Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin says she has helped secure more than $28 million to support farmers and rural communities in her state.
The Senate Appropriations Committee member says the investments from USDA Rural Development programs are mostly funded by legislation she supported.
Funds are being awarded to 11 cities, Tribes, companies, and individuals to help improve public health and safety, expand access to clean, safe water, and grow Wisconsin’s economy.
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Food, nutrition and health are interconnected, and as Beth Roden, Bayer’s Senior Vice President & Head of U.S. Communications explains, people in rural America do not always have access to the food, health & preventative care they need.
“Ninety percent of counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural,” said Roden. “These rural communities represent nearly two-thirds of the primary care health professional shorted areas in the country.”
“To help alleviate the problem in these communities impacted by both food insecurity and limited access to health care, Bayer launched a new initiative ‘Take Care Now.’” Roden said, “Under the umbrella of...
USDA’s latest investments in rural infrastructure are being applauded by farm group leaders and a member of the Senate Ag Committee.
Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith says hundreds of millions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act will be used to provide basic infrastructure to communities that lack an adequate tax base.
“Those dollars are coming home to be able to build out more opportunity in rural communities.”
Minnesota Farm Bureau president Dan Glessing tells Brownfield the investments add value to agriculture.
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The latest Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) suggests the farm economy will weaken next year as interest rates continue to climb.
Ernie Goss is an ag economist with Creighton University and says, “I think for the long term trend, the era of very cheap money is gone.”
The Rural Mainstreet Index is a survey of ag bankers in 10 states including: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
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The U.S. corn and soybeans harvests advanced about as expected last week. Some harvest delays are likely during the early part of this week, but most of the Midwest and Plains should be able to make another round of solid progress.
The USDA says that as of Sunday, 15% of U.S. corn is harvested, with 93% of the crop dented and 60% mature, all faster than normal, while 53% is rated good to excellent, up 2% on the week.
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The chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture says global competition for corn and soybean production is being closely monitored.
Seth Meyer tells Brownfield Brazil is forecast to have a record corn and soybean production and planting pace is key.
“If that crop is early, it is more likely to be a better crop and if it is in late, it is more exposed to the end of rainfall for that second crop corn.”
At the same time, the U.S.
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The USDA says placements of cattle into U.S. feedlots during August were 2.003 million head, a decline of 5% on the year. That’s tied to lower cow numbers caused by increased slaughter rates due to drought in many of the major feeding areas. Reduced feeder cattle imports from Mexico were also a factor in those smaller placements. Cattle placed into feedlots during August are typically marketed in late winter through late spring.
Marketings were 1.884 million head, 6% below August 2022 because of aggressive marketings earlier in the year.
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The latest Cattle on Feed report from the USDA comes out later today.
University of Missouri livestock economist Scott Brown says he continues to watch the placement number each month. “After last month being lower as well, we’ll see if we continue that trend,” he says. “And it will start to give us more indication of tightness in the second half of 2024.”
He tells Brownfield with the herd size continuing to shrink, that also provides some perspective for producers moving forward.
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