Last week, the Federal Reserve Board released its November 2019 Beige Book update, a summary of commentary on current economic conditions by Federal Reserve District. The report included several observations pertaining to the U.S. agricultural economy. Graph of Fed Districts from, “The Beige Book.” * Fifth District- Richmond– “Farmers were reportedly hesitant to invest in land or equipment because […]

Because fields were wet through the fall, chances are high they will be wet in the spring, too. Ruth Beck, South Dakota State University Extension agronomist, compiled these tips on planning for a wet spring: 1. Consider seeding a cover or forage crop in lieu of a cool-season grain crop. It is possible to grow […]

According to NASS, 20 percent—some 2 million acres—of the 2019 Illinois corn crop was still in the field on November 17. Following unprecedented delays in planting, the warm weather in September helped move the crop towards maturity, and frost did not come earlier than normal. So most of the corn in Illinois was at or […]