Around Farm Progress

In this episode of the podcast Around Farm Progress, Rod Swoboda, editor, Wallaces Farmer, provides an update on the impact of that derecho that spread across the Midwest, but hit Iowa especially hard. He shares the startling numbers and looks ahead to what will be a tough harvest for this part of the world. From lost corn to lost bins, the impact of this weather event has yet to fully manifest itself.

 

Then Chris Torres, editor, American Agriculturist, delves into a dairy pricing conundrum that's pandemic related. At a time when cheese is flying out off the stores and warehouses to pantries and restaurants, raising the Class III price, farmers are getting discounts in their milk checks. It turns out the way milk is priced in this country is complicated. Torres explains the process and how it's bitten dairy farmers right in the wallet.

Photos: Flattened corn - Meaghan Anderson, Iowa State; Milk – Jack Anderson, Getty Images

In this episode of Around Farm Progress, Holly Spangler, editor, Prairie Farmer, produced a series of profiles looking at what farm kids are doing while in quarantine. What she found is fascinating. She also shares some thoughts on the reopening of schools, and the challenges that will bring. One issue that is coming clearly into focus is that we're leaning on schools for a lot these days.

 

For those of you who like to learn more about agriculture history, we check in with Ron Smith who looks back on his 42-year career with Farm Progress as part of the Farm Press team. He's retiring as editor of Delta Farm Press and shares the changes he's seen not only in agriculture but also in rural America. It's a fascinating conversation. As part of his retirement, the Farm Press team also built this slideshow that offers comments and history of Ron's career with the company.

Photos: Kids in quarantine – Holly Spangler; Ron Smith (right) – Plains Cotton Growers

Here's a question you might not have considered: Do mosquitos spread COVID-19? The answer, thankfully, is no. But in the latest episode of the Around Farm Progress podcast, P.J. Griekspoor, editor, Kansas Farmer, shares the story of a K-State mosquito expert who wasn't willing to take the "it's safe" message at face value. She offers insight into his research proving there's no worry.

Griekspoor is also following a three-year project supported by General Mills focusing on regenerative agriculture. She offers some background on the farmers involved and the work ahead.

Burt Rutherford, editor, BEEF Magazine, got to do something few have done in recent weeks – attend a meeting. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association held its summer business meeting in-person, and virtually, in Aurora, Colorado, and he attended. He offers a look at the business conducted. And even shares that while he was following those social distance and mask rules, that can still be hard.

 

Photo: Mosquito: nechaev-kon/iStock; regenerative: Willie Vogt; Beef: SteveOehlenschlager/iStock

The word virtual is getting more attention than ever, but just what is a virtual farm show? Good question.

 

This week we're digging in to answer a lot of questions about something new – the Farm Progress Virtual Experience. This special online event, free to farmers, will fire up starting September 15 and run through September 17, but there's more. We turned to Matt Jungmann, events manager, for Farm Progress to learn all the ins and outs of this new virtual event, including new ways to do field and product demonstrations that will be an eye opener for all who check in.

When the word "disease" is mentioned in a sentence these days, chances are most people think of coronavirus. But agriculture can't lose focus on the fact that a range of potential bacteria and viruses target crops and livestock everyday.

In this episode of Around Farm Progress, Paula Mohr, editor of The Farmer magazine in Minnesota, shares that the state has developed a framework for farmers to use in developing their own COVID-19 response plans. And Mohr offers a warning on the crops side for two newer diseases farmers should be on the lookout for in 2020.

Ann Hess, editor of National Hog Farmer, has focused plenty of effort on coronavirus coverage, but the swine industry is dealing with some other issue too. Announcement of the new foot-and-mouth-disease vaccine bank being created is good news for the industry and she discusses what that move means. She also shares insight on further research being done with African Swine Fever.

Photo: Corn, Willie Vogt; Pigs, National Pork Board

For the average corn and soybean farmer, peanuts may seem exotic. Yet the challenges a peanut farmer faces aren't much different from the average row crop producer. For 20 years, the Farm Press team has honored the Peanut Efficiency Award winners, profiling these leading producers, and many have lessons that would benefit any farm operation.

In this episode of Around Farm Progress, we get a look at those operations from the editors that profiled the farmers, and get a look at key concepts they picked up. You'll hear from Ron Smith, Delta Farm Press, Shelley Huguley, Southwest Farm Press, and John Hard and Brad Haire, Southeast Farm Press. The insights they picked up from these forward-thinking peanut farmers have value to any in agriculture.

You can also read the farmer profiles online.

Photo: Brad Haire, Farm Press

Beef, it's on the grill this summer. But there's more going on with the beef industry, from how to cook the high-quality protein properly, to climate change, to a changing competitive landscape.

To explore those topics, in this episode of the podcast Around Farm Progress, Amanda Radke, long-time blogger for BEEF Magazine offers insight on a few hot topics, from grilling resources, to climate change and she even discusses the marketing approaches taken by meat-alternative companies. Oh, and she has an up-and-coming competitor in promoting beef, her daughter Scarlett.

Photo: Steak: Carsten Koall/Getty Images; Sign: Willie Vogt

In this week's episode of Around Farm Progress, Mindy Ward, editor, Missouri Ruralist, turns the tables on host Willie Vogt to discuss the settlements announced June 24. From the development of a Class Science Panel to explore the potential of a glyphosate-cancer link; to news that dicamba drift claims are being settled, they have plenty to discuss.

And check out this related link to the conversation - 5 things you should know about the Bayer settlements

Photo: Delta Farm Press staff

Will today's farm supports mean issues down the road? How could the coronavirus issue offer opportunity for farmers and ranchers? What's up with dairy prices? And how are consumer tastes changing?

This episode of Around Farm Progress digs into a tough topic – farm policy and support for agriculture during coronavirus. Guest editor Jacqui Fatka, policy editor for Feedstuffs and Farm Futures, offers insight on a range of topics farmers will want to check out.

Then we dig into the dairy industry, where a price spike is good news, but for how long? Fran O'Leary from Wisconsin Agriculturist covers the dairy industry and offers some perspective. She also has a look at how coronavirus is changing consumer eating habits.

Photos: Capitol – Shaun Egan; Dairy – the_guitar_mann – both iStock/Getty Images Plus

It seems in agriculture there may be a new phrase "mixed bag" and given what's been discussed in recent episodes of the podcast Around Farm Progress it could be the new watchword for the industry.

In this week's episode, Shelley Huguley, editor, Southwest Farm Press, shares insight on the wheat harvest, and how the weather is shaping up this summer to challenge the 2020 crop, from drought to windstorms. And we touch on the impact of the Ninth Circuit Court ruling on dicamba.

Mindy Ward, editor of Missouri Ruralist, builds on the dicamba conversation discussing the ruling, the confusion and what all this might mean for the future of crop protection. And she turns the tables on the podcast host to discuss how agtech might be impacted.

Photos: Wheat harvest – Shelley Huguley; Spray nozzles – Holly Spangler