The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia could have a major effect on fertilizer availability and prices for the next few years. This is due to the fact that nearly 20% of all global fertilizer exports are from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. While Ukraine has not historically been the major contributor, the country saw a

The “USDA Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade” report indicates that there could be a higher demand for pork and poultry in 2020 due to the extensive outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF). The following is the USDA forecast for meat demand in Asia. Due to the extensive outbreak of ASF, higher prices for

A shameless plug for my Alma Mater, Purdue University. This news sounds very positive for treating cancer tumors. Plus, this cold plasma technology may have a multitude of applications. From Purdue University Biological Sciences News, West Lafayette, IN: Cold atmospheric plasma technology, currently the only way to remove microscopic cancer tumors remaining from surgery, has

I receive economic information from various sources, including “Agricultural Economic Insights”. Recently Brent Gloy and David Widmar wrote about the possible biggest issues facing agriculture in 2020. Below are their top 11 issues facing agriculture in 2020. I have added a few additional questions. Do you agree? Farm Income—Several factors including trade wars, MFP payments

I consider the following announcement very good news for the dairy industry! On January 3, 2020 Coca-Cola Company announced that it has acquired the remaining stake in fairlife, LLC from its joint venture partner Select Milk Producers. Coca-Cola now owns 100% of fairlife, up from its 42.5% minority stake. Why is this good news? Obviously

Is a Farmland Investment Fund a Match for Your Operation? Where will a fund fit into a landowner’s goals? Every operation is different. For instance–do you own land without a solid succession plan? i.e. the next generation is not interested in continuing ownership? If so, perhaps one of the funds would provide the opportunity to

Are we watching a new and broad shift in ag production with the new wave of vertical farming? Will it bring more opportunities to the Midwest? Several firms such as “GreenSense Farms” in Portage, Indiana and “MightyVine” in Rochelle, IL are creating new production techniques for growing fresh produce year-round. These are occurring in either

Resistance to Change I was recently in a small group meeting where we were discussing a major change for our new church. As with many churches today, we are facing changes in our location and our facilities, which makes our congregation nervous, anxious and skeptical. This, in turn, zaps the energy level of many members.

“The Costco Connection” magazine Helps Tell the Farmer’s Story I recently read an article entitled “Food 2.0” by Hana Medina in a somewhat unlikely magazine, “The Costco Connection”. Perhaps it should not be such a surprise, as Costco highly promotes a “Farm to Table, the Costco Way” program. On many products, they identify the farm

The Chicago Federal Reserve recently released their 4th Quarter 2017 AgLetter. They reported a year-over-year 1% increase in “good” farmland values across the 7th District (including IL, IN, IA, WI and MI). However, Illinois reported a 1% decline in values; with IN, IA and WI all gaining 2-3% for 2017. Fur-ther, northern Illinois reported a