Focus on Ag

May 10 WASDE Could Cause Grain Market Concerns

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:38:00 +0000

The USDA Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WADSE) Reports released on May 10 were regarded as bearish for the corn market and neutral to bearish for the soybean market in the coming months. Corn stocks are expected to more than double by the end of the next crop marketing year, while the ending stocks for soybeans are expected show more moderate increases for the 2013-2014 marketing year, which runs from Sept. 1, 2013 to Aug. 31, 2014.

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ACRE Program Decisions for 2013

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:24:00 +0000

The Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program was implemented by USDA for the 2009 crop year, as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, and continued for the 2010 to 2012 crop years. For 2013, eligible farm operators will again have the option to enroll in the ACRE Program, as an alternative to the current Counter-Cyclical Payment (CCP) Program.

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Waiting To Start Spring Field Work

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Like the start of a big race, or the beginning of a championship game, farmers in Minnesota and Iowa are eagerly awaiting the initiation of full-scale field work. Very cool temperatures and moist soil conditions have existed across the region during most of the month of April, resulting in cold soil temperatures and soil conditions that have not been conducive to the initiation of corn planting in Minnesota and Iowa.

Focus on Ag

Earth Day 2013

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:07:00 +0000

For over four decades, an annual event called Earth Day has been held in late April across the United States, which has been a time for all U.S. citizens to reflect on our country’s environmental resources, and what we can do individually and as communities to help enhance our environment for the next generation. In recent years, it has become fashionable to point the finger of blame at agriculture and farmers for many environmental issues.

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8 Considerations with Custom Farming Agreements

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

An alternative to leasing farmland is a custom farming agreement. In a typical custom farming agreement, the custom operator agrees to perform all the machine operations on the owner’s land in exchange for a set fee or rate. The landowner pays for all seed, fertilizer, chemicals, crop insurance and other input costs; receives the all grain produced and all eligible farm program payments on the land; and is responsible to store and market the grain.

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Weather, Cold Soil Holding Back Planting in Minnesota, Iowa

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:03:00 +0000

In 2012, most farmers in southern Minnesota and Iowa began full-scale fieldwork during the week of April 10-17, with most of the corn being planted by the end of April. By comparison in 2013, we are not likely to see much full-scale fieldwork across the region until after April 15, and we are probably a couple a weeks away, at a minimum, from seeing a significant amount of corn being planted.

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2013 Custom Farming Rates Up Slightly from 2012

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:01:00 +0000

As would be expected with increasing fuel costs, average 2013 custom rates for farm work have a1so increased, compared to 2012 custom rates. Most custom rates for farm work in 2013 are 3-5% above the rates for similar operations in 2012, with an average increase of about 4%.

Focus on Ag

National Agriculture Week 2013

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:30:00 +0000

National Ag Week is being celebrated March 17-23 all across the United States, with Tuesday, March 19, being designated as National Ag Day. As we celebrate National Ag Week, it is a good time to reflect on all the traditions and advancements that help make the U.S. agriculture industry second to none! Following are some interesting statistics about today’s agriculture industry.

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Future of the Conservation Reserve Program

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:50:00 +0000

In 2013, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is celebrating its 27th anniversary, and over two and a half decades of conservation success. CRP was originally established in the 1985 Farm Bill, and today has over 390,000 landowners participating, most of which are farmers and ranchers, and currently has just over 27.0 million acres under some-type of CRP contracts. Another general CRP sign-up will be held in 2013, from May 20 through June 14, at local FSA offices.

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Crop Insurance Decision Time

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:38:00 +0000

March 15 is the deadline to purchase crop insurance for the 2013 crop year for corn, soybeans and spring wheat in Upper Midwest states. As of March 1, the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has finalized the 2013 crop prices in the Upper Midwest for Yield Protection (YP) policies, as well as the base prices for Revenue Protection (RP and RPE) policies.

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Grain Prices Likely to Become a Bigger Challenge

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 21:49:00 +0000

If you go to almost any rural community and ask someone what the current cash corn price is, you are likely to get a response of “somewhere between $7 and $8/bu.” You may even get that response from some farmers who have not been following the grain markets closely in recent weeks. We have kind of been drawn into a mentality that corn prices of $6-8 are the new normal, rather than a temporary price upswing; however, that type of thinking could change quite dramatically in the next couple of years.

Focus on Ag

Crop Insurance Deadline is March 15

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:04:00 +0000

March 15 is the deadline to purchase crop insurance for the 2013 crop year. A good crop insurance program is a key part of a solid risk-management plan for a farm business. Farm operators are encouraged to discuss the Common Crop Insurance Policy (COMBO) insurance options, as well as other 2013 crop insurance needs and options with their crop insurance agent before the deadline.

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Corn Supply Increased Slightly in Feb. 8 WASDE

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:51:00 +0000

On Feb. 8, USDA released the latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report, which showed slight increase in the expected U.S. corn ending stocks for 2012-2013, compared to the January estimates. The projected 2012-2013 corn ending stocks are now estimated at 632 million bushels, as compared to 602 million bushels in the January report. By comparison, corn ending stocks at the end of 2011-2012 marketing year were 932 million bushels, and were just over 1.1 billion bushels at the end of the 2010-2011 crop year.

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2013 Farm Program Signup

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:51:00 +0000

In early January, Congress voted to extend the 2008 Farm Bill, which expired on Sept. 30, 2012, for an additional year, with a new expiration date of Sept. 30, 2013. This means that most existing programs in the 2008 Farm Bill will continue for the 2013 growing season. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) recently announced that sign-up for the 2013 farm program will begin on Feb. 19, 2013, at local FSA offices, and run through Aug. 2, 2013.

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5 Lessons Learned from the 2012 Drought

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:50:00 +0000

The 2012 crop year and the major drought that affected much of the United States is now behind us; however, many areas of the western Corn Belt, including much of southern and western Minnesota continue to face drought concerns for the coming 2013 crop year. Anytime we have a major disaster, such as the 2012 drought, it is always good to review what happened or didn’t happen, and to use those findings to strategize for the future. Following are some key observations relative to the 2012 drought that can help farm operators and the agriculture industry plan for the coming years.

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