The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry failed to advance a farm bill on Thursday after Democrats rejected the Republican proposal in a 10-11 vote, leaving the legislation without a clear path forward.
The committee did approve several amendments, including provisions to permanently move the Food for Peace program to USDA and allow hot rotisserie chicken purchases through SNAP, but the hangup among committee members was over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Democrats insisted on a two-year delay before states begin sharing SNAP benefit costs, while Republicans offered a one-year delay.
“We’re holding hostage the people that we’re charged to help,” said Committee Chairman John Boozman. “Again, this is not about SNAP recipients, this is about the states, with very, very high error rates. We’re holding hostage our farm community. When you take livestock out of it, this is one of the poorest industries right now in America.… Continue reading
Congratulations to the Genter siblings of Fulton County for winning Grand and Reserve at the 2026 Ohio State Fair. Ali Genter exhibited the Grand Champion Pen of Market Chickens and Alec Genter exhibited the Reserve Grand Champions. Watch their interviews here.
By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Checkoff
Next week at this time, we will have a much better picture of what crop conditions and yield expectations are across the Buckeye state as the 2026 Ohio Crop Tour sponsored by Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Checkoff, will be in the history books.
Looking back, every year has been different. In 2025, the biggest story on the crop tour was the lack of any specific story. There were no showstopping headlines to be found. Despite a very wet start, the Ohio soybean and corn crops looked good in 2025. Considering the variety of planting dates, major rain events versus dry weather concerns in certain locations, replant situations, and heat, the participants on the 2025 Ohio Crop Tour were impressed with the overall quality of the crops and yield potential they observed.… Continue reading
Wow, can you believe it is August? If you are like me, you are probably wondering where your summer went! I swear I just flipped the calendar to June only a few days ago.
This was the first summer in some time that I did not have a “big” trip planned. No overpacked suitcases or waking up at 3 a.m. to catch a flight for me. However, I did try to make the most of my time here at home.
I spent a lot of time with my family this summer, including grandparents I don’t see as often as I should. I spent a few days babysitting my toddler nephew, who keeps growing so quickly despite our pleas for him to stay little forever. He is getting more fun by the day. I also watched my older nephew and niece play ball and twirl. We had cookouts and celebrated birthdays and anniversaries.… Continue reading
By Mike Zuzolo, Global Commodity Analytics & Consulting LLC
As I write this month’s post, the commodity trade has correctly refocused its attention on supply-related disruptions for WTI crude and wheat, thanks to geopolitical hostilities in the Middle East and Baltic regions that are directly impacting both commodities.
USDA’s July WASDE report tightened U.S. wheat production to a generational low and reduced 2026-27 U.S. corn carryover to below 1.9 billion bushels.
Supply concerns are not limited to the United States. France is experiencing a weather-related corn crop situation similar to what U.S. farmers faced in 2012, pushing French corn futures toward $7 per bushel as of this writing.
While I have been more price-negative on the soybean complex, the relationship between soy oil and renewable diesel continues to provide price support. USDA also increased its forecast for 2026-27 soybean exports by 30 million bushels.
It is becoming clearer to the trade that (1) supplies are falling and (2) demand has not been rationed.… Continue reading
“I like to farm differently, I suppose,” Shane Meyer said with a smile. That mindset has guided many of the decisions the fifth-generation Henry County farmer has made throughout his career.
Meyer has been farming his own land since 2005. He was an early adopter of strip tilling and even helped establish the RTK network in Northwest Ohio. Meyer owns a trucking business and a custom strip-tilling business, in addition to farming. More recently, he has added another layer to his operation: organic crop production.
Today, roughly 120 acres of Meyer’s 550-acre operation are certified organic, with another 40 acres in transition. The remainder of the farm continues to be managed conventionally using many of the strip-till and conservation practices Meyer adopted years ago.
Managing both systems side by side requires careful planning and attention to detail, especially in the fall during harvest and in the spring during planting.… Continue reading
As soybeans move through pod fill, scouting for mid-season diseases allows growers to evaluate variety performance and make future management decisions. Key diseases to be on the watch for include sudden death syndrome (SDS), Sclerotinia white mold, Phytophthora root and stem rot, frogeye leaf spot, and a new concern for Ohio soybean growers, red crown rot.
SDS is caused by a soilborne fungus that infects soybean roots early in the season. However, foliar symptoms typically do not become noticeable until flowering and pod fill. Leaves develop yellow spots between veins that expand into brown, interveinal necrosis while the veins remain green. In severe cases, leaf tissue drops away, leaving petioles attached to the stem. Fields with a history of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) often experience greater SDS severity. Fortunately, growers can take advantage of continued support from the Ohio Soybean Council and submit up to two soil samples to the OSU Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab for free SCN testing.… Continue reading
As Ohio corn continues through the heart of the growing season, many farmers are closely watching fields for signs of nutrient deficiencies and overall plant health. While soil testing remains the foundation of a sound fertility program, tissue sampling is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for evaluating how well a crop is using available nutrients during the season.
“This is not something that replaces soil sampling because that is going to give you a broader picture of what’s going on,” said Ciera Richardson, account relationship manager with Keystone Cooperative. “The tissue sampling project gives you a picture of what is going on in your plant at the time the samples are taken.”
Laboratory analysis measures both macro- and micronutrients within the plant, helping identify deficiencies that may not be obvious through visual scouting alone. The information can also help determine whether in-season plant health or fertility applications may be beneficial.… Continue reading
By Afsoon Sabet, Risa Pesapane, Greg Habing, The Ohio State University
In June 2026, New World screwworm (NWS) was detected in Texas. At the time of writing, there have been more than 30 reported cases of NWS in livestock and pets across Texas and New Mexico. NWS is a parasitic fly that affects warm-blooded animals when the larvae (maggots) burrow into tissue and feed on living flesh, causing large and painful wounds. While animals may become infested with NWS, full recovery with proper treatment is possible. Once animals have recovered, they can reenter the production cycle and their products are safe for consumption. Although NWS is a threat to livestock health and security, it does not impact food safety.
It may seem frightening, but NWS was historically found across the Americas. It was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s. Through international collaborative efforts between the United States and Central American countries, NWS was progressively pushed further south until the 1990s, when the Darien Gap in Panama was established as the barrier between NWS-free and NWS-infested regions.… Continue reading
Farm Credit Mid-America is expanding its support of Ohio youth by becoming the exclusive sponsor of the junior livestock grand drives at the 2026 Ohio State Fair, reinforcing its commitment to the next generation of agricultural leaders.
With grand drive competitions serving as the showcase event for Ohio’s top junior livestock exhibitors, Bob Siegel, regional vice president of ag lending for Farm Credit Mid-America, said the sponsorship aligns with the organization’s mission of investing in rural communities and agriculture.
“As we think about the state fair, for many of our customers, our team members and their families, there are deep connections back to the Ohio State Fair, and we’re truly honored to continue our support,” Siegel said.
The grand drives may be the final moments of a livestock show, but the work leading up to them takes months. Siegel said those experiences help shape young people long after the fair ends.… Continue reading
By Dusty Sonnenberg, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Checkoff
The story goes that when Perry Ralph switched from horses to a tractor to farm, he tied lanterns to the front so he could see as it got dark and could farm later into the evening. From lanterns on a tractor to GPS guidance and a grain facility monitored with a cell phone, Ralph Farms has grown and changed with the times, including making time to serve the larger agricultural industry.
In Episode 77, Dusty visits with Mike Ralph, a third-generation family farmer in Marion County who understands the value of a multi-generational family operation and the importance of serving. They talk about the family farm and the example set by the previous generation, as well as the important work being done by the Ohio Soybean Council to build soybean demand using check-off dollars.
By Brian Ravencraft,CPA, CGMA, Principal, Holbrook & Manter
It’s never too early to discuss what federal income tax planning ideas may help a farmer minimize their tax burden, and what current-year review items could produce tax savings at filing time,
Relevant law
Since most farmers are cash basis taxpayers, they often have meaningful tax-planning opportunities through the timing of deductions and income, depreciation elections, and farm-specific methods and elections. Key provisions commonly implicated include:
Section 179 expensing. A taxpayer may elect to expense the cost of qualifying section 179 property placed in service during the year, subject to annual dollar limits and a taxable income limitation. Disallowed amounts may generally be carried forward.
Section 168(k) bonus depreciation. Qualified property may be eligible for bonus depreciation. For property acquired after Jan. 19, 2025, 100% bonus depreciation is generally restored permanently for qualified property, including most MACRS property with a recovery period of 20 years or less.
Few people have experienced agriculture from as many perspectives as Jim Mosley. A farmer by trade, Mosley’s career also took him to some of the highest levels of public service, giving him a unique view of how agriculture has changed over the last several decades. Still, for Mosley, the answer starts and ends with farming.
“First and foremost, I’m a farmer,” Mosley said. “I’ve had experience at the ground level, and then I’ve had three positions in D.C.”
Throughout his career, Mosley served as agricultural adviser to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment at USDA from 1989 to 1992 and later returned to Washington as USDA deputy secretary in 2001. In between his federal service, he returned home and remained closely connected to production agriculture.
Those experiences allowed him to see agriculture through multiple lenses, from the concerns facing farmers in the field to the policy discussions shaping the industry’s future.… Continue reading
By Karen Mancl and Zhiyuan Zhou, Ohio State University
While studying the ingredient labels on foods as I planned for guests coming to summer cookouts and tailgates, I noticed that all the buns, crackers, and pasta contain folate or folic acid. In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required wheat and rice products to be fortified with folate, a B vitamin, to prevent birth defects. Medical research confirmed in the 1980s that a folic acid deficiency during pregnancy could result in Spina bifida, a Neural Tube Disorder (NTD) where the spine does not fully close. The fortification of bread, cereal, pasta, and rice has resulted in a 28% drop in Spina bifida cases in the United States.
However, the federal requirement did not extend to corn-based products such as corn flour and masa used to make tortillas. In Latin American households where corn is a staple food, studies show the incidence of this birth defect is double that for white and black women.… Continue reading
Ohio farmers made the most of 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Aug. 2, as favorable crop progress continued across much of the state. Corn and soybean development remained ahead of both last week and five-year averages, while crop condition ratings held steady with a majority of acres reported in good to excellent condition.
Corn silking has reached 90%, ahead of last week’s 63%, and well ahead of the 83% five-year average. Corn reaching the dough stage is at 37%, above the 30% average. Ohio corn condition was rated 61% good to excellent, with 49% good and 12% excellent.
Soybean blooming reached 87%, ahead of 70% last week and the 84% average. Soybean pod setting has reached 58%, ahead of last week’s 33% and above the 52% five-year average. Ohio soybean condition was rated 59% good to excellent, with 50% good and 9% excellent.
Winter wheat is 100% harvested, which is right on track with the five-year average.… Continue reading
One of the longest running traditions of the Ohio State Fair is the Commercial Cattle Show, hosted by United Producers and proudly sponsored by Ohio Ag Net and Ohio’s Country Journal. This gives an opportunity for youth to show off their animals that come straight from the farm and have them judged in the ring and on the rail.
Courage, confidence, and compassion took center stage at the Ohio State Fair as 13 young people with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities experienced the pride of exhibiting livestock during the Ohio Pork Council’s annual Breaking Boundaries Pig Show held July 29.
Each participant entered the show ring alongside an experienced youth exhibitor from the Ohio Pork Council’s OH-PIGS program. Serving as mentors, the youth shared their pigs, livestock knowledge, and encouragement while helping participants learn how to guide and present an animal before a crowd.
Rather than leading the experience, mentors adapted to each participant’s needs, providing support while allowing exhibitors to take the lead in the ring.
“Every participant who stepped into that ring showed tremendous courage,” said Kelly Morgan, OH-PIGS director. “Our mentors understood their job was not to take over. It was to stand beside each participant, listen, adapt, and give them the confidence to show the pig for themselves.… Continue reading
What started as a simple challenge to grow sunflowers has blossomed into one of Ohio’s most unique agritourism destinations. This summer, Schoolhouse Farms, located north of Celina, is taking that vision to an entirely new level with what owner Vaughn Davis believes is the world’s largest cartographically accurate sunflower map of the United States, created to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The 80-acre display will serve as the centerpiece of the farm’s annual Farms in Bloom Festival, combining agriculture, technology and patriotism into a one-of-a-kind experience.
For Davis, farming has always been part of his story.
“I was born right around here,” Davis said. “My dad, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather all farmed. I grew up doing that on the weekends.”
Although he earned a chemical engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and spent years traveling the world, Davis eventually found himself drawn back home.
A friend’s request to grow sunflowers for birds launched what has become Schoolhouse Farms.… Continue reading
With the expansion of Airable Labs to Shawnee State University, the Ohio Soybean Council will have even greater opportunities to find new used for soybeans grown right here in Ohio. On this Ohio Ag Net Podcast, learn more about the research being done by Barry McGraw and his team to add value to soybean farmers’ bottom line.
Plus, what is the current state of the farmland auction market in Ohio and how is that changing who is showing up at land auctions these days? Kevin Miller with Oak Ridge Realty and Auction Company shares his insights on this Ohio Ag Net Podcast, powered by Ohio Corn and Wheat.
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