Pam Smith

1 week ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Farmers Talk Rain, Farm Footwear and Why Shorts are Cool 6/1/2025 | 4:56 AM CDT By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Ethan Zoerb isn't overly superstitious, but finding a mushroom in his corn field this week was cause for pause. "I've heard the old saying that finding three mushrooms in a row is a forecast of rain. I only found one, so maybe that's not going to be enough to keep this coming.

1 week ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Periodical Cicadas Emerging in Eastern States 5/30/2025 | 3:33 PM CDT By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor A year ago, I put out the welcome mat for periodical cicadas to hang out in my yard. They emerged from the soil in biblical numbers and climbed into nearby trees and shrubs. From the first early birds to the last slowpoke, their time on earth spanned about a month. They were loud and not at all discreet about their love affairs.

2 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Wild Weather Story for Alabama and Nebraska Farmers 5/25/2025 | 5:01 AM CDT By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- No disrespect intended, but the discovery that an extreme meteorologist is storm chasing near your cornfield isn't exactly welcome news. But that's exactly what Stuart Sanderson had this week outside of Madison, Alabama. "Not only did we have a tornado, but it slammed into the storm chaser's car.

3 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Nebraska and Alabama Farmers Battle Weather Woes 5/18/2025 | 7:22 AM CDT By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- The promise of rain turned empty for Ethan Zoerb this week. He's no stranger to drought in central Nebraska. But it is far too early in the season to have the word seeping into every conversation.

3 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Critical V6 Corn Growth Stage: When to Scout for Maximum Yield Potential 5/16/2025 | 11:33 AM CDT By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor Warm temperatures tend to push corn off the starting line faster than a turbocharged race car. Going from zero to 60 isn't exactly a bad thing in the crop, but it increases the need to mitigate risk with timely management during critical growth stages.