January 1, 2008

Features

Twin Rows Help Boost Yields

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup

Joe Sander doesn't mind seeing double when he gazes across his corn and soybean fields. Farming has become, well, twice as fun for him after seeing the... More

And the Winners Are

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup & Greg Lamp

After nearly a year of trading in highly volatile corn and soybean markets, winners of MarketMaxx 2007 used options strategies to plow their paths to... More

Strip-Till

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By John Russnogle

The beauty of a plowed field doesn't escape Norm Larson. He'd just rather limit the tillage to narrow strips, rather than fencerow to fencerow. That's... More

Losing Fuel in the Ethanol Fire

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Jen Bennett

Recently, E3 Biofuels-Mead LLC filed for bankruptcy protection. The ethanol producer is an eight-month-old, Kansas-based energy firm that patented a closed-loop... More

Buy American

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By John Russnogle

I'm in heaven here, says Adrian Fay as he drives through the flat, fertile farmland of central Illinois. It looks just like Argentina. Fay bought a little... More

Fill 'er Up

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Karen Bernick

With invoice-busting diesel prices, strategies to increase fuel economy are more valuable than ever. Here are six tips for saving fuel this spring: THINK... More

Go Organic?

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup

No herbicide, no pesticide, no treated seed, no biotech. But your soybeans bring as much as $20-25./bu. That's the life of an organic soybean grower.... More

Boost Double-Crop Beans

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup

With soybean and wheat prices projected to remain high or go higher, many growers are looking to capitalize on both through double-cropping beans. Obtaining... More

Built-in Risk Reduction

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Tim McKim

What happens when modern seed technology meets a never-before-used provision in the Federal Crop Insurance Act? The potential for reduced crop insurance... More

Letters

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

PHYTOPHTHORA In your article on Phytophthora, p. 38, in the November 2007 issue, you state that P. sojae can be controlled by treating seeds with fungicides... More

My View

Corn and Beans, It's What We Are

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | BY Greg Lamp Editor lamp@csdigest.com

Not long ago we had a graphics guru evaluate our magazine design and he had one big fat criticism. Your magazine is all about corn and soybeans, he said,... More

News

Ethanol Gets Boost From Energy Bill

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | Compiled By Greg Lamp

President George W. Bush has signed the Energy Independence and Security Act, H.R. 6, establishing a significant Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The energy... More

Iowa Farmland Tops $3,900 an Acre

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | Compiled By Greg Lamp

The average value of an acre of Iowa farmland increased by just over $700 during the past year, to an all-time high of $3,908, according to an annual... More

Banks Fund 55% of Ethanol Projects

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | Compiled By Greg Lamp

Large national and regional banks, and hundreds of community banks, have played a major role in financing ethanol, providing 55% of the funding since... More

RMA Approves BYE for 2008

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | Compiled By Greg Lamp

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) announces it will implement the pilot Biotech Yield Endorsement (BYE) beginning with the 2008 crop in Illinois, Indiana,... More

USDA Forecasts AG Exports

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

The value of U.S. farm exports during fiscal year 2008 is now forecast to hit a record $91 billion, up $7.5 billion from a previous estimate issued last... More

Track Fertilizer Prices

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

If you have not booked your fertilizer needs, the University of Illinois suggests watching these Web sites for price trends: 1) The Fertilizer Institute... More

Ethanol Not Cause of high Food Prices

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Simply put, growing U.S. ethanol industry is not the cause of food price inflation, according to a new statistical analysis by Informa Economics, Memphis,... More

New USB Chairman

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Ike Boudreaux, a soybean farmer from Lebeau, LA, has been elected new chairman of the United Soybean Board for 2008. Helping Boudreaux are: Vice Chairman... More

You are not a Terrorist

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Still, the Department of Homeland Security wants to know if you have more than 2,000 lbs. of ammonium nitrate, 60,000 lbs. of propane, 10,000 lbs. of... More

Brazil

Brazil Lowers Soy Forecast

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Brazil's agriculture ministry now projects soybean production to fall below last year's level based on the potential for the La Nia weather phenomenon... More

Auto-Steer Wows Our Workers

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Tyler Bruch

It's been a particularly unusual start to this year's growing season for me and for many producers here in western Bahia. The rains that normally start... More

Products

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM

SWATH MANAGER Bestway's Swath Manager Automatic Boom Section Control System uses GPS signals from existing guidance devices to automatically control boom... More

Profits

Where are We Headed?

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Richard Brock

For many years I've listened to producers talk about markets going to a new plateau almost every time grain prices rallied. It of course never happened.... More

To Market, to Market With '08 Beans

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup

The 2007 U.S. soybean crop was down 19%. Buyersmay be bidding for acres. China needs a bigger chunk of it.And its inputs are lower than corn. So when... More

Forget Last Year

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Ed Usset

I am new to this gig of writing a monthly column, so I have decided to take a little of my own advice and plan ahead for 2008. You can look forward to... More

Profiting From Yield History

Jan 1, 2008 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup

Extra income of $60-87-plus/acre. That's what Grant Webber gains by using variable rate application (VRA) to get fertilizer where it belongs on corn,... More