Pivotal Issues Blog

By Shawn Williamson Most of us don’t spend a whole lot of time working on farmer-landlord relationships. Yet, when times are tight, these relationships can become strained. Why? Because of the difficulty, or even inability, to pay rent. Farmers don’t want to have the uncomfortable chat to negotiate rent downward, and landlords don’t want it to move […]

By Gil Gullickson In recent years, farmers who have waded into their cornfields on Independence Day have often encountered waist- or shoulder-high corn. This year? Not so much. “It’s been a long time since we used the term ‘knee-high by the Fourth of July,’” says Tom Hoverstad, a scientist at the University of Minnesota’s (U […]

By: Mitch Kezar Chad Schooley keeps an eye on the past, but his rough farmer’s hands work in the present. His boots tread ground plowed by his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. With a mind on the future, he walks the acres of his Cabin Still Cattle Company in the rolling hills of Hamlin County, South Dakota, […]

By: Jodi Henke Young corn plants that emerge yellow and wilted or even die may be victims of diseases in the soil. There are many different types of fungal and fungal-like pathogens that can affect corn seedlings. Three of the most common are Pythium root rot, Rhizoctonia root rot, and Fusarium root rot. Tamra Jackson-Ziems is […]

By: Successful Farming When you hear the word “micro,” what comes to mind? Do you immediately think “inconsequential,” “insignificant” or “nonessential?” If so, you may assume that micronutrients are an optional component of your plant nutrition program. But that’s not the case. Micronutrients are needed in smaller quantities compared to macronutrients, but their importance on […]

By: Terri Queck-Matzie Cover crops are plants planted on cropland in the off-season to help protect the soil from erosion. In addition, they improve soil and water quality, and in some cases, provide grazing for livestock. They can provide weed control, reducing the need for chemical inputs, and improve wildlife habitat. Cover crops are becoming more […]

By: Tharran Gaines If you were to mention The Nature Conservancy to a gathering of farmers, you’d probably find a few who envision the nonprofit as an environmental group that would prefer to see cornfields turned into wetlands and wildlife habitat. While that has been the case in a few critical locations, The Nature Conservancy, in […]

By: Sonja Begemann Many farmers are chomping at the bit as rain and flooding keeps them out of fields. If you’re one of many waiting to get out with a planter, there are a few ways you can get yourself as ready as possible in the shop. Farm Journal columnist Dan Anderson says you shouldn’t let […]

By: Megan Vollstedt If you noticed what looks like spots of tar on your corn leaves last year, you weren’t alone. Known as tar spot, the fungus has continued to infiltrate the Midwest since it was first identified in the U.S. in 2015. As wet, moderate weather persists this spring, farmers should be on the lookout […]

By: Kylene Scott Kansas is the nation’s top sorghum producing state. And sorghum farmers in Kansas and across the Sorghum Belt are starting to get a leg up. The farmer leaders of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, Kansas State University and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program worked together to form the Collaborative Sorghum Investment Program, or […]