with the current markets for corn and soybeans, many growers are opting for crops with lower overhead.

“In a lot of cases, they’re looking at soybeans as an alternative, in part because of its lower cost of production than what you see in cotton,” Adams notes. This “flight to safety” is a direct response to the high-risk, high-reward nature of cotton in an era of volatile input prices.

Farmers Are Walking Away From Cotton

For Charles Williams, a farmer in Crawfordsville, Ark., he’s seen what multiple years of losses can do to an industry. Cotton is a cornerstone crop in his area, with the infrastructure reliant upon that single crop. But growing cotton also comes with specialized, expensive equipment that’s become almost too costly to own, especially with today’s cotton prices.

“We’ll continue to plant some cotton, at least as much as we did last year,” he says. “Our production last year is half of what it historically is, so we’ll be 50% to 60%, maybe 65% of what we historically plant with cotton,” he says.

Because these farmers have cotton equipment to pay for, equipment that can only do one thing, which is pick cotton, walking away isn’t an easy choice. Williams also is an owner of a gin. So, he says he’s only planting enough cotton to justify the equipment and the gin, but not any more than that. Why? He simply can’t afford to.

Inside the Survey: A Coast-to-Coast Breakdown of 2026 Intentions

The NCC’s annual survey, a massive data-collection effort mailed to producers across the 17-state Cotton Belt in January, provides a granular look at how farmers are shifting their strategies. And when you break it down by region, it shows where the most severe economic pressures could be.

Mid-South: The Sharpest Decline

The Mid-South is bracing for the most dramatic shift, with total intentions down 20.6% to 1.2 million acres.

Arkansas & Missouri: These states are seeing the steepest cuts, with Arkansas down 30.3% and Missouri down 25.0%.
The Outlier: Louisiana stands against the trend, with growers expecting to plant 17.1% more cotton.

Southeast: A Broad Pullback

Respondents in the Southeast indicated a 4.9% decline in total acreage, falling to 1.6 million acres, with more of a shift toward corn and soybeans.

Georgia: Growers expect to reduce acreage by 3.6% to 805,000 acres—a historic low. This marks only the fourth time in 30 years that Georgia has dipped below the 1.1-million-acre threshold.
Significant Drops: Virginia leads the decline at 17.9%, followed by South Carolina (10.5%) and North Carolina (6.0%).

Southwest: A Patchwork of Growth

Bucking the national trend, Southwest growers intend to plant 1.6% more cotton.

Kansas & Oklahoma: Kansas is looking at a 9.6% increase at the expense of wheat and soybeans, while Oklahoma is charging ahead with a 15.7% increase.
Texas: The nation’s largest producer remains relatively flat with a 0.4% increase. However, internal shifts are happening: West Texas is reporting a slight uptick, while the Blacklands region intends to pivot toward sorghum.

The West: Upland Down, ELS Up

In the West, the story is a tale of two cottons. While Upland cotton acreage is expected to decline by 7.2%, with New Mexico seeing a sharp 17.6% drop. Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton is seeing a resurgence.

Looking Ahead: A New Safety Net With Long-Term Gains vs. Short-Term Pain

Despite the projected acreage drop, Adams points to several reasons for long-term optimism rooted in the latest Farm Bill provisions. The industry is just beginning to see the “heavy lifting” done by recent legislative wins, though the timing of the relief remains a challenge for growers facing immediate bills.

Key improvements to the safety net, according to Adams, include:

Reference Price Hikes: A 14% increase in reference prices for seed cotton under Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs.
Enhanced Insurance: Significant improvements to the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), including an increase in the premium subsidy to 80%.
Program Synergy: For the first time, growers can utilize these area-wide insurance products alongside PLC enrollment, providing a multi-layered defense against market drops.

“The combination of those two programs for 2026 and beyond will give growers better risk management, better price support, and a better safety net under them,” Adams explains.

However, there is a catch: the lag in payment distribution. Growers must navigate the 2026 planting season and its associated expenses before the support from the 2025 crop arrives this October.

Reclaiming the Market: “Plant, Not Plastic”

To combat the acreage slide and sagging prices, the NCC is aggressively pursuing new legislative and promotional avenues to bolster domestic and global demand.

The first is the “Buy American Cotton Act,” a proposal to offer tax credits to brands and retailers that document the use of U.S.-grown cotton.

“We purchase roughly 20 million bale equivalents of cotton textile products... but only about 4 million bales of that is actually U.S. cotton,” Adams says. The act aims to incentivize “dirt to shirt” production within the U.S., potentially reshoring a textile industry that has largely moved overseas.

The industry is also leaning into the sustainability movement with its “Plant, Not Plastic” campaign. This initiative targets the growing consumer concern over microplastics found in synthetic fibers like polyester.

“Cotton is a healthy alternative,” Adams says. He noted that the industry’s message is gaining traction at the highest levels, even reaching the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) commission, which recently highlighted the need for more study on the health impacts of synthetic microfibers.

Looking Ahead: The Path to Recovery for Cotton

While the 2026 outlook remains cautious, the industry is betting on a combination of legislative support and consumer education to turn the tide. By focusing on “nearshoring” opportunities in the Western Hemisphere and emphasizing cotton’s natural advantages over synthetics, the NCC hopes to create a more resilient market for the years to come.

The goal is to build demand at hone while changing behavior of brands and retailers. If they start using U.S. cotton instead of polyester or cotton from another country, there is hope for the future of cotton demand.

From Best Buy Toy to Pro Spray Drone: A Father-Son Duo Takes Flight In Missouri Cattle Country

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 19:41:27 GMT

Iowa State University freshman Rhett Keaton and his father, Vance, are launching a drone spraying side hustle.

The father-son duo started out just having some fun several years ago, buzzing around the house with a $20 drone from Best Buy that “drove mom crazy”. But now, they are getting serious about turning entertainment to revenue.

Vance, who runs 5K Cattle Company out of Anderson, Mo., ran out and purchased a DJI Agras T20P spray drone this spring, and both Keatons secured the Part 107 Commercial Pilot Certificate needed to operate on a farm. Combined with the private pesticide applicator’s license 5K Cattle Co. already held, the guys can now apply restricted-use pesticides to their own pasture ground.

University of Missouri Extension experts recently weighed in on the promise of drone usage in farming, and more specifically, in cattle operations. Field specialist Caleb O’Neal likens the technologies’ versatility and practicality to that of a UTV.

“Back in the 1980s, it would have been rare to see a UTV being used on a farm,” he says. “Visiting farms today, I’m hard-pressed to find an operation larger than 20 acres that doesn’t have some type of UTV that they utilize on a regular basis.”

And while the Keaton’s are banking on custom application services with a spray drone as their next play in ag, you don’t have to spray crops or weeds to use drones for the benefit of your farm or ranch, according to O’Neal.

Use of drones in agriculture is increasing as row crop and livestock producers find new ways to improve efficiency and productivity.

(Photo courtesy of Caleb O’Neal.)

“Livestock producers can monitor fences and availability of water and can make sure animals are where they should be without even opening a gate,” O’Neal explains. “Drone technology lets cattlemen quickly check estrus indication patches for optimized breeding timing, monitor cows during calving season, look for hidden newborn calves and look out for potential predators.

Getting back to the Keatons, the next step is for Rhett, who is majoring in ag systems technology in Ames this fall, to secure his Missouri commercial pesticide applicators license.

Once that happens, the pair can start marketing drone spraying services to neighboring farms. Their plan is to start locally with pasture and grassland applications before seeking out work on row crop farms to the north once foliar fungicide season hits.

Related - The Scoop Podcast: What’s Next For Ag Drone Application?

Even though the T20P is one of the smaller spray drones offered by DJI, Keaton says it’s proven to be the perfect fit so far. He also rents a neighbor’s spray drone, paying a per-acre fee, when he needs more than one bird to cover more ground.

“We do a lot of flying in and out of trees and stuff like that,” Keaton says. “Having that smaller drone with less capacity and a more efficient battery, I get about double the battery life as [the bigger drones] do. But I also have about half the tank.”

The reservoir on the T20P holds about 5.5 to 6 gallons of tank mix, so Keaton will usually need to land and refill his tank after about five or six minutes of spraying. He averages 23 acres per hour when everything is set up for a quick land-refill-takeoff cycle.

Keaton says Corteva’s DuraCor herbicide, an aerial application-approved formulation containing two Group 4 AIs, is the main product he’s been spraying from the drone thus far. The product label calls for 2 to 3 gallons of active ingredients (mixed with carrier water) applied per acre with coarse droplets.

A fellow rancher kicks the tires on Vance and Rhett Kaiser’s spray drone trailer at a field day event. The Kaisers operate 5K Cattle Company out of Anderson, Mo., and have plans to launch a spray drone custom application business in the near future.

(Rhett Keaton )

Keaton and Vance also picked up a nicely appointed spray drone trailer off — of all places — Facebook Marketplace. The whole setup – drone, trailer, extra batteries, etc. – cost about $30,000 all-in, Keaton says.

“We found one that was cheaper to buy than it was to build our own, especially with the generator — that is probably the most expensive part of that trailer,” he explains. “It already had the generator, pumps, the mix tanks and a thousand-gallon freshwater tank, and everything was lined up.”

With the spray drone in the air and the nice, shiny trailer parked edge-of-field as Keaton makes his passes, cleaning up weed escapes in fields that he says are “pretty clean” already, neighboring farmers often take notice and stop by to ask if he and his dad can come by and spray some of their ground, too. Their plan is to find the sweet spot between a $12 to $20 per acre fee to charge for their drone spraying services.

Speaking of sweet spots, O’Neal feels that spot spraying, guided by aerial imagery or even first-hand producer knowledge of where weed problems are significant and need to be addressed, is a good target for drone service providers like the Keatons.

“A pasture with a rash of blackberry weeds in isolated areas has great potential for a prescription herbicide application where only the problematic areas receive treatment via a spray drone, as opposed to a broadcast application where the entirety of the field is treated whether it needs it or not,” he says.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity [for it] around us. There’s a lot of guys with hay fields, and they do a lot of burn down applications. That’s one thing we are planning on hitting on,” Keaton says. “I think some guys would be interested in that. Especially if we have a wet spring and guys can’t get in the field.”

Missouri Extension field specialist O’Neal agrees with that assertion.

“In my neck of the woods in southwestern Missouri, the topography can be quite unforgiving, with some areas too harsh to allow access by ground spray rig or even an ATV,” O’Neal says. “With an aerial piece of equipment like a utility drone, landowners can now get herbicide applications on these problematic areas and put them into useful forage production.”

With a pilot year of flying his family’s acres fastened securely under his belt, Keaton says the arrow looks to be pointing up on spray drone technology in agriculture.

“Hopefully we can expand and get maybe another trailer or a bigger drone, it just depends kind of on what’s calling for us,” he says. “I’ve got to see exactly how much work is out there in this business and from there just make it all work out. Our foot is just in the door [right now].”

Your Next Read: Now is the Time for Beef Producers to Invest with Purpose

Pete's Pick: 21-Year-Old John Deere Tractor Almost Hits $150,000

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 17:40:07 GMT

This week’s Pete’s “Pick of the Week” is a 20-plus-year-old tractor that came in just south of $150,000, but you can argue the buyer actually secured a nice bargain when you put it in the context of how much a new high-horsepower row crop tractor will run you.

At a farm auction in Asbury, Mo., a 2004 John Deere 8420 tractor with only 1,053 hours on it sold for $146,250. Pete says it’s the 16^th highest auction price of all time on an 8420, and nine of the past 10 high auction prices have all been recorded within the past four years. It’s a trend line that continues to show farmer preference for older, good conditioned, pre-DEF used tractors.

“It was one owner, so it checked all [the boxes],” Pete says. “And to push $150k, 21 years old … it was interesting when I posted this across social media, you get a lot of discussion and people were saying ‘Yeah, it’s a big check, but again for the horsepower and given it’s good condition [used] with a little age on it … the belts are tightening, and it’s sort of indicative of … the gap between a brand new and a good used one, those price increases on the new have gotten so high the past three to four years, you’ve opened this chasm.”

Pete also notes a “beautiful 1980s tractor” from Nebraska that sold last Tuesday in a DPA Auctions online sale.

A 1986 Versatile 1150 with what Pete calls that “beautiful orange and yellow color combo” sold for an even $50,000. It had 8,117 hours on it.

One of the more noteworthy transactions from last week, according to Pete, was a 2025 John Deere 616R sprayer with 127 hours selling for $309,000 in the DPA online sale. This sprayer was noted as “severely damaged – driven into a creek.”

(DPA Auctions)

“Driven into a creek and hard cash, it still goes over $300,000,” Pete says. “For comparison, our good friends at the Steffes Group sold a ‘24 model 616R sprayer with 464 hours in June and that went for $450K. The one that sold Tuesday, if it had not been driven into a creek, it’s going north of $450K. So, if you wonder what does that cost, driving into a creek? Well, you’re talking $150K to $160K. So, now you know.”

As far as rare, unique machinery selling over the past week on the auction circuit, Pete highlights a couple pieces of iron there as well.

A New Holland 1283 self-propelled baler — Pete says you just don’t see many of them around anymore — sold for $6,200, which is the highest auction price Pete can recall on that particular machine.

And in the same Big Iron online auction, an Allis-Chalmers 60 pull type combine with a two row corn head sold for $4,510.

(Big Iron Auctions)

Your Next Read: Machinery Pete’s 5 Pointers For Equipment Auctions

Pete's Pick: 3 Used Loader Tractors Draw Big Bids, Plus A Heartwarming Classic John Deere Buy

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 22:55:59 GMT

The used farm equipment auction market continues to show robust demand and strong resale prices for good condition, used loader tractors .

That’s exactly why Greg “Machinery Pete” Peterson highlights three strong loader tractor transactions as his most recent Pete’s Pick of the Week.

At a Purple Wave online auction, a 2022 New Holland T5.110 tractor (885 engine hours) with a loader implement (pictured top of page) sold for $61,600. Pete says that is the highest auction price ever for that year/make/model, according to MachineryPete.com sales data. The machine was from Broken Bow, Okla.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

At a Younger Auction Company sale in Rockport, Mo., a 2014 Case IH Maxxum 125 tractor (2,135 hours) with a L756 loader sold for $72,500, which Pete says is the second-highest auction price ever for that model with a loader and more than 2,000 engine hours.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

And at another Purple Wave online auction, a 2021 John Deere 6155M tractor (860 hours) with a 640R loader implement sold for $135,300. Pete says that is the third-highest auction price of all time with a loader and more than 500 hours.

“Dollars are tight all across ag and, you know, not much new stuff is selling — and we understand why,” Pete says. “I think [we saw] more layoffs at the manufacturer level last week , unfortunately. So when this continues to stretch out, but you [still] need horsepower and equipment on the farm, what you tend to look for is the best condition used [machinery].”

Pete also shares this nice story out of Plain City, Ohio, where a young farmer named Wyatt bought his great grandfather, Don Hess’s, old John Deere 430 tractor at an auction for $900. It was also the young man’s birthday, so quite the 24 hours for that auction goer out in Ohio.

“It was just very cool, and it made a lot of people happy to see a young person interested in their great grandfather’s history and tractor, and keeping that in the family,” Pete says.

Your next read: A Dive Deep Into Used Equipment Market Forces and Tips to DIY Your Next Sale

Farm Drone News: AgEagle Multispectral Sensor, GPS Satellite Launched and Rantizo Spins Off Software

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:08:05 GMT

AgEagle Aerial Systems Unveils New RedEdge-P Green Camera

(AgEagle Aerial Systems)

AgEagle Aerial Systems announces the launch of its new RedEdge-P Green, a multispectral camera designed to enable precision agriculture from planting to harvest.

AgEagle says farmers that use the new sensor payload can achieve higher yields through quicker interventions both early on and late in the crop cycle. Operators can reduce fertilizer and irrigation inputs and engage in smart harvesting techniques using optimized indices and targeted indices like the Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI).

Available as a standalone camera or in paired configurations with the original RedEdge-P and the RedEdge-P Blue, users can leverage up to 15 noise-resistant, data-rich spectral bands essential for large-area precision agriculture.

The RedEdge-P Green camera is NDAA-compliant and integrates with multiple drone platforms. Each camera kit includes a Calibrated Reflectance Panel (CRP) and a Downwelling Light Sensor (DLS2) for radiometric calibration.

Production of the RedEdge-P Green camera is underway, and the first units are expected to ship this week. For more information about the RedEdge-P Green visit ageagle.com.

Dutch Startup Launches Largest GPS Network for Drones, Tractors

(Lindsey Pound, iStock)

FreshMiners, a Netherlands-based IOT firm, launched a GPS service that enables accurate positioning for agriculture, construction and drone navigation, according to AgriMarketing.com.

AgriMarketing.com writes that the Dutch company is launching a service for extra-accurate GPS. It is intended for drone pilots, farmers and others. With this new technology, users can correct their GPS positions down to the centimeter. Real-time correction signals are sent to the user’s GPS receiver via a global network of base stations. This correction is essential for applications in agriculture, land surveying and drone navigation, among other things.

A subscription gives users access to the GEODNET network, which, with more than 19,000 base stations in over 140 countries, is now reportedly the largest RTK network in the world.

Read more at AgriMarketing.com.

Missouri Doctoral Student Says Drones Are Fine Tool for Crop Scouting

(Photo by Abbie Lankitus)

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.

Instead of relying on handheld devices, which are slow and impractical for larger fields, the researchers surveyed corn fields in mid-Missouri using drones equipped with special cameras to capture images and data.

After combining the drone images with soil data, the Mizzou researchers used a type of AI known as machine learning to quickly predict the chlorophyll content in the corn leaves of the entire field with great accuracy.

The study was led by Fengkai Tian (pictured above), a Mizzou doctoral student who works in the lab of Jianfeng Zhou, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Read more from the University of Missouri here.

Rantizo Spin-Off American Autonomy Inc. Says It Can Close the Spray Drone Data Loop

Rantizo is now connected with the John Deere Operations Center through John Deere API services.

(Rantizo)

Ground rig as-applied data has been around for decades, and it comes in handy when you’re tabulating your end of year scorecard to find out which treatments boosted yields and where a spray might have fallen short.

Yet even though spray drones treated over 10 million crop acres in 2024 alone, there’s still a gap that exists in capturing that data and integrating it into your farm management software.

Former Rantizo CEO Mariah Scott, who is now the CEO of a spinoff operation dubbed American Autonomy Inc., says her new outfit’s AcreConnect platform can help close that gap with API connections into John Deere’s Operations Center and more major FMIS platforms.

“We talk to farmers about getting that complete view of your field management, by closing the loop so you understand what’s effective or what’s not,” Scott says. “Most of the farmers we talk to use spray drones and a ground sprayer, and that (as-applied) data from the sprayer goes right into their FMIS account, but with the spray drone it doesn’t always work like that.”

The deal to divest the spray drone operations side of the business was quietly announced on Aug. 1. The Rantizo name, the startup is a pioneering spray drone service provider, still lives on, but now there’s a clean break between the spraying operations and the software on the back end that enables it.

Learn more about the Rantizo-American Autonomy Spinoff over at PRNewswire.

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From 'Prince of Darkness' to Farm Hand: Remembering Ozzy Osbourne’s Special Visit to Shatto Milk Company

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:09:07 GMT

In 2018, Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic “Prince of Darkness” who recently passed away at the age of 76, stepped away from the stage and onto a dairy during an episode of “Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour.” That day, he and his children, Jack and Kelly, paid a visit to Shatto Milk Company, a family-owned dairy and milk bottling company in Osborn, Missouri, for a behind-the-scenes look at farm life.

Barbra Shatto, owner of Shatto Milk Company, remembers the experience fondly.

“The producers contacted us a month or two before and asked if it would be okay to visit,” Shatto says. “They asked that we not tell anyone that we were coming, so we closed our doors to tours that day. We had to keep it a secret until the show aired on TV”

A True Shatto Experience
Though the visit was kept quiet, Shatto says it was anything but forgettable.

“Ozzy was his usual self — the black hat, the coat and just a little crazy,” she says with a laugh. “They wanted a tour, to try our products and to give their hand at milking a cow. One funny thing that really stood out about Ozzy was that he absolutely loved our strawberry ice cream. He carried around a cardboard box of it, ate it throughout the day and even took it with him when they left.”

Not surprisingly, Osbourne was especially fascinated by the cows and the milking process.

“He milked a cow and was genuinely interested in how it all worked,” she says. “It’s probably not something he was very familiar with, but he seemed to enjoy every bit of it.”

Ozzy, Jack and Kelly took in the full Shatto experience. From visiting the bottling line and browsing the country store to meeting the calves and walking through the barns, the Osbourne family spent their entire day taking it all in.

“They loved all of the farm activities,” Shatto says. “And they were all very down-to-earth. Ozzy went around and would talk to a lot of our employees and ask them questions. He talked with our herdsman about the cows and our store employees about the bottling process. It was just like having an old friend come and visit.”

In true Ozzy fashion, Shatto remembers how Ozzy needed a bit of gentle wrangling from his kids.

“It was sweet watching his children keep him in line,” Shatto laughs. “He would sort of wander off to look at things, so Jack and Kelly would have to reel him back in.”

Shatto’s Deep Roots
Hosting Ozzy and his family was especially meaningful for the Shatto team, whose dairy roots run deep.

“Our farm is a centennial farm, going back over 110 years. It’s been in my family for 85 years, and we currently milk around 300 cows,” she says. “In 2003, we built the bottling plant and launched Shatto Milk Company because the milk check just wasn’t cutting it. We wanted to keep our cows and start selling directly to consumers.”

Since then, Shatto Milk has built a loyal following for its small-batch, farm-fresh dairy products and bold flavored milks. The company has become particularly known for a few of its staple flavored milks, such as root beer, cookies and cream, cotton candy and coffee.

“We even do special edition flavors to celebrate the Chiefs during the playoffs and the Royals during the World Series,” she says. “We’re also starting a mocha protein drink soon.”

A Visit to Remember
Osbourne’s visit has become a cherished memory for Shatto and the employees at Shatto Milk. An experience that has since become even more meaningful following the news of his passing.

“I didn’t even know he had Parkinson’s,” Shatto says. “I was just talking about him with friends a couple days before the news came out. I was saddened to hear that he had passed. He was a legend.”

Reflecting on that special day, she adds, “It was exciting and such an honor to host him here. And the whole thing about our town being Osborn, which is spelled just a little differently, well, that became an inside joke for everyone. But truly, it was just so much fun having him here on the farm. He was kind to our workers, curious about the farm and left a fun memory behind for all of us.”

Following the release of the episode, Osbourne shared more about the experience in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, revealing that milking a cow wasn’t entirely new to him.

“Everyone was surprised I could do it,” he told Rolling Stone. “But years ago, when I’d come back off tour, when I’d have jet lag in the ’70s and there was no all-night TV [in England], I’d get up very early, and I’d walk up to this farmer who lived nearby. He was milking cows at, like, five in the morning, and he showed me how to do a few things. And I’d help milk cows. So, when I did it [on the show], everyone was like, ‘How did you know how to do that?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not just a singer.’”

And on that Missouri dairy farm, even if it was just for one day, he proved it.

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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Why U.S. Agriculture Needs More AI Investment to Stay Ahead in Global Crop Innovation Race

Tue, 20 May 2025 18:15:48 GMT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key tool in accelerating the discovery, development and manufacturing of new crop protection molecules to fight yield-robbing weeds, pests, and diseases in U.S. farm fields.

The technology helps researchers shorten the discovery window and find new and novel active-ingredient molecules that are much more difficult and expensive to uncover using traditional research methods.

That was among the talking points that emerged from Tuesday’s congressional hearing on AI in farming, held in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space, and Technology Committee in Washington, D.C.

Related: The New Space Race: Why America Must Focus On AI

At the hearing, key agricultural stakeholders advocated for increasing government investment in AI technology and infrastructure. The group warned Congress that America’s status as a world leader in AI has been usurped by Japan and China, while other rival countries are also gunning for top positions.

Testifying on behalf of U.S. agriculture was Corteva Vice President of Agricultural Solutions Brian Lutz, University of Florida associate professor Chris Swale and University of Illinois assistant professor Boris Camiletti.

“AI is without a doubt one of the most profound technologies ever to be invented,” Lutz said. “We believe there is tremendous opportunity for our government to support and incentivize advanced innovation — including by leveraging the benefits of AI — to benefit American farmers. If we want to win, we need to move smarter and faster than our competition. Corteva believes with the support of our government, we will do exactly that.”

Lutz said researchers at Corteva recently used AI to model how 10,000 different molecules might be used in crop protection, all within a matter of weeks. The Corteva model was able to identify dozens of new potential crop protection molecules that its overworked chemists could not have found otherwise. He said the company is currently testing a handful of these molecules and AI will also play a role in moving the testing phase along more quickly than traditional lab-based methods.

Lutz also told Congress how Corteva scientists have deployed AI technology in its fermentation processes, which the company uses to create what he called “molecules of interest” for evaluation. Over the past few years, Corteva has used AI modeling to engineer various bacterial strains that drive fermentation reactions and optimize reaction conditions, allowing the company to run a manufacturing operation that is as efficient as possible. This application of AI helps Corteva maintain a strong U.S. manufacturing base in the Midwest, Lutz said.

“This is the new face of ag innovation,” he added. “We can accelerate discovery of new classes of crop protection products, like biologicals — nature-based solutions that help farmers grow more food by working alongside traditional crop protection products. With AI, we can begin to predict the incredible diversity of biomolecules and metabolites that are produced by microbes and other organisms, with the goal of unlocking the secrets within plant biology to develop the next generation of safe, highly targeted, nature-inspired products.”

Swale testified to AI’s role in helping researchers on his team find and develop biological-based treatments to combat Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive pest that has left the Florida citrus industry — valued at almost $10 billion just five years ago — teetering on the brink of collapse. Effective synthetic chemicals to manage the Asian citrus psyllid exist, but the regulatory hurdles to get those products onto the market are too high, he said

“We have turned to using AI to help discover chemicals of the natural world because the registration requirements are significantly lower when compared to synthetic insecticides,” Swale said.

Camiletti leads a team of researchers combining plant pathology, remote sensing and AI to help U.S. soybean farmers overcome red crown rot, a soil-borne disease first detected in Illinois soybean fields in 2018.

Illinois has been hit the hardest by the yield-robbing disease, Camiletti said, and the pathogen is spreading rapidly to Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. The disease is difficult to detect visually, he added, and once symptoms appear it’s often too late for successful remediation.

“My team uses satellite imagery and machine learning to identify red crown rot hot spots, and we train the models with high resolution multi-spectral data to near-infrared bands and use ground observations to teach the algorithm what diseased plants look like,” Camiletti said. “This technology has real on-farm impact. We are building tools that generate prescription maps so instead of applying fungicides across entire fields farmers can target only the affected areas.”

After key witness testimony concluded, the committee opened the floor to questions from members of Congress. Watch the full hearing via the video embedded below:

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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.

Your Next Read: U.S. Tractor and Combine Sales Still Struggling, But Better Days Could Be Just Ahead

Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:08:36 GMT

Missouri Corn Growers Association CEO Bradley Schad, who still helps out around the family farm in his spare time, is calling on Ford Motor Company to reconsider a recent decision he believes will cause long-term harm to U.S. farmers.

“They stopped selling new flex fuel vehicles, so now they don’t have a single new engine platform option for growers to purchase,” Schad says. “The F-Series truck is one of the most important vehicles that we have on the farm today. They’re trying to change that (series) to an electric fleet, and we don’t like that.”

Farm Journal reached out to Ford for comment via a contact form for media on its website. We will update this post if we hear back from anyone at Ford Motor Company.

According to Schad, Ford’s F-150 is not only the top-selling truck in the U.S., but also the top-selling used vehicle in the top five corn-producing states: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana. It is also No. 1 in a handful of ag-friendly states like Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Dakotas and the Carolinas.

Model Year 2023 was the last iteration of the F-150 that Ford offered with the V8 5.0-liter Flex Fuel option. Schad, who is a longtime F-150 owner, says he’s not interested in criticizing Ford for the change. After all, recent regulations removed many of the manufacturer incentives that used to exist for flex fuel and E-85 vehicles.

Bradley Schad, Missouri Corn Growers Association

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association )

“We’re just trying to bring some awareness and work with Ford to change the legislation and regulations and help bring that (option) back,” Schad says. “We realize it’s not entirely their own fault necessarily, but work with us to pass some beneficial legislation that helps farmers and rural consumers purchase a more economical fuel and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Schad says Ford is still supporting its higher-ethanol compatible engines in South America. Brazil, for example, has a minimum ethanol blend in its fuel of 27.5%.

The company’s chief truck-building rivals at GM still offer flex fuel as an engine option on new base models of the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra. Ford, it would seem, is stepping away from the same farmers that helped catapult its trucks to the top of the auto industry, he argues.

(Photo courtesy Missouri Corn Growers Association)

“We need Ford to stand strong with farmers – the No. 1 customer base of F Series trucks in the nation. I don’t think there’s any business sector that buys more F Series trucks than the agriculture sector,” he says. “We need Ford to give us the option to use our own product and help build demand for corn-based ethanol.”

RELATED - Grassley: Farmers Can Feed And Fuel The World At The Same Time. It’s Not Either/Or

Schad is optimistic a long-awaited-but-yet-to-be-passed new Farm Bill will include some type of carve out supporting ethanol-based fuels. Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has also been advocating for year-round E-15 fuel availability for years. Grassley and Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R) reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 in February. If passed, that bill would enable year-round, nationwide sales of ethanol fuel blends up to 15%.

“We need permanency and predictability with ethanol and biodiesel,” Grassley recently told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

And while Schad admits he has heard all the critiques of ethanol-based fuels - subpar performance, increased engine problems, etc. - his experience is that higher ethanol fuels are clean burning, high performing and safe.

“There’s nothing more helpful to a farmer than having a strong truck with a strong fuel providing more horsepower and torque in these engines,” Schad says. “Octane is key, and we want to make sure to partner with everyone we can. Hopefully Ford is willing to help us pass some beneficial legislation that brings ethanol the ability to be produced and consumed across the nation.”

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced USDA will release funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. Established at USDA Rural Development during President Trump’s first term, HBIIP helps expand the production of domestic biofuels by helping fueling stations install the pumps, storage containers and other necessary infrastructure needed to offer biofuel options at the pump.

Your Next Read: Here’s Why 2025 Is The Time To Buy High-Horsepower Tractors, Auction Pricing Is Staying Strong

Unexpected Ways A Missouri Farmer Brings Family Back To The Farm

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:29:30 GMT

After some time helping his grandpa on the family farm, Josh Payne decided to leave his teaching career and help run the operation full time.

Because his grandpa had the land and equipment paid for, their 600 acres in Concordia, Missouri provided enough income for two salaries - but Payne knew his sister may want to join them as well. That’s when he adopted the motto “Get Big or Get Weird”.

“We could pick up 1,000 acres, but that means we need more equipment,” he tells Andrew McCrea on the Farming The Countryside podcast. “Instead of getting more acres, we decided that we wanted to take these small pockets of our farm and try to add value to it.”

University of Missouri staff suggested the Paynes try chestnuts.

“At a wholesale level, they’ll produce about 2,000 lb. per acre at $3/lb. wholesale. That’s $6,000 an acre, so if we put 30 acres in, that’s enough for my grandpa, me and my sister to make a go at this,” Payne says.

But there was a catch.

“The problem is we just had to wait 10 years for the first harvest,” he says.

From Chestnuts To Sheep To Hogs
The family went ahead and planted their chestnut orchard, and alley cropped corn, soybeans and cover crops as they waited for it to grow. They still needed a plan B in the meantime, though. That became sheep.

“We chose sheep because the math is really good,” Payne says. “If you can have three ewes per acre, at a very wholesale level, you end up with four lambs per acre. If you sell the lambs for $200, that’s $800 per acre, and you’re going to spend about $100 per acre. That’s significantly better profit-wise than any sort of row crops.”

The main economic driver of the farm turned from row crops to sheep quickly. The Paynes began direct marketing the lamb and selling breeding stock to drive an even higher price for their products.

The sheep now account for 300 of the farm’s acreage, and the family has another new venture up their sleeves as well.

“Our next project is to take 110-acre plot and turn it into a wholesale pasture pork operation that we’re actually really excited about,” Payne says.

Just like the sheep, Payne has a plan mapped out for the hogs.

“We’re trying to take a hoop house and grow grains in between tree rows. We’re going to plant these rows of trees that eventually will drop fruit - mulberries, persimmons, apples, chestnuts, etc.,” he explains. “Eventually those will provide significant amounts of feed for those pigs. Then we’re going to grow grains in between.”

But there’s a bigger picture behind the farm’s hog expansion.

“My brother in law works in Kansas City, and he wants to be able to not drive to Kansas City,” Payne says. “We said is there a way that we can make enough money on acres of land that we have that he doesn’t have to drive to Kansas City?”

People As The Driver
The driver on Payne’s farm is people. He says if you want to do the same with your family, you have to find something meaningful for them to do, that they know how to do and that they can make money with.

“If you were to take a 1,000-acre farmer, and you were to take 40 of that out of row crops or modify it, all of a sudden, this 1,000-acre farmer is a 960-acre farmer, and they have a 40-acre operation that their son or daughter runs,” Payne says. “At commodity prices today, that could make as much profit and probably more. You just need more people. And for me, that’s just good news.”

He adds one caveat to be ready for.

“You just have to be willing to let the coffee shop talk and tell stories about you,” he says.

Watch more of the Farming The Countryside podcast here

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.

Risk and Reward: How These Farms Found Success With Vertical Integration

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Johnny Hunter II was just 10 years old when he lost his dad. At the time, Hunter’s family had 12,000 acres of rice and soybeans under cultivation near Dexter, Mo. And while his mom could have sold the family acreage, she chose to keep the farm for her two children, preserving an already existing family legacy of planning for future generations.

“My dad was an early adopter of precision - leveling and irrigation and no-till,” Hunter says. “That was an extremely smart business move.”

The third generation to run what’s now known as Castor River Habitat and Farm, Hunter points out his dad’s decision improved the value of the land as well as its production.

Eight years ago, Hunter made an equally important decision for the farm: vertically integrating.

“At one time I was farming 6,000 acres, and I was miserable,” he says.

Hunter says he saw two paths to stay in farming: Be a low-cost producer with tens of thousands of acres with economies of scale or learn how to create value by putting a product in the world so consumers can reward you for it.

Castor River Achieves Market Distinguishment
Hunter’s family made the decision to vertically integrate in 2017. The following year they constructed a rice mill, created a CPG brand and built out their own packaging line. Then, they launched a trucking company to cover first-mile distribution of their long-grain rice. They also partnered with warehouses in strategic areas of the country.

“From field to warehouse, it’s all Castor River,” Hunter says.

Now, rather than aspiring to farm tens of thousands of acres, Hunter’s family owns and operates a land company, farming company, trucking company and a parent corporation.

“Before [vertically integrating], we employed two full-time people,” he says. “Now we employ over a dozen, farming 2,500 acres of rice, soybeans and corn.”

Castor River’s target audience is anyone who wants sustainably grown, high-quality food, Hunter explains. Business channels include food service, partnering with restaurants, college campuses, institutions and catering companies. High-end grocery retail stores comprise the farm’s other channel. They also sell their long-grain rice products directly to consumers online.

“Having your own brand opens up the opportunity for new revenue channels,” Hunter says.

“Landowners and farmers are all highly concerned about what yearly revenues are going to be,” Hunter adds. “By vertically integrating and going direct, we have transformed ourselves from price-takers to price-makers.”

Reviving a State’s Tradition
Unlike the Hunters, South Carolina’s Coxe family did not begin their operation in rice production. When Campbell Coxe graduated college in 1981, he came home for the summer to help his grandfather farm the family’s 1,000 acres of mostly cotton.

“I was a geography major and was going to see the world,” Coxe says. “But I fell in love with this piece of property and never left.”

In 1986, Coxe took over the operation, but disillusionment set in quickly. Over the course of a decade, the farm averaged about $16,000 per year, and Coxe was borrowing close to $1 million just to plant cotton.

“At the time, the cost of cotton was incredibly high, and the return was so low I couldn’t get my hands around it,” he notes.

He searched for a crop he could take directly to customers — growing and processing on the farm.

Located in the Pee Dee River watershed, Coxe’s fifth-generation farm sits about two hours north of the Lowcountry. The state’s subtropical, humid climate makes growing conditions ideal for nearly any crop.

But Coxe was looking for gold — Carolina Gold rice, that is. Once the largest producer of rice throughout the Colonial period, South Carolina’s rice industry began its steep decline after the Civil War, owing to labor, pest and weather issues. By the early 1900s, rice all but disappeared.

“South Carolina’s rice culture was interesting, but rice wouldn’t come back commercially unless it’s profitable,” Coxe says.

In 1998, he decided to plant 10 acres of Carolina Gold, the original 1685 varietal grown in the area. Timing became key.

“The internet was picking up speed, and there was an interest in farm-to-dinner plate just as we were getting up and running,” he says.

As his business and his acreage expanded, Coxe constructed a rice mill on-site. “There hadn’t been a mill in South Carolina since the Civil War, but I didn’t want to keep sending my rice to Arkansas with diesel fuel prices at $5 a gallon.”

Striking Gold with Vertical Integration
Today, Carolina Plantation Rice includes 200 acres of rice, composed of four varieties. It produces cornmeal, grits, fish fry breading and rice flour. Unlike larger producers, Coxe doesn’t keep the highly aromatic rice stored for prolonged periods.

“When it’s fresh and new, it has a pungent taste and smell. We want the consumer to get as fresh from the farm as they can get.”

Direct-to-consumer online sales make up 40% of the farm’s orders, with the balance in wholesale orders from national supermarket chains, such as Whole Foods and Fresh Market, as well as large restaurant groups.

“We’re growing more and more every year because market shares increase,” Coxe says.

Though vertical integration has transformed his operation, Coxe notes that challenges still remain.

“Every bit of it is hard,” he says. “You’ve got to have a good market, and you have to have your marketing planned in your mind or on paper. Where are you going to take this stuff? What’s it going to cost? And who’s going to implement it?”

Next-Gen Spotlight: Technology and Side Hustle Help Missouri Couple Come Back to the Farm

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:44:40 GMT

Marc and Meagan Kaiser are building their agricultural future in Missouri. Marc is a 5th generation corn and soybean farmer from Carrollton, and Meagan’s family owns a soil testing business in Bowling Green. Together, the couple is finding a way to be part of both family businesses while keeping an eye on their two young children, Mak and Nora. From being active in organizations such as the United Soybean Board to starting their own precision ag business now serving 15 states and three countries, the pair are laser focused on growing the future of the industry.

Q: You both had other careers. How did you know you wanted to come back and farm?

Marc: I went to school thinking I wasn’t going to be back on my family’s farm. We got married in 2012, started our precision ag business and that became the conduit that allowed me to go back to the farm. This was important to me because I didn’t want to be a burden on the farm financially.

Meagan: I was committed with him to joining the farm because it was, in large part, my idea — which is probably how it had to be given the level of commitment. We looked at each other and said, you know, it would be a shame to let this out of the family when we don’t have to.

We live in two different homes in two different towns, and door to door they’re 2.5 hours apart. It was admittedly easier at the beginning when it was just the two of us. Then all of a sudden, a baby is going back and forth. It’s not easy, but we also know we’re not alone. There are so many farmers who farm hundreds of miles apart and their families figure it out.

Q: Has anything surprised you, good or bad, coming back to the farm?

Marc: We wouldn’t be able to do this without the technology that has developed in the past 10 years. When it comes to being able to check irrigation, check grain bin moisture or even check ground moisture under our pivots, there’s so much I can see on my iPad or phone. It’s the same thing when it comes to our other businesses. We are able to check things from afar. Meagan can also look at soil lab equipment while she’s on the farm and watch how the machines are running. That has made the distance an option, and it also allows us to spend more time at each place versus having to run back and forth and commute constantly.

Meagan: The biggest surprise to me, and I hear this a lot when it comes to obstacles of generational farming, was that our parents let us make decisions and sometimes they let us fail. I think they knew what was going to happen before we did, but they let us do it anyway. For the farmers reading this, if your next generation is joining you, remember to let them have some autonomy. Sometimes you might be surprised and they might be right. We’ve been right on technologies and other things, but really, we’ve been blessed with parents who have thought our opinion mattered and incorporated it. That has given us ownership and more pride in the operation too.

Q: What advice would you give next-gen producers?

Meagan: Be observant and be curious. There are a lot of people willing to sell you things, but you have to be a scientist and test things because your profitability relies on it. The most successful farmers we work with are super focused on infield observations. They’re monitoring what they put on, measuring what they take off and running it against their return on investment. It’s hard. It can be a little overwhelming when you go to Commodity Classic and walk the trade show floor. You could obviously grow 200-bu. soybeans if you bought everything on the floor. I admire farmers because they have to try to pinpoint which decision is the right one that will add an extra 5 bu. It’s not easy.

Marc: It’s important to understand where your parents came from, what they’ve done, the decisions they made and what they learned. You can learn two different ways: either by somebody else’s mistakes or by your own mistakes. It’s a lot easier to learn from the previous generation’s mistakes. Everybody says they don’t want to farm like their parents did. I do. I want to farm like they did but with the adjustments they’ve learned to make. Take that knowledge they’ve gained for the past 40, 50 or 60 years. Don’t just throw it to the side. Use that knowledge to then make your decisions going forward.

Q: Why should a next-gen farmer consider getting involved in one of the national farm groups?

Meagan: The most important reason is that it makes us think beyond our own farm gate. I’ve had international conversations about sustainability and about our farm practices with a fish farmer in Cambodia. It made me think about everything we do on our farm, every aspect we can measure and every portion we can prove. I realize I wasn’t considering the need to prove it to anybody before.

If you don’t have the commodity organizations, for instance, doing the research to prove our sustainability gains, then nobody knows about it. We have to prove it. That means showing up and taking part is half of the battle. It’s hard. I have two young children, but I still think it’s important for every farm family to think about how can we engage — not from a glory standpoint, but just to make sure somebody is showing up to tell this story and proving our sustainability.

Q: Is having a side hustle a good idea?

Meagan: For us, admittedly, there’s probably a little pride in having an off-farm job. We both didn’t want to be a drain on the operation. We had successful careers before we came back to our family businesses, and we wanted to say we’re contributing — not just taking. I think it gives you a little bit of independence and that might be why it’s a good idea. That said, we’ve had a lot of all-nighters getting our side hustle going. Be prepared to work because you don’t get to take off time from the farm or that other business.

Marc: Our side hustle and farming are mutually beneficial. Some of the resources we use in our precision ag business translate directly to the farm.

Meagan: I joke that I turned the farm into a giant research trial and Marc is always willing to try something new.

Q: Your career, either on or off the farm, has revolved around agriculture. Why?

Marc: In a way, we’re helping feed not only people in America, but people around the world. We get to be involved with family businesses. It isn’t always perfect, but there are always lots of laughs. Ultimately, it’s rewarding taking on and being part of this responsibility.

Meagan: We get to live our daily lives a little bit more tactically focused, but we keep the big picture in mind. We get to raise our kids in agriculture and, in the end, we get to be around our kids and our parents a lot more because of this life. All of those things are things we really value. I do think our kids get tired of hearing about boron trials at the dinner table, but we’re having a good time.

Want to read more inspiring stories about farming’s next generation?

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Corn Planting is Now Already Underway in 7 States

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 17:02:05 GMT

The second Crop Progress Report of the year from USDA shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop. As of Sunday, USDA indicates planting the 2024 crop has started in seven states, and six of the seven states are already beating the five-year average.

Highlights of the weekly progress report include:

59% of Texas’ corn is in the ground, two percentage points ahead of the five-year average but one point behind a year ago.
7% of the corn crop in Tennessee is planted, two points above average and three points ahead of last year.
7 % of Missouri’s corn is planted, four points ahead of average and two points quicker than last year’s record pace.
5% is planted in Kentucky, two points ahead of the five-year average but one point behind last year.
4% of the corn in Kansas is planted, one point ahead of average and one point behind last year.
2% of Illinois’ corn crop is in the ground, one point quicker than average and last year.

Related News: Spring Planting Progress Off To A Good Start

The only state trailing the average pace is North Carolina where 8% of the crop is in the ground, one point behind average and last year.

A year ago, hints were starting to roll in about just how early the planting season could be for farmers in parts of the Corn Belt. After April and early March were dominated by cold temperatures, as well as rain and snow in 2023, drier conditions took hold, and forecasts for milder temperatures and dry weather opened a large window for planting.

As of April 9, 2023, USDA’s second planting progress report of the season showed 3% of the nation’s corn crop was planted, up one percentage point from the previous week, previous year and the five-year average.

Highlights of the state-by-state breakdown a year ago showed:

61% of Texas’ corn is in the ground, three percentage points ahead of the five-year average.
12% of North Carolina’s corn crop is planted, two points behind average.
7% of the corn crop is Missouri is planted, four points ahead of the five-year average.
6% of the crop in Kansas is in the ground, up two points from average.

Back to present day, and the weather looks prime for planting to continue this week. Growers across Illinois, Iowa and Missouri are talking about starting to plant this week if the forecast holds.

Photos of Planting Progress So Far

In Texas, farmers were planting under the solar eclipse. Ale Frick says they survived the eclipse, and soybean planting continues on their farm.

Well, we‘ve officially survived #eclipse24 #soybean #plant24 continues pic.twitter.com/cnn3BphUpC
— Ale Frick (@Engineer_Farmer) April 8, 2024

In northwest Iowa, at least one farmer took the opportunity to plant over the weekend.

Well, ok then. #plant24 #nwiowa pic.twitter.com/nVMWcaO9wH
— Punkin Lady 🎃🍿💥 (@AmySolsma) April 5, 2024

Also in Iowa, more reports of planters starting to roll this week, according to Dusty Rich.

Planters will roll this week in our area! Wishing everyone a safe and successful #plant24
— Dusty Rich 🇺🇸 (@drich82) April 8, 2024

We want to see how planting is progressing in your area. Make sure to keep AgWeb updated with Crop Comments throughout the season.

US Treasury Dept. Moves to Limit Foreign Land Purchases Near Military Bases

Mon, 08 May 2023 20:20:32 GMT

By now, you’ve likely heard of the Chinese balloons that made their way across the U.S. in late January and early February and were eventually shot down. The spy balloons, coupled with a Chinese-owned company purchasing land 12 miles from a U.S. Air Force base in North Dakota, have sounded alarms on both state and federal levels.

To limit further foreign activity on U.S. lands, particularly the sale of land, the Treasury Department’s Office of Investment Security proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign entities to garner U.S. government approval before they are able to purchase land within 100 miles of eight military bases.

Related story: Out-of-Country Farmland Investors: Here’s What The Numbers Show

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) welcomed news of the proposed rule, which could have blocked the North Dakota land sale to the Fufeng Group.

“This is a good first step to bolster reviews and mitigate threats similar to what we saw with Fufeng,” Cramer said in a statement on Thursday.

The Office of Investment Security is responsible for screening foreign business dealings in the U.S. and has the authority to block or force term changes in sales in order to protect national security.

Backstory on Fufeng Group’s North Dakota Purchase

Fufeng Group says it plans to use the land to build a $700 million corn milling plant, which would create at least 200 jobs, as well as residual opportunities for logistics, trucking and other services.

Many North Dakotans made their sentiments on the sale known, which led to a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. However, the committee’s review found no issue with the sale.

Related story: China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk

“More needs to be done to ensure the U.S. food supply chain is secure and independent,” says Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). “If we do not prevent these land grabs, we are failing to protect our farmers, our families and our country.”

In September, Newhouse, along with 50 other members of Congress, asked USDA and other agencies to take effective action in addressing the potential national security risks that appear to arise from this transaction.

Instead of waiting on the government, some states are taking legislative action on their own.

Missouri Puts Up a Foreign Land Ownership Wall

The Missouri Senate made moves on the issue in April when it backed a plan to amend the state’s foreign land ownership threshold from 1% to 0.5%. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries — including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“We’re not going to allow for foreign ownership in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31). “We have to draw a line in the sand today. It protects our sovereignty as a nation.”

Related story: Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, foreign land ownership in Missouri accounts for 0.36%, just shy of the 0.5% proposed limit. In total, the department says China owns roughly 42,596 acres in Missouri.

Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 21:31:34 GMT

Months after a Chinese company, Fufeng Group, was granted approval for a North Dakota land purchase in close proximity to a U.S. military base, foreign land ownership concerns are being raised on a local and national level.

The purchase set off alarms for other U.S. states to create legislative roadblocks for foreign land ownership within their borders. Missouri is the latest state to initiate the policy change.

Related story: China’s Latest Land Purchase Could Pose Major U.S. Security Risk

The Missouri Senate on Wednesday backed a plan to amend the state’s foreign land ownership threshold from 1% to 0.5%. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries—including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea—from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“We’re not going to allow for foreign ownership in the state of Missouri,” said Sen. Rick Brattin (R-31). “We have to draw a line in the sand today. It protects our sovereignty as a nation.”

While the vote passed 31-3, the bill’s opposers felt the legislation would breach property owner’s rights.

“I’m just a little lost here today as to how we have transformed this conversation of foreign entities owning our properties into the removal of individual rights,” said Lincoln Hough, (R-30). “I don’t want to disenfranchise property owners.”

Related story: Out-of-Country Farmland Investors: Here’s What The Numbers Show

Brattain offered a rebuttal, saying Hough is only looking to “muddy the waters.”

The bill comes following a 2013 measure that allowed Smithfield Foods—a Chinese-owned company—to own property in Missouri.

According to the Missouri Department of Ag, foreign land ownership in Missouri measures out to 0.36%, just shy of the 0.5% proposed limit. Of all of Missouri land, the department finds China owns roughly 42,596.

AFG Breaks Ground on Missouri Beef Plant

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 23:21:24 GMT

American Foods Group, LLC (AFG) broke ground Monday on its $800 million state-of-the-art beef harvest facility in Warren County, MO. AFG says the plant will process 2,400 head of cattle per day once fully operational by the end of 2024.

“As a third-generation farmer and cattleman myself, I am proud to welcome AFG to Missouri,” said Governor Mike Parson. “This is a major development that will benefit Missouri’s agricultural producers and consumers for years to come. We couldn’t be more excited for AFG’s expansion in Missouri.”

The project is expected to generate $1 billion in annual economic impact in Missouri as the 775,000 square-feet plant will include a harvest floor, carcass chillers, fabrication area, rendering, further processing, storage coolers, freezers and loading docks.

“Today marks the start of our future in Warren County, Missouri, the addition of industry-needed hook space and fulfilling the needs of our customers, partners, and consumers for beef demand,” said Steve Van Lannen, President and COO of American Foods Group.

American Foods Group is a family-owned, U.S. beef processing company based in Green Bay, WI, with locations throughout the Midwest.

"Combining for Curtis": A Harvest Full of Heart

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 21:57:01 GMT

A combine is more than just a machine for Curtis Lewis; it’s his office.

“Custom harvesting, I’ve been doing that all my life,” said Curtis Lewis, who lives in Bates City, Mo.

Harvest of 2019 started out just like any other year.

“We had just started, it was within the first week, and here I am,” said Lewis.

On October 3, 2019, Lewis’ life took a dramatic turn.

“I had a load of corn, and I was taking it to the elevator, when something just didn’t feel right,” said Lewis.

“I called him from work and I was talking to him, and he was slurring, and I was like, ‘are you okay?’” said Lewis’ wife Angela. “I asked, ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘I don’t know. I’m just really confused, and I can’t feel my right arm and my right leg, and I can’t see out of my right eye.’ I said, ‘Curtis, you need to get to the emergency room now.’”

With a piercing headache, his mom rushed him to the hospital, and within minutes, the doctors confirmed the news wasn’t good.

“All we knew initially was from the CT scan at the first hospital, and that it was a large brain bleed,” said Angela.

Lewis was immediately rushed back for surgery and four hours later the news got worse.

“They said it wasn’t an aneurysm or a stroke, necessarily, it was that there was a tumor that bled and that they thought it was cancerous,” said Angela.

The diagnosis?

“Grade four glioblastoma,” said Angela.

Stage 4 brain cancer; news that still hasn’t sunk in.

“I’m still coming to,” said Lewis. “I’m still trying to gather it all. It’s hard to explain; really hard accept, “said Lewis.

“We have four children,” said Angela.

“I think it’s a dream,” added Lewis.

A dream that’s quickly become a nightmare, with Lewis refusing to give up.

“I’m not going to quit,” said Lewis.

The Lewis’ immediately started searching for answers, with plans to travel to MD Anderson at the end of the month.

As the whirlwind of events took place, work was already underway to help.

“When I first thought of this, I never dreamed it would turn into something like it is now,” said Ben Brockmeyer, who works for MFA, Inc ., a retailer in Odessa, Mo.

Brockmeyer and Thad Madsen, both with MFA, knew they had to do something, and do it fast.

“I had the idea last Thursday, a week ago, and we knew we wanted to get done soon because they’re headed to Texas,” said Brockmeyer.

He and Madsen did the only thing they knew they could do. They had the capacity to take grain, and haul it. So, they decided to travel farm to farm, picking up grain from any farmer who wanted to donate, with plans to cash those bushels in, and the proceeds given directly to the Lewis’. The outpouring of response and support has been both astonishing and humbling for Brockmeyer and Madsen.

“The community really took off with it, and it’s really been unbelievable,” said Madsen. “Our goal was four or five or six loads, and people have already committed about 15,000 bushels…. I’ve had people text and call me from Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas, figuring out ways that they can help.”

An act of kindness that’s turned into a rush of love and generosity.

“One person obviously doesn’t do this,” said Brockmeyer. “It takes the whole community and just everybody teaming up and working together to get all this going, but it’s really neat to see all this happen and all the support that we’ve had.”

Generosity is pouring in from farmers like Clayton Wieligman of Wellington, Mo.

“I just told my dad I said, ‘I think that something we have to do,’” he said. “It wouldn’t matter if we were doing anything, you could call him and he would drop what he’s doing to help you, so I figured we’d probably do the same.”

In a year when every bushel counts, farmers are giving more than just a bushel.

“We’re going to donate an entire semi load,” said Wieligman. “I feel like if I was in Curtis’s shoes, he’d do the same thing for me.”

The acts of kindness are a testament to Lewis’ character.

“This is Curtis’ passion,” said Ron Williams, a farmer in Lafayette County, Mo. “He loves farming, especially on the combine, and I thought this is just a clever way to give back to Curtis and help the family out now that they’re in the need.”

The support is being dispatched by some friends, and some strangers, while mom, dad and family gather the strength to keep supplying Lewis with love and support he needs.

“It really shows what a small town can do,” said Lewis’ mom Debbie, as she was fighting back tears. “What the farming community, and really everyone nationwide is doing, the people that we’ve talked to, it’s unbelievable.”

As Lewis’ fight to beat cancer is just getting started, he’s blown away by a community that cares.

“There’s not enough words in this world because I never thought I was this important,” said Lewis as his eyes quickly filled with tears.

He’s savoring every minute and moment in life, while grasping onto hope modern medicine will make miracles

“We’re going to fight this,” said Angela.

“I’m not quitting,” said Lewis.

As a community gives, he’s fighting to beat the odds, with grit and tenacity no diagnosis can take away.

$1 Million Training Center Opened by DeLaval in Kansas City

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 04:56:32 GMT

DeLaval debuted a newly renovated facility in Kansas City, Missouri that will serve as a training facility for the dairy manufacturing company with a specialization in robotics and food safety.

Renovations at the DeLaval Training Center totaled $1 million and offer a home to train service technicians and dairy farmers in the use of the brand new Voluntary Milking System VMS V300 .

“This project is the culmination and ultimate example of our leadership and competence in the dairy industry as a whole,” says Fernando Cuccioli, DeLaval Regional President, North America. “We’re looking forward to not only hosting our own staff members and dealers here, but also producers and other industry specialists, such as veterinarians and nutritionists.”

The Dairy Management Advisory (DMA) training program will be based at the center where work with the three new VMS V300 robotics units and the Herd Navigator will be offered. Herd Navigator is an analysis system that detects both pregnancies and herd health issues such as mastitis and ketosis.

Each year more than 400 students are trained by DeLaval for service maintenance, installation and troubleshooting. The company has 22 trainers total, 13 of whom specialize in robotics.

“The training center really came together quite quickly,” Cuccioli says. “It’s something we began planning over a year ago, but the bulk of the work took place in the last six months.”

DeLaval will continue to operate a training center in Waunakee, Wisconsin that will serve as a facility for VMS Classic training.

Also housed at the Kansas City facility will be DeLaval Cleaning Solutions, which offers a food safety aspect to the training center. The facility will provide training for cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting applications for all dairy, food, and beverage processing industries. There will also be equipment to work with on-site in a training course that exists for food safety through the DeLaval Cleaning Solutions Academy.

“With ever-increasing concerns from consumers about their food, it’s so important to us that our trainings here have a heavy focus on food safety,” says Steve Harris, sales director for DeLaval Cleaning Solutions.

The DeLaval Training Center is housed in an existing facility on the companies Kansas City campus that was already home to distribution, administrative functions and research and development

“We believe the training center will foster excellence in technology and food safety throughout the dairy industry, not just within DeLaval, and we are prepared and excited to get our trainings underway and echo this expertise across North America,” Cuccioli adds.

The Future of Ag Tech in the Midwest

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 02:53:17 GMT

The U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade discussed problems surrounding rural communities in the Midwest and solutions agricultural technology can continue to provide on Feb. 15, 2018.

The areas of improvement sought for Midwest ag tech include reaching young people, increasing funding and developing products that are acceptable to both farmers and consumers.

According to Sam Fiorelli, COO of the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, the development of new technology in agriculture has helped encourage young people to stay in or come back to rural communities.

“Young people who are tech savvy now have an outlet to put that love and understanding of technology to use in their communities,” says Fiorelli. “Imagine a kind of ‘Geek Squad’ in rural communities across America that can be deployed to help get a tech heavy piece of equipment up and running again in hours rather than days.”

Fiorelli says farmers and small businesses are also supported by ag tech innovation through open access to research centers’ core facilities like the Danforth Plant Science Center’s greenhouses. This helps small businesses gain access to research that would be costly for them to conduct on their own.

In order to continue improving rural communities, Kevin Kimle, director of the agricultural entrepreneurship initiative at Iowa State University, says there is still work to be done.

Kimle says improvements can continue through exposing more young people to the concept of entrepreneurship in high school and college and helping them find mentors who have done similar things.

Kimle also says developing more early stage funding and venture funds is crucial to furthering ag tech in the Midwest.

Outside of funding and education, a key part of getting technology in the hands of farmers is helping them see the value it brings to their operations says Peter Nelson, vice president of agricultural innovation at Memphis Bioworks Foundation and president of AgLaunch.

“Farmers have traditionally been at the forefront of developing & implementing new innovations and technologies,” says Nelson. “Over time, the role of the farmer in adopting new technologies, and this is key, has been one of customer rather than one as partner.”

Nelson says this change has created a disconnect between developers and producers. One solution the Memphis Bioworks Foundation has developed to solve this issue is the AgLaunch 365.

The program provides startup companies direct access to unbiased feedback through participating farmers. This helps improve products on the farm and ensures startups have greater success by solving technical issues early on.

However in order for ag tech to be successful in the future, new products must be acceptable to both farmers and consumers says Michael D. Fernandez, senior fellow at George Washington University Food Institute.

“The first generation of genetically engineered products was geared more toward farmers than to end consumers,” says Fernandez. “Consumers are evermore focused on food, what’s in it, where it comes from, how it’s produced and that trend isn’t going away. So the best way to build acceptance is to offer products that provide tangible benefits that consumers can embrace and be transparent about it.”

Missouri Senate Passes Bill on Industrial Farms

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:21:04 GMT

The Missouri Senate has passed a bill to block local officials from regulating industrial farms more strictly than the state does.

Senators voted 23-11 on May 2 to send the bill to the House.

The measure sparked an overnight debate earlier this week over the environmental impact of large farms, local control and actions by some county officials that critics say threaten to regulate industrial farms out of existence.

Supporters of the bill say it will help ensure farmers can make a living in rural Missouri.

Industrial farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations allow for more efficient production of beef, pork, poultry, dairy and eggs. They’ve also stoked concerns about air and water pollution.

Lawmakers face a May 17 deadline to pass legislation.

The Seven Core Changes in Greitens' Tax Relief Plan

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:19:48 GMT

Gov. Eric Greitens says his tax plan will result in a 97 percent tax cut for all Missouri taxpayers, eliminate tax burden for many in the working-class and encourage new businesses to open in Missouri.

In order to accomplish these goals, Gov. Greitens has made several changes that could affect Missourians and their businesses. The seven core changes made in the plan are outlined below.

1.Reduce the Personal Income Tax Rate The plan cuts the top personal income tax rate from 5.9 percent to 5.3 percent. Missourians who earn more than $9,072 annually are in the top income tax bracket. These Missourians will see a tax rate reduction of 10 percent.

2.Implement the Workers First Tax Cut This is a non-refundable tax credit for lower-income workers. The number of children and amount of income earned is taken into account. Those who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit would also get 20 percent of their federal EITC off of their state tax bill.

3.Lower Corporate Tax Rates Lowering the corporate tax rate from 6.25 percent to 4.25 percent would give Missouri the second lowest corporate income tax in the nation. Gov. Greitens says this will encourage businesses to invest in Missouri and stop the state from losing jobs.

4.Eliminate Timely Filing Discounts Missouri businesses receive a 2 percent discount for filing their sales taxes on time. The Withholding Tax Timely Filing Discount and the Vendor Timely Filing Discount will be eliminated under his plan.

5.Require Single Sales Factor Under this tax plan, all multi-state businesses will be required to use single-factor-apportionment rather than have the choice between this, three-factor apportionment or a modified single factor apportionment. Gov. Greitens says three-factor apportionment encourages businesses to hire workers outside of Missouri and pay less in Missouri taxes.

6.Phase out Federal Income Tax Deductions Gov. Greitens’ plans to alter federal individual income tax deductions by phasing out the amount of deduction as your income increases.

7.Join the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement Every state that collects sales and use tax is prohibited from collecting use tax from remote sellers. The Streamlines Sales and Use Tax Agreement is a multi-state agreement that “encourages remote sellers selling over the internet and by mail order to collect tax on sales to customers living in the Streamlined states.”

Missouri

House E15 Bill Could Boost Corn Prices While Pressuring Soybeans, FAPRI Finds

SRE Allocations Changes the Story

What Happens to Corn and Soybeans?

Farm Income Turns Negative Before Recovering

Key Points From the Study

Corn Growers React, Disagrees With “Two Fundamental Assumptions”

The Biggest Unknowns

Soybean Gall Midge Emerges As Top-Tier Threat

Look For Small Orange Or White Larvae

Cultural Practices Show Promise

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

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

Key Takeaways: 2026 Farm Income Outlook

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

Missouri: A Year of Margin Pressure

Crops Showing Stability

What It Means on the Farm

Kansas: Stabilizing After a Strong Run

Crops Drive the Outlook

Expenses Offer Some Relief

What It Means on the Farm

A Shared Reality: Tighter Margins Ahead

The Bottom Line

Cotton Acres Projected to Slide Again in 2026 as Economic Pressures Mount

The Economic Squeeze: Why the Shift?

Farmers Are Walking Away From Cotton

Inside the Survey: A Coast-to-Coast Breakdown of 2026 Intentions

Mid-South: The Sharpest Decline

Southwest: A Patchwork of Growth

The West: Upland Down, ELS Up

Looking Ahead: A New Safety Net With Long-Term Gains vs. Short-Term Pain

Reclaiming the Market: “Plant, Not Plastic”

The first is the “Buy American Cotton Act,” a proposal to offer tax credits to brands and retailers that document the use of U.S.-grown cotton.

Looking Ahead: The Path to Recovery for Cotton

From Best Buy Toy to Pro Spray Drone: A Father-Son Duo Takes Flight In Missouri Cattle Country

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Pete's Pick: 3 Used Loader Tractors Draw Big Bids, Plus A Heartwarming Classic John Deere Buy

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AgEagle Aerial Systems Unveils New RedEdge-P Green Camera

Dutch Startup Launches Largest GPS Network for Drones, Tractors

Missouri Doctoral Student Says Drones Are Fine Tool for Crop Scouting

Rantizo Spin-Off American Autonomy Inc. Says It Can Close the Spray Drone Data Loop

From 'Prince of Darkness' to Farm Hand: Remembering Ozzy Osbourne’s Special Visit to Shatto Milk Company

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

From Omaha to Georgia: Inside the Farm Machinery Reshoring Boom

Why U.S. Agriculture Needs More AI Investment to Stay Ahead in Global Crop Innovation Race

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

Missouri Farmer Calls Ford Out for Abandoning Ethanol Flex Fuel in New F-150 Trucks

Unexpected Ways A Missouri Farmer Brings Family Back To The Farm

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

Risk and Reward: How These Farms Found Success With Vertical Integration

Next-Gen Spotlight: Technology and Side Hustle Help Missouri Couple Come Back to the Farm

Q: You both had other careers. How did you know you wanted to come back and farm?

Q: Has anything surprised you, good or bad, coming back to the farm?

Q: What advice would you give next-gen producers?

Q: Why should a next-gen farmer consider getting involved in one of the national farm groups?

Q: Is having a side hustle a good idea?

Q: Your career, either on or off the farm, has revolved around agriculture. Why?

Corn Planting is Now Already Underway in 7 States

Related News: Spring Planting Progress Off To A Good Start

Photos of Planting Progress So Far

US Treasury Dept. Moves to Limit Foreign Land Purchases Near Military Bases

Missouri Puts Up a Foreign Land Ownership Wall

Missouri Moves to Tighten Reins On Foreign Land Ownership

AFG Breaks Ground on Missouri Beef Plant

"Combining for Curtis": A Harvest Full of Heart

$1 Million Training Center Opened by DeLaval in Kansas City

The Future of Ag Tech in the Midwest

Missouri Senate Passes Bill on Industrial Farms

The Seven Core Changes in Greitens' Tax Relief Plan