When Kristen Eggerling’s ancestors homesteaded Bluestem Valley Farms in 1873, who would have thought that their descendents would spend increasing amounts of time off the farm explaining the obvious to a demographic segment that didn’t exist? Fast-forward 138 years to a Japanese grocery counter where consumers can see photos and information on the producers of the food they buy. That kind of direct link from retail to farm fascinated Eggerling, a Nebraska corn-, soybean- and cattle-producer when she visited Japan last summer....More

Between the 1990 and 2010, cash-rent levels per acre have increased by about 70% and crop revenues for grain operations have more than doubled, largely due to agricultural commodity and energy prices, according to Nick Paulson, a University of Illinois (U of I) agricultural economist. "Significant increases in commodity futures prices throughout this fall suggest that expectations are for cash rents to continue to increase at least over the short-term," says Paulson....More

Herbicide labels now include a standardized system to inform users of the product’s mechanism of action (MOA). A box labeled ‘Herbicide Group’ is present near the top of the label. The number in the box represents MOA of the active ingredient, based on a system developed by the Weed Science Society of America....More

Monsanto's Roundup Ready 1 (RR1) soybean trait patent does not expire until 2014, but the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) urges the state's farmers to explore now what the change could mean for their operations....More

As expected, 2010 proved to be a pivotal year for the U.S. biodiesel industry. With a new federal requirement for use of a targeted level of biodiesel as well as the reinstatement of the federal biodiesel blenders’ tax credit through 2011 now in place, most of the industry should be able to turn its focus back to producing more of this economically beneficial fuel....More

Illinois soybean farmer Bill Wykes, Yorkville, IL, was part of a team yesterday participating in final preparations to send a shipment of soy flour to Afghanistan. Wykes and other representatives from the American Soybean Association's (ASA) World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and USDA were on hand in Portsmouth, VA, to see the 3,525 50-lb. bags of soy flour off at the Port of Virginia. The high-protein soy will benefit 5,000 women and their families....More