The July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report (WASDE) showed corn has larger supplies, greater domestic use and exports, and slightly lower ending stocks. The season-average farm price received by producers is lowered 10 cents to $4.30 per bushel.

While lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to debate several points of a potential 2024 Farm Bill, the general public shows a severe lack of familiarity with the proposed omnibus legislation, according to the June 2024 Consumer Food Insights report.

In this day and age, the administrative state touches our lives more and more, especially in agriculture, where we have seen more regulations around water, natural resources and labor. However, regulations in the agricultural industry and the enforcement of those regulations are not new.

Many livestock economists have demonstrated over the years that there is a premium in the marketplace for uniform lots of calves. For further proof, just watch what happens at the local auction market when it comes to selling feeder cattle and then tune in to one of the online video auctions and compare prices.

New vehicles are a rare commodity on most ranches, according to a recent Progressive Cattle poll.

Have a livestock management concern? No doubt someone is working on tech to address it.

I know we have all been there: The trucks are loaded and headed to the local sale barn with this year’s calf crop. We waited all year to sit and watch these fancy calves fill the ring and circle around. All our blood, sweat and prayers that went into getting to this beautiful fall day will soon be worth it. Ring full after ring full, we sit and begin picturing the large paycheck we’ll be handing the bank later that afternoon. 

“Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.” While the applicability of this quote varies based on the context in which it is used, it highlights the fact that water is a precious and valuable resource.

Exposure to wildfire smoke might elicit an inflammatory response, potentially leading to reduced cattle performance.