Phil Bredesen has requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for all 95 counties in Tennessee to help farmers who have suffered crop and livestock losses as a result of extreme drought conditions. We want to ensure that our state's farmers have access to all of the emergency assistance available to them to help them recover from this agricultural disaster. The lack of rainfall has stunted development of major crops including corn and soybeans, which have seen the...

But two other crops, switchgrass and hybrid poplar, could steal the show in the future when it comes to curbing greenhouse gases, according to Agricultural Research Service and collaborating scientists. Corn and soybeans may be the current "go-to" crops for producing ethanol and biodiesel, respectively. John Thune has his way, there will be incentives for farmers to produce switchgrass, fast-growing trees and other cellulosic crops and to deliver them to an emerging network of cellulosic...

This afternoon s crop condition report is expected to reveal a slight decline in the quality of the winter wheat crop following the heavy rains there in late June. OVERVIEW: The grain and soybean markets ground lower overnight on the back of forecasts for thundershowers across parts of the US Midwest that should help to replenish recently dry soils. After the recent dry and hot weekend, whether or not decent rains do arrive in US growing areas will be the focus of trade over the near term,...

For western Kentucky grain farmer Bill Clift, last week's heavy rains came just in time for his drought-stressed corn crop. Farmers elsewhere in Kentucky also benefited from rains that could prop up yields in the autumn and possibly rejuvenate stagnant pastureland and hay fields to feed hungry cattle. The latest report said 61 percent of the soybean crop was in good or excellent shape, up from 50 percent in the two categories a week earlier. Now, he estimated that his latest corn crop...

Rain gives corn final boost By Greg Hilburn ghilburn@thenewsstar.com Last week's rains gave northeastern Louisiana's record corn crop its final boost of moisture before the stalks begin drying down before the harvest and provided welcome relief for still maturing cotton and soybeans. Customer Service: Subscribe Now . Place an Ad . Contact Us . Make us your Homepage. Rain gives corn final boost By Greg Hilburn ghilburn@thenewsstar.com Last week's rains gave northeastern Louisiana's record...

The Sell in May and go away crowd has been watching from the sidelines and is an illustration why using a mechanized market system can be folly. As we look forward to the back half of 2007, maybe observation and analysis will give us a clearer picture of what is happening in the areas that affect our investments. Many years ago in an economics or marketing class I remember hearing how a farmer who grew the wheat only received a nickel out of the 25-cent loaf of bread. Not since 1944 has...

states should increase soybean rust activity, but it may simply be too late for rust to move into Nebraska this year, he said. Although it's still unknown whether rust will strike Nebraska, several resources are available to soybean growers to keep track of its movement and to gain more information about the disease and its management. The Web site offers photos of soybeans infected with rust and other diseases, crop insurance information and other recommended Web sites. Dry conditions...

farmers produce more food than any other country in the world and are tops in corn, soybeans, milk and cattle, according to a United Nations agriculture census. At the same time, it's becoming more costly for young people to go into farming, and many of them see that they can make a better living by leaving the rural areas. Within the next decade those older farmers will be looking for someone to take over their operations and selling millions of acres of land. Many stay on because they...

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