Blogs

After some drier weather in the last 10 days or so, the weather pattern is forecast to become much more active next week, especially in the Midwest.

The 2026 shipping season began in the past week as the Upper Mississippi River is now open in addition to the Great Lakes.

The World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogues this October will focus on global food security, particularly in times of war, rather than on food production. The foundation on Wednesday named this year's World Food Prize laureate.

Twenty-eight agricultural groups urged Trump administration officials to clarify the 45Z Clean Fuels Production tax credit rules to support struggling farmers and biofuel markets.

The soybean/corn price ratio certainly supports a shift in area from corn to soybean planting this spring, but it will need to be monitored for signs of that transition being too great.

Net fund position in corn with both futures and options vs. the price of spot corn in dollars per bushel.

Both the live cattle and feeder cattle contracts were able to close higher Monday afternoon, but with choppy boxed beef prices, historically slow throughput, and cash prices yet to be determined, the week still has some challenges ahead.

The May soybean futures chart appears to be forming a bear flag pattern that typically indicates a downward resolution. However, chart patterns are certainly not always highly reliable and there are outside market forces controlling the narrative on grain and soy lately.

March 24 is National Ag Day. Join DTN and Progressive Farmer in celebrating what farm and ranch families bring to our nation and the world.

Farmers have varied opinions about cover crops. Those who organize the National Cover Crop Survey want to hear all of them before the end of March.

The U.S. Navy's minesweeping technology is much more sophisticated today than it was during the Vietnam era when the author was a minesweeping officer; but the Navy has a lot less of it and the Iranians will be attacking the Americans with drones.

Safrinha corn planting is slightly behind schedule, a large concern with limited soil moisture and only about two months of the wet season left.

Commodities brokers advise farmers to develop disciplined grain marketing plans based on production costs, stick to price targets, seek professional guidance and utilize futures and options for effective risk management.

A G4 geomagnetic storm may degrade satellite navigation for some hours and disrupt low-frequency radio navigation. But given this is January and not the middle of spring planting, this storm if it arrives will have negligible effect on U.S. farms.