Reopening of Southern Port of Entry for Live Cattle

This week another southern port of entry for Mexican live cattle is scheduled to reopen. This reopening is a key part of the gradual resumption of southern border livestock entry, working alongside New World Screwworm Protection Protocols. Chief Economist Justin Benavidez describes it further. “USDA will open the Santa Teresa, New Mexico port of entry. For the first month of …

corn

Corn and Soybean Futures

This year’s corn and soybean crop not even in the bin yet, but bottom-line grain analysts are keeping an eye on 2027 December corn 2027 November soybean futures. A Rising tide lifts all ships. It said networks in the grain trade as well. Next December 2027 corn futures have risen from early summer lows to a 52-week high recently over …

Ralston Purina checkerboard logo

The Story Behind Ralston Purina’s Famous Checkerboard Logo

The checkerboard logo associated with Ralston Purina is one of the most recognizable symbols in American agriculture. Its origins date back to 1904, when company founder William Danforth adopted the distinctive pattern for his animal-feed business. From Childhood Clothing to an Agricultural Trademark The story of the checkerboard begins with Danforth himself. As a child, he often wore clothing made …

nppc

NPPC Fall Legislative Action Conference

Nearly 150 pork producers from across the country traveled to Washington D.C. pressing lawmakers on issues they say are critical to the future of the U.S. pork industry. The producers, representing nearly 30 states, took part in the National Pork Producers Council‘s Fall Legislative Action Conference. The top priority during this conference was a new farm bill that includes a …

hog

Hog and Pig Reports

If this afternoon’s quarterly hogs and pig report is considered neutral by the trade, it could provide support to hog futures. CME’s latest lean hog index, the lowest since late January. Managed money traders hold record short positions, with over 31,000 contracts. Bottom line analysts suggest that we may have established a bottom December lean hog last week near that …

Gage A. Kent Kent Feeds

Gage A. Kent and the Birth of Kent Feeds: Feeding Better Cattle Without the Filler

An Iowa Cattle Feeder Looks for a Better Way In the mid-1920s, a central Iowa cattle feeder began thinking differently about how cattle should be fed. Gage A. Kent believed that producing better cattle required more than simply providing animals with large quantities of feed. He believed careful attention to nutrition—and especially the quality of that nutrition—could make a meaningful …

Grand Island Nebraska

Grand Island, Nebraska: Where the Platte River Meets American Agricultural History

A Nebraska Community Shaped by Westward Migration Every September, thousands of people gather in Grand Island, Nebraska, for Husker Harvest Days, one of the nation’s major agricultural events. But the community’s connection to American agriculture reaches back much further than the modern farm show. Located along the Platte River in central Nebraska, Grand Island occupies a landscape that played an …

Agricultural Act

Agricultural Act of 2026 Advances

Good news from Washington. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 out of committee. The legislation complements the earlier, called the Farm, Food, and National Security Act and the Big Beautiful Bill which had passed earlier, which included most of the support for crops. Now what’s in this 2.0 that’s waiting to …

al beef checkoff program

AL Beef Checkoff Program Allocates Research Funding

The Alabama Beef Checkoff Program recently met to review projects and allocate funding. Kayla Greer with the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association sat down with us to tell us more. “Members of the Alabama Beef Checkoff Council met at Auburn University last week to review and evaluate production research proposals that are seeking funding through the Alabama Beef Checkoff Program,” Greer said. …

florida beef council

FL Beef Council Reviews Results on E-Commerce Campaign

The Florida Beef Council recently wrapped up an e-commerce program. Here is Deanne Maples with the Florida Beef Council to tell us more. “So this spring, the Florida Beef Council invested $50,000 in a digital e-commerce campaign with one of the nation’s largest retailers. And we just received the final results this week, and I’ll tell you, they’re pretty exciting. …