Top Agriculture News

Renting land to wind energy developers is becoming a trend in farm country. However, many questions arise when it comes to the specifics of lease payments and the long-term benefits. Spencer Smith is the Government Relations Committee Chair with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He says there are a lot of […]

SWANNANOA, N.C. (AP) — U.S. National Guard Capt. Jill Holtz spends much of her free time in Swannanoa, North Carolina, searching for items lost from Hurricane Helene’s severe flooding a few months ago. She hopes to reunite storm victims with their cherished possessions after they lost hope that they’d ever find them again. Holtz finds a variety of items such as photos, family heirlooms and antiques. She keeps them in her trailer and posts her finds to Facebook in hopes that the items’ owners will see. Holtz says hurricane debris isn’t “just trash” and is instead people’s “hearts, their homes, the generations of history.”

Potatoes USA continues to work on marketing programs for potatoes to educate consumers about the benefits and versatility they provide. Chief Marketing Officer Kim Brashears says 2024 was a good year for potatoes, and she’s looking forward to what this year will bring. “2025 looks good. We have a lot of great programs that we […]

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. We got USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum numbers Thursday morning. I would call them mildly bearish for corn and wheat and mildly bullish for beans. They are not dramatically bigger or smaller than expected. However, these are just […]

An indicator of farm financial health across the country, Chapter 12 bankruptcy provides farmers and ranchers with increased flexibility for paying off debt, and is used when all other options have been exhausted. AFBF Market Intel reports have long followed annual filings of Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies, through good and bad years for the farm economy. Unfortunately, as we […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration believes a renewed emphasis on biosecurity can help in the battle against bird flu and ease egg prices, but the Agriculture Department predicts the current record prices are going to get much worse this year. It’s also not clear how much more farmers can do to keep the virus out. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins offered the first new details about her bird flu plan Wednesday. But USDA predicted this week that egg prices will soar more than 41 percent this year on top of the record average price of $4.95 per dozen.

Farm incomes decreased broadly across the Ninth District and likewise, across all of America, that according to lenders responding to the fourth quarter ag credit survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Joe Mahon is a regional outreach director with the Federal Reserve Bank for Minneapolis’ Ninth District. “Those have been trending down for […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Another $500 million would be spent toward Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina in legislation approved unanimously by the state House. The measure would add to the funds the Republican-controlled General Assembly already approved in late 2024 and help with home and road repairs. The $500 million is less than half the amount that Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has requested. The bill next goes to the Senate, where GOP members have their own spending ideas. House Republicans offered a successful amendment Tuesday to address some Democratic concerns. State officials say Helene caused a record nearly $60 billion in damages and recovery needs.

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Corn and beans continued the slide lower Monday after a disappointing close on Friday’s session. Corn gave up all of its gains for the week on Friday March corn approached a very important support level of $4.81 […]

Applications are now open for the 2025 South Carolina Commissioner’s School for Agriculture.  Commissioner Weathers joins me to talk about why it’s so important.