Drought Expands Across Carolinas as Hurricane Season Nears
So, after last week's rain event, we have been seeing nothing but 90-degree temperatures and no rain in sight here in the Carolinas, and we're trying to figure out if that has made any negative or positive impacts on the drought map. But we've got State Assistant Climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey, have there been a...
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Friday, May 22nd
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. We ended last week in the dumps, started this week with a great deal of optimism, which then faded through the week. This volatility is mostly due to money flow. There was a great deal of disappo...
Oil Prices Move Higher As Iran War Stretches Into the 80th Day
Oil prices continue their see-saw movement, as prices swung higher to start this week. While oil prices move higher, prices at the pump slipped marginally this week for both gasoline and diesel. However, Patrick DeHaan, the senior petroleum analyst with Gasbuddy.com, says don't get used to this trend. "Product pri...
2026 First Quarter Beef Demand Climbs Despite High Prices
March trade data helped show that consumers continue to buy beef despite high prices. Tyler Cozzens, director of the Livestock Market Information Center, said the Beef Demand Index jumped significantly in early 2026. 'The Livestock Marketing Information Center calculates the Retail All-Fresh Beef Demand Index, and that...
The Fertilizer and Fuel Price Squeeze
The fuel and fertilizer spikes squeezing U.S. agriculture are not a regional story, but are hitting farm balance sheets from the Mid-South to the Midwest. Dr. Michael Deliberto, an agricultural economist from the AgCenter at Louisiana State University, said the squeeze isn't just a regional problem. "This isn't a ...
Farm Income Down in First Quarter
The first quarter of 2026 was not a good one for farmers and ranchers at the farm gate. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis conducts a survey of ag lenders in the region each quarter. Joe Mahon, Regional Outreach director, says 76 percent of lenders reported farm income down from this time last year. "A contin...
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday, May 19th
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at brooks@palmettograin.com or 843-540-4540. We went home over the weekend with just about everyone disappointed after the conclusion of Trump's visit to China. The market had high hopes that we would see a detailed, comprehensive trade dea...
Risks to Cutting Back on 2026 Herbicide Programs
Every farming operation is looking to control costs in 2026, with herbicides an obvious place to start. Madisen Carnes, an agricultural economics major and senior at Purdue University, has been studying herbicide programs with Assistant Professor Chad Fiechter. She said the challenge is that not every acre on a farm wi...
Drought Conditions Increasing Water Quality Concerns
Increased drought conditions across much of the U.S., are leading to lower surface water levels for spring and summer grazing. North Dakota State University Extension Veterinarian Dr. Justin "Jake" Galbreath says as water levels fall, sulfate levels rise, which can lead to health concerns for cattle. "On...
Farm family fun: Got To Be NC Festival this weekend in Raleigh (AUDIO)
The Got to Be NC Festival returns to the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh May 15-17, bringing a full weekend of free family friendly fun and a celebration of North Carolina's rich agricultural heritage.

