By now, many of the readers of this blog have had time to read and digest the numbers in last Friday’s USDA Hogs and Pigs report. In addition, many of you have seen my interpretation of the report which keyed … Continue reading
I’ve written earlier blogs on the cost of propane this winter and the estimated impact on production costs, especially for contract growers with fixed payment contracts. This weekend I had a question from a veterinarian and finishing manager for a … Continue reading
As agriculture continues to evolve in the Midwest, the impact of this evolution on rural communities is increasingly becoming fodder for community discussion. At the core of the discussion is the often unspoken concern that rural communities are dying because … Continue reading
While it is 9 days until the official end of summer, many producers and contract growers are already planning for winter management of production facilities. This planning includes contracting of propane supplies. At recent meetings, I’ve had producers quote $1.71/gal … Continue reading
Last week I sat in on a webcast from Iowa State University on the upcoming implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Hosted by Dr John Lawrence, extension ag economist and Dr Jim McKean, extension swine veterinarian, the webcast dealt … Continue reading
The threat of a trade dispute with Mexico and the Russian announcement of a possible major reduction of imports of pork and poultry were reminders this week of the impact of world trade on US pork prices. At the current … Continue reading
Every year those of us involved in pork production hear tales of pig deaths associated with manure pit agitation and manure removal from confinement facilities. These deaths range from a ‘few’ pigs in a corner of a curtain-sided wean-finish facility … Continue reading
Later this week, Canadian government bean counters will release their July 1 inventory numbers. Everyone expectation is a continuation of the decline in sow numbers and on-farm grow-finish inventory. That leads to the over riding question that I have … Continue reading
This past week I spent several days working with a production system doing grower meetings. One of the topics of discussion was emergency plans for wean-finish facilities and insurance coverage of these facilities. My presentation included a section on … Continue reading
In another 6-8 weeks, many of the readers of this blog will be thinking about issues associated with the pumping of manure pits. In southern Minnesota, many custom applicators will begin applying manure for some clients in the next few … Continue reading