Nicole Heslip

Cash dairy prices were higher Wednesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange following a bullish milk production report. Dry whey up $0.01 at $0.54. Blocks up $0.01 at $1.94. Three trades were made from $1.94 to $1.9525. Barrels up $0.0150 at $1.9750. Five sales were made from $1.97 to $1.98. Butter up $0.0150 at $3.09. Six […]

Consistent rains have made alfalfa harvest challenging for farmers in parts of the Great Lakes. “It’s been a difficult year, that’s putting it mildly for our first cutting.” Michigan State University Extension’s Phil Kaatz tells Brownfield up to 10 inches of rain in July has some farmers in the state are still trying to get […]

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is implementing mandatory milk tank testing to curb the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The state veterinarian’s executive order requires weekly tests to be collected by certified samplers at all licensed dairy herds and positive dairies will be placed under quarantine. Officials say both the state’s dairy and poultry […]

House Ag Committee leaders heard strong support for reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as part of a subcommittee hearing Thursday. Walter Lukken is a former CFTC Commissioner and President and CEO of the Futures Industry Association. “Our markets have grown significantly,” he says. “Total trading volume on CFTC regulated exchanges in the U.S. […]

Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed incentives in the state’s budget to expand E-15 adoption. Executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association Jim Zook tells Brownfield farmers are extremely disappointed. “This was minor help compared to the EV’s,” he says. “It sure is a slap in the face of the farmer when we need […]

Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed incentives in the state's budget to expand E-15 adoption. Executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association Jim Zook tells Brownfield farmers are extremely disappointed. “This was minor help compared to the EV's,” he says. “It sure is a slap in the face of the farmer when we need […]

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director says the governor’s 2025 budget will continue to grow the state’s food and agriculture sector.

Members of the U.S. House have been dismissed for the August recess a week early without passing 12 annual funding bills including USDA’s budget or taking further action on the farm bill. House Ag Committee Ranking Member David Scott says Chairman Thompson wanted the House to pass the farm bill in September after the appropriations […]

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director says the governor's 2025 budget will continue to grow the state's food and agriculture sector. Tim Boring tells Brownfield $3 million for a Food and Family program is a new effort to address ongoing gaps in the supply chain. “We're looking to bring on some additional […]

A new study finds one in five farmers are turning to alcohol to cope with stress. Dr. Christina Proctor at the University of Georgia tells Brownfield in-depth interviews and online surveys identified how ingrained chronic stress is for farmers. “There are definitely different stressors associated with different commodities, but I think the response to stress […]