THOUGHT PIECES

On an early August morning in California’s Imperial Valley, tractors rumble across verdant fields of alfalfa, mowing down the tall plant and leaving it to dry in shaggy heaps under the hot sun. Here, in one of the oldest farming communities in the Colorado River basin, the forage crop is king. One out of every… Read More »It’s the thirstiest crop in the US south-west. Will the drought put alfalfa farmers out of business?

Farmers will need to feed an estimated 9.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, and to help in that effort, Oregon State University researchers are trying to expand the use of robots in agriculture. Joe Davidson, Assistant Professor of Robotics, said nearly all fruit is harvested by humans because robots don’t operate efficiently in unstructured environments.… Read More »OSU LOOKING TO EXPAND ROBOTICS IN FARMIN

According to Farmer Mac’s The Feed Fall Edition, USDA shows overall farm real estate values in the U.S. are up 7% compared with 2021. Jackson Takach, Farmer Mac economist, says when you adjust for inflation, farmland returns are still on solid footing and viewed as a safe investment. “Farmers all the way to institutional investors… Read More »Farmland Values Rising Faster in Western Corn Belt Vs. the East, Will It Continue?