For most U.S. farm households, income from off-farm jobs like teaching, driving a bus, or managing a bank branch helps keep an operation running. In 2023, an American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Market Intel Report says 23 percent of farm household income for farm families comes from farming itself, which means 77 percent of the income comes from other sources. In 2023, …
Planting Delays Continue Due to Weather Conditions
Planting delays continue in certain areas of the country due to weather conditions. Mark Oppold explains what that means for the crop and how the markets are reacting to it. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out Of Every AcreMarch 19, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Builds Relationships Between Researchers and Cattle ProducersMarch 13, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support …
American Agriculture History Minute: First Mail Order Tractor Parts Business Begins
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1938, Charles E. Schmidt began a mail order tractor parts business. The company got its start in Minot, North Dakota in 1938 as a mail order supplier of tractor parts, the first retail store founded in 1939. We know it today as Tractor Supply Company. And, in January of 1959, …
Livestock Market Reports for Week Ended 05-02-2025
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia for the week ended May 2, 2025, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended- May 2, 2025, receipts at 16 markets totaled 10,746 head compared to 8,278 last week and 9,421 last …
Georgia Ag Commodity Commissions Seek Nominations
Atlanta, GA – Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper announced this week that five of Georgia’s Agricultural Commodity Commissions are seeking nominations from producers to serve on their respective commissions. This includes the Georgia Cotton Commission. Nomination forms are available on the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s website and will be accepted until May 23, 2025. Administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, …
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Insurance Webinar
Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) and the Tropical Storm Option are crop insurance tools used to help deliver prompt assistance to producers in hurricane-prone areas. These coverage options add to a farmer’s underlying policy with no additional paperwork or loss adjustment needed. HIP-WI and the TSO options generally pay within weeks following a hurricane or tropical storm. Producers can attend …
Concerns about Peanut Exports
Exports are important to the industry. But as Tyron Spearman reports, there are concerns about those exports with the tariff talks. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out Of Every AcreMarch 19, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Builds Relationships Between Researchers and Cattle ProducersMarch 13, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support Forage Development and Management PracticesMarch 6, 2026CIR Agriculture …
Kentucky Derby Shines a Light on the Equine Industry
The annual Kentucky Derby will take place this Saturday. As Mark Oppold reports, this event helps shine a light on the equine industry in our country and its importance to agriculture. Sponsored ContentValley Helps Growers Get The Most Out Of Every AcreMarch 19, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Builds Relationships Between Researchers and Cattle ProducersMarch 13, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to …
American Agriculture History Minute: Early Agriculture in Kansas Often Unsuccessful
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Early agriculture in the state of Kansas was not always successful. Settlers began increasing in numbers when Kansas was opened to settlement in 1854. Many settlers brought seeds from the east or from their homeland. They planted mostly corn, but experimented with crops like oats, cotton, even tobacco. Most did not …
Liz Hershfield Named Cotton Council International Executive Director
(Washington, D.C./May 1, 2025) — Fashion industry veteran and sustainability expert Liz Hershfield will lead Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC), as its new Executive Director. Hershfield succeeds Bruce Atherley, who retired at the end of March. “Strong leadership and innovative strategies are essential to maintaining U.S. cotton’s competitive edge,” …










