Brent Murphree

1 week ago | farmprogress.com | Brent Murphree

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is much more than a guide for old folks. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting a wetter and warmer spring than normal for the Midsouth. I rarely consult The Old Farmer’s Almanac, but on April 2, as the storms were approaching from the west, I Googled the long-range forecast. Three of the 10 results were credited to the almanac – more than the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Brent Murphree

I was at one of my regular lunch places the other day and my dining partner, who is not from these parts, asked what kind of greens they were serving – on the menu it just said, greens. The waitress asked if he was from here. He said, “No.” She said, “I didn’t think so.”The waitress, after glancing over at me with a knowing look turned back to him and said, “They’re turnip greens. Have you had them before?”When he said no, she said, “Then you won’t like them,” again, glancing at me.

4 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Brent Murphree

The editors at Farm Progress, which includes Delta Farm Press, have been asked to query our farmers to find out what the top three concerns are for the upcoming season. Aside from weather and market conditions, there is a lot on farmers’ minds this year, from crop loans to input prices and from the farm bill to farm liquidation. In January, I was at the Beltwide Cotton Conference. The Crop Consultants Conference was supposed to include a session with experts from ag lending institutions.

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Brent Murphree

A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to clean out some of my books – the ones I haven’t read in five years and the ones that disappointed me. I have a hard time getting rid of books. I hold on to the possibility that I will find some jewel in the pages I have read or plan to read or struggle to read. The jewels are few and far between. Earlier this year one of my nieces mentioned that she had read a book about a musician we both liked.

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Brent Murphree

If you’ve been around for any time at all, you’ve seen things flash through the ag industry that leave behind a monetary vacuum, sour feelings and maybe a cotton trailer or two filled with kenaf (a flash in the pan novelty that flamed out just about as soon as it burst on the scene).