Agriculture

The floor of the concrete fish pond must be properly filled with concrete and well cemented in such a way to make it impervious to water. However, it must not be slippery so as not to pose danger to anyone entering the pond at any time. In case the inlet is laid along the floor, it must be laid very close to the wall so that it doesn’t damage the floor nor case any injury to farm workers. See also: The essence of giving extra support (embankment) to the fish pond Related

News Pork market continues to be murky amid COVID-19 July 21, 2020 By Will Robinson Filed Under: COVID-19, Missouri, News Supply chain problems from COVID-19 have led to uncertainty in the pork market causing tighter producer margins. A University of Missouri Ag economist says he can’t remember a more uncertain pork market. Scott Brown tells Brownfield that pork’s retail price has risen 20 cents from May to June, but the price change isn’t reaching producers. “Pushing higher prices at consumers and lower prices at consumers; it’s not a good combination if you’re in the supply side of this market,” he said. He says while COVID-19 has caused trade disruptions, he is more concerned about the domestic market. “That stimulus puts more money...

Or maybe they can at least help prevent climate change? How many bacteria are there in a teaspoon of soil? Over one million bacteria are present in every single teaspoon of soil! Up to 400,000 different species of bacteria can be found living in that teaspoon of soil. Soil is the earth’s fragile skin that anchors all life on Earth. It is comprised of countless species that create a dynamic and complex ecosystem and is among the most precious resources to humans. The Earth’s soils contain about 2,500 gigatons of carbon—that’s more than three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and four times the amount stored in all living plants and animals. Currently, soils remove about 25% of the world’s fossil fuel emissions each year. A 2017 study estimated that with bett...

News Cleaver, SBA official urge farmers to apply for PPP A Small Business Administration official urges farmers to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program through their local lenders. Tom Salisbury is SBA regional administrator for Region 7 which includes Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. He says, “You can walk into your local bank that you deal with, that you bank at for the last however many years, and you know the people there. And that’s the people you’re going to be dealing with so you’re not dealing with a stranger in California or something like that.” Salisbury says a lot of Missouri farmers have been caught in an especially tight spot, “Here in Missouri, you had some flooding up north that affected some of them last year and then they turn ar...

Market News Hog futures higher on oversold signals At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, live cattle were mostly lower ahead of widespread direct cash business.  Feeder cattle were mixed, mostly higher with support in the deferred contracts on the day’s weakness in corn.  August live cattle closed $.42 lower at $101.85 and October live cattle closed $.25 lower at $106.12.  August feeder cattle closed $.27 lower at $141.32 and September feeder cattle closed $.02 lower at $142.97. A light to moderate direct cash cattle trade took place in the South on Tuesday.  Live deals are marked at $96, that’s $1 higher than last week’s weighted averages.  There’s also been some live trade reported in Nebraska and Colorado at $96.  Bids are still on the table in Nebraska at $1...

News Blake Hurst announces retirement from Missouri Farm Bureau presidency The Missouri Farm Bureau will have a new president next year. After ten years in that position, Blake Hurst has announced he’ll retire at the end of this term. Hurst – from Tarkio – tells Brownfield it’s time for new leadership and stepping down will give him more time at home. Hurst – who was elected after the retirement of Charlie Kruse – says he’s leaving the organization in a good position for membership growth and financial well-being. A new president is to be elected in December.

Post Coalition promotes Missouri biodiesel July 21, 2020 By spratt@learfield.com Filed Under: Spotlight on Soybeans The Missouri Biodiesel Coalition was formed to promote the $1.3 billion industry. It consists of biodiesel plants, fuel distributers, farmers, and other Missouri biodiesel stakeholders. Coalition executive director Matt Amick says the 200 million gallons of biodiesel produced annually in Missouri is mostly from a soybean oil feedstock. To learn more, visit mosoy.org. Brought to you by Missouri’s soybean farmers and their checkoff.

News Bayer launches Carbon Initiative Bayer has launched a pilot Carbon Initiative program in Brazil and the US that will reward farmers for generating carbon credits by adopting carbon-smart practices.  Brett Begemann, Bayer’s chief operating officer says this is an opportunity for farmers.  “We do that by creating a market for that carbon,” he says.  “In the near-term, that market could be us as Bayer because we have a sustainability commitment that we want to offset our carbon footprint as well.  That’s how we know we’ll pay for the credits in the early days.” He tells Brownfield the program recognizes the pivotal role farmers and the land play in creating lasting environmental impacts.  “We’ve done more than most other industries in improving our sust...

News June milk production up 0.5% on the year July 21, 2020 By John Perkins Filed Under: Dairy, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Livestock, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, South Dakota, USDA, Wisconsin The USDA says milk production during June 2020 in the top 24 states was up fractionally from June 2019. Production was 17.427 billion pounds, up 0.5% on the year, with California claiming the top spot ahead of Wisconsin. The average of 1,974 pounds per cow was steady with a year ago. Michigan had the highest average, even with a year to year decline of 25 pounds to 2,260 pounds per cow. The number of dairy cattle in the top producing states was 8.827 million head, down 9,000 on the month but up 43,000 on the year. Milk production during the second quarter of the year...

News Bayer appeal denied but damages reduced July 21, 2020 By Julie Harker Filed Under: News A federal court has denied Bayer’s appeal in the case of a school groundskeeper who sued and won, saying Roundup caused his non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The appeals court did reduce the amount of damages in the case from an initial $282 Million dollars to $20-point-four Million dollars. In a statement to Brownfield, Bayer says the court’s decision to reduce the damages is “a step in the right direction” but say they continue to believe the jury’s verdict and damage awards “are inconsistent with the evidence at trial and the law.” Bayer says it stands strongly behind “the safety and utility of Roundup” and will consider legal options, including an appeal with...