Comparing 1970's to 2008 

By Dr. David M. Kohl

At a recent conference at Clemson University, a group of students asked experts and panelists to contrast today’s agricultural environment with that of the 1970s. Get your bell-bottoms out, tune into those old Credence Clearwater Revival songs, and let’s go cruising through history for the contrasts and comparisons....

Minnesota Land Values Database Available 

by Steven Taff, University of Minnesota Department of Ag Economics

Minnesota land prices show continued increases in median sales prices statewide, but not huge jumps. A database of 2007 Minnesota farm real estate transaction records is newly available at...

Corn And Soybean Profits Top Five-Year Averages 

Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association

Illinois farm operators’ 2007 net returns are considerably above the last five- and 10-year averages, according to Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association records of 2,748 Illinois farms...

Agriculture at a Crossroads, Part II 

By Dr. David M. Kohl

As a continuation from last week, here are some more points and perspectives from the Agriculture at a Crossroads conference held at Clemson University in South Carolina...

Argentine Soy Trade Halted Again 

By Richard Brock

Grains trade came to a halt again in Argentina on Wednesday as farmers there began a third strike in protest of the government’s grain and soy export tax system. ...

Focus on Agriculture 

By Kent Thiesse, Vice President, MinnStar Bank

Nearly all corn and soybeans across Southern Minnesota were planted by June 1, with a large majority of the corn emerged, and significant amount of soybeans emerged...

Most Of Farm Bill Becomes Law  

By Richard Brock

The U.S. Senate last Thursday voted 82-13 to override President Bush’s veto of the new farm bill, enacting most of the bill into law...

Agriculture At A Crossroads 

By Dr. David M. Kohl

Let’s travel to Clemson University in the highlands of South Carolina to the beautiful Madren Conference Center on Lake Hartwell...

Focus on Agriculture 

By Kent Thiesse

Cash corn prices at local grain elevators in southern Minnesota were near the $5.50/bu. range on May 22. Local cash corn prices have stayed in the $5.40-5.60/bu. range for several weeks...

NCGA Commends House for Supporting Farm Bill Veto Override 

Source: NCGA

With a 316 to 108 vote, the House of Representatives exceeded the two-thirds majority vote necessary to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The Senate is expected to follow suit in the near future...

Argentine Farmers May Halt Strike 

By Richard Brock

Argentina's farmers are expected to announce that they will suspend a nationwide farm strike beginning Wednesday to facilitate new talks with the government, a spokesman for one of the leading farm groups ...

Fast Facts Concerning Wealth 

By Dr. David M. Kohl

In my Road Warrior travels, I had the opportunity to listen to Tom Haarmann, a financial expert and manager of financial services for Carolina Farm Credit...

New Farm Bill Finally Passes Congress 

By Kent Thiesse, Vice President, MinnStar Bank

On Wednesday, May 14, the U.S. House passed a compromise version of the “Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007,” which is more commonly known as the New Farm Bill...

House passes 2008 farm bill conference report, 318-106 

By Forrest Laws, Delta Farm Press

The House passed the farm bill conference report by a vote of 318-106 yesterday (May 14), giving farm organizations a major victory over the national news media and environmental and social activist groups who waged a war against it...

Crop Insurance and Soybean Rust 

By Kent Thiesse, Vice President, MinnStar Bank

The 2008 growing season is now underway, and farm operators in some areas have already planted some of their soybeans, and other in areas will be planting soybeans in the next couple of weeks...