Corn

There are good days and bad days — and Wednesday was the latter at Ropp Jersey Cheese.

Heading into this year, most U.S. farmers were hoping to break even or maybe record a small profit if they could find a way to limit their sky-high costs.

Planting season went smoothly for Craig Swartz and his father, Gary, and was wrapped up in record fashion.

I have 100 acres of corn left to plant and maybe 80 acres of beans left. We’ve really been hitting it hard.

AgriNews is happy to welcome back Clay Geyer as northern Indiana’s From the Fields contributor for 2025.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow the sale of E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, nationwide during the summer season.

Corn and soybeans are planted at the same time on the Henert farm.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who pollsters say “voted for change” last November, boy, are you getting it now.

Spring planting is just getting started, so hopefully we will not see any major breakdowns.

On any given day, Dan Parker could be advocating for agriculture with legislators, helping his daughters with 4-H projects, supporting the local FFA chapter, selling seed, or working on the farm.

As more than 1,000 FFA members and their teachers visited the Statehouse, a longtime advocate for those wearing the blue jackets reminisced about how the organization impacted his life.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened its monthly supply and demand estimates report with a caveat.

Meet Mindy Orschell, AgriNews’ new From the Fields contributor in southern Indiana.

John Miller was walking through his cornfield 15 years ago, saw a problem and wanted to use his machinist skills to rectify it.

Tags on bags of livestock feed must meet specific standards.

Corn and soybean stocks halfway through the marketing year were headed in different directions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly grain stocks report.

A unexpected reduction in corn ending stocks was among the few surprises in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April supply and demand estimates report.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, spring is like a box of chocolate — you never know what you’re going to get.

“I” state farmers intend to plant more corn and fewer soybeans this spring compared to last year, according to a prospective plantings report.

Beyond a comprehensive look at farmland values, the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers’ annual report also features other tidbits of interest in each Prairie State region.

Some of the highlights I came away with from the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition’s 2025 Grazing Conference are: soil microbes help the water percolate through the soil and cover crops help feed the soil microbes which make them multiply.

Expectations a year ago that farmland prices have plateaued became reality through 2024 — and farm managers and rural appraisers expect more of the same this year.

Twenty-five Illinois Farm Bureau members recently graduated from the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow, an extensive leadership development program designed to help participants develop leadership and advocacy skills and to become a voice for Illinois agriculture.

The futures market is reacting as expected with all this tariff news creating plenty of uncertainty which usually trends lower as most players look to eliminate risk.

Changes are happening on the labels of herbicide products that may impact the way farmers spray their crops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the estimated acres for corn and soybeans to be planted. The report indicates a substantial reduction in intended soybean plantings for 2025.

Prospective planting and quarterly grain stock numbers released March 31 were at or near expectations and primarily already priced into the market.

Indiana and U.S. farmers intend to plant more corn and fewer soybean acres this year compared to 2024, according to Indiana Farm Bureau’s Chief Economist Todd Davis, who analyzed the recent Prospective Plantings report.

Illinois cattlemen have an abundant supply of low-cost feed available for their herds with the millions of acres of corn grown each year in the state.

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15 to revise elections and sign contracts.

A ribbon-cutting celebration and open house marked the opening of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Innovation Farm.

AgriNovus hosted Gov. Mike Braun at its Quadrant event to discuss opportunities in Indiana’s food and agriculture sector, the economy and other pressing issues.

When Ken Ropp returned to the family farm in 2000, milk prices were at a then-all-time high and the prospect of him joining in the family dairy business was bright. Six months later, milk prices were at record lows.

A new twist in a sugar cookie recipe was among the numerous samples showcasing locally-grown food during the Illinois Product Expo at the state fairgrounds’ Orr Building.

Indiana’s agriculture organizations teamed up to bring the farm to Indianapolis on National Agriculture Day.

Farmers who are already struggling to make a profit are being furthered burdened by high tax rates on land.

In the seven weeks that global markets and U.S. farmers have been living in the uncertain trade world of the Trump administration, prices for most American ag exports have headed south faster than a Canada goose in late October.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report opened with a note due to the current fluidity of trade and tariff policies.

Attending the Women Changing the Face of Agriculture event at Southern Illinois University provided Suma Dommati the opportunity to continue to build her agricultural network.

The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, according to new Iowa State University research.

Economists from Purdue University discussed the role of technology in improving farm profitability at the 2025 Commodity Classic.

This year is shaping up to be another difficult year for corn and soybean growers. When production budgets don’t pencil out, it may be time to investigate interest-slashing financing offers.

Farmers should be aware that overusing Bt corn can be problematic, according to an analysis of data covering 12 years and 10 U.S. Corn Belt states.

We continue to have lamb customers since March is Ramadan and they come out before, during and after that holiday, and they all want eggs, too, but our supply was limited until just this week when I was able to get some hens from a fellow emptying his barn.

There were no changes in the U.S. corn and soybean balance sheets for the second straight month, despite expectations for higher corn exports and lower domestic soybean use.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program for the 2024 crop year.

Uncertainty in both commodity prices and input prices is making farmers’ already tough job even more difficult.

Farmers must advocate for themselves. That is a matter of fact.

From issues impacting the farm economy, including record costs for labor, interest and taxes, to trade and biofuels, there a lot of challenges facing farmers today. But there also are opportunities, said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency upheld the current April 28 implementation date expanding E15 access to Midwest states year-round while awaiting a permanent solution from Congress.