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ELECTION ISSUES

COVER CROPPING: What are farmers’ goals for using cover crops

ON THE RISE: USDA ups ‘I’ state corn yield estimates 4-H FESTIVAL OF TREES: Jasper County 4-H clubs decorate trees at county courthouse for a good cause

PUBLICATION • FALL 2023

Index 2024 presidential hopefuls’ views on a variety of topics related to agriculture and farming — PAGE 8

AG Mag Publisher Craig Mittag

Advertising Director Carrie Vander Weerdt

Managing Editor Jamee A. Pierson

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Index ‘I’ states get a hike in yields from the USDA — page 4 4-H Festival of Trees shows another side of clubs — page 7 Ideas to help with cover crops — page 11 Crop stocks end on top — page 13 USDA crop production estimates deemed neutral to bearish on higher production — page 15

AG Mag

USDA hikes ‘I’ state corn yield estimates “I” state average corn yield projections were pushed slightly higher in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s crop production report released Nov. 9. Indiana USDA increased an already projected record average corn yield in Indiana by another 3 bushels from last month to 200 bushels per acre. It’s the second consecutive month USDA ramped up the projected yield average by 3 bushels per acre and is 10 bushels above 2022. The previous record of 195 bushels was set in 2021. The projected 5.38 million harvested acres is anticipated to produce 1.076 billion bushels, compared to 974.7 million bushels from 5.13 million acres last year. Indiana’s record average soybean

4 Fall 2023

yield of 61 bushels per acre is unchanged from the October estimate, 1 bushel above the 2021 top yield. The 2022 average yield was 57.5 bushels. If the projected yield reaches fruition, Indiana will produce 334.28 million bushels from 5.48 million harvested acres. Last year’s soybean crop from 5.83 million harvested acres produced 335.225 million bushels. Illinois USDA hiked the Prairie State’s projected average corn yield by 3 bushels from last month to 203 bushels per acre, 11 bushels below the 2022 record. The 11 million harvested corn acres are estimated to produce 2.233 billion bushels compared to the just over 2.268 billion harvested from

10.6 million acres last year. The average soybean yield in Illinois was unchanged from the October estimate at 61 bushels per acre, with the 10.3 million harvested acres producing 628.3 million bushels. The 63 bushels per acre average yield in 2022 produced 677.25 million bushels from 10.75 million acres. Iowa Iowa’s average corn yield was increased by 1 bushel from last month to 200 bushels per acre, matching the 2022 average. USDA estimates harvested acres of 12.6 million for a total production of 2.52 billion bushels, compared to 2.47 billion bushels from 12.35 million harvested acres a year ago. Iowa’s estimated average soybean yield of 58 bushels per acre was

unchanged from last month’s projection. Harvested acres of 9.87 million could produce 572.46 million bushels of soybeans this year. The state averaged 58.5 bushels per acre in 2022, producing 586.755 million bushels from 10.03 million harvested acres. Nationwide U.S. soybean production is forecast at 4.13 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the October estimate, but down 3 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, the nation’s soybean yields are expected to

average 49.9 bushels per acre, up 0.3 bushel from both the previous forecast and last year. Area harvested for beans is forecast at 82.8 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but down 4 percent from 2022. Record high soybean yields are also forecast in Arkansas, at 53 bushels per acre; Mississippi, 57; Ohio, 58; and Tennessee, 54. U.S. corn production for grain is forecast at a record high 15.2 billion bushels, 11% above last year and 1 percent higher than the October forecast.

The national corn yield average is projected at 174.9 bushels per bushel, up 1.9 bushels from the previous forecast and 1.5 bushels higher than last year. Area harvested for grain, forecast at 87.1 million acres, is unchanged from the previous forecast 10% above last year. Record high corn yields are also forecast in Alabama, at 168 bushels per acre; Georgia, 183; New York, 168; Ohio, 195; South Carolina, 150; and Tennessee, 177. — Tom C. Doran AG Mag

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The 4-H Festival of Trees shines light on different aspects of the clubs Nestled on the second floor of the Jasper County Courthouse are Christmas trees that carry a little extra meaning. The 4-H Festival of Trees is once again decorating the courthouse interior with trees from almost every club in the county to go along with the giant, multi-story tree shining in the rotunda. “There are 11 clubs participating this year,” Iowa State University Extension and Outreach County Youth Coordinator Stacey Wilson said. “Clubs pick a charity or non-profit to support then pick items to either put on the tree to decorate with.” The Monday before Thanksgiving Jasper County 4-Hers head to the courthouse to assemble their trees and see 4-H friends from across the county. “It is a really fun night,” Wilson said. “No matter what kind of day you are having, you see all of the kids, some who haven’t seen each other since the fair, it is exciting and warms your heart.” While some trees adorned with traditional bobbles well-known to hang from

the limbs, visitors might also see toilet paper, socks, mouthwash, dog treats or baby toys as ornaments and decorations. “When we had the animal rescue league they would use dog or cat toys,” Wilson said. “They are all so unique. There is one club that make their tree out of packages of toilet paper that they then donate to the PCM Food Pantry. Then, they wrap garland around it.” On the Quilts of Valor tree, visitors will find hand-sewn ornaments and handmade ornaments to go along with the quilting theme. The Festival of Trees has roots in Colfax with the first few events held at the Jasper County Fairgrounds, hosted by the fair board. On display during the Colfax Country Christmas event, horse drawn carriages used to take people from downtown to the fairgrounds to see the trees. “It helped bring awareness to the fairgrounds because they are a little hidden back there,” Wilson said. “The trees were decorated to a theme the fair board

would select.” The 4-H clubs took over the organizing of the festival in 2004, then in the horse and carriage rides stopped in 2005, causing the attendance to dwindle for the festival. The next year, Wilson asked the Jasper County Board of Supervisors if the festival could move to the courthouse and they embraced the idea and the giving theme. “It is a good fit, the building is so pretty,” Wilson said. “We do get a lot of compliments and positive comments on the festival. We like to bring to light that 4-H is not just for farm and rural kids. There is community service involved, life skills involved, record keeping and all kinds of communication skills. This lets the public see all of the citizenship that 4-H clubs and kids do.” The festival runs through Dec. 28 at the courthouse. Be sure to try and make a stop before Christmas in order to see all of the decorations. Some ornaments that are related to the organization will make their way to those in need before the holiday. — Jamee A. Pierson AG Mag

How are candidates appro See what presidential hopefuls are saying about With the primaries for the upcoming presidential election coming up, I bet a lot of us are wondering what the candidates and incumbent are saying about farmers and the agricultural industry. Some folks may have already made up their mind on who they’re voting for, but I’m still curious what candidates have to say. So I’ve scoured through some of the latest headlines and campaign websites for any information I could find about candidates’ views on agriculture. Here’s what I’ve found: JOE BIDEN While farmers were waiting for fields to dry after a late October rainfall, President Joe Biden announced more than $5 billion in investments to rural communities. Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and other programs will go towards advancing rural prosperity, economic development, competition and sustainability, according to a Nov. 1 press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here is a breakdown of the funds: • $1.7 billion in investments in climate-smart agriculture practices. • $1.1 billion in investments in rural American infrastructure through loans/ grants. • $2 billion in investments to partner with rural communities to create jobs, support rural-led economic development. • $274 million to expand critical rural high-speed internet infrastructure. • $145 million to expand access to renewable energy, lower energy costs for rural Americans. However, some pundits have criticized Biden’s green-focused approach to agriculture. In August 2023, Politico reported that even some advocates are not convinced it will help. Coupled with the negotiations to pass the farm bill (the results of which were unknown by press time), Biden might have an uphill battle. DEAN PHILLIPS & MARIANNE WILLIAMSON The president has primary challengers? You bet. Dean Phillips, a congressman 8 Fall 2023

from Minnesota, is the latest Democrat to enter the race. According to his campaign website, there is no platform for agriculture, but he does have priorities for clean water and climate action, among many other issues. During his tenure in Congress, Phillips focused on protecting access to clean water. The future health and well-being of Americans, he says, “relies on responsible stewardship of our waterways, forests, farmland, wetlands and public lands.” He is committed to a bipartisan approach to preserving clean water. Phillips says the effects of climate change are being seen and felt by everybody, and America has to resume its role as a global leader in addressing the crisis. Incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act will help lower energy costs and the speed of the transition to a clean energy economy, Phillips says. Marianne Williamson, a Texas-born author and speaker, also does not have a catch-all “agriculture” platform, but she does have policies on climate action and food safety. Williamson says global warming harms weather patterns which harms agriculture/animals which harms people’s capacity to live in certain areas. “…Which harms the city-to-rural ratio which harms social stability which creates a refugee crisis which all together lead toward untold catastrophe,” she says. Williamson advocates for reducing food waste and promoting regenerative agriculture. She is also for banning concentrated animal feeding operations and addressing emissions and other pollution caused by huge agribusiness. Big factory farms not only threaten the livelihoods of farmers, she says. “But they are the largest producer of dangerous greenhouse gases.” Williams wants a return farming to families instead of factories and find ways of reducing the impact of animal agriculture on the environment. Food safety and security is another priority for Williamson, who says Big Ag has “collectively created a poisonous brew that is now affecting our

health and well-being.” DONALD TRUMP The Republican frontrunner and former president touted at a Council Bluffs campaign rally that he will cancel “every Biden policy that is brutalizing our farmers.” Donald Trump claims Biden has been in a nonstop war on American agriculture, saying he is trying to kill ethanol and replace it with electric cars. Some of these assertions from Trump may be exaggerated though. According to a report from The Hill in July 2023, the latest standards from the Environmental Protection Agency on how much conventional biofuel would be required for blending still represents an increase over previous years. Even when Trump was in office. During a campaign stop in Ottumwa in October 2023, Trump voiced many of the same criticisms toward the Biden administration. According to the Ottumwa Courier’s report, Trump touted his administration’s approval of year-round E-15 gasoline and tariffs imposed on China. But Ottumwa Courier points out the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy

aching agricultural issues? today’s farming challenges

nonprofit, found the tariffs intended to protect agriculture largely hurt the economy “by burdening U.S. industry and workers,” more so when the Trump administration’s actions caused retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports. Which may have damaged the economy even more. Still, according to Trump’s campaign website, he is committed to unleashing the production of domestic energy sources, reduce prices on gasoline/diesel/ natural gas, promote energy security for allies around the world and eliminate the Green New Deal. RON DESANTIS The Florida governor has long-affirmed in campaign materials that agriculture is essential for America’s revival. Ron DeSantis says America needs to take a page from Iowa’s farmers to better harvest resources, accommodate nature’s challenges and “cultivate a culture resilient to history’s seasons.” According to the Farmers For DeSantis page, the Republican candidate says a robust agriculture sector is a key part of a stronger America. Throughout his cam-

paign in Iowa, DeSantis says he has spoken with many farmers, ranchers and others involved in the agriculture industry about the challenges they face. The federal government, he says, is hurting critical industries like agriculture. Farmers do a great job of feeding the world, but the federal government insists on making it more difficult to farm, DeSantis says. If elected, he will not allow “unelected federal bureaucrats to stifle American agriculture.” NIKKI HALEY The former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina has stated in a column to the Des Moines Register in September 2023 that farmers will thrive when Washington, D.C. starts working for them and not the other way around. Nikki Haley also says one of the biggest threats to farmers is China. In Haley’s column, she recounts a sixth-generation farmer’s worries about price increases on fuel, fertilizer and feed. The farmer is worried their family can’t make ends meet. Other farms are losing money with each passing year, and the farmer also worried about China purchasing farmland and stealing seed technology. “I made that farmer a promise: As president, I will free America’s farmers and ranchers — from Washington and China,” Haley says. Haley wants to cut federal spending that she claims is fueling inflation on farmers and their families, and she wants to put an end to federal overreach pushing farmers to the brink. She says Biden is trying to control agriculture in the name of climate change, but she claims it is making it harder for farmers to do business. She also wants to eliminate federal gas and diesel taxes that she claims are hamstringing farmers. Haley also says food security is a national security. In November 2023, Haley launched a new coalition called Farmers for Nikki, with endorsements from Iowa agricultural leaders. Those leaders say Haley has proven herself to be a capable leader to Iowa’s agricultural industries, especially with her talks of energy independence and increased

ethanol production. VIVEK RAMASWAMY The entrepreneur and youngest Republican candidate in the race is known for his extreme views and positions, one of which that gets significant attention is his goal to eliminate a large number of federal agencies. One of the agencies Vivek Ramaswamy is targeting the Food and Nutrition Service is the USDA. In August 2023, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Ramaswamy’s strategy to stabilize the U.S. dollar drew interest from farmers. Ramaswamy said to tie the value of the dollar to gold, silver, nickel and agricultural commodities. Specifically, it would be tied to grain. Like Haley, Ramaswamy is interested in independence from China. When it comes to trade, Ramaswamy says the only way to decouple from China is to expand trade with trusted allies and hemispheric neighbors on fair, bilateral terms. How will that affect trade with Chinese goods? Well, Ramaswamy says Chinese goods must be replaced by a combination of greater U.S. production and stronger trade relationships with allies. CHRIS CHRISTIE, DOUG BURGUM, ASA HUTCHINSON & RYAN BINKLEY The long-shot candidates have also weighed in on agricultural issues; some more than others. Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, is making another run for president, and while his campaign materials do not necessarily show what his thoughts are on current agricultural issues, we can look to his record. In 2011, he signed legislation making $90.6 million available for farmland preservation. In 2014 he also vetoed a pig crate ban which would have prohibited crates that severely limit the mobility of pregnant pigs; the ban was eventually approved in 2023 by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Christie in the past has stressed the importance of farmers and protecting them from government overreach.

Cont. Page 14 AG Mag

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Setting goals first step in cover cropping What’s your goal with cover crops? That’s typically the first question an agronomist asks when a farmer is seeking advice on cover cropping decisions. “There’s a litany of different answers that one could provide,” said Carl Joern, Pioneer field agronomist in Indiana. “That’s the specific thing to have in mind because that often dictates species, seeding rates, etc.,” added Kevin Fry, Pioneer field agronomist in Pennsylvania. Joern and Fry, along with Indiana field agronomists Brian Shrader and Ben Jacob, recently hosted a podcast detailing various cover crop topics. One goal for using cover crops may be for forages. “Farmers are taking off corn silage and then putting in some type of cereal rye. It’s usually either triticale, rye or wheat that they’ll then, in turn, chop off as forage in the spring and then go back to corn silage rotation,” Fry said. Traditional cover crops are used for erosion control, particularly where soils and typography necessitate their use. “We have a lot of slopes and primarily we’re trying to get some type of a cover on our soybean ground to reduce a lot of the winter washing,” Fry continued. “When not having a lot of residue out there, even in our no-till soils, those soybean

fields will wash out quite a bit. We’re limited in top soil to begin with and we want to hang on to everything we can. “Forage and erosion control are probably the two primary reasons we’ve been using cover crops here.” Nutrient recycling, keeping the nutrients in the soil and breaking up nutrient stratification are other factors in utilizing cover crops, Shrader noted. “I think in many of the cases what we’re doing with the cereals especially in our livestock operations is scavenging that nitrogen and trying to hold it over for next year. We have manure applications going on in the fall or early in the spring when we don’t have a growing crop out there. That cereal crop can actually grab and hold a lot of that manure nitrogen and hopefully be plant available later in the summer,” Fry said. “Also, a lot are using turnips and some of these annual rye grasses that have a deeper rooting system to try and break up some of that nutrient stratification, especially those long-term no-till systems. “A lot of times, good earthworm activity and that overall improvement in soil health also helps with nutrient stratification.” Weed suppression is touted as another benefit for utilizing cover crops.

“Cover crops do a heck of a good job at keeping the mare’s tail population down. Even as little as a half bushel an acre of cover crop seeded late can have an effect. It doesn’t have to be that thick of a cover crop to have that effect and keep mare’s tail under control,” Fry said. “The longer you allow the cover crop to grow and the thicker and heavier that mulch is, that’s when that weed control aspect can carry over into controlling some of those stubborn summer annuals like water hemp.” C/N Ratio Joern said one of the biggest challenges with cover crop adoption and going into the next crop in the spring is overwintering cereal rye and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. “As the cereal rye is decomposing that high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, if folks are trying to go to corn that spring, do you have any experience where you’ve seen guys going from an overwintering rye to planting corn that spring? Is there a nitrogen application that you’re advocating for that’s different than what would otherwise be done? Or, is going from rye to corn just a bad idea,” he said. “That is not an easy question. With the amount of nutrient application in most manure livestock operations we don’t necessarily run into that tie-up, so to speak, but in grain

operations, absolutely. Especially where they let rye cover crop get big,” Fry answered. “When that carbon-to-nitrogen ratio gets that tall, guys will put in an extra application of nitrogen to try to reduce the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio so they don’t have a nitrogen tie-up issue and the corn crop being short. That is something that’s very real. When exactly to do that, that’s a challenge. Is it boot high? Is it knee high? I think approximately in that range. “A former Extension colleague of mine said as long as you can still see that rye residue in the field, that that nitrogen isn’t available for the plants. If the residue is breaking down by the end of the season, then that nitrogen has become available for the plants. That’s a rule of thumb that I’ll often use.” There are also varying advantages and disadvantages in terms of cereal rye termination in the spring. “A lot of guys are using cover crops for moisture management. We struggle with just drying soils in the spring and they’ll leave that cover crop out there to pull moisture out of the soil. A lot of times, they’ll plant green through that, terminate the cover crop later in the season, and then use that mulch and cover as a moisture

Cont. Page 12 AG Mag

Cont. Page 11 conservation aspect when it gets dry to reduce evaporation,” Fry said. “When we had our drought this year they were taking if off for forages and then no-tilling into that, that was some of the most challenging conditions where there was no moisture left in the soil profile by that time period. Then we got dry in June, that corn crop really suffered. It’s a difficult decision to make.” Planting Green? Fry was asked at what point is cereal rye too big to plant green or is that a misnomer and it can be as tall as the tractor tires. “I continue to learn this whole planting green aspect, and from what I’ve learned and been experienced with is I don’t think it can get too big. I think in many cases, the bigger it is the easier it is to plant

into. Where I’ve seen the best success with it is where guys are rolling that cover crop,” he said. “We’ve always talked about allelopathy with cereal rye and corn, but in reality that mainly occurs when the cereal rye is still standing and the corn is trying to grow through a standing cover crop. Once you roll it and get it flat, the corn really seems to respond well and grows very well. “Some of the anecdotal things that I’ve seen is when you have that living cover crop out there in the spring it almost gains you about a half a day time to get back in there and start planting a little sooner compared to those without cover crops in wet springs. “The other thing to keep in mind is the seeding rate is very, very important. You don’t just want to throw a couple bushel of cover crop out there and expect to plant green into it

because it can get very thick. A bushel is plenty.” Termination “My conventional wisdom that I always shared was if you’re going to terminate your cover crop ahead of planting, at least do it two weeks prior to planting,” Joern noted. “Is that something that you also subscribe to or is that antiquated at this point if a guy is looking to terminate ahead of planting?” “These aren’t easy answers because we’ve talked about the moisture management aspect. In many cases, if we burn that rye cover crop down and then it gets wet again and we’ve got a dead cover crop it almost acts like a sponge and takes even longer to dry out,” Fry said. “But in contrast, you’re also right about terminating two weeks ahead of planting. As I’ve been learning more about this cover crop — in fact it wasn’t long ago that I was in the same boat where I would

want that cover crop brown and dead — it makes it easier to plant into when you spray it and it’s dead and dry two weeks prior to planting. “It’s not an easy yes or no. I think we continue to learn and adapt and that’s where farmers are going to have to kind of ease their way into it. If you think about the equipment necessary to get in there and plant green, a great way to overcome that is to spray it so it’s dead and dry and easier to plant into with the equipment they have on hand and still be able to utilize the cover crop and the benefits of it. “As we talk about some of the challenges of going from a cereal rye to a corn crop, soybeans respond very well to planting green into cover crops in general. That’s a great way to avoid some of the challenges with a corn crop is to use it in your soybean crop.” — Tom C. Doran

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Kayla Johnson wasn’t feeling like herself until she purchased West Side Java. Ever since the death of her husband, Dave, in 2021, the outgoing extrovert had become a shut-in. It wasn’t like her, but she had every reason to grieve. And a pain that great would take some time. Only Johnson did not expect the thing to get her out of that mindset was buying a coffee shop she had frequented. For the past month or so, she has been interacting with customers thanking her for buying West Side Java, and she cracks a big smile with employees when preparing the latest caffeinated drinks. Johnson has never owned a business before, but the sudden decision has changed her completely. And for the better. “I’m typically a fairly outgoing person, and I wasn’t after Dave died,” she said. “I wasn’t wanting to go anywhere. I wasn’t wanting to do anything. I would just stay at home. And I was like, ‘I need to get out again and be around people!’ What better place than here? I’ve met such wonderful people!” Many of which are longtime customers from when the coffee shop went by the name of Bridgehouse Coffee Co., which closed in 2022. At the time of the shop’s closing, there were extensive facade improvements that had yet to be

completed after the building sustained latent, severe damage from the 2020 derecho. However, the building has since been remodeled. Johnson remarked the shop was left in great shape by the time she took over in mid-October. With two employees under her belt, West Side Java was business-ready after all the red tape from the state concluded. So far, it’s been a blast. Johnson was a frequent customer of the coffee shop. When deciding whether to purchase the business, she viewed the drive-thru and the quality of the food and drink products as major positives. With her now taking over ownership after Juli Stanford sold the place, Johnson hope to maintain what customers love. All the while she is learning the ropes of owning a coffee shop much like Stanford did when she took over in 2022. The more Johnson works the shop, the more she understands why establishments like these have the expenses they have and what kinds of menu items customers really love. It’s a fun challenge. “We’re back and ready to go,” she said. Johnson was born and raised in Newton; in fact she lives a block over from where she grew up. Which means she remembers when the town square and downtown Newton was the place to be.

Although it is not the downtown she remembered growing up, the city still has a wonderful downtown area. “I’m excited to be a part of that and support the other businesses around the square,” Johnson said. “…I’m not out to get rich or anything, but I’m out to maintain something that is here, that is loved, that employs a couple of people. And I love it when people are gathered in here and talking. I love that.” Getting to know the customers and reconnecting with old classmates and friends is one of Johnson’s favorite parts about working at West Side Java. The coffee shop feels the same for a lot of customers, which is what Johnson wants, but folks have even noticed a difference in Johnson ever since she took over. “They’ve seen a difference in my personality and stuff,” she said. “I’ve got an 11-year-old at home and he’s really excited for this, too.” Of course, her favorite part of the job is being able to “feel human” again. “I’m getting myself back out, and I needed that,” she said. “…A lady that (Dave) worked with came in one of the first days I was open saying, ‘He’d be so proud of you!’ I said, no, he’d think I was crazy! A good crazy! And I think he would have supported it.” — Tom C. Doran AG Mag 13

Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, also does not have much to say about agriculture on his campaign website. Like Christie, we look at his past actions. Unlike Christie, his is more recent. In April 2023, Burgum signed a bill providing $25 million to agriculture diversification and development. “Agriculture is the bedrock of our economy in North Dakota, and supporting new or expanding businesses that want to diversify agriculture will strengthen the industry as well as the communities that depend on farming, ranching and ag processing for jobs and tax revenue,” Burgum said in a press release. While on the campaign trail, Burgum has also stated projects like the carbon capture pipelines will boost Midwest

corn and soybean prices. Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas, submitted a column to the Des Moines Register in October 2023, saying farmers don’t need tariffs to protect them. Instead, they need opportunities to sell what they produce without penalty. Trump’s proposed tariffs sends the message that American producers cannot compete. Hutchinson rejects across the board 10 percent tariff tax on all incoming goods to the United States. Citing the Tax Foundation, Hutchinson says the tariffs would add $300 billion in costs for American consumers and result in a loss of 500,000 jobs, including from agriculture and manufacturing. Ryan Binkley, a pastor and businessman, announced in September 2023 that he is standing with landowners trying to stop the carbon capture

pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions. Binkley says of the hundreds of people he talked to about it, only one person was in favor of it, and they work for an ethanol company. “A few companies stand to make a lot of money from this pipeline. What about the local communities? If you’re a farmer and don’t want it, you should be able to oppose it. It’s not for public use; it’s a private pipeline. The farmers are owed

due process,” Binkley said in a Newswire press release. If farmers are forced to sell, he added, they will get the short end of the stick but not getting the royalties. Binkley is also a proponent of energy independence. He supports the promotion of America-grown biofuels, and he wants to responsibly expand the exploration and development of America’s oil, natural gas and coal. — Christopher Braunschweig

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USDA reports not as friendly as expected A last look at crop production estimates until the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final summary in January was deemed neutral to bearish on higher production. Karl and Angie Setzer of Consus Ag Consulting hosted on X, formerly Twitter, a live look at the USDA crop production and supply and demand estimates reports as they were unveiled Nov. 9. Immediately after the report was released, soybeans were down 25 cents, corn dropped 8 cents. Wheat was down 15 cents. Here are their views on the new USDA numbers. On Corn Angie: Corn ending stocks came in at 2.156 billion bushels, up 45 million bushels from last month. Corn beginning stocks were left unchanged. The corn yield per harvested acre was bumped up to 174.9 bushels per acre, a 1.9-bushel increase. Corn carryout came out slightly higher just because of an increase in production and some other adjustments. Carryout was a little above expectations, but I think most everyone kind of anticipates corn carryout will end up somewhere in that 2.1 billion bushel range barring any sort of spectacular crop failure out of Brazil, which remains on the table at this point, I would say, since it’s early. Karl: China corn output was unchanged at 277 million metric tons. USDA bumped up the Ukraine corn crop by 1.5 million metric tons to 29.5 million. The Argentine corn crop production came out at 55 million metric tons with no reduction there. There was also no change in the Brazil corn crop production at 129 million metric tons. Angie: South American production is something that’ll be factored in over the next couple of months when we get a better feel for what that forecast looks like. World corn ending stocks was at just over 315 million metric tons. Traders were expecting around 312 million. So, we did see a bump there, but most of that is because of what we had seen from a production increase in the U.S. On Soybeans Angie: USDA increased yield expectations by 0.3 bushels per acre. Everything

else was basically unchanged. There was a 1 million bushel reduction in residuals. Soybean ending stocks of 245 million bushels. It was probably more bearish for soybeans than neutral just because the USDA did increase production slightly and did not do anything when it came to adjusting demand. So, the carryout increased to 245 million bushels versus the 222 million the trade expected. Production came in higher than expected. It put carryout back into what I’m not going to say comfortable at 245 million bushels, especially if we see a continuation of weather issues in South America and strong business. Karl: The big one is USDA has the Brazilian soybean crop at 163 million metric tons and 162.5 million was the estimate. The 163 million metric tons is unchanged from last month. On Market Reaction Angie: In looking at trade reaction, we’re down slightly and I wouldn’t really say much in the way of big surprises today. Karl: Nothing jumps out, really. I guess if there’s anything I would look at is historically we traded up on soybeans entering this report. We had quite a bit of buying leading in. To see us reverse that direction coming out of the report is not that uncommon at all. The bottom line is I don’t think we got the bullish data in the report and neutral is obviously negative. Angie: We’re going to test the downside. The December support right now is at $4.68 on corn. We traded down to $4.66 1/2. Do you think we’ve really got to see that $4.68 hold? Karl: Yes, I want to see that hold. Obviously, we’re dipping down to it, but we’re in this sideways pattern between that

Bollinger Band and that nine-day moving average, and that’s starting to trend down. There’s just not a lot of technicals on our side on that December corn contract either. We’ve been trying to build January soybeans, but it got probably a little overextended to the upside, and obviously today we’re drifting lower. Our next real line of support there will come at that 100-day moving average at $13.44. Angie: We are seeing the corn market work its way back soon after the report was released to only down a nickel now. I think you’re going to see the range really do the heavy lifting. I keep saying the phrase “violently range bound.” The one thing I think we’re kind of forgetting about or not taking into consideration ... is the business that we’re seeing get done now, especially with China, is business that we absolutely had to see. We were so far behind the soybean export pace needed and we will probably work our way back. I was in the camp that you could see some continued cuts to export outlooks for the U.S. I’m not necessarily thinking that now with the (year-over-year) reduction in soybean production, but we’ve got to see what happens over the next couple three weeks and as we work our way into December. The December weather will be what really, really matters. Brazil weather is going to have more of an influence on trade direction and cash market flow, and all of those things weigh more than a lot of other things at this point. The December report won’t matter. We typically get zero changes in that and I don’t think we’ll see that be very different. The January report is going to be the next big one. That will be quarterly stocks, final production numbers, all kinds of stuff. So, that leaves us with two months of just kind of basically trading whatever happens in the cash market and whatever trader sentiment money flow and outside markets tell us from a direction standpoint we should head. Karl: It wasn’t so much that the report was bearish. It just wasn’t as friendly as the trade was expecting. — Tom C. Doran AG Mag 15

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