Young Professional Farmers

What sets these soybean growers apart from other young professionals?  (1) They aren’t looking to change employers several times in their career, (2) they are already taking charge of many, if not all, business decisions, and (3) they are well-trained and deeply knowledgeable from the start, even when they weren’t sure that farming would be…

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Yogurt Maker Promises Only Non-GMO

A Piedmont area farmer mentioned today that Dannon, a yogurt maker and a downstream customer for products produced from feed grains, will begin transitioning to milk from cows fed only non-GMO grains.  Since many dairy cows are fed GMO grains, Dannon will have to find currently non-existent sources, or depend on a very tight supply…

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What To Do Now To Prepare for Next Year

Though harvest is nearing completion and we are headed into farming’s “off-season,” there are many things that can be done to prepare for a successful crop in 2018. These include taking soil samples, updating nutrient-management plans, looking for ways to minimize soil loss, repairing equipment, evaluating field drainage, recording pest issues and taking steps to…

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What One Soy Customer Looks for in Sustainability

It is important to many companies who buy and use soy in their products that the soy be sustainable. These companies have sustainability goals because their customers demand it, so in turn they seek to buy soy and other products that are sustainably produced. CLICK HERE to read an interview with Rachel Grantham, an agronomist…

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What Is Your Yield Monitor Telling You

With harvest in full swing, farmers are spending lots of time in their combines with their eyes on their yield monitor. The NCSPA and USB invest checkoff funding in research each year to help farmers protect and improve yield. One example of this is USB’s high yield project, which has identified yield-limiting factors and management…

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What Government Policy Impacts Farms the Most?

Farmers are extremely attentive to governmental policy, especially the regulations generated by the Environmental Protection Agency, but also tax policy, trade policy, and conservation policy. Immigration policy has recently moved to the forefront of farmers’ minds due to necessity of finding labor and the rising costs to farmers of the current farm worker visa program.…

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