Successful Farming

Alligator heels, a fur coat, and an updo: the attire for a female journalist in the 1970s. That well-dressed editor is my grandmother Jane Bigbee, reporting on a car crash for The Pioneer-Republican in Marengo, Iowa. In 1968, my grandma was hired as the news editor for The Pioneer-Republican. As the Marengo Publishing Corp. expanded, she became editor in chief, then managing editor and general manager of the Iowa County weeklies, and, eventually, editor of The Involvement Magazine. While she technically retired in 2000, she continued to submit articles to The Pioneer-Republican until her death in 2019. The world of publishing changed dramatically during my grandma’s tenure as a journalist: from typesetting and typewriters to the internet and computers (she used one of the iconic blue iMacs for years). While the tools…

Specialty crops may be the way of the future for Maple Drive Farms. Established in 1837, the Michigan farm started planting the ancient grain teff in 2015. Tap here to read the story. Our Century Farm series highlights the history and legacy of America’s family farms. These multigenerational operations have overcome many challenges and have lessons to share. If you know a century farm that should be featured, email Jessie Scott at Jessie.Scott@agriculture.com. Crop Condition Get weekly updates on the condition of corn, soybeans, and wheat across the U.S. each Monday at 3 p.m. CT on Agriculture.com. Using Electrification for Weed Management As herbicide resistance grows, ag machinery companies are thinking outside the box. Successful Farming editor Chelsea Dinterman sits down with University of Missouri’s Kevin Bradley to discuss new approaches to weed management, from…

“…they want to know beef is raised in a way that is doing good things for the land.”Chris Wilson, Conservation Ranching Initiative director, p. 40“It’s not just corn and soybeans. It is real money… Any plan is better than the ‘hold and hope’ plan.”Commodity trader Al Kluis, p. 18“With the nature of the disease and how aggressive it is, this is truly something all farmers need to be scouting for throughout the year.”Agronomist Steven Schany on tar spot, p. 50“There’s so much value in owning land, understanding how to feed yourself, and understanding how to have healthy food.”Delaware farmer Andrea Haritos, p. 44“THE 37 LARGEST PIG PRODUCERS ADDED A TOTAL OF 99,O86 SOWS FOR AN INVENTORY OF MORE THAN 4.2 MILLION SOWS WITHIN THESE OPERATIONS IN 2O22.”Courtney Leeper Girgis breaks…

The United States, an agricultural superpower, lost its position as the world’s largest wheat exporter a decade ago, and now its leadership in corn and cotton is being contested, said USDA analysts. Their report underlined the value of trade agreements in building export sales volume at a moment when the Biden administration emphasizes cooperation with like-minded allies. The White House says countries such as China have abused the international standard of open markets and low tariffs. “It is clear today — even to many who are accustomed to a more traditional approach to trade policy — that we must adapt to the realities of today’s economies,” said U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai. “The PRC [China] continues to use unfair, distortive trade policies and practices in pursuit of harmful and anticompetitive industrial…

Todd Wilkinson, 2023 president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), represents cattle ranchers across the country and in the nation’s capital. He has practiced law for more than 38 years and been involved in NCBA both locally and nationally, but his favorite activity is being outside and working cattle on his farm near De Smet, South Dakota. SF: Tell us about your farm and cattle operation. TW: Wilkinson Livestock is around 1,800 acres about 45 miles west of Brookings, South Dakota. It’s a combination of corn, soybeans, pasture, and hay, with about 350 Angus-based commercial cows. We also run some stocker cattle and a feedlot. Some of our cattle go to a feed yard in Nebraska for Walmart’s Prime Pursuits program. Farming with my son, Nick, is one of the real…

Leaders of a corn marketing company say to think of them as matchmakers. “There’s somebody out there that wants a better corn, and you probably produce a better corn,” says Chris Thompson, executive vice president of American Edge Grain. “Let’s match each other up.” American Edge Grain (AEG) is helping farmers test and market corn based on key attributes within the kernel to obtain a premium price, while helping buyers such as dairies find grain that meets their needs. “The very first thing we want farmers to know is that not all corn is created equal, and there are discriminating end users who are willing to pay extra value for an attribute-driven market,” says Thompson. Under the traditional approach to buying and selling corn, every farmer’s corn is mixed together for a blend of…