Little or no precipitation fell across the northern and central Plains and the Corn Belt. However, Midwestern planting preparations were limited by low soil temperatures, and – in some cases – by muddy or icy field conditions.
Light precipitation fell in many parts of the country, but significant weekly totals (2 in. or more) were mostly confined to the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest. Early in the week, heavy rain reached as far north as the southern Corn Belt, including the lower Ohio and middle Mississippi valleys.
Frigid conditions prevailed across the far upper Midwest, including eastern North Dakota, where weekly temperatures averaged at least 10-15° F below normal. In the West, mid-March warmth caused some premature melting of high-elevation snow packs. As a result, spring and summer runoff forecasts remained mostly unfavorable from California to the central and southern Rockies.
Two storm systems provided additional drought relief in the Corn Belt. The first system produced widespread Midwestern snow, and later became a late-season winter storm from the central Appalachians into southern New England. The second system resulted in some late-week snow across the Upper Midwest, but sparked rain across the remainder of the Corn Belt.
CSD columnist Ed Usset, University of Minnesota, spoke to farmers at Commodity Classic on March 2. His topic: post-harvest marketing for corn and soybeans. Usset used fictional characters to show different marketing styles and the results from those styles, whether you sell the carry, have no storage, etc. He also talked about sizing up the market. His biggest reminder to attendees, and all crop marketers: Forget last year!
As the world population grows, American farmers will have to produce more food in the next 50 years than in the past 10,000 years combined. All of the growth in production will have to be done with less land, energy and water consumption while conserving and sustaining natural resources....More
Saturday night entertainment at Commodity Classic 2013 in Kissimmee, Fla., came from World Classic Rockers. Made up of members from classic rock bands including Steppenwolf, Journey, Boston and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the grouped rocked the ending to a great Commodity Classic....More
Commodity Classic 2013 was held in Kissimmee, Fla. There were many educational sessions for farmers, from soybean secrets to transitioning the farm, new-product introductions to marketing plans. The general session captivated all attendees, offering viewpoints from commodity groups and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. There was fun with all the learning, too. World Classic Rockers provided entertainment, and palm trees provided a beautiful view. And don't forget about the trade show with exhibitors from all areas of agriculture. If you weren't there, here's a quick recap of a busy, informative, warm three days.
CSD columnist Ed Usset, University of Minnesota, spoke to farmers at Commodity Classic on March 2. His topic: post-harvest marketing. Usset used fictional characters to show different marketing styles and the results from those styles, whether you sell the carry, have no storage, etc.
CSD columnist Ed Usset, University of Minnesota, spoke to farmers at Commodity Classic on March 2. His topic: post-harvest marketing. Usset used fictional characters to show different marketing styles and farming types. He also went over carrying charges and what those mean for different marketing styles.
