Planting with Perfection 

By Denny Eilers

A Thompson sub-machine gun fires 18 bullets a second. That's the same speed most corn growers sock kernels into the ground every spring. Today's planters...

Ethanol Bushels Working Double Time 

By Dave Howe

Not all of the grain processed for fuel ethanol is lost from the livestock feed chain. Some of it goes back to work as livestock feed. For every bushel...

Beans Battle Back 

By John Russnogle

The tug-of-war for acres between corn and soybeans appears to be shifting back to beans in 2008. The price premium corn enjoyed in 2007 has diminished...

More Corn In '08 

By Greg Lamp

Even with higher input costs, Ron Smit from Hospers, IA, plans to grow more corn this year. In fact, he's been growing some continuous corn for almost...

Even It Up 

By Jen Bennett

Neal Bredehoeft's plans are 50-50 this year. That is, 50% of his 2,100 acres to corn and 50% to beans. Last year we planted a little more corn, including...

Market Mayhem for Wheat in 2008 

By John Russnogle

High prices and drought two years out of the last three has Dick Wittman, Culdesac, ID, farmer and ag consultant, looking hard at marketing to protect...

Sky's the Limit 

By Larry Stalcup

From better weed resistance, bug defenses and stronger disease control to traits for heart-healthy oil, biofuels and yields out the wazoo, future soybean...

Be Good to Biomass 

By Jen Bennett

Biomass. Corn stover. Residue. Fodder. There are lots of names for matter that's critical to soil, and it's now becoming critical to biofuels. The majority...

Second Place Marketmaxx Winners Talk Shop 

By Larry Stalcup

Chip Shriver was looking for help to teach his son about grain marketing. He found it with MarketMaxx 2007. And he earned a free complete computer system...

Early Soybeans:What are Your Options? 

By Ernest Clawson and Donald Boquet Louisiana State University Agcente

Reports of high yield potential and the advantages of an earlier harvest have created interest in planting soybeans early in Louisiana. Acreage devoted...

Best of Both Worlds 

By Larry Stalcup

New generation. The term conjures up thoughts of Gen Xers and an even younger Gen Y crowd, iPods, iPhones, hybrid cars and crossover SUVs. But new generation...

Stay the Course 

By Susan Winsor

We're not making any big changes this year, says Jim Klever, who farms 3,850 tillable acres in northern Illinois. In a typical year, we are 60-40 (favoring...

Evening up Emergence 

By Liz Morrison

When it comes to corn yields, conformity counts. Rapid, uniform germination and emergence of corn help set the stage for maximum grain yield, says Purdue...

Cotton Gin and Another Plane Crash 

By Tyler Bruch

The planting season finished up for us around Dec. 28. This was 15-20 days later than what our planting objective was this year, but we had a late start...

New Secretary of Agriculture 

Complied By Greg Lamp

Ed Schafer was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of USDA on Jan. 28. He served as North Dakota's governor from 1992 to 2000. As governor, Schafer managed...

No Early out for CRP 

Compiled by Greg Lamp

Don't expect any early-out for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres this year. USDA says it's too late to allow penalty-free early withdrawals in...

Are you a 10? 

By Dave Kohl

Well, I have not gone retro on you having images of Bo Derek who was considered a perfect 10 in the movies. This article is about making yourself marketable...

New Ethanol Crop Insurance 

Compiled By Greg Lamp

John Deere Risk Protection (JDRP) is now offering the industry's first-ever ethanol policy. It provides coverage to corn growers who have delivery contracts...

How to Work With Operating Leverage 

By Moe Russell

Last month I wrote about the pros and cons of financial leverage. This had to do with the ratio of assets to liabilities and what the impact of gains...

2008 Corn Weed Control Guide 

Know Your Grasses and Know your Broadleaf Enemies...

Bigger Triggers 

By Larry Stalcup

Traditional seasonal marketing trends have long been trusted guides for writing an effective marketing plan. But in this age of high volatility caused...

Grain Hang-outs 

By Larry Stalcup

As corn and soybean prices continue their flight upward, a Missouri grower has landed an old aircraft hanger that's helped him clip the wings of forced...

2008 MarketMaxx Rules 

Penton Business Media, Inc., d/b/a The Corn And Soybean Digest (collectively, ), are offering the MarketMaxx Grain Marketing online contest (). No purchase...

Our Fellowship 

By Larry Stalcup

It's been a farmer tradition ever since the first barn needed raising or the first cardiac arrest left a family and crop with no one to harvest it. Neighbors...

New Way Of Business For Extension Service 

Compiled By Jen Bennett

A new Web site and interactive learning promises a new way of doing business for the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service. Cotton eXtension initiative,...