Are you ready to kick off the weekend by being up-to-date on the latest news?
Here’s a roundup of today’s headlines in case you missed it.
Machinery
Laurie Bedord, Technology Editor, met Igino Caffiero at the 2022 CES Las Vegas to learn more information about John Deere’s new fully autonomous tractor.
Cafiero, founder and CEO of Bear Flag Robotics recently acquired, explains how engineers worked together to make the autonomous machine secure.
A central Iowa partnership has emerged to encourage the use of cover crops in farm fields in the watersheds of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers in an effort to boost the quality of the metro’s major sources of drinking water.
Polk County will purchase a $600,000. tractor that is tall enough for it to straddle rows corn and apply cover-crop seeds during the summer.
It’s a cutting-edge technique that is expected to yield better success with the cover crops, which are used to reduce soil erosion and flooding, boost soil quality and help limit fertilizer and chemical seepage into rivers.
Crops News
As winter approaches, it becomes more important to keep on schedule when moving grain from storage to the buyer.
The overall price trend is rising with futures closing at or near contract highs. Selling is not a good idea. The reality is that selling or moving grain sooner than expected is the only way to make a profit.
Consider different paper tools if your goal is to stay in a long-term ownership position.
Like so many things impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA is extending the sign up process for the Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) program for farmers until June 30, 2022 or later.
These flexibilities were originally due to expire in the month of May. “Our priority is to keep our producers and partners as safe as possible, while at the same time continuing to provide the best service we can,” Marcia Bunger, administrator of USDA’s Risk Management Agency says.
Iurii Mykhailov, an agricultural journalist from Ukraine, is a contributor to Successful Farming. Mykhailov writes: “Though there is not panic among the Ukrainian population at the moment, the scenario may dramatically change if military actions are initiated.” There is no military conflict between Russia or Ukraine that will have any impact on Ukraine’s agricultural production. This has been true since the annexation Crimea in 2014.
He says, “In case Russia occupies Ukraine, Ukraine’s entire economy will collapse.” This includes agriculture and the collapse of production, inputs, and logistics chains. This means that there will be no significant agricultural exports and that this collapse may continue for an indeterminate period.
Livestock
Jodi Henne says: “Reagard raising livestock for their hair coat.” Selling fiber for luxury sweaters and other garments can bring in a nice profit.
Chris McLaughlin is a fiber farmer in California and has written a book called “Raising Animals for Fiber: Producing Wool from Sheep, Goats, Alpacas and Rabbits in Your Backyard”. Listen to the interview.
A dairy can’t survive if it just keeps track of numbers on a balance-sheet. It’s the day-to-day operations, often extremely repetitive, that done efficiently and effectively can make a difference.
Daryl Kleinschmit, dairy research nutritionist for Zinpro Corporation, outlines five dairy practices that can provide immediate payback to the producer. Read the full article here.
Source: Successful Farming
