Peanuts

Hurricane Helene: One Year Later

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:35:22 GMT

Chris White is 46 years old. For more than half of that time, he’s been a blueberry farmer in his hometown of Baxley, Ga. He’s seen a lot, both as a farmer and also as a resident in southeast Georgia, an area of the country that’s not quite hurricane ground zero but that can certainly find itself adjacent to the many tropical storms and hurricanes that make landfall each year.

But he’d never seen anything like what happened to his community the night of Sept. 26, 2024.

Located in the southeastern part of the state, Baxley was one of the many towns that took a direct hit from Hurricane Helene. Overnight, the hurricane pummeled the area with 100-plus mph wind gusts and rainfall that triggered flooding, resulting in 37 deaths in the state.

When White and his fellow farmers awoke the next morning, they were unprepared for what they saw.

One of the farms that makes up Appling Blueberry Farms had sat ripe with mature blueberry bushes just the day before. Now, it was decimated – the entire blueberry canopy flattened to the ground. Surrounded by debris, he recalls having to walk 3 miles on foot to get to his equipment shed.

“I drove the tractor back here to the field and when I pulled to the road and saw it, I just turned around and didn’t come back for six days,” White says.

“Just imagine the entire thing on the ground. “It was devastating,” he adds.

Down the road in the neighboring city of Alma, Randy Miller spent the morning with the same ache in his gut. Looking out on his family’s timber operation, Miller saw his 1,400 acres of timberland in shambles.

“We lost 300 acres of timber in the 30 to 40-year range,” he says.

Miller thought of his timber acres largely as his 401k — a savings he could grow to maturity and then harvest as a security blanket for retirement.

“I’m 64 years old, and that was basically my lifetime’s marketable timber that was gone,” he says.

Randy Miller had invested time and energy in growing a pinewood plantation that he hoped to market at maturity. Hurricane Helene’s 100-plus mph winds decimated 300 acres of his trees.

(Randy Miller)

The Clean-Up

While White remained in denial about his crop’s demise, Miller didn’t have the time. Even felled timber has a window where harvest remains possible, but time is critical. He started calling his timber cutting contacts, but he was already behind. Other landowners had called before him.

“It took months before they could get to us,” Miller says.

“Before the Hurricane, we sold 60 acres of timber worth roughly $4,000 per acre,” he says. “After it, we picked up 150 acres and got a check for $47,000.

“Some people got nothing, so we were lucky that we’d gotten $4 a ton for ours, which is basically nothing,” he adds.

In Baxley, White finally started ripping out his destroyed blueberry bushes. In order to plant more, he had to start from scratch and rebuild the field infrastructure, such as bark mounds and drip lines.

But then he couldn’t find plants.

“We called all over the U.S. to find plants,” he recalls. “We had plants come from Oregon and Florida. We really had to struggle to get them.”

Appling Blueberry Farms planted the last of its replacement bushes in February, which means that the new crop could not yield fruit this year. Grower Chris White will be able to harvest berries from the farm in the 2026 growing year.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement)

White’s last new plant went into the ground in February. He says he’s not sure that any of that quick rebuild would have been possible without emergency assistance from USDA.

“The FSA Tree Assistance Program (TAP) was a very big blessing to put them back,” he says. “They paid an amount for the soil preparation and then so much per plant for the replant.

“It definitely wasn’t something that would bring you debt-free on it, but it was something that wouldn’t put you in a real financial bind,” he adds.

Planning for the Future

The devastation left in Helene’s wake wasn’t just plant loss for many farmers. The rushing water from torrential rain combined with the hurricane-force winds blew critical topsoil, sending it into nearby fields, ditches and roadways.

Part of the recovery for growers like White was moving and replacing dirt.

“We hauled in about 60 dump truck loads of dirt and put the soil back where it had eroded,” he recalls.

He wasn’t the only one. Neal Boatright, a fourth-generation farmer who grows more than 6,000 acres of cotton, peanuts and blueberries at scale, also had to get to work relocating soil on his farm. He noticed a difference in erosion in his no-till acreage and the areas where he harvest-tills crops such as peanuts.

“We brought it back from the lower side of the fields and put back and leveled and tried to fix it,” he says. “We have conventional tillage areas that wash worse.”

Growers such as White, Miller and Boatright have seen the weather changing around them. While they say they’d never seen a hurricane or tropical storm hit their region with such devastation as Helene did, they aren’t sure it is going to be the last one.

Their rebuilding plans are a combination of put-back and pre-planning for mitigation of future potential weather catastrophes.

In his rebuild, White worked to secure grants that would allow him to experiment with cover crops in between his blueberry rows. The farm that was lost totally last year now has a diverse cover crop mixture locking his soil in place.

Appling Blueberry Farms uses a diverse mixture of cover crops in between blueberry rows to protect soil from erosion. After the first year, grower Chris White says he sees a reduction in nematode and weed pressure due to the cover crop.

(America’s Conservation Ag Movement)

At one point in the growing season, his cover crop mixture stood 6 feet tall, towering above his blueberry bushes. In addition to protecting the soil, White says the cover crop is yielding other benefits as well.

“It dries the middle out a lot quicker because you have so much sucking the rain and that helps a bunch,” he says. “Because we planted several different plants, our nematode pressure has been way down and the weed pressure too.

“We’ll keep a cover crop here twice a year now, one in the summer and one in the winter,” he adds.

Boatright has been cover cropping his land and sees the benefits in preventing erosion as well as building organic matter in the soil.

“It not only saves erosion by that cover crop growing, it helps retain some nutrients for the next year, builds up organic matter and helps with suppressing weed pressure,” he says. “All that added together makes a good cover crop worthwhile.”

Lasting Impact

While growers and landowners have spent this past year cleaning up and putting their land and assets back together, many worry that the devastation of Hurricane Helen may have generational impact.

Kevin Eason didn’t have to destroy many of his blueberry plants, but even though they survived, the yields this year seem to be suffering.

“What we’ve come to realize is some fields that we didn’t think were damaged, production was down significantly,” he says. “What’s going to happen a year from now, two years from now, three years from now?

“What are going to be the lingering effects of what happened with the Hurricane?”

As he drives down the road on his land and in his community, Boatright can still see areas that harken back to the immediate aftermath of the storm a year ago.

“There was probably more wind damage from that one storm than all the wind damage I’ve ever seen in my whole life added together in this area,” he says. “This was devastating to the timber industry and will have years of effects.”

Miller is keenly aware of the generational impact that his timber losses will have for his family.

“It’s just a sickening feeling because you have totally lost your hearts, not just in the pocketbook,” he says. “I have a kid, and he has two kids that are coming up, and we want to turn it over to them in good shape.

“It’s not a one-year quick fix.

“This is going to take years,” he says. “Probably five years from now, we’ll still be able to ride through and see where this Hurricane hit us.”

Big Strides for Small Microbes

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:50:43 GMT

For ag tech startup NewLeaf Symbiotics, helping a crop meet its full potential begins with what’s already growing on it: pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs).

And while PPFMs may not be part of everyone’s everyday vocabulary, NewLeaf president and CEO Brent Smith says they are part of our everyday lives.

“These microbes are naturally occurring. They are on every plant that you would ever see, on the salad you eat, on the grass that you grow, on the trees that you look at, and everything in between,” Smith says.

The team at NewLeaf works to isolate strains of these microbes and research what they can do to benefit crops.

“We optimize them for the things that they’re good at, and then we produce them to optimal concentrations for the optimal outcomes,” Smith says. “It helps us harness actionable solutions to some of farmers’ biggest challenges like yield, crop protection, nutrient use efficiency and methane mitigation.”

Smith compares the abilities of the different strains of PPFMs to the abilities of different humans: some are highly intelligent, some naturally athletic, and some could be both.

“Our products do a lot of different things, but they do them in very specific prescriptive ways,” he says. “It isn’t throwing the same product out that does a lot of things – it’s a strain that does a thing to deliver an outcome. And that’s a little unique for a biological company.”

Over the past decade, the company has been focused on one thing and doing it well – successfully sequencing 6,500 strains of the technology and obtaining over 200 patents. With two of the strains for use in corn and soybeans currently available through retail and channel partners, such as BioWake through AMVAC, Revline Hopper Throttle through Meristem, and NewLeaf Technology+Dust through Low Mu Tech, NewLeaf is looking toward a large-scale expansion in 2024.

“In 2023, our products were applied on 3.5 million acres and we’re on track and expecting almost 11 million acres treated this year,” Smith says. “We’ve launched our corn rootworm bioinsecticide and we’re also launching our cotton and peanut biostimulant products. So we’ll have three new products on the market this year and an additional 50 projects and products in our pipeline.”

As far as the projects that are still in the works, the company plans to launch 10 new products over the next two to three years as well as expand into nine additional countries outside of the U.S. And as they hit the gas pedal on growth, Smith shares NewLeaf’s five-year plan focuses on five key areas.

“We spent time building out our plan and it’s focused on expanding and scaling our row crop market presence, entering specialty crop, entering international, nutrient use efficiency, and methane mitigation – primarily in rice,” he says.

Through their expansion, NewLeaf plans to continue partnering with product manufacturers and distributors to deliver their products through the ag retail channel – something Smith feels can be a win-win situation.

“We source our technology to our partners and help them build their brand equity in the market,” he says. “They can feel confident in those brands and confident in presenting that to their customers, and we’re fully supporting and standing behind those technologies.”

AgriTalk: Raising Awareness of GMOs Through Chocolate

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 03:50:47 GMT

Today on AgriTalk U.S. Grains Council CEO Tom Sleight talks about his upcoming retirement; Tom Karst, editor of The Packer, talks about immigration reform as it relates to produce, and Rebecca Larson, lead scientist of A Fresh Look talks about Ethos Chocolate—a company promoting GMOs.

Machinery Journal - Early Spring 2019

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 02:14:32 GMT

New High-Speed Planter Uses Air Pressure

Canadian-based company Väderstad Sales is moving into the U.S. market this year with the introduction of its high-speed planter Tempo L. The planter is available with 12-, 16-, 18- or 24-row units.

According to Larry Wieler, CEO, the Tempo L planter offers a new way of delivering seed into the furrow. “We don’t rely on gravity, felts or any friction; we just use clean air power,” he explains. “Because we control the seed, if you’re on an uphill or downhill grade or in bumpy conditions, you don’t lose control of the seed and the planter isn’t affected by changing ground conditions.”

In most scenarios, Wieler says he anticipates farmers will plant with the Tempo L at about 10 mph. But that isn’t the planter’s top range.

“Two years ago we did a race, and we averaged 12 mph and did 1,250 acres of corn in 24 hours with a 16-row planter,” Wieler says. “We don’t recommend everybody to go that fast, but it’s nice to know that you can if you have to.”

For more details on availability and pricing, visit www.vaderstad.com .

Aftermarket System Applies Multiple Products

To help farmers apply the right input at the right rate on each foot of field, AMVAC will launch Smart Integrated Multi-Product Prescription Application System (SIMPAS) in 2020. The aftermarket system can be used on any planter and features three SmartCartridge containers per row that can hold granular or liquid products. Once a prescription is entered into the SIMPAS controllers, farmers can monitor via an ISO-based display. Because each row unit is prescriptively controlled, product containers will run out at different times.

“Instead of having to run each of them empty, the farmer can remove and replace all of the cartridges at the same time. After returning to the place of purchase, the retailer scans the RFID tags and credits the farmer’s account for the unused product,” explains Jason Jimmerson, SIMPAS project manager.

The company is working with Trimble to distribute SIMPAS through their dealer network. Learn more at www.simpas.com .

Farmer Welcomes Sesame Street to Promote Agriculture

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 17:04:46 GMT

When Sesame Street knocked, Casey Cox threw open the door on her Georgia farm and charged toward an opportunity to take American agriculture to a new audience. The classic children’s television series, with viewership reaching dizzying heights, was asking, and Cox was readily answering. “Yes. Absolutely. We’ll make it work and get it done—no matter what.”

In early 2019, Sesame Street began preparing a segment partially focused on an iconic food with a hallowed place in every American pantry: peanut butter. Cox, always on the alert for a chance to champion agriculture and educate the public—particularly kids—didn’t blink at a shot to take the farm-to-table message directly from her rows to 150 million children across the planet: “There was no way I was going to miss out on telling millions of kids about where food truly comes from.”

“Make it Happen”

Cox, 29, a sixth-generation farmer at Longleaf Ridge Farms in Camilla, Ga., grows sweet corn (spring and fall) and peanuts on sandy ground, along with field corn and soybeans on the level land of Mitchell County. Outpacing row crops, Cox has more acreage in timber production and timber preservation, adding to the timeless, pristine appearance of a property that rubs against the stunning beauty of the Flint River. It’s a unique ecological environment dictated by the Flint, a flow Cox considers part of the lifeblood of her farm, and in many ways, the winding river knows her name: “It’s a special part of our family and it’s a part of our lives,” Cox explains. “I’ve grown up on the Flint River, and whether I’m in it or walking beside it, it’s the way I recharge.”

Prior to full-time devotion at Longleaf, Cox led the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District for six years, and learned the media ropes, going from local television spots to RFD-TV’s FarmHer series to a season one appearance on Netflix’s Rotten . Each interaction was an opportunity, Cox emphasizes: “I never imagined being in the spotlight, especially on camera, but I am grateful for every opportunity to cast the agriculture industry in a positive light.”

In 2019, Sesame Street , as part of its Foodie Truck segment—helmed by the classic presence of Cookie Monster—began planning a feature on peanut butter. A hired crew ( Film Captive Productions ) out of Atlanta contacted the Georgia Peanut Commission , in search of a spotlight farmer. Since returning home to south Georgia, Cox had become very involved in advocating for the peanut industry, including participating in the Peanut Leadership Academy . Due to her past experience, Cox was tapped for the Sesame Street role, and after the production team watched a bit of GoPro footage of Cox at Longleaf, the questions were over: Sesame Street had found its farmer. “It was certainly different, and out of my comfort zone,” Cox explains, “but I was all in right from the start.”

However, there was a slight problem, or more accurately, a sizable problem: There wasn’t a peanut plant in sight. Filming was set for February—a month when fields are bare and far removed from May planting. Cox began a tristate, all-hands-on-deck hunt at USDA research facilities, University of Georgia, University of Florida, and Auburn University, in search of a token peanut plant. “It was Sesame Street,” Cox recalls with a grin. “We were going to make it happen no matter what.” (A single potted peanut plant was obtained, but never made it on camera.)

Fortunately, a few months prior during the fall, the National Peanut Board had filmed three farm families at harvest for a promotional video, including the Cox operation . Translation: Sesame Street had access to Cox’s B-roll footage.

The film crew shot Cox on a tractor, and then spliced the video with B-roll to make up for the disparities. The crew then filmed processing in a peanut butter factory with Cox performing the voiceover. All told, despite the hurdle of February production, the finished product was seamless and included in episode 12 of season 49 .

“Best Opportunities”

Cox maintains the highest praise for the Sesame Street crew: “I commend Sesame Street because they were a total pleasure to work with, and the Foodie Truck series is a brilliant concept and great way to reach children with where their food comes from. As an agriculture industry, we need to seize every opportunity to broaden our platform and reach more people. Working with an iconic partner like Sesame Street was an invaluable opportunity.”

As media windows open for other farmers, what is Cox’s advice? “Never be afraid to get uncomfortable because one door may open another. As a farmer, you know more about your subject than you realize because it is your life, and people want to hear from you.”

“You never know where your efforts might lead to next,” Cox concludes. “I never imagined I’d be on Sesame Street, but how can I top it? That experience has been one of the best opportunities of my life to promote agriculture.”

For more, see:

Grizzly Hell: USDA Worker Survives Epic Bear Attack

Rat Hunting with the Dogs of War, Farming’s Greatest Show on Legs

Misfit Tractors a Money Saver for Arkansas Farmer

Predator Tractor Unleashed on Farmland by Ag’s True Maverick

Government Cameras Hidden on Private Property? Welcome to Open Fields

Farmland Detective Finds Youngest Civil War Soldier’s Grave?

Descent Into Hell: Farmer Escapes Corn Tomb Death

Evil Grain: The Wild Tale of History’s Biggest Crop Insurance Scam

A Skeptical Farmer’s Monster Message on Profitability

Farmer Refuses to Roll, Rips Lid Off IRS Behavior

Killing Hogzilla: Hunting a Monster Wild Pig

Shattered Taboo: Death of a Farm and Resurrection of a Farmer

Frozen Dinosaur: Farmer Finds Huge Alligator Snapping Turtle Under Ice

Breaking Bad: Chasing the Wildest Con Artist in Farming History

In the Blood: Hunting Deer Antlers with a Legendary Shed Whisperer

Corn Maverick: Cracking the Mystery of 60-Inch Rows

Blood And Dirt: A Farmer’s 30-Year Fight With The Feds

Against All Odds: Farmer Survives Epic Ordeal

Agriculture’s Darkest Fraud Hidden Under Dirt and Lies

Meet a Legendary Shed Whisperer

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:12:26 GMT

Where kudzu-covered bluffs meet bayous and cypress limbs drip Spanish moss, Jimmy Cassell is on the hunt for deer antlers. Perched behind the wheel of a John Deere side-by-side, Cassell patiently scans the horizon for an alabaster anomaly hiding in a sea of green. Eyes narrowing and neck tightening, he spots a pale speck 150 yards across an open field, and begins rolling toward a white gleam jutting just above a stand of early March ryegrass. Seconds later, heart pounding with anticipation, he picks up a stout five-point trophy—one more shed to add to a stunning collection of deer antlers. At play in the fields of his youth, the search for sheds never gets old for Cassell, even after 30 years and more than 1,500 specimens.

Shed hunting is a sport for millions of landowners and outdoorsmen, yet, few can match Cassell’s consistent totals or antler size. Humble and self-effacing, he shakes off personal “bloodhound” credit and insists the key to prolific shed success rests on geography and deer management.

Just outside Port Gibson, Miss., Cassell runs cattle on 1,000 acres of windblown, loess soil that rubs against the Mississippi River. He plants 120 acres of ryegrass in the pastures and extensive food plots (mixed with clover and turnips) beyond the fences. “For deer to grow horns to their full genetic capability, you have to be sure they get all they want to eat,” he says.

Cassell pays close attention to paths connecting woods and pastures and his 13 trail cameras. He turns his cows in on ryegrass every morning and takes them off each afternoon, which means he checks at least some pastures and tree lines for sheds twice a day.

Cassell gives away some antlers while others become knife handles, trinkets, lamps and furniture. Every so often he adds another shed to the massive tower of tangled antlers in the corner of his trophy room, which stands 7' high and 5' wide at the base.

Mississippi consistently ranks highest in mature buck harvests, according to Quality Deer Management Association. For example, hunters in the state harvested 77% of the bucks age 3½ or older in 2017/18.

“I love to watch a deer mature. I pick up the sheds from the same bucks over and over, and I really learn a lot about which deer made it through the season,” Cassell says.

Case in point: Acorn Tip, a buck killed by a bowhunting neighbor at 7½. In prior years, Cassell found several of Acorn Tip’s sheds. The buck was a straight 8-point all the way to 6½, and then jumped to 10 at 7½. He was 150" at 4½; 160" at 5½; 165" at 6½; and 170"-plus at 7½.

“A 170" deer is something else, especially when you’ve got all his growth right in front of you.”

Jimmy Cassell has 30 years worth of shed hunting stories. To read more, visit bit.ly/shed-legend

Yesterday Never Dies On Missouri Farm

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:09:42 GMT

At the northern edge of the Cotton Belt, two Bootheel farmers are racing down a lonesome Stoddard County road in a pair of silver and white Ford F-150 trucks to check on a duck pit ideally hidden in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway. Brake lights pop as the vehicles pull onto a turn row lining a shimmering, flooded rice paddy set against the pale gray of a cold January sky. In unison, out of the cabs spill a match of tousled hair, blue eyes and easy manner belonging to what may be the most unique brother and sister farming operation in the United States.

Will Hunter, 39, and Laura Collins, 36, grow 6,000 acres of corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, and wheat outside of Bell City, Mo., on a remarkably tight and clean operation. Graded fields await spring planting; a central farm shop is a hive of winter work; a manicured equipment yard is neatly lined with vehicles; a grain elevator churns out loads at a staccato pace; and the main office hovers over it all like a vigilant pit boss. A place for everything; everything in its place.

Will and Laura run Willow & Co., a well-oiled farming machine squeezing every drop of profit from a shrinking commodity barrel. Pennies and nickels are precious in an anemic market and the duo adheres to a strict regimen of efficiency, diversification and adjustment. The overall machine is geared toward present gain, but the parts are deeply rooted to the past.

Sikeston Ridge stands guard over the Mississippi River to the east of the operation, and Crowley’s Ridge rises to the west, shaping the ground between into a shallow depression. The cypress bottoms have long been sheared of knees and trees, and the water drained from the bowl, but the land still hides a tapestry of farming and timber tales .

In the case of Will Hunter and Laura Collins, they farm by choice and lift the weight together. Always together.

© Chris Benentt

There is a ghost always watching and whispering from the field’s edge at Willow & Co. It’s the echo of William Pinnell (W.P.) Hunter, Will and Laura’s grandfather, and no decision is made or action taken without paying respect his foresight and memory. W.P. is an enduring patriarch and as with thousands of family farms across the U.S., legacy looms largest at Willow & Co. The inescapable duality of a farming legacy manifests as both a blessing and burden, but Hunter and Collins keep history perched tight on their shoulders. At Willow & Co., legacy is a comfort and a roadmap to success.

In 1936, W.P. worked for his father’s levee construction company in Arkansas alongside wife, Frances, and the couple lived in a tent camp for several months before moving to New Madrid to enter finance, occupying an apartment above the Bank of New Madrid. Frances couldn’t abide a tent city; W.P. couldn’t handle an apartment. Their version of the great compromise pushed them north in 1938 to Sikeston. W.P. initially cleared ground with extensive labor and mule teams to the northwest of town in the Bell City area (commonly tagged Toppertown). He acquired 40-acre tracts with seven-year farming leases, contingent on cleared ground.

Working around stumps in forgiving clay loam, W.P. attained phenomenal 1- to 1.5-bale cotton right out of the gate. His initial stake grew into a sea of sharecropper houses with a general store, fertilizer warehouse, cotton gin, and delinter building. Later, he used the row crop business to finance a 2,500-head cattle operation. The dual businesses seldom both hit big profits in the same year, but they served as counterbalancing fail-safes in lean times.

A legacy preserved: From left, Furgison S. Hunter, Sr., Samuel L. Hunter, Sr., William Pinnell Hunter, Sr.

© Willow & Co.

In the early 1980s, W.P. maintained a breakneck pace down the backroads of Stoddard County, and a game young Will rode shotgun in the truck, soaking in a work ethic and the intangibles of farming. Fait accompli, Will would take the farming reins. He breathes; he farms. “I was my grandfather’s shadow and his lifestyle fascinated me. Even as a tiny kid, he and I both knew I was going to farm. Period,” Will says.

Bringing up the caboose of the family chain, Laura was born with grit to match Will’s and she clung stubbornly to his heels. “I was with Will unless he was with our grandfather. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I had to be outside,” she says.

With a storage capacity of 575,000 bu., the entire grain crop is stored at Willow & Co. When calls come in, trucks roll within an hour.

© Chris Bennett

Outside, indeed. By 15, Laura had her own summer lawn care business, and loved every second of the outdoor work. Three and a half years older, Will set off for Mississippi State University (MSU) and graduated in 1999 with a degree in agricultural economics. At the time, Will and Laura’s father, Sam Hunter, managed the family’s land. A veterinarian by trade, Sam had a keen instinct for overseeing the farm, and was the linchpin of the pair’s initial success. Eyes on the prize of farming, Will was allowed to work 160 family acres and run the elevator with a sweetener: Succeed on 160 and get lease access to more land. Year one, he sold $6 soybeans and $5 rice. Tight margins, but he cinched his belt, steadied his nerve, and farmed 2,200 leased acres by year four.

On the surface, Will was cutting a deep row by himself, but he felt a sibling bond was the key to long-term success. “Laura and I connected as we grew up,” Will recalls. “That’s a connection that goes unexplained; it simply is.”

In May of 2002, Laura was closing in on an agricultural business degree as a junior at MSU, intent on a career in ag sales. Her phone rang on a Monday morning at 6:30 a.m.; with Will on the other end of the horn, laying out a plan for a joint farming operation. “Who could I trust more? I needed a partner to grow the operation,” Will says.

A year later, Laura graduated and returned to Sikeston, spending two days handing out resumes to 10 area ag businesses. Agriculture doesn’t hire in May and no phone calls came. As Laura walked away from retail onto the farm, Will closed the proverbial door behind her and Willow & Co. was born. “I called Laura ‘Lolo’ as a kid. We took my first name and combined it with ‘Lolo’ to get Willow & Co.,” he says.

Acreage was growing, but the technical side was lacking. After three years in the field, Will was beginning to grasp agronomy, but he lacked technological prowess, a role Laura would tackle. In addition, the operation’s steadfast bookkeeper, David Dalton, was transitioning toward retirement and Laura would slot into the accounting role. She was also ready to hop on a tractor at a moment’s notice. “Will wanted me as an equal partner and we drew no lines around roles,” she says.

Farming requires escape routes, and Laura and Will expanded duck hunting leases in 2016 with customized pits on eight fields, with plans to build two more.

© Chris Benentt

“Laura has one of the hardest jobs on the farm keeping up with accounting and books. At the same time, she’s out of the office in an instant drilling rice,” describes Donnie Jolliff, Southeast Co-op manager at the Morehouse, Mo., branch.

The partnership is seamless. The pair can disagree, go jaw-to-jaw, drop an inside joke, and carry on farming. Their actions are dictated by gratitude to W.P. and Frances, and they’ve kept the farm in check with one overarching goal: protection of the family legacy. A legacy is shattered far more easily than preserved. “You can take the money and walk away or you can farm,” Will says.

Timing makes or breaks a farming operation. Willow & Co. began increasing grain storage in 2005 and ended up in a harvest race when Hurricane Katrina approached in late August. They added six grain bins and began filling them with rice before the last bolts were placed. As Katrina destroyed transport along the Mississippi River, they filled bins and sheds with grain, even placing false walls in the old delinter building and dumping in corn until it poured out the cracks. Despite Katrina’s destruction to U.S. agriculture, Will and Laura navigated a storage crisis and marketed grain accordingly, a major stepping stone for the young producers. Today, they store 100% of their grain crop and have 575,000 bu. in storage capacity.

“They farm big acres with great efficiency and track all the moving pieces. They also have a reputation as stellar people away from farming,” describes ag pilot Peter Malone, owner of Ag Air in Sikeston.

Several years after Katrina, another business benchmark arrived. When Frances passed in 2009, the family land became wrapped in legal entities between Sam, an aunt and two uncles. “It was time to buy ground. Better to be an owner than in the renter’s seat long-term,” Will says. He and Laura took the opportunity to buy stock and become primary holders in Toppertown, Inc., the farming corporation set up by W.P. and gifted to his children.

“Laura and I connected as we grew up,” Will recalls. “That’s a connection that goes unexplained; it simply is.”

© Chris Benentt

Will and Laura kept their sights on acquiring the entire trust structure and four years later, the move from tenants to landowners was completed. In the fall of 2013, Will, Laura and Sam acquired the entire farm and became sole owners of the family land.

The grand misnomer of an off-season in agriculture is put to shame at Willow & Co. In winter, the schedule eases from a seven-day to a five-day work week. The elevator answers to a buyer’s call market. When calls come in for grain, the bins fire up and the first truck is on the road within an hour.

Any regrets? “We wish we would have listened better in marketing class,” Will laughs.

“We haven’t done a bad job, but nobody I know does an exceptional job,” Laura echoes. In 2017, they hired a consulting company to take over marketing and put constant eyes on puts and calls. “When margins were bigger, we had room for error. Now we will use a pro to watch the market full-time because so much is at stake,” she adds.

Farming requires escape routes, particularly in low commodity stretches, and Willow & Co. continue to diversify. They grew 500 acres of white corn in 2016, and also added peanuts to the crop roster with longtime neighbors and friends as tenants. Duck hunting leases expanded in 2016 with customized pits (16x5x5 with two dog boxes) on eight fields, with plans to build two more.

Eighteen years on for Will, and fourteen total as Willow & Co., and following marriages with highly supportive spouses (two kids each), Laura and Will are supremely proud of a legacy preserved. Anchored to their grandfather’s vision, the long-term goal is to continue growing the farm and preserving the family chain. “It’s overwhelming to realize you hold someone’s past in your hands,” Will says.

Will, 39, and Laura, 36, grow 6,000 acres of corn, cotton, rice, soybeans, and wheat.

© Chris Benentt

The mantle of leadership and legacy is heavy, but that’s the inherent nature of farming. In the case of Will and Laura, they farm by choice and lift the weight together. Always together.

Land is never truly owned, but merely borrowed from future generations, and it’s safe to say W.P. is watching from the periphery, well pleased with his grandchildren as they work ground at the Bootheel farm between the ridges.

Alabama Peanut Farmers Hopeful for Good Crop

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:52:50 GMT

Farmers in Alabama’s peanut belt are hopeful about the upcoming harvest.

Larry Wells of the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center says rainfall this year has been just what the crop needs: Neither too dry nor too wet. That allows farmers to work in their fields to maintain the peanut plants.

Wells tells the Dothan Eagle that the crucial months for rain will still be August and September. He says receiving about 1 inch of rain a week will keep crops on the right path for harvest.

Rainfall patterns are encouraging for that to happen. Alabama is completely drought-free, which is a big improvement from a year ago. In 2016, about 62 percent of the state was either abnormally dry or in a drought.

Wells says peanut harvesting begins in mid-September.

Bovine Viral Dilemma

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:30 GMT

The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal. The opinions expressed below are the author’s own

Among the most insidious pathogens affecting cattle, the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDv) stands out. Clinical signs and effects of the disease can vary widely, and while its name includes the word “diarrhea,” the most damaging effects include abortions in cow-calf herds and the role of BVDv in the bovine respiratory disease complex in stocker and feeder cattle.

At the heart of the issue, persistently infected (PI) cattle represent a critical control point and a significant ethical and financial challenge for producers. PI cattle are those that survive infection during gestation and shed the virus for as long as they survive.

In a recent article titled “ Enhanced BVDv Control Would Benefit the Cattle Industry ,” Oklahoma State University Extension specialist Derrell Peel, PhD, notes that BVDv incidence is relatively low at about 0.3 percent of cattle and only about 4 percent of cow-calf herds will have a PI-positive animal. However, he says, commingling that occurs in the stocker and feedlot sectors greatly magnifies the impact of PI cattle. A single PI calf may expose at least 150-200 head of other cattle to BVDv over its life, and around 79 percent of feedlot cattle are exposed to BVDv from a small number of PI cattle.

In theory, widespread testing and removal of PI animals, coupled with effective vaccination protocols in cow-calf herds, could eradicate the BVD virus. In reality though, testing adds production costs, as does removal of a PI calf, which might appear healthy. And from the rancher’s perspective, they cover the costs while stocker and feedlot operators reap at least a portion of the benefits.

Peel notes that Oklahoma State University research shows the net value of enhanced BVDv control in the beef industry could be as much as $24 per head. Currently though, the feeder-calf market does not provide mechanisms for directly compensating cow-calf producers for their investments in BVDv control. Peel refers to this as an example of “market failure,” where market participants do not fully recognize and incorporate all costs and/or benefits into their private decisions.

Cow-calf producers can benefit from testing calves, replacement heifers and imported animals for BVDv. Test results almost always will be negative, but timely diagnosis of a PI animal can prevent substantial losses from declining pregnancy rates and calf morbidity. Benefits associated with risk reduction are, however, difficult to quantify financially. For information on how to measure those benefits, read “ Analysis of cost-effectiveness of veterinary interventions ,” from Dr. Bob Larson at Kansas State University.

Some marketing chains will provide premiums for calves certified as BVD-tested and PI-free, but that trend has been slow in developing. In its annual survey of value-added markets, Superior Livestock Auction has collected data on BVD-tested calves since 2008. In their data, premiums averaged $2.42 per hundredweight in 2012, $2.97 in 2013, $1.63 in 2014, $2.42 in 2015 and no advantage in 2016.

Scientists and veterinarians recognize that removal of PI calves is critical for control of BVDV, but that discussion always leads to the question of what to do with those calves. Producers facing tight margins might be reluctant to euthanize or slaughter PI calves that appear healthy, and the potential loss of revenue can even discourage some producers from testing.

Ethically, the options for producers who find PI calves include euthanasia or shipping directly to slaughter. In some cases, producers can limit their losses by isolating and feeding PI calves to slaughter weights, either on their own operations or at a finishing facility that is equipped to feed the animals in complete isolation. The option entails considerable risk as morbidity and mortality rates tend to be high in groups of PI calves.

Peel notes that an indemnity program to pay for eliminating PI animals might increase incentives for better BVDv control in cow-calf herds. In any case, an industry-wide effort with shared risks and benefits across sectors, will be needed to significantly reduce the impact of the destructive BVD virus. For more, read BVD Biosecurity, Vaccination and Diagnostics from Bovine Veterinarian.

Maximize Profit Foot By Foot With Variable-Input Technology

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:30 GMT

Production agriculture has entered a new era, in which growers can maximize profit not just on every acre, but on every fraction of an acre—even tiny fractions. But only a few farmers are benefitting from it.

The tool that can maximize profit, as well as resource use, is variable-rate technology. In addition to allowing growers to adjust the rate of seed, fertilizer and pesticide, this technology also lets them switch plant varieties, row by row and even foot by foot, across their fields.

This kind of farming deserves a brand-new name: variable-input technology, or VIT for short.

Does VIT pay? A four-year farm-scale study conducted by Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and his team says it does.

The study found a farmer who varied inputs to match soil conditions, we’ll call him Mr. V.R. Tea, netted more profit than Mr. Homer Unswinger, who shoots for the same high yield regardless of soil type, and Mr. I.M. Cawshus. Cawshus, like Unswinger, uses the same practices on every acre, but he takes a more conservative, or defensive, approach.

“Cawshus, Unswinger and V.R. Tea are putting forth the same effort, but V.R. Tea is netting from $63 to $100 per acre more profit than the other two growers,” Ferrie says. “The reason for the difference is V.R. Tea understands his soils and uses variable-input technology to apply the right inputs, at the optimum rate, on every acre.”

Admittedly, these profit calculations don’t include a charge for technology. “But you can buy a lot of technology for $100 per acre,” Ferrie says.

Today’s technology allows you to prescription-treat areas under an acre. Got 200’x300' pockets of alkaline soil scattered in a field of high-producing black ground? Plant a soybean variety with a higher iron chlorosis score or increase plant population in those areas. With corn, switch those areas to a hybrid that tolerates high pH and adjust your starter rate to compensate for reduced phosphorus and sulfur availability. Plant the better soil with your standard practices.

If you have zones of light, sandy, droughty soil, plant a bushier soybean variety to close the canopy faster, or a corn hybrid and population suited to the soil. Adjust your nitrogen fertilizer rate based on the soil’s nitrogen-supplying power and crop need.

The slow adoption rate of multi-hybrid planters suggests many farmers haven’t yet realized the potential of farming by the foot. “A large percentage of my clients and the growers I meet across the country would identify with I.M. Cawshus,” Ferrie says.

The smallest, though increasing, group of farmers pattern their management after Mr. (or Ms.) V.R. Tea. “For them, no zone is too small to manage,” he adds.

Facilitating this revolutionary management change is data. “Never before have we had the ability to collect so much data on our fields,” Ferrie says. “Our capacity for data accumulation increases every season, and most is fairly inexpensive or almost free.”

Ferrie identifies the following sources of data:

Calibrated yield monitors provide the foundation for putting all the pieces together.
Yield maps can be overlayed with geo-referenced soil maps downloaded free from the internet.
Most counties have access to LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) maps, made by remote sensing.
Images of your fields available on Google Earth, if taken at the right time, can provide valuable detail.
Thermal and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) maps are economical to obtain.
Higher-resolution images are available from drones and planes.
Real-time data, including cation exchange capacity and organic matter content, can be collected using sensors pulled through the soil, such as smart firmers on your planter and soil mapping machines made by Veris Technologies.
Planter and tractor monitors that record how planters adjusted downforce and managed depth, and when tractors changed speed to maintain rpm in tough-pulling soils, resulting from soil type changes, can produce as-applied maps that match up well to maps showing soil type and structure.

“In just a few years, we can collect more information about our soils than earlier farmers could collect in a lifetime,” Ferrie says.

Using VIT requires organizing and interpreting all the data. “Don’t stack all your layers of data—yield maps, soil maps, remotely sensed images, etc.—together and look at a summary,” Ferrie advises. “Separate the layers and interpret them. Crops react differently in dry and wet seasons. If you stack years of yield maps together, you get an average, which may cause you to overlook zones in your field, and fail to understand when and how yield losses happened.”

Search for correlations between layers, such as between soil type and yield. “When studying layers of data, look for contrast and areas that stand out,” Ferrie says. “When you find one, narrow down when it occurs—in wet years versus dry years or in soybeans rather than corn. Start to put patterns together.

“In the short term, look for annual or seasonal issues to direct your scouts to problem areas,” Ferrie advises. Perhaps most rewarding is when you identify zones with perennial, or recurring, problems. Go to the field and determine the cause. When you discover a field’s weakness, you can farm around the weakness and take advantage of the field’s strengths.”

For example, when a weakness shows up only in wet years that suggests an area of poor drainage. “Now you know how big the problem is and can estimate the cost to fix it,” Ferrie says. “If an area tends to be waterlogged, you can make a plan to drain it and estimate the cost and return on investment. You might decide to change your nutrient management practices to minimize nutrient loss. Or, you might look for genetics that tolerate wet feet, or add a seed treatment to control water molds.”

If you find areas with perennial pests, such as wireworms or nematodes, VIT technology lets you apply insecticide treatments, plant resistant varieties or plant treated seed only in those areas.

Some management zones, or contrasting areas on your maps, might need more than drainage. “We now can use variable inputs to fix almost every weakness we find on maps,” Ferrie says.

Which Type of Farmer Are You When It Comes to Management Style?

Mr. V.R. Tea

Uses variable-input technology.
Studies layers of data to create management zones based on topography, soil type and soil tests.
Identifies strengths and weaknesses of every management zone; uses variable-input technology to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Sets yield goals based on the water supply in each management zone.
Bases plant population on yield goal and hybrid.
Bases N rate on soil’s supplying power, population and yield goal; identifies risk areas for N loss, tests for soil nitrates and adjusts application rates.
Scouts and reacts to pest problems as necessary.

Mr. Homer Upswinger

Sets high yield goals (250 bu. to 270 bu.) on every acre, regardless of soil type.
Applies 250 lb. of N per acre on corn following soybeans; adds more if he thinks he lost some, basing loss estimates on coffee shop conversation rather than soil tests.
Plants all hybrids at 38,000 plants per acre, regardless of soil type.
Focuses primarily on top yields when studying plot data, leading him to select mostly racehorse hybrids, rather than choosing defensive types for situations such as alkaline or droughty soils.
Doesn’t scout much; sprays every field if he finds diseases or insects.

Mr. I.M. Cawshus

Sets conservative yield goals, viewing high yield as high input cost.
Wishes he could grow 250 bu. per acre corn, but does nothing to achieve it.
Sets yield goal of 200 bu. per acre across all acres.
Applies a flat rate of 180 lb. per acre of N on corn following soybeans.
Does not vary fertilizer rate or take nitrate tests to estimate soil’s N-supplying power.
Plants all hybrids at the same population.
Uses his farm’s past yield history to select hybrids, which results in mainly defensive varieties.
Is not big on scouting; applies fungicides and insecticides only when everyone else is doing it.

Farm Journal Study Shows Benefits of Variable-Input Technology

The yield and profit numbers below were generated by a multiyear farm-scale study involving multiple farms. It was conducted in a corn/soybean rotation using no-till or vertical tillage. Yields were calculated by calibrated yield monitors backed up by scale weights on every pass.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and his crew planted two offensive hybrids and two defensive hybrids at three populations, and applied three nitrogen rates. Corn was planted with a 60' planter set for eight 30" rows and eight twin rows on 30" centers. In each management zone, yields were recorded by hybrid, nitrogen rate, population and row spacing.

To simulate farming styles, Ferrie assigned the yield resulting from defensive hybrids and the medium nitrogen rate and plant population to I.M. Cawshus. He assigned the yield from offensive hybrids with high population and nitrogen rates to Homer Unswinger. Mr. V.R. Tea was assigned the yield resulting from planting defensive hybrids on lighter soil and offensive (racehorse) hybrids on heavier, more-productive soil; plant populations based on hybrid and ear type; and an optimum rate of nitrogen based on population, yield goal and the nitrogen-supplying power of the soil (determined by the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test).

Partners in the study included AgriGold, Great Plains Ag, Blu-Jet (Thurston Manufacturing Company), Ag Leader, Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Aeroptic LLC, AirScout, Bob Kuntz, Mike Craig and Crop-Tech Consulting.

Varying Inputs Returns $100 More Per Acre

After four years (one dry, one wet and two normal) Mr. V.R. Tea had a higher average yield on every soil type. The results were even more impressive after gross profit was calculated by subtracting the cost of seed and nitrogen from the value of the crop.

Republicans, Democrats To Reach Across The Aisle On Infrastructure

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:30 GMT

Next year Republicans will control the Senate, while Democrats the House—but will anything be accomplished? Industry experts say both parties need to find common ground to tout success, and infrastructure might be their golden ticket.

“It’s really one of those rare opportunities, perhaps the best opportunity to do something in a bipartisan manner,” Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition told Clinton Griffiths on AgriTalk. “We think that it’s very encouraging when you hear both leader Pelosi and McConnell (on the Senate side), both identify infrastructure as one of those opportunities.”

Infrastructure has been an issue that seems to just keep getting put on the back burner, he adds. He thinks something will get done now—and ag needs to have a seat at the table.

“The temptation is for urban perspective to dominate and overwhelm, and while that’s important, we also need to talk about the challenges of moving freight, including agricultural freight,” Steenhoek said. “We are really keen on implementing dredging the lower Mississippi, a big launching point for the international marketplace that’ll make us so much more competitive; maintaining and improving our locks and dams; and allowing semis with a sixth axel to be loaded with 91,000 lbs. versus the traditional 80,000 lbs.”

Congress has already authorized investment in the Mississippi River but the challenge now is getting funds appropriated. It’ll cost $157 million to make the improvements needed along this inland waterway but that investment could yield significant returns for farmers.

“If [the funding] were to proceed, according to our analysis that would provide $461 million of additional revenue for soy farmers throughout the country annually because the supply chain is more efficient,” Steenhoek explained.

One reason for this is that basis is largely dependent on the transportation system and more efficiency in that system would improve profitability.

In addition, the Soy Transportation Coalition says improving road transportation needs to be a priority in Congressional discussions. The group says drivers need to have access to sixth axel, 91,000 lb. load options.

“It’s a very controversial issues, because people think heavier semis must mean it’s more dangerous or does more damage to the road,” Steenhoek said. “Sure, but what that addition axel provides is more breaking capacity and displaces the weight. So, it actually moderates both of those concerns.”

Finally, Steenhoek explained that locks and dams are finally getting attention and funding.

“A Water Resources Development Act passed in 2014, 2016 and was just recently signed into law by the president on Oct. 23,” he said. “We continue to have momentum moving forward on this, [but] there’s still a lot to be done. But we’ve also seen a 48% increase in funding for locks and dams—reason to celebrate, but again, the need is still very exorbitant.”

AgriTalk: October 17, 2018

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:26 GMT

How have weather delays impacted harvest across the Corn Belt? Ryan Wagner of South Dakota, Andrew McCrea of Missouri, and Rock Katschnig of Illinois join the AgriTalk Farmer Forum.

Ryan Wagner, a farmer in northern South Dakota, finally began cutting soybeans this week after weather delays kept him out of the field. Andrew McCrea, a farmer from Missouri and host of the Farming the Countryside podcast, still hasn’t been able to cut soybeans in northwestern Missouri. As for Rock Katschnig of western Illinois, soybean yields are the best he’s ever seen, at least before the rain.

During an interview, Sec. Sonny Perdue had a question for the Farmer Forum: “What are three things that you would say—from your perspective on an agricultural producer—that USDA could do to help you do better, be better, and be more profitable?” The panel weighs in and discusses the importance of ethanol and trade agreements.

What do farmers do during rain delays? The Farmer Forum answers that question and shares what’s been going on in their respective areas.

A Look at Nebraska's Flooded Farm Ground

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:26 GMT

Nebraska communities are repairing the damage done to their homes and farms.

What are producers dealing with as clean-up begins?

National Reporter Betsy Jibben takes a look.

Jibben talks with Justin Mensik of Morse Bluff, Nebraska; Dan Mensik of Morse Bluff, Nebraska; John Tyson of Blair, Nebraska and Tim Gregerson of Herman, Nebraska.

Senators Launch Probe Into Conservation Easement Tax Fraud

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:26 GMT

Following several years of IRS investigation, Wednesday Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) launched their own probe into the potential abuse of syndicated conservation easement transactions. They allege these easements may have allowed some taxpayers to profit from gaming the tax code and deprived the federal government of billions of dollars in revenue.

The cases in question appear to involve land promoters selling interest in tracts of land to people looking for a tax deduction, according to release from the senators. They then get an appraisal and grant conservation easements on the land. The charitable deductions are then split among the investors, the senators explained in the release.

“There are very legitimate purposes for the conservation easement provisions of the tax code. But when a handful of individuals cook up a scheme to cash in at the expense of federal revenue and in violation of Congress’s intent, something needs to change. There’s no reason that the rest of the taxpaying American public should be left with such a raw deal,” Grassley said. “This is just our first step in getting to the bottom of how these tax provisions are being abused, and it will inform what else ought to be done to fix the problem.”

Wyden is particularly concerned about the black eye this will give the conservation easement program.

“Our first concern is preserving the integrity of the conservation easement program, which has helped protect critical habitat across the country. The goal of our bipartisan investigation is to ensure a few bad actors don’t threaten the program by selling off deductions based on exorbitant appraisals. The program must not be abused and used as a lucrative tax shelter for the wealthy,” Wyden said.

These taxpayers use syndicated conservation easements to reap tax benefits larger than their investments, according to Grassley.

The Brookings Institution found that this practice cost the federal government more than $3 billion dollars in 2014 alone, and estimated that it has cost even more in the years since.

This week Grassley and Wyden sought documents and information from individuals who appear to be associated with these investor groups that might have unfairly profited from conservation easements.

U.S. Trade Team Back in Beijing as China Sees Much Still to Do

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:26 GMT

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. trade officials including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer landed in Beijing Thursday for talks aimed at nailing down a deal with China, as an official there warned there are still many issues outstanding.

Arriving at the Westin hotel in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, Mnuchin said he was “pleased” to be there and looked forward to “productive” meetings. Estimates of progress in the talks have veered in recent weeks between expectations of an imminent signing to pushing any finalization months down the line.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” Ministry of Commerce Spokesman Gao Feng said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. One of the biggest sticking points is still disagreement on enforcement, with the U.S. wanting assurances that China will deliver on any promises to change its practices around intellectual property protection.

The two sides will hold a working dinner Thursday evening with a full day of talks planned for Friday, Gao said. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is then scheduled to travel to Washington next week.

The urgency of reaching a trade deal is being underscored by the dimming outlook for global commerce. Figures published Monday show trade fell 1.8 percent in the three months through January compared with the previous period. That’s the biggest drop since May 2009.

Speaking Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China’s domestic economy has showed signs of stability amid targeted stimulus support, despite threats arising from weakness in global demand.

“China’s sound economic performance is not a result of quantitative easing or massive stimulus,” Li said Thursday in a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese island of Hainan. “Some fluctuations in economic growth from month to month or quarter to quarter are hardly avoidable. Nevertheless we’ll carry on with our policies as long as the major economic indicators are kept within an appropriate range for the whole year.”

The government this month unveiled a record 2 trillion yuan ($297 billion) tax cut and has worked since last year to improve the supply of credit to small businesses and the private sector. While signs of stabilization in the local economy continue to appear, the U.S.-China trade war remains a major source of uncertainty.

Li was upbeat on the domestic outlook, although he sounded a warning on the global economy. Concerns of a downturn are multiplying amid signs that trade is being hammered due to recession fears in Europe and China’s own slowdown.

Lackluster Global Trade

“Global trade and investment are lackluster, and protectionism is on the rise,” Li said. “The global economy is losing momentum. There are a lot of uncertainties, and market confidence has been impacted.”

Li said that his government was now working to implement a new foreign-investment law passed this month, which seeks to address some of the concerns about access to the Chinese market that have fueled U.S. complaints. China planned to abolish all laws that contradict the new investment code, draft regulations on its implementation by year-end, he said, and work toward treating all companies, Chinese and otherwise, equally.

Less Negative List

In addition, the government would continue shrinking the list of sectors foreign companies can’t invest in, Li said.

“We’ll only reduce items instead of increasing items” on the negative list, Li said. “We’ll further open up sectors including modern services such as value-added telecom, healthcare, education as well as transportation, infrastructure, energy and resources.

Li also repeated promises that investors from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau wouldn’t be adversely affected by the new investment law, comments that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience in Boao.

“We’ll protect and maintain the consistency of the policies regarding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan investment,” he said, promising both clear rules and that there would be no change to the favorable polices those firms have enjoyed until now.

“We’ll ensure better protection of the rights of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwanese companies, and allow them to prosper even more.”

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

Attributes of the Future’s Farmers

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

Strategic planning. Risk management. Yield prediction. Food safety. Equipment management. What do all these have in common? They will be vital in the success of the future’s farmers. They can also be improved by smart use of technology.

Major disrupters will continue to transform agriculture, which is why farmers must think like futurists, says Nikolas Badminton, a futurist and researcher.

“Once you know what is coming on the horizon, you can start making really good decisions today,” Badminton shared at Bayer’s AgVocacy Forum.

How can you adopt this futurist mindset? Start by asking yourself what do you do and how do you do it? Will your business be relevant in three, five or 20 years?

“You need to do research to understand what is coming,” he says. “If you’re a pig farmer, you might want to look at trends in growing organs in pigs for human implantation.”

Analyze your business by doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. Then identify where you need to bridge the gaps, Badminton adds.

Farmers of the future need to illustrate a few key traits, Badminton says: a curiosity and a thirst to experiment, extreme data literacy and dedication to data analysis.

“Technology gives you the ability to really make better strategic decisions,” he says. “Better strategic decisions mean more efficient operations.”

Even in today’s tight profit picture, Badminton suggests farmers carefully weigh the return on investment for new technology. Not doing so can be fatal for a business.

“If you stop investing, you stop growing, that means both growing crops and growing as a business,” he says.

Ag Tech: On the Brink of a Revolution

Fifty years ago, your parents or grandparents might have balked if you told them what the future of farming would look like. Automation, biotechnology, digital tracking and the list is still growing.

“Ag is the least digitized industry, but that gap is narrowing,” says Vonnie Estes, vice president of technology of the Produce Marketing Association. “Tech is important because we’re close to the consumer, and they want more traceability and knowledge about the foods they eat.”

In addition, labor challenges mean producers are up against a wall: they need to produce more and track how they’re doing it, but they don’t have the resources to get crops out of the ground. In fact, thousands of produce acres in California rotted in fields this past year because of this issue.

According to Estes, the future will be influenced by a number of factors and tech revolutions:

Technology found in biomedicine is being adapted for agricultural production.
Biological advancements are being propelled forward by gene editing, research on soil ecosystems and digital biology.
Digital technologies, such as sensors, imaging, robotics and machine learning, help farmers make better decisions.

“[Tech advancements] started with mechanical and chemical, moved to genetics with better breeding and today we’re moving into things like gene editing,” Estes says. “And a lot are based on data.” —Sonja Begemann

Stronger Broadband On The Way

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

When you’re running a business all you want is good cell coverage and a strong internet signal. If you’re in rural America, both of those can be hard to come by. That could change in the future.

The future of rural connectivity is promising because two factors have aligned to speed the development of broadband networks: the government has placed a priority on developing those networks, and private industry realizes a positive business case to build broadband infrastructure.

“Reliable broadband is critical for nearly every aspect of life, from education to health care to agriculture and beyond,” says Sonny Perdue U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. “By working across the federal government and by harnessing public-private partnerships as USDA has done for decades, we are doing all we can to bring reliable, affordable broadband to homes, farms, ranches, schools and healthcare sites throughout rural America.”

The 2018 farm bill provides funding to hurry rural high-speed broadband development. The bill expands loan and grant programs, strengthens interagency cooperation and prioritizes projects that bring access to underserved areas.

A USDA pilot program is offering $600 million in grants and loans to help build broadband capacity in sparsely-populated areas. The program provides non- and for-profit orgs, including local governments, the means to receive funds for infrastructure development and improvement. USDA will also provide a 25% matching grant, a 2% low-interest loan or a combination of both. A proposed rule is expected to be released in May, with three application periods between April and June and funds to be distributed beginning in the second half of 2019.

Speed is the key, as funded projects must create upload speeds of at least 25 megabits per second (mbps) and download speeds of 3 mbps. The Federal Communications Commission 2018 Broadband Deployment Report states 92.3% of all Americans had access to broadband at those speeds. However, only 68.6% have that access in rural areas, leaving more than 24 million Americans lagging behind.

In addition to the pilot program, the American Broadband Initiative released a report in February 2019 outlining recommendations for:

More towers. The Department of the Interior (DOI) mapped more than 7,000 new tower locations primarily in rural areas. These towers will be available to service providers seeking to locate equipment on federal property as they expand networks.
More assets. In addition to the DOI towers, the General Services Administration (GSA) will identify additional federal assets that can be used by service providers to expand into rural markets, ideally as a cost-saving opportunity.
Streamlined permitting. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will publish information on current project workflows, providing a single location for information on federal permitting of broadband infrastructure. In addition, GSA will streamline the permitting process to “be more responsive to stakeholder needs.”

The federal government steps to improve broadband access are admirable, but they aren’t enough.

“This digital divide continues to hold rural America back in nearly all aspects of everyday life: healthcare, education, business investment and general economic development, farm income, civic engagement and even property values,” says Bill Laduca, sector vice president, electric distribution with CoBank.

A CoBank report cites a recent study conducted by Purdue University that estimates the state of Indiana would realize a net benefit of $12 billion if rural broadband investments were made statewide.

During the past few years, electric distribution cooperatives have been building fiber networks as a way to service underserved markets for the benefit of their own operations and their customers. Many of the electric cooperatives have entered into the broadband space through partnerships with other cooperatives.

Regardless of how the broadband infrastructure is built, many in rural America are missing out on technology their urban neighbors enjoy.

New App to Address Broadband Access

Three orgs have joined together to develop an app that aggregates broadband speeds from mobile devices to help identify gaps in coverage. Armed with that data, the National Association of Counties, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and Rural LISC will advocate for broadband infrastructure funding.

TestIT (available for iOS and Android) allows users to be active participants in the national effort to bring awareness about the lack of high-speed internet connectivity in rural America. With the app, users can test their broadband speed from anywhere.

Snapshots of individual tests will be collected within a database, allowing partners to analyze connectivity data across the country. This data will bridge the gap between rural residents’ everyday experience and connectivity data provided by internet service providers, which is often inaccurate and inflated.

How does broadband stack up in your area? To find out, check out the map at bit.ly/stronger-broadband

$100 Ideas - March 2019

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

$200 Double Your Money Winner: Net Wrap Holder

When dealing with large bales, we like to keep the net wrap handy. We used square tubing to build a net wrap holder that hooks over our tractor’s front weight bracket. First, we welded four 12" vertical posts to a 40" horizontal base. Then we attached a pair of 7" hooks that slip over the weight bracket. Now the net wrap is always within reach, nestled in the space between the posts and the hooks.

Kari works alongside her family on their dairy, DLM Acres, and is a third-generation farmer. They raise corn and alfalfa.

Kari Middendorf
Sauk Centre, Minn.

Center Pivot Gearbox Carrier

I made a carrier to lug pivot gearboxes out into the field. A 5' pipe, which is carried on the shoulders of two people, is welded to a flange that fits the bolt pattern of the gearbox. Simply slide the flange onto the gearbox studs. Use the fastener nuts to secure it and you’re ready to walk through the corn to fix the pivot.

Mitchell Searle
Burley, Idaho

Bright Orange PVC Pipe Marks Culverts

Tractor tires can take a beating when mowing near the end of a culvert pipe. After I damaged a tire, I came up with a solution. I took a short section of bright orange PVC pipe and sawed it open on one side. I used a hammer to tap it over the top edge of the culvert pipe. This shows up well in green grass and covers the sharp end of the pipe.

Bob Strawhacker
Mediapolis, Iowa

Share your unpublished ideas to join our $100 Ideas Club. The Double Your Money winner receives $200. Other farmers featured receive $100 each. All winners receive a hat. To submit your unpublished idea, which must include a desc, photo or sketch, address and phone number, write to $100 Ideas, Farm Journal, P.O. Box 682, Johnston, IA 50131, email $100-Ideas@farmjournal.com or fill out the entry form at www.farmjournal.com/enter_100_ideas . All published material becomes Farm Journal property.

Last Day of Spring Brings More Rain

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

Meteorologist Cindi Clawson says areas that are already water-logged, may be seeing more rain.

Crop Tech - March 2019

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

New In-Furrow Soil Enhancement Product

Valent U.S.A. LLC is launching MycoApply EndoPrime SC, a liquid formulation of the soil enhancement product MycoApply EndoPrime. The product will be applied in-furrow and contains four unique components that improve soil health, nutrient efficiency and drought tolerance.

Four types of mycorrhizal fungi colonize the root system of the corn plant and create filaments that attach to root hairs and extend into areas of the soil otherwise inaccessible to roots, according to the company. The fungi can store resources and release them when the plant needs them, such as in a drought situation.

On the soil health side of the equation, mycorrhizal fungi produce compounds that create glomalin, a sticky protein that helps build stable soil aggregates and improve soil structure.

MycoApply EndoPrime SC causes the plant to expand its root absorption area, providing access to additional nutrients and water otherwise unavailable to the plant.

U.S. Appeals Court to Reconsider Chlorpyrifos Ban

The Trump administration has persuaded a U.S. appeals court to reconsider a decision to ban chlorpyrifos. The court will review former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s March 2017 refusal to ban the widely-used pesticide, according to Reuters.

“Pruitt’s ruling reversed a 2015 Obama administration plan to extend a 2000 ban on the pesticide that had covered most household settings. The appeals court had, in a 2-1 decision on Aug. 9, 2018, directed EPA to ban chlorpyrifos within 60 days,” Reuters reports.

Now an 11-judge panel will reconsider this case. EPA said it’s seeking a rehearing because the appeals court lacked jurisdiction to review Pruitt’s ruling and ban the pesticide.

Avail T5 Unlocks Soil Phosphorus for Plant Use

While soil might have acceptable—or even high levels—of phosphorus it’s not always in a form plants can use. Verdesian LifeSciences says its Avail T5 phosphorus fertilizer enhancer helps farmers get more out of their soil.

The company says trials show a 3.8% yield increase on average when using Avail T5 on granular phosphorus, a 2.4% yield increase with Avail T5 liquid starters and pop-ups and 30% to 45% more phosphorus being made available to the crop.

Avail T5 interacts with positively charged ions in the soil that traditionally cause applied phosphorus to become fixed. The product slows fixation by temporarily binding the positively charged ions such as calcium, magnesium, aluminum and iron.

Verdesian says recent studies indicate two-thirds of the product’s benefit is increasing plant-available phosphorus with the final third from improved early root development that allows the plant to tolerate stress throughout the season.

BASF Sells Seed Treatment and Canola System

Recently, BASF sold two product lines or production systems to competitors. The company sold Trunemco nematode management seed treatment to Nufarm. It also sold the Clearfield canola production system in the U.S. and Canada to Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont.

Nufarm says Trunemco will be commercialized in a number of key global markets and is expected to be launched this year in the U.S., pending EPA registration. The seed treatment is a nematode management solution that is a combination of a microorganism and biochemical to defend against a broad spectrum of nematodes.

Corteva Agriscience’s acquisition of Clearfield canola means the company gains a non-genetically modified, herbicide tolerant system that consists of the herbicide tolerance trait and Imidazolinone (IMI) herbicides.

Signal to Noise: China Gets Flooded Out of the Headlines

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

As historic flooding in Nebraska and other states pushes China out of the headlines, AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths joins Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer to look at the impacts of the growing disaster. What are the prospects for disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers battling the flood waters? What will that disaster aid look like? Wiesemeyer has the latest intelligence in this week’s DC Signal to Noise.

Bridging the Digital Divide: Getting High-Speed Internet to Everyone

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

Rural broadband continues to get attention from Washington, as it works to bridge the digital divide.

Currently, some 24 million Americans live without access to high-speed internet. Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission voted to advance conversations around using so-called “TV white spaces” for internet in rural communities. White spaces are unused television frequencies.

Richard Cullen is the Executive Director of Connect Americans Now . He says those frequencies are the channels in between the channels which can be used to transmit broadband connectivity.

“There are a lot of companies that are looking at that, but we need to give them the regulatory certainty. That’s an economically-viable solution and the Federal Communications Commission is the main focus right now. They are looking at a number of existing rules to finalize them so that those companies can have the certainty they need, and the good news is the F.C.C. has already taken steps in that right direction, so I’m confident that we’re going to continue to have progress going forward,” says Cullen.

Money was also allocated in the latest farm bill to help improve rural America’s access to high-speed internet.

U.S. China Talks Set to Resume

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:21 GMT

China is confirming another round of trade talks with the U.S. will take place in Beijing. The Commerce Ministry announced U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will take part in talks next Thursday and Friday.

Following that China’s Vice Premier will travel to Washington D.C. in early April for more talks. President Trump saying he’s considering keeping tariffs on Chinese products for a substantial period of time.

“We have to make sure that if we do the deal with China, that China lives by the deal because they’ve had a lot of problems living by certain deals and we have to make sure,” says President Trump.

The President continuing to say that a deal with China is coming along nicely.

In Mississippi Backwater, Flood Rises After Weeks of Waiting

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:16 GMT

By JEFF AMY Associated Press

ROLLING FORK, Miss. (AP) — For decades, Peggy Sellars and her husband George have warily watched periodic floodwaters inundate the land around their home in the Mississippi Delta, but the dwelling always remained dry — until this year.

After weeks of fearful waiting, rising water finally got their house on Monday.

Two weeks ago, they had moved out of their residence east of Rolling Fork, correctly concluding the worst flooding since 1973 would overtop a small levee around their neighborhood. They returned twice a day to check things, worried about potential looters and the watery peril to their uninsured house.

Finally, a Monday afternoon boat ride showed the fate Peggy Sellars had feared.

“I’m devastated,” she said. “The water is in my house.”

The Sellars and the farmers who plant crops in the nearby Delta flatland are the latest victims of an unusual flood that involves flood-control structures.

Weeks of rainfall have fed high waters in the Mississippi River, which is lined with a levee that keeps those waters contained. Meanwhile, the Yazoo Backwater Levee also protects thousands of square miles from inundation that could back up the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg.

But the rain that swelled the Mississippi has also sent water rising between the backwater levee and the even taller levee along the Mississippi.

When water is low, the Big Sunflower River, the Little Sunflower River, Deer Creek and Steele Bayou exit the closed-in region through a floodgate along Steele Bayou, eventually reaching the Mississippi. But when the Mississippi is high, the gate is closed to protect against even worse flooding and water backs up across the flat land of the Mississippi Delta. And every time it rains upstream, more water heads south.

This year, the Steele Bayou floodgate has been closed since Feb. 15. Sharkey County Supervisor Bill Newsom said residents began noticing the water rising out of the wooded swamps about 10 days later. Now, engineers say the region is on track for the worst flood since 1973, before the levee was completed. The water’s steady, inch-by-inch rise is cutting off highways and isolating communities.

Without the backwater levee, the flood would actually be worse. But it’s bad enough. Peter Nimrod, chief engineer of the Mississippi Levee Board, says the flood will cover at least 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares), swamping fields 60 miles (100 kilometers) or more to the north.

In the sparsely populated area, most homes remain dry for now. Newsom estimates about 50 families have moved out across Sharkey County. A Red Cross shelter in nearby Mayersville has no occupants.

But the big economic blow will fall on farmers. By the time things dry out, it will be too late to plant corn. It may still be possible to plant cotton, but farmers might be limited to a late planting of soybeans. Albert Dornbusch, who farms 5,000 acres with his son, said they’ll probably limp by with the assistance of crop insurance payouts linked to their inability to plant, but he’s not sure.

“Tell me when it goes down,” Dornbusch said.

When the backwater levee was built, the plan was to pair it with giant pumps that would suck water out of the area, pushing it over the levee into a flooded Mississippi. But environmentalists fought the pumps for decades, saying they would dry out and destroy wetlands dotting the region. They also argued the pumps, estimated to cost $220 million, were too expensive and would mainly benefit farmers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the project in 2008. Advocates made a last-ditch attempt at getting Congress to mandate construction last year before U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran retired and left his powerful post as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, but they failed.

Newsom remains an advocate of the pumps, saying agriculture is the region’s only industry. He said he doesn’t want to drain wetlands, just control high-water crests like the current one.

“We’re just wanting to have a flood level we can live in,” Newsom said.

But the water isn’t done yet. Forecasters had predicted a brief but sharp drop in the Mississippi River later this month, which could have allowed the floodgate to reopen. That relief now appears unlikely, which could mean weeks more of the long, slow siege.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday it was releasing enough water into nearby Eagle Lake to raise already swollen levels by 4 feet (1.2 meters), aiming to prevent a flood-control structure from being undermined. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency delivered 10,000 sandbags Monday to Sharkey

County officials, and heavy rain is possible later this week.

Lance Lowrey, who lives near the Sellars, told Newsom on Monday that he’s ready to evacuate with his daughter and two grandchildren. Water is beginning to submerge part of the state highway leading to Lowrey’s home. That dwelling remains dry for now, but he relies on his truck to make it down his flooded driveway.

“I ain’t got no boat,” Lowrey said.

Standing in a cold, driving rain outside his front door, Lowrey said things are getting worse.

“It keeps raining,” he said. “It’s going to get deeper.”
___

Farm Sense: Washington, How About a Compromise?

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:16 GMT

It’s no secret that wins are hard to come by in Washington, D.C.

AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths offers up a little Farm Sense on the importance of working together for the good of the country, and some unique ways to get a compromise.

Cattle Kills Prompt Removal of Mexican Gray Wolves

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:16 GMT

Two endangered Mexican wolves have been removed from the wild and are undergoing testing to determine if they’re behind a string of livestock deaths in southwestern New Mexico, marking the latest wrinkle in the strained effort to return the predators to the American Southwest.

The two young female wolves were recently captured in an area of the Gila National Forest where ranchers had reported a dozen instances of cattle being killed over a four-month period.

An order also was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calling for the removal of a third wolf in hopes of curbing the predation. The order allows for wildlife managers to use lethal force if necessary, but biologists want to avoid that if possible.

“We will use that as a very last resort,” said Brady McGee, who coordinates the Mexican wolf recovery program.

Wildlife managers initially tried to capture the wolves earlier this year during an annual aerial survey but were unsuccessful. Two more livestock kills were reported and then the female wolves were caught in the area, officials said.

Environmentalists have asked that the animals be released and that the removal order be cancelled for the third wolf, citing the difficulty the program has had in growing the population over the last two decades.

Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity said there have been issues in the past in an area known as Rainy Mesa. He said more needs to be done to mitigate the problems, including ensuring that the carcasses of any cattle that have died from other causes be removed to discourage scavenging by the wolves.

“This whole incident is an unwise continuation of management that has hurt the Mexican wolf population from the beginning,” he said. “The wolves are being scapegoated for the government’s refusal to institute meaningful standards to prevent conflicts.”

Robinson and others have long called for more captive wolves to be released to boost the wild population.

Ranchers have pushed back, citing the livestock kills and safety concerns for those who live in the rural communities scattered through the mountainous recovery area that straddles the Arizona-New Mexico border.

Officials have said their cautious approach to management of the population — from releases and relocations to removals and the fostering of captive-born pups in wild dens — is primarily centered on building up the genetic diversity of the wolves in the wild.

The wild population in Arizona and New Mexico has struggled to gain significant ground since the first release in 1998, as the effort has stumbled due to poaching, legal battles and politics.

About 114 wolves are believed to be roaming the two states, but that could change as wildlife managers compile the results from the recent survey. The new numbers are expected to be released later this month.

A subspecies of the gray wolf, the Mexican wolf once roamed parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. As the region became settled, wolves came into conflict with livestock. As a result of private, state and federal extermination campaigns, the wolf was all but eliminated from the U.S. and Mexico by the 1970s.

5 Retirement Investment Tips For Farmers

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:59:11 GMT

Are you ready for retirement? There are steps you should take to ensure you’re able to live the life you desire once it’s time to pass the management reins to the next generation.

On average, men age 65 today will live 84.3 years, according to the U.S. Department of Social Security. That’s almost 20 years of retirement bliss or blunder, depending on how well-prepared you are. The average monthly income for a couple drawing Social Security benefits is $2,176—roughly $26,000 per year.

That should trigger concern among producers, says David Marrison, Ohio State University Extension specialist.

“If $2,176 is an average benefit, it’s safe to say farm couples will receive less than that,” he explains. “Farmers are really good at avoiding tax payments, so [many] probably haven’t even paid in average contributions.”

Even if they do receive the average, Marrison says, farmers should think through where the remainder of their living expenses will come from. “The average household lives on $60,000 per year,” he says. “If $26,120 will come from Social Security, what about the rest?”

In many cases, the difference directly affects the farm business, Marrison says. The following tips can help you plan while limiting negative consequences for your operation.

Decide when the time is right. Many people default to retiring at 65, but they should let finances dictate when the time is right, says Joshua Mellberg, president and founder of J.D. Mellberg Financial in Tucson, Ariz. “With that approach, you are more likely to have the savings necessary to sustain you for the rest of your life,” Mellberg says.
Determine your budget. Next, figure out how much money you’ll actually need to cover your living expenses once you retire, says Tim Eggers of Iowa State University Extension. Also think through family living expenses, such as fuel and utilities, that might have been co-mingled with farm expenses, Marrison adds. Farm families should envision post-retirement life while realizing that can get tricky.
Figure out inflation. Then identify your target savings goal, accounting for inflation. Marrison suggests using the Rule of 72. Take the number 72 and divide it by an interest-rate factor. Marrison uses 4%, which is the average inflation rate over the past 50 years. In this example, in 18 years, your living expenses will be double what they are today because of higher inflation.
Determine a savings plan. Meet with your financial adviser to develop a series of next steps, Mellberg advises. View retirement as a way to reduce tax liability, Marrison adds. “In times of good prices farmers were doing a lot of tax mitigation by buying equipment, when in hindsight maybe what we should have been doing is putting that money into a 401(k) for the older generation,” he says.
Start saving today. Even investing 10% of your income today can add up to a nice retirement savings if you start soon enough, Marrison says. Be aware that if you plan to retire soon, low interest rates could act as a stumbling block, Mellberg says.