Benjamin Herrold

Columbia, Missouri

Missouri Field Editor at Ag Update

Writer, Missourian, Christian. Big fan of mountains and college football.

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Articles

For farms across Midwest, good help is getting harder to find

1 week ago | pantagraph.com | Benjamin Herrold

There are only so many hours in a day and plenty of work to be done on a farm. Meeting those labor needs has been a challenge for farming operations as the farm workforce ages and fewer people experience a direct connection to agriculture. The industry finds itself in competition with others in a tight labor market, said Ryan Milhollin, agribusiness professor at the University of Missouri Extension. “The ag workforce, the labor available is aging,” he said. “It’s pushing on farms hard.
Illinois farmers expected to plant more corn, fewer soybeans

1 week ago | qctimes.com | Benjamin Herrold

Illinois farmers are expected to plant more corn and fewer soybeans this year, part of national trends reflected in a recent federal report. Agriculture economists say that a slightly more optimistic economic outlook for corn and a large stock of soybeans likely contributed to results of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's most recent Prospective Plantings report.
Illinois farmers expected to plant more corn, fewer soybeans

1 week ago | pantagraph.com | Benjamin Herrold

Illinois farmers are expected to plant more corn and fewer soybeans this year, part of national trends reflected in a recent federal report. Agriculture economists say that a slightly more optimistic economic outlook for corn and a large stock of soybeans likely contributed to results of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's most recent Prospective Plantings report.
ECAP comes as ag challenges increase

1 week ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

Farmers are applying for and receiving payments as part of the USDA’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP). The program provides $10 billion — part of the American Relief Act, passed in late December — to help producers navigate economic challenges. The signup period runs through Aug. 15. The FSA is sending pre-filled applications to farmers who submitted acreage reports to the agency in 2024 to help expedite the process.
Field priorities come through in soil tests

1 week ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

Soil testing can help farmers know what their fields and pastures need, as well as helping them be as efficient as possible with their land and inputs. Rasel Parvej is a University of Missouri Extension specialist and he serves as director of the MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory, as well as MU’s Soil Health Assessment Center. “Without soil testing, what’s going to happen? You over-fertilize or you under-fertilize,” Parvej says. “Both are bad for your profitability.
Prospective Plantings reflect soybean supply

1 week ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

Ag economists say a slightly more optimistic economic outlook for corn and large soybean stocks currently contributed to a rise in corn acreage in the March 31 Prospective Plantings report. The USDA estimated corn planted area for this year at 95.3 million acres, up 5%, or 4.73 million acres, from last year. The report estimated soybean area this year will be 83.5 million acres, down 4%.
Cattle markets drop, but overall trend up

2 weeks ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

Live cattle futures fell to end the first week of April, although the move comes after a month of gains in the cattle market. University of Tennessee ag economist Andrew Griffith says several factors are at play. “It would appear as if live cattle futures have completely fallen apart the last half of the week, and that would be a quick and accurate observation,” he says.
Dryness concerns rise as grazing nears

2 weeks ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

As farmers get ready to head into grazing time, they are hopeful for spring showers to help boost forage growth. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map, many parts of the Midwest are facing drought conditions or are listed as abnormally dry. University of Missouri Extension Livestock Specialist Gene Schmitz, based in Pettis County, says a recent rain was nice, and he is hopeful for more. “We got about an inch in the area Saturday night and Sunday (March 22-23), which really helps,” he says.
Getting more involved in industry groups pushes Missouri farmer

3 weeks ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

Buchanan County, Missouri, farmer Rider Jackson developed his interest in farming at a young age, growing up on a farm and working on it with his dad and uncle. “Farming’s always been a big part of my life growing up,” he says. He farms with his dad, Fred, growing primarily corn and soybeans, but also some wheat and putting up some hay. Jackson, 25, attended Northwest Missouri State University, studying agriculture, and he knew farming was what he wanted to do.
Ag industry navigates immigration policies

3 weeks ago | agupdate.com | Benjamin Herrold

With a tight domestic labor supply, many farmers turn to immigrant labor to help meet needs. One option that is growing in popularity is the H-2A visa program, which allows foreign workers to come work on farms for a set period of time. Groups are advocating to expand that program to help meet more labor needs. American Farm Bureau Economist Samantha Ayoub says the H-2A visa program has helped agriculture address some workforce shortages.