Midwest
Winter wheat crop weakens under cold and dry conditions
In the key wheat states of Kansas and Oklahoma, the winter wheat is in significantly poorer condition than it was in late November due to adverse weather in the past month, said Reuters, which compared current ratings with a Nov. 27 report.
Wetland restoration to reduce flooding now and in the future
Restoration of wetlands in the Midwest "has the potential to significantly reduce peak river flows during floods - not only now, but also in the future if heavy rains continue to increase in intensity," says Oregon State U.
Rice, normally tropical, gets a field trial in Wisconsin
Michael Schläppi, a molecular biologist at Marquette University, "is experimenting with growing rice in the Midwest," says the NPR blog The Salt.
As crop income falls, farmers borrow more operating money
Farmers in the Midwest and Plains - the major regions for corn, wheat and soybean production - are borrowing money to pay short-term operating expenses because shrinking crop income makes it harder to pay cash, according to a survey of ag bankers.
Coming soon? Windrows of dead, composting poultry
State and federal officials said they are looking for better ways to kill poultry flocks rapidly if bird flu hits the United States again, and that millions of fowl could be turned into compost or buried on the farms where they die.
Record yield expected for spring wheat in upper Midwest
The annual inspection tour of the spring wheat crop in North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota and northern South Dakota concluded on Thursday with forecasts of a record yield in the region. Sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council, the four-day tour forecast a record yield of 49.9 bushels an acre, topping last year's 48.6 bushels, says Agweek.
Grain-farm income to plummet this year in Midwest
A farmer with 1,500 acres of highly productive land in central Illinois could see net income this year that is a fraction of last year - around $7,500 versus more than $103,000 in 2014, says U-Illinois economist Gary Schnitkey.
Drought blossoms in upper Midwest and northern Plains
Most of Minnesota -- 88 percent -- is in moderate drought, a dramatic expansion from 6 percent a week ago, says the Drought Monitor. Record-high temperatures accelerated dryness.
Rail snarl may have cost upper Midwest growers $570 million
The rail-car snarl of last winter may have cost corn, wheat and soybean growers in the upper Midwest $570 million, or 3 percent of their cash receipts for the crops, says a USDA report. To calculate the figure, department economists looked at the impact of higher shipping costs and lower local grain prices in Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, where shipping delays were the worst due to a harsh winter, a large volume of grain awaiting transport and competition for rail service by the oil-shale industry.
Isolated wetlands important for clean water, researchers say
Geographically isolated wetlands, such as the prairie potholes of the upper Midwest and the playas of the Southwest, "play an outsized role in providing clean water and other environmental benefits," says Indiana University in describing...
Farming important but small share of Midwest economy
Even with the boom years of 2003-14, agriculture's share of the Midwestern economy is shrinking, to 1 percent or so, said a paper from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.
Climate change a big threat to Midwest corn and wheat crops
The Midwest is one of the most economically productive regions of the country, says the Heat in Heartland report, "But climate change puts that productivity at risk."
Midwest tries to lure dairy farms out of California
While California dairy farms cope with a three-year drought, "states like Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa are pitching themselves as a dairy heaven," says Harvest Public Media.
Land rental rates to drop 16 percent in Midwest and Plains
Bankers in a 10-state swath from Illinois and Iowa to Colorado and Wyoming "expect 2015 cash rents for farmland to decline to $214 per acre, down significantly from last year's $254," said Creighton University's Rural Mainstreet Index.
Farmland values dip in Midwest and Plains
Land prices declined in 12 Midwestern and Plains states but held steady or improved slightly in the South according to Farmers National Co, a farm management and real estate company, says AgWeb.
Immigration reform important for Midwest agriculture-Report
One of five farms in the Midwest relies on hired labor, says a report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "Midwest agriculture currently employs 57,000 immigrant workers across a variety of sectors, including crop production, dairy and...
Honey bee habitat program, active in Midwest, is expanded
More than $4 million in funding and expert advice will be provided to farmers and ranchers in five Midwestern states, to improve habitat for honey bees, a valuable crop pollinator that suffers high mortality rates.
Slow harvest may ease storage squeeze for mammoth crops
The corn and soybean harvest is running far behind normal, says the weekly Crop Progress report. Some 31 percent of the corn crop and 53 percent of the soybean crop was in the bin at the start of this week.