Top Agriculture News

The trade war has had an impact on the farming community, but the depth and extent haven’t been fully determined. Earlier this year, many producers reported challenges in getting some of the fertilizers they needed for their operations. As the trade war with China has continued, that’s really impacted farmers in the Midwest growing soybeans. […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days. The notice comes after the Trump administration said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the benefits flowing into November. The Trump administration blames Democrats, who say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

One of the most economical and practical things you can do for the plants in your landscape and vegetable garden is to start a compost pile. We’ve discussed it fairly often on the “WPTF Weekend Gardener” over the last 40 years. The first step is to find a relatively shady well-drained location in your back yard. You don’t have to buy a container, just build your own or find a proper spot on the ground. A wire cylinder 3 to 4 feet in diameter will work or build a three-sided box that’s 4 to 5-feet high and wide. However, if you prefer, ready-made bins are easy to find.

A recent report takes a look at tariffs and the impact on American agriculture this year and next. John Appel (uh-PELL), Vice President of Category Management with Farmers Business Network, says their report indicates old inventory in the supply chain kept some input prices relatively low in 2025. “All of that channel inventory has been […]

When President Donald Trump proposed buying beef from Argentina to boost supply and bring down retail prices, the cattle market reaction was almost instantaneous. John Newton, vice president of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said we’ve already seen a negative market impact from simply talking about the plan. “We saw limit-down movements […]

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Soybeans have been leading the ag markets higher on a dry stretch of weather in South America and optimism about the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week. Current planting progress in […]

It’s another week here in the Carolinas, where we’ve seen minimal precipitation. Are there any signs on the horizon that we will end this drought? We’ve got state assistant climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey, what’s the drought map looking like now that we’ve had another week of dry conditions in the Carolinas? “Well, you said […]

U.S. cattle producers are very concerned about President Donald Trump’s plan to buy Argentinian beef cattle as a move designed to lower U.S. beef prices for consumers. Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said they’re disappointed with the President’s plan “We understand what he is trying to do, but what he does […]

While you’re in the combine cab for harvest, it’s probably worth thinking ahead to next year. That’s what researchers at the University of Illinois have been working on. Connor Sible, a crop scientist, said they’ve been looking into the value of early planting and soybeans. “First thing we’ve been looking at, because there’s a lot […]

America’s farmers are harvesting large amounts of corn and soybeans, and the question is, do they have enough room to store the incoming commodities? Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says farmers are facing a classic case of supply versus demand. “Corn production for the ‘25-‘26 marketing year is estimated at […]