Each morning, stop at this spot to get a feeling for the "tone of the day" - and some attitude about agriculture and the markets. If the dry pattern remains in place as the crop pollinates, we'll have something new for the corn market to worry about. Bottom line -- we're just now getting to the time of the year that weather really matters in determining the corn crop's yield potential. I'm just saying the rains we've seen the last couple of weeks in some previously dry areas will "perk up"...

In areas of the county with light soil and no irrigation, the corn leaves are rolled already after the long stretch of warm, sunny days, Faust said. Last year we had some farmers come in who said their corn was so bad, they didn t even make silage out of it. One foot of light, sandy soil will hold a half inch of water; heavy soil will hold an inch and a half of water. Last year in many areas of the county where the soil is light, the corn had a zero yield, he said. Dunn County has a...

Since Hawaii does not have a feed mill, local farmers must purchase finished feed at a higher cost, along with the soaring cost of its transport to the islands. The high cost of shipping feed to Hawaii, in addition to stricter regulations and mainland competition, have pushed a lot of local egg farmers out of the business. Mainland eggs have the competitive advantage in this market -- farmers there can produce eggs cheaper and then ship and sell them for less in Hawaii's supermarkets....

The community is welcome to drop by the church to enjoy bratwurst, hamburgers, sweet corn, watermelon, ice cream and more. Those who like to test their skills can participate in a watermelon seed spitting contest and a contest to see who can produce the cleanest corn off the cob. All this and more will be offered July 7 to raise money and collect supplies for Hope Seeds, a national organization that sends quality garden seeds to help people in starving nations grow their own food. The...

Nationwide, five scholarships were awarded to students studying agriculture education or communications; 10 for agriculture marketing, merchandising or sales majors; and 11 to students pursuing other agriculture-related degrees, the press release said. We know the investment we re making in Loyd s education, as well as the other recipients, will be returned to us in the future when these young leaders join us in the field of agriculture. He is spending the summer helping his dad, Tim, on...

Department of Agriculture pegged corn plantings at their highest level in more than 60 years but reported a drop in the estimates of soybean and cotton plantings. But Elaine Kub, a commodity market analyst at DTN, argued that "production concerns are not completely erased by that large acreage figure. Corn prices wilt on heavy planting; soybeans, cotton end higher - MarketWatch GO. Some traders may see cotton as a bargain, along with natural gas and orange juice, ahead of the peak of the...

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. It handled durum and other small grains but is now empty. The Rhame elevator is owned by Minnesota Grain Incorporated of Afton, Minnesota, and has been closed since March. A judge declared the elevator insolvent in April, and appointed North Dakota's Public Service Commission as its trustee. The Rhame elevator is in North Dakota's southwestern corner. Minnesota Grain also has a barley processing facility in East...

This is great news for corn farmers, who have been worried that the great start to the growing season has been threatened by a lack of June rains and calls for continued dryness. Natural gas prices have a tendency to fall at the beginning of summer, as producers make far more natural gas than the market demands. Corn quality ratings already are better than average this year and further upward revisions could cause further price declines. As rains continue to fall, many traders undoubtedly...

LONDON - Surging demand for British grain around 2010 as major bioethanol plants come on line will wipe out the UK's wheat exports unless there is a big jump in output by domestic farmers. Demand for biofuels is expected to climb in 2010, driven by UK government rules that five percent of motor fuel must come from renewable sources by that year. Spanish energy and engineering group Abengoa has announced plans to build a plant in Immingham, northeast England, that would consume about one...