There’s an interesting paradox occurring in today’s commodity and financial markets. Maybe you’ve noticed it; market watchers certainly have. Here’s what they’ve seen:

I’ve always been fascinated with history. From the Founding Fathers in grade school to the battles of World War II, the stories of those who came before us and the great feats they accomplished continue to intrigue me.

I had just settled back into my seat at the summer veterinary conference, having introduced the next speaker, when my phone buzzed with a text message. Since I’m a father of teenagers, parental instincts usually compel a quick glance to reassure myself that no dire emergences were taking place.

Every year around this time, I can’t help but think about what it means to be a dad.

On May 30, 2019, President Trump tweeted, “On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Imm…

“Wait. Stop the van,” I said to my husband.

06/11/19 —Weather markets are always fun, and full of twists and turns that are difficult to predict. Today is not much different, with a huge rally early based on expectations of large prevent plant acres in the corn and soybean belt. That has turned out to be as expected, with the June 9 p…

The Spring of 2019 has been a battle for crop producers in many portions of the Corn Belt, as they have tried to get corn and soybeans planted on a timely basis. Some favorable weather conditions during first portion of June has allowed for significant planting progress in the some of the ha…

Out on the east edge of our farm there’s some ground that’s been classified as a permanent wetland. As such, this part of our farm has no value from a production agriculture point of view. But it’s far from lifeless.

Most American farmers spent the last week of May and the first week of June either driving through mud or stuck in it. Their two farming partners, Mother Nature and Uncle Sam, were little help; one brought threats of more rain and mud, the other threats of more tariffs and bailouts.

A recent article (tinyurl.com/y426e7hn) confirmed what we have already known about the market facilitation payments made to compensate farmers for the loss of soybean sales to China as the result of the current trade dispute; a large portion of the funds went to a very narrow slice of farmin…

NDSU Extension

06/04/19 — Grain markets have rallied $1 or more in corn and CBOT wheat the past 3 weeks, offering the best pricing opportunities in 5 years in corn, and the past year in wheat. With weather starting to clear a bit and temps warming, it’s possible the market might slow considerably from here…

I have received two written warnings and multiple verbal warnings from law enforcement officers over the course of my driving career. It is with a certain amount of contrition that I admit those warnings did not affect my driving choices.

Nationwide planting delays in the U.S. have resulted in some of the highest corn prices that have been recorded in several years, as well as a significant rise in soybean prices. As of May 26, only 58 percent of the corn and 29 percent of the soybeans in the U.S. were planted, which are amon…

I am not normally judgmental, but you should probably question the judgment of anyone who asks me to be a judge.

Throughout the previous column we discussed the importance of, and techniques available, for establishing fertile soil using organic methods. Healthy soils which teem with microbes and incorporate a robust soil food web provide a complete nutrient profile and disease suppression mechanisms f…

The month of May left as it arrived: riding in a rowboat from flooded farm field to flooded farm field across the Midwest. Worse, June is sloshing in with more rain, more mud, and more worry.

“Missy’s here! Missy’s here!”

Food and Nutrition Specialist

There was once a time when people sat down and read the newspaper as part of their day.

05/29/19 — Last week we talked about the possibility of the market to go much higher if it could break above the 5 year high of $4.43 corn, and at the speed of the current rally, we’d get there quickly. Well, today in overnight trade we are knocking on that door. The market has rallied $1 in…

In her May 5, 2015 Politico article on a Bernie Sanders rally in Osage, Iowa, Liz Crampton wrote that he “seeks to reform the [farm] subsidy system so that more federal dollars go to small and mid-sized family farms instead of the largest producers. It suggests moving away from a subsidy sys…

As the U.S. enters the summer driving season, it is a great time for North Dakotans to revisit the role our state plays in providing the energy that keeps the country moving.

The weather in our region has been a tad bit soggy this spring, much in the same way that the oceans contain a tad bit of moisture.

Farm operators in many portions of the Midwest, including parts of Southern Minnesota, Northern Iowa, and Eastern South Dakota will likely not be able to plant a portion of their 2019 corn and soybeans crops by the crop insurance “final planting dates” for their area. Those farmers have been…

We inherit the world from the actions of our predecessors. Everything that we enjoy, we owe them for either building or preserving.

The bulk sale on flowering and vegetable plants was ending in two hours. They were selling 48 plants for $19.99.

In the last column I wrapped up the discussion on the funding needed to secure the farm succession and estate plan for the fictional farm family, the Franks. If you recall Harry and Mary have two children, Bill and Jill. Bill is active on the farm and Jill has moved on and has a family and s…

05/21/19 — Corn came alive a little over a week ago, and prices have now run over 50c higher in 8 trading days. That has erased the past 6 months of trading with losses, and prices are now in the higher end of the previous few years. What a difference a week makes! The market is rallying aft…

FARGO, N.D. — Imagine an activity that causes aloof teenagers to connect with their parents and siblings.

Farm operators in many portions of the Midwest, including parts of Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa, are dealing with very wet field conditions and delayed crop planting. Unless conditions improve soon, some producers could be forced to consider not planting a portion of their crops in 2…

It returned again this spring like a lawn zombie.

No one I know has ever witnessed a train wreck as it happened. As such, when a friend or colleague says or writes that an event “was like watching a train wreck happen,” I’m pretty sure it wasn’t like watching a train wreck happen.

Many professional horticulturists and hobby gardeners throughout South Dakota are considering the transition from conventional, synthetic plant production to more natural, organic methods for their production farms and at-home plant care. Although the transition from synthetic to organic can…

Hardly a day goes by when the national news doesn’t mention the opioid abuse problem in our country. As measured by the number of people dying from overdoses of prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids, the problem has exploded over the past decade and shows no sign of decline. Th…

“I can’t understand what you are saying,” the female voice said.

America’s agricultural industry is built on risk, and most of that risk is borne by farmers and ranchers.

05/14/19 — Grain markets sometimes react in strange ways. All the past year we were negotiating with China to settle our trade dispute, the price of grains dropped pretty much from the first time the word “negotiate” was mentioned in the same sentence as China. The market apparently knew abo…

The USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report released on May 10 increased the projected 2018-19 U.S. corn and soybean ending stocks. The Report was regarded as mainly “bearish” for both the corn and soybean markets in the coming months, which added more downward pre…

The circa 1956 “Peanuts” comic strip features Schroeder at his piano with Snoopy perched atop the instrument. The dog is so moved by the music that he soon bursts into tears. In the final panel, Schroeder wryly observes, “Nothing affects an old grad like the playing of Pomp and Circumstance!”

Sanford Bishop and Sonny Perdue go way back.

Greetings fellow plant enthusiasts! My name is Wyatt Brown, and I am a senior at SDSU majoring in horticulture, working as an intern with SDSU Extension. Of the many hats I will wear this summer, one of them is taking over the role of publisher for the iGrow Gardening column for the next 14 …

Several years ago, I had a couple of program assistants who loved to enter radio contests. One day they walked into my office to discuss the day’s activities.

05/07/19 — Typically in May grain markets are all about 3 market factors: weather, weather, and weather. Today we have to crowd in a fourth factor — trade negotiations. As of May 6 we woke to a sharply lower market as President Donald Trump threatened on May 5 to add $30 billion in tariffs t…

Seven months into my wife’s first pregnancy, I began to wonder why she was growing increasingly anxious about the fact that the baby’s room was still just the spare bedroom used as storage space in our apartment.

Recently, South Dakota residents have benefited greatly from public-private partnerships that have provided important investment in the farming industry of our state. As a rural state, agriculture and technology play significant roles in the economic development and livelihood of South Dakot…

My kitchen island is full of stacks: summer camp and summer ball forms to fill out. 4-H projects to register and swimming lessons to book. A month ago, we planned a short family camping trip.

For the third year in a row, spring fieldwork has been slow to begin in most areas of Upper Midwest in 2019. Frequent rainfall events during the last ten days of April and the first week of May across large areas of the region have resulted in field conditions that are too wet for corn plant…

The world is filled with all sorts of pressures. Some of them are beneficial and some are nothing but a pressurized pain in the keister.