Wheat

Brian Duncan took a minute before he stepped to the podium. His title was just a few hours old when he was introduced to media as “the president of Illinois Farm Bureau, Brian Duncan.”

With a look back at successes and a look forward at the changing face of the Illinois Farm Bureau membership and a list of thank-yous “a country mile long,” Richard Guebert Jr. gave his last President’s Address.

Congress passed a continuing resolution to extend the 2018 farm bill until Sept. 30, 2024. The extension was bundled with a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through early 2024.

Even though there was a significant dry period during the early portion of the growing season, Chris Gould is harvesting a very good corn crop this year.

My 4-year-old grandson thinks he has to “help” Danny, the high school boy that is working for me. So, I’ve been using him with Danny to move the flock from one lot to the next.

The Illinois Soybean Association doubled the number of soybean production research projects approved for fiscal year 2024.

The trend of production outpacing use was reflected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.

We finally got a frost that finished off our corn after wheat. I have been busy pumping manure and did not get involved with chopping that last field of corn, but Brett reported it had made 12 tons.

The combination of high interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar is beginning to take a disproportionate toll on rural industries like agriculture, forest products, mining and manufacturing.

Indiana Farm Bureau announced the winners of the inaugural 2023 INFB Photo Contest. The pictures showcase agriculture and life in rural Indiana.

Working toward becoming the American Star Farmer is a goal Tanner Mickey set to achieve when he joined FFA and now he is one of four members who are finalists for this prestigious award.

For Eric Brammeier and many of his neighbors and other farmers throughout southwestern Illinois, June 30 was the day that saved the crop.

It’s been really pretty good harvest weather. On Oct. 9 and 10, it rained about two-tenths and that let everybody stop for a day and get caught up with maintenance and hauling some grain and that kind of stuff.

Finally there’s no more talk of drought. The recent rains have kept the pastures looking good. Harvest in this area is probably on par with other years — many finished with beans, but not so much here.

Slightly positive numbers for soybeans and bearish corn and wheat estimates were featured in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.