Slight Increase in January Sales of 4-Wheel Drive Tractors

Dan Economy

According to new numbers from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), unit sales of 4-wheel-drive agriculture tractors grew slightly in the U.S. during the first month of 2024. January data shows 4-wheel-drive tractors increased 1.4 percent year-over-year, the only segment to show growth last month. Overall unit sales of U.S. tractors were down 21.2 percent compared to January 2023 sales. “This slight …

Eighteen Months from a Bird Flu Vaccine

Dan Avian Influenza, Poultry

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the United States is 18 months away from a vaccine for bird flu. That news comes as more than 81 million U.S. poultry and aquatic birds have been killed by avian flu across 47 states since January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. has found bird flu this year …

USDA Helping Small Farms

Dan Agri-Business, Conservation, Economy, Environment, Funding, This Land of Ours

How the USDA is helping small farms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Testifying before the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack listed several ways the USDA is helping small and mid-sized farms. “Climate Amart Agriculture Commodity initiative helping smaller-sized producers get a value-added proposition. Having farmers qualify for ecosystem service markets and when they do …

Vilsack Focuses on Farming’s Future Despite Protester

Dan Agri-Business

A protester tried to interrupt Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Thursday, as he gave his keynote speech at the USDA’s 100th Agriculture Outlook Forum. The protestor shouted at Vilsack, “You stole billions of dollars to bail out the chicken industry,” and accused him of creating the bird flu pandemic. Secretary Vilsack attempted to ask the woman to stay and listen to …

Georgia Department of Agriculture Launches $7.1 Million Grant Program to Fortify Georgia’s Food Supply Chain

Dan Agri-Business, Field Crops, Georgia

(GDA/Atlanta, GA/Feb 15, 2024) — Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper announced the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Grant Program. This initiative aims to strengthen Georgia’s food supply chain by providing funding for projects that enhance infrastructure and resilience. The …

USDA to Train Future Conservation and Climate Leaders

Dan Climate Change, Conservation, Environment, USDA-NRCS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a new effort to train the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. As part of the American Climate Corps (ACC) initiative, the Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC) will provide technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people, helping them deliver economic benefits through climate-smart agriculture solutions for farmers and ranchers across the …

Major Market Swings Not Expected This Week

Dan Commodities, Corn, Field Crops, Soybeans

No big market swings are expected from news coming out of USDA’s Outlook Forum this week. Mark Oppold looks at what is expected in the grain trade. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary 6, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Track …

USDA Releases 2022 Census of Agriculture

Dan Census of Agriculture, This Land of Ours, USDA-NASS

Results from the new census of ag. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.   USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) this week announced the 2022 Census of Agriculture results. The information collected directly from producers shows a continued decline in the total number of U.S. farms. However, the data also show a rise in the number of new …

Record Investment in Private Lands Conservation

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Conservation, Environment, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), USDA-NRCS

It was announced Tuesday that the Biden Administration made record investments in private lands conservation in fiscal year 2023. This was all through resources made available by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with the largest investment in climate action.  In fiscal year 2023, USDA supported more than 45,000 conservation contracts, more than any year in the 89-year history of USDA’s Natural Resources …

Price Swings Expected in the Grain Trade

Dan Commodities, Corn, Economy, Field Crops, Soybeans

There’s not a lot of good news in the grain trade at this point. Mark Oppold looks at what is currently happening and what is expected over the next few weeks. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for Florida Cattle IndustryFebruary 20, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Allows Viable Research in the Cattle IndustryFebruary …