Brownfield Ag News

Midday cash livestock markets

Meghan Grebner — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:05:41 +0000

Direct cash cattle trade activity is still relatively quiet. Bids are being offered in the North at $225 live and $355 dressed, and in Texas at $225 live. Asking prices have been noted in Texas at $230, but it has been quiet in other parts of cattle country. Look for more business to develop over […]

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Prop 12 fix vital omission from Senate farm bill

Jared White — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:58:22 +0000

The president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association says the industry needs a new farm bill to include a legislative fix for California’s Prop 12. Katie Brown, a fifth-generation hog farmer in Christian County, says the House passed a bill addressing the animal confinement law, but it was not included in the stalled Senate version. […]

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Farm bill, economic aid face narrow September window, Farm Bureau economist says

Mark Dorenkamp — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:27:27 +0000

An American Farm Bureau economist is eyeing a small window for Congress to provide certainty for agriculture. John Newton tells Brownfield the clock is ticking once the August Recess concludes. “And I think folks in farm country need to talk to their members of Congress while they’re back home this August. When they come back […]

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Skor says time is now for permanent year-round E15 fix

Brent Barnett — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:26:13 +0000

The CEO or Growth Energy says year-round E15 legislation currently has the most momentum its ever had. Emily Skor says the issue has been debated for more than a decade. “We have incredibly strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate,” she said. “We had our E15 compromise bill pass the House in a very […]

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Lindberg: Mexico talks advancing, Canada remains a challenge

Brent Barnett — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:01:52 +0000

The USDA’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs says the USMCA review process has had both successes and challenges. Luke Lindberg tells Brownfield significant progress has been made in negotiations with Mexico. “I know the teams have been in consistent communication,” he said. “I was actually down in Mexico last week on a […]

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Economist says Cargill’s reopening of its Fort Morgan beef plant boosts cattle market competition

Meghan Grebner — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:46:59 +0000

Workers at Cargill’s Fort Morgan, Colorado beef plant have agreed to a new five-year labor deal, ending an 89-day lockout, that clears the way for the company to resume processing. Livestock economist David Anderson with Texas A&M University says this is much-needed good news for the beef industry. “We have plenty of capacity for the number of […]

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Grassley calls Tyson’s Joslin, Illinois closure “devastating” for regional cattle producers

Mark Dorenkamp — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:46:37 +0000

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is concerned about the sudden closure of a beef processing facility in the Midwest. Tyson shuttered its Joslin, Illinois plant last week. “Well it’s going to be tough on the cattle producers of eastern Iowa, very tough.” He tells Brownfield there are outstanding contracts with the processor that Tyson will need […]

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Indiana dairy farms continue to face regulatory challenges as the industry seeks practical solutions

Erin Anderson — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:35:23 +0000

The director of agricultural affairs at the American Dairy Association Indiana says regulatory uncertainty remains a concern for producers across the country. Patrick Hash says compliance costs and administrative requirements affect each farm differently. “The same rules apply whether you have 40 cows or 4,000 cows,” he says. “That’s been the biggest challenge. It’s making […]

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European corn production declines could shift global demand

Kellan Heavican — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:13:27 +0000

A market analyst says tightening global corn supplies could create additional opportunities for U.S. exports. Jeff Peterson with Heartland Farm Partners says the ongoing drought in Europe opens the door for new possibilities for nontraditional customers. “We continue to see report after report that Europe is lowering its production, particularly France. If they have […]

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Tyson’s Illinois plant closure renews consolidation concerns

Jared White — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:33:59 +0000

The president of the Illinois Farm Bureau says the closure of a Tyson beef processing facility in the western part of the state is another example of consolidation’s negative impact on agriculture. Phillip Nelson, who farms in LaSalle County, says the Joslin facility was vital for producers across the region. “It’s not only 2,500 employees, […]

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Michigan launches drone pilot programs to strengthen rapid response, manufacturing

Nicole Heslip — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:55:01 +0000

Several state agencies are analyzing how drones could improve operations in Michigan. Chief Mobility Officer Justine Johnson tells Brownfield five pilot programs have been announced as part of statewide Advanced Air Mobility challenges. “The next step here is to really think about what are the different data points that we’re going to get from having […]

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Planning for the 2027 crop year

Erin Anderson — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Managing for Profit, Gary Schnitkey with the University of Illinois says risk management will be essential to a successful plan for 2027.

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Seasonal warmth, heat and rainfall for most, a drier trend ahead for others across most of the Heartland

Greg Soulje — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of near- or above-normal temperatures and rainfall across most of the country. Cooler-than-normal conditions will be confined to portions of the lower Great Lakes region and the Northeast. Meanwhile, drier-than-normal weather should be limited to the south-central U.S., including much of Texas and Louisiana.

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Brownfield Ag Weather Today

Greg Soulje — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:30:00 +0000

During the next 5 days, a pair of cold fronts traversing the central and eastern U.S. will help to focus thunderstorm activity. The lead front, currently stretching from the lower Great Lakes region to the central Plains, will remain active on Thursday and Friday while moving into the eastern U.S. At the same time, the […]

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Soybeans mostly higher, but finish well off the day’s highs

Meghan Grebner — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:49:10 +0000

Soybeans finished the day mostly higher, as the market held on late in the day. The trade continues to monitor crop development weather as 85 percent of the crop is in the pod setting stage. The USDA reported a sale of 136,000 tons of soybeans to China. Other global soybean news has been relatively quiet. […]

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Farm Bureau calls for lower regulatory costs, reforms to strengthen produce sector

Nicole Heslip — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:47:23 +0000

The American Farm Bureau says the 70 percent increase in fresh fruit and vegetable imports since 2010 is a direct reflection of challenges across the specialty crop sector. Danny Munch tells Brownfield, “There’s sort of a regulatory-imposed cost differential that makes growing in one part of the world much harder than other parts of the […]

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Growing fuel expenses could impact cattle prices and beef demand

Meghan Grebner — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:42:33 +0000

Higher fuel prices continue to add pressure to the cattle business.  Ag economist Charley Martinez, director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, says rising diesel costs are increasing expenses throughout the supply chain. “We’re in an environment where a loaded truck mile is so expensive right now,” he says. “And I think we’re starting to see […]

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Cattle futures higher, supported by sharply higher beef values

Meghan Grebner — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:30:07 +0000

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live and feeder cattle were higher ahead of widespread direct business. Boxed beef was also sharply higher during the session. October live cattle closed $.15 higher at $218.92 and December live cattle closed $.80 higher at $219.20. September feeder cattle closed $.40 higher at $333.35 and October feeder cattle closed […]

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High rates, volatile prices create uncertainty for farmers

Mark Dorenkamp — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:24:09 +0000

The president of a crop insurance company is concerned as farmers face mounting uncertainty. Dalynn Hoch with RCIS says interest rates highlight the risk of farming. “Most of us get our paycheck, we pay our expenses and we continue through life. As a farmer, we have to pay for all of our expenses upfront, before […]

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Red Crown Rot expanding footprint

Jared White — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:16:20 +0000

The agronomy education lead with Beck’s Hybrids says more soybean fields across the Midwest are being impacted by red crown rot. Matt Montgomery tells Brownfield some infections were discovered three weeks earlier this year than in the past. It’s now in southeast Minnesota, out into Ohio, more counties in Missouri that are showing up with […]

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