A Simple Conversation Sparked One of America’s Greatest Agricultural Innovations Innovation has always played a vital role in American agriculture, and few inventions transformed farming more dramatically than the cotton gin. What began as a simple conversation between a struggling farmer and a mechanically gifted college student ultimately changed the course of American agriculture forever. According to Mark Oppold’s American …
The National Ag Statistics Service, the USDA, says the U.S. peanut crop condition is 1% very poor, 6% poor, 34 fair, 54 good, and 5 excellent as we get to July the 7th. Checking on the states, Georgia is showing 62% of their crop is pegging down. That’s the five-year average at 63. They said the peanut crop has improved …
The Trump administration’s efforts to expand agricultural exports and reduce the nation’s agricultural trade deficit are beginning to show measurable results, according to USDA Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Under Secretary Luke Lindberg. In an interview with Southeast AgNet, Lindberg said the administration inherited a projected $50 billion agricultural trade deficit but has already seen significant improvement. “We’re forecasting about …
We caught up with Erin Beasley of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) to hear more about their upcoming meetings. “Well, we want our membership to know that we’ve got another set of summer regional meetings that will be taking place this month. We have July the 9th, that will be our Black Belt regional meeting right there in Valley Grand, …
The American Farmland Trust’s Beef Grazing Network is launching a redesigned Beef Producer Economic Resilience Initiative, in part with the USDA’s Advancing Markets for Producers Program. The $42 million project will support 700 beef producers from the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Texas. These funds are aimed at making producers’ operations more profitable and resilient, through sustainable grazing systems. Dr. Richard Watson, …
Weather forecasts front and center in the grain trade here at midweek, but U.S. and European weather models disagree going forward. Bottomline grain analysts suggest that commodity fund traders have been looking for any reason to go long in this market, and weather was the reason this week. Now, there’s a catch. European weather models show a hot, dry August …
Well, the Stocks and Processing Report gives us more details on how peanuts are being utilized. According to USDA in their 10th month report, they said that raw peanuts in primary products are up an amazing 6.3 percent. That’s August through May compared to last year. Peanut usage is up; peanut butter usage is up 6.3 percent for the period. …
After the statement released to not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) shared their thoughts, saying, “Amidst the many uncertainties that come with pork production, trade has remained a bright spot for U.S. pork producers, whose neighbors to the north and south represent a third of all U.S. pork exports. Ensuring USMCA remains intact is vital …
Superior Livestock’s biggest sale of the year kicked off yesterday. It’s their week-long week in the Rockies. They expect over 240,000 head of cattle, calves, and bred-stock offered before the gavel comes down Friday afternoon, so it’s a good market test. We watched August Live Cattle and August Feeder Cattle. Both have followed a similar price path. Both reached their …
How a Young Blacksmith Changed Agriculture Forever The westward expansion of the United States brought tremendous opportunities for early settlers, but it also presented enormous challenges. Among the greatest obstacles was transforming untamed prairie into productive farmland. The invention of the steel plow in 1837 marked a turning point in American agricultural history, allowing farmers to cultivate the rich but …
