July 21, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, valley. This is aglife. My name is Bob Quinn,
with you for the next hour talking about agricultural production
here in the valley all across the country. Well, friends,
what are some of the indicators that plants in your
vegetable and fruit garden are experiencing stress from extreme heat?
Rod Bain has our opening report today extreme heat.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
If you picture the old adage about being it so
hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, backyard
gardeners can only imagine what significant heat of humidity is
doing to their vegetable and fruit gardens. North Carolina State
University Extension expert Midna datre says, basically, it periods a
prologue extreme heat and drought.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
It really disrupts the normal growth and the normal functioning
of that system or series of systems to get to
the plant to growth. Most plants really like it, especially
vegetables between about sixty eight degrees and about eighty six degrees.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
So what to watch out for heat stress? Why with
veggie and fruit plants. Daughtrie says, It's not as simple
as one would think because.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Everyone often thinks, oh my goodness, this is a disease.
Now there's a lot of abionics non disese related sefts
that can look similar.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
The key impact on heat stress on guarded produce plants
all plants.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
Actually, it really.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Messes with photosynthesis. The plant really prioritize respiration to get
that burning up the energy reserves to live over producing
energy through farming sunlight the photosynthesis.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Part resulting the closing of the plant's breeding apparatus on
its underside to conserve water, also reducing needing carbon dioxide
for photosynthesis.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
You're gonna see that the growth isn't like what you're
used to seeing, going to be inhibited, and your yields
are going to be stunted. You're gonna have stunted growth. So,
for example, if you're growing tomatoes or a lot of
your broad leaf plants, you're going to see the leaves
wilting or rolling or cupping because those plants are losing
water faster than they can absorb it. And that's where
you're going to see this drup or the curling upwards

(02:01):
for the cupping so that it minimizes how much sun
it's getting and reducing the moisture loss.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Further issues associated with prolonged heat stress in vegetable and
fruit plants include you're going to.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Get some leaf scorch.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
Sunburn intent sunlike can cause these leaves to dry out,
and then when that happens, you can see brown leaves,
yellow leaves, even bleached white patches sometimes on the leaves
or on the fruit. Because you got tail damage, you
have tissue damage. If you have fruit on there, your
flowers are going to abort because it's just too hot
to carry on major functions. You're going to have blossom
drop and fruit drop.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Added the case of cool seeds. At veggie plants like
lettuce and.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Spinach, you're going to see bolting because that plant, in
order to get through their life cycle, may prematurely flour.
The yield is going.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
To be reduced there, leading it cases to deform fruit,
reduce sweetness, add increased disease vulnerability.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
Add.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
While you might think the simple solution to combat plant
heat stress is just add water, Daughtry says when and
how to water plus other approaches is just as important.
More on that in a future program. I'm Rod Bain,
reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, d C.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Well, friends. While the Reconciliation Bill did take into account
farm programs and some farm funding. Some groups are saying
there's still need for a farm bill. We'll have a
story coming up on today's edition of Aglife. Bob Quit
here are some farm us this morning friends. Well. While
the One Big Beautiful Bill helped out US agriculture, farmers

(03:34):
and ranchers are still waiting on a new farm bill.
Chad Smith as our story.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
While Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill budget package included approximately
sixty six billion in investment in key farm programs, there
is still work to be done. Brian Glenn, director of
government affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said a
key focus was on improving risk management programs.

Speaker 6 (03:59):
About sixty billion of that investment was put towards modernizing
farm safety net programs. These modernizations include extending key commodity
support programs through the twenty thirty one crop year. The
bill also raises statutory reference prices for major covered commodities.
It expanded premium support for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Despite those wins, Glenn said there are still several critical
farm programs that need updating through a new farm bill.

Speaker 6 (04:27):
Some of those programs include reauthorization and funding for the
Conservation Reserve program, also support for reural broadband programs in
the Real Development Title, and support for additional research and
extension programs. And there's also opportunity to make important policy updates,
such as securing a fix to Proposition twelve.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
He said. Congress is working on the next steps in
the farm bill process right now.

Speaker 6 (04:51):
Chairman G. T. Thompson of the House Agriculture Committee is
drafting a farm bill that addresses those remaining Farm Bill programs.
They're doing that as we we speak. Both the House
and Senate Agriculture Committees are currently conducting hearings on important
policy priorities, and they're looking to move the bill this fall.

Speaker 4 (05:09):
Chad Smith, Washington.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
With all the challenges affecting agriculture, Congress has recently provided
at least some of the help farmers and ranchers have
been hoping for. Cam Quarrel's CEO of the National Potato
Council says, yes, they're still waiting for a new farm bill,
but the recently passed One Big, Beautiful Bill will help.

Speaker 7 (05:27):
In terms of this reconciliation bill, there were some really
significant enhancements for specialty crops that normally would be in
a farm bill, but the House and Senate ad committees
figured out a way to shoehorn those into this big
tax bill, this reconciliation bill.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
And that is relieving some of the pressure.

Speaker 7 (05:46):
With those farm bill programs combined with the mass programs,
the amount of support that the federal government has provided
here for the US family farms engaged in fruit investable
production has been tremendous.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Parts of the farm bill, Quarrels says, have been taken
care of.

Speaker 7 (06:06):
Parts of it were handled through this Reconciliation bill, other
parts of it. They are hoping to get to the
rest of the farm bill here over the fall time.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
But as in the past, Quarrel says, getting a finished
farm bill won't be easy. The moderates, Quarrel says, will
really need to step in and say enough.

Speaker 7 (06:25):
It's really the folks in the middle are the ones
who always deliver the farm bill. It's anybody's guests as
to where that bipartisanship is going to come from in
a very contentious Congress, But I think the leaders of
the AG committees are going to give it their best
shot here. When when we get back from the August recess.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
Cam Quarrel CEO National Potato Council, well friends of the
US ethanol industry has serious concerns about a trade imbalance
with Brazil. The US continues to import sugarcane ethanol from Brazil,
but the South American nation doesn't engage fairly in return.

Speaker 8 (06:58):
We've had concerns about that because Brazil has a tariff
on US ethanol US corn ethanol going to Brazil, and
we don't have the same tariff in the US, and
so certainly the Trump administration has been very engaged on
this fairness issue.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's not the only concern with Brazil's sugarcane ethanol.

Speaker 8 (07:17):
I think one of the other concerns we have is
that Brazilian sugarcane ethanol is able to get an advanced
biofuel rent where corn starch ethanol is not. And so
that's an issue that we've been working on as well.
But we're pleased to see that our trade representative and
others in the administration are starting to address this fairness
issue and hopefully, you know, we can return to parity

(07:40):
between the two markets.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
We have been hearing this morning from Chris Bliley of
Growth Energy Farm News. You're listening to aglife.

Speaker 9 (07:47):
It's another agnews update, foreign ownership of domestic farmland. More
after this, This.

Speaker 5 (07:57):
Is Shaquille O'Neill reminding you that anytime is a good
time for the cooling, trying freshman of gold bond, powd
of spread, after.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
The gymrabit elevator right, working with farm.

Speaker 5 (08:09):
Animals or hard day's work, Stay cool with gold bond, pot.

Speaker 10 (08:13):
Of spreads, Stay with gold bond.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Uh Huh.

Speaker 9 (08:16):
Arkansas Governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders on prohibiting foreign ownership of farmland.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
The last couple of months.

Speaker 11 (08:24):
We've passed new legislation just this year allowing us to
prohibit them from now not only owning farmland in our state,
but from building or buying land around our military bases
and critical infrastructure. It is something that has to happen
and something that states have been leading the way on,
but unfortunately our states can't do it alone.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
That's why events like today matter so much.

Speaker 11 (08:50):
That's why leadership from people like Secretary Rawlins matter so much.
The fact that we now have a president who understands
who are real enemies are and is willing to take
them on is making a huge difference, not just in
our country, but around the world. You know, we've talked
a lot about today a country's ability to feed itself,

(09:14):
but that's not the only place, and that's not the
only role agriculture place. A country has to be able
to feed itself, fuel itself, and fight for itself to
truly be free. And that's why what this group represents
is every component of that. And we now have a
president who understands it and is willing to do everything
within his power to make sure the United States continues

(09:38):
to be the greatest country on the face of the planet.

Speaker 9 (09:40):
It's another Agnews update.

Speaker 12 (09:44):
I'm Russ Kohler, a dairyman from Utah.

Speaker 10 (09:47):
Safety.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
Know your limits.

Speaker 12 (09:48):
Heat stroke is life threatening. Know the symptoms confusion, loss
of consciousness, seizures, high body temperature, hot dry skin, and
perfuse sweating. Reduce your risk during the heat of the
day by working earlier or later, allow time for water
and rest breaks by drinking two to four cups of
water each hour.

Speaker 13 (10:06):
This public service message is brought to you by Farm
Bureau and the US AGG Centers.

Speaker 9 (10:12):
American Cattle News reopening the southern border with Mexico for
live feeder cattle. Good or bad More after this.

Speaker 12 (10:23):
I'm Russ Kohler, a dairyman from Utah. Safety know your limits.
Heatstroke is life threatening. Know the symptoms confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures,
high body temperature, hot dry skin, and profuse sweating. Reduce
your risk during the heat of the day by working
earlier or later. Allow time for water and rest breaks
by drinking two to four cups of water each hour.

Speaker 13 (10:45):
This public service message is brought to you by Farm
Bureau and the US AGG Centers.

Speaker 9 (10:50):
The threat of New World screw worm has caused the
US to close the border with Mexico for feeder cattle
that's recently reopened. Justin Douglass, Arizona. Robbie Kirkland is a
family feeder from Vega, Texas.

Speaker 14 (11:09):
Those cattle are used by you know, farmers, backgrounders, uh
and then feed lots, so all different sectors of the
of the you know, of the market, of the of
the beach chain. So this cattle will come across and
then like I said, a lot of them will be fed,
you know, particularly in our region. I'm in the Texas

(11:30):
cattle feeder region Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico and then
probably some up into maybe southern part of Kansas. But uh,
you know, the majority of them would be fed in
in our region, and so those cattle would come in
a lot of them will get we'll be put on pasture,
could be gone wheat pasture, could be summer grass pasture,
and then like I said, would go on into the

(11:51):
to the to the feed lots sector. And and that's
kind of how they're used.

Speaker 9 (11:55):
And why is this important to continue.

Speaker 14 (11:58):
Take a million head roughly out of the supply for
you know, shutting off the ports in between Mexico and
the US. So that's put a really strain on the
numbers in the you know, in the feed lots, on
our grass, on our wheat pasture because of just you know,
just sheer numbers. So that's made a huge impact. And

(12:22):
so in our region we would say that there would
be around fifteen percent of the cattle on feed or
in our possession would be cattle historically from.

Speaker 9 (12:33):
Mexico American cattle mews.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
This is Dairy Radio Now, Helki Monday.

Speaker 15 (12:42):
Dave Krazowski, Stonehecks Dairy gripbroker in Chicago. Dave, we had
an interesting market situation last week as things continue to
watch in flux over the tariffs, and we did see
some downfall in cheese prices, the GDT was up. Give
us your read on things.

Speaker 16 (13:00):
Well, it looks like maybe there's a little bit of
firming to the powder markets globally. It's probably too early
to say that there's a big trend here to the upside,
but yeah, you saw GDT firming up here in July
and for Skimo powder specifically. US non fat market also
finding a little bit of a big here. I'm not
sure if there's you know, the tariffs are on again,
off again, and there's all these different things. It's so

(13:21):
much in flux, it's very difficult to get a good
read on whether or not anything will actually stick, and
so because of that, it's it's hard to get a
good read on whether or not there's a material impact
on the markets because of it. But I wouldn't be surprised,
you know, with the US and Mexico and this August
first tariff of thirty percent on goods that has not
yet been resolved, I wouldn't be surprised if there's some

(13:42):
maybe trying to you know, the front load ahead of
that by Mexican buyers of non fat. But here in
the US I mean overall and domestic disappearance has been
pretty good for for non fat as well. So there's
a market that's been quietly sideways and starting to move
a little higher. Butter cheese under some pressure largely while
supplied right now, good good milk flows out there at
the moment. But we've got a lot of year left

(14:05):
to go, and we've got a lot of good demand
I think to come as we as we head into
the fall and into the holidays.

Speaker 15 (14:10):
We are seeing increased cheese production as those new plants,
as upgraded plants are producing product. Will the exports keep
up with the extra cheese?

Speaker 16 (14:20):
Well, if we stay anywhere near dollars seventy or below,
I think exports will keep up. I mean the US
is still very much the cheapest origin of cheese specifically
on a global scale. So I absolutely think exports. You know,
they've been a big bright light for the market this
year so far. I think that will continue. The question
really is is is US demand? How is that doing?

(14:41):
It's been basically stable at best, and we do have
new plant capacity coming online. What we don't have is
a huge overhang of stocks on cheese. We haven't had
a chance to build those up so as we go
into the fall here, yeah, there could be pockets of
good US demand juxtaposed against good exports that could push
prices back into the one eighty nineties.

Speaker 15 (15:00):
Thank Dave, Dave Kurzenoski you Stoneacks Group broker in Chicago.

Speaker 17 (15:05):
Neil Armstrong waited six hours and thirty nine minutes to
step onto the surface of the moon.

Speaker 18 (15:10):
You can wait until your destination. Don't text and drive.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
Visit stop text stoprex dot org.

Speaker 18 (15:17):
A message brought to you by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, Project yellow Light and the AD Council.

Speaker 13 (15:23):
Another simple miracle moment with Hank and Laura.

Speaker 19 (15:27):
We have already talked about the power of vision and
attaching goals to that vision. A necessary final step to
have success is to develop a plan.

Speaker 20 (15:37):
Imagine what it would be like if you tried to
build the house with no plan. You may have an
idea of what you would like her alse to look like,
and even have some specific goals in mind, like the
number of bedrooms or bathrooms in it.

Speaker 19 (15:50):
No construction company will take on a project without a blueprint.
If the builder has no blueprint to follow when building
your house, you may be extremely disappointed with the result
of your home.

Speaker 20 (16:02):
Having a plan for your life is no different. If
we have a desired outcome in mind for our lives,
a plan can be a critical tool to ensure the
life vision is achieved. Once a plan is developed, all
we need to do is follow the plan.

Speaker 15 (16:16):
That's Tank Wagner and Laura Rod's, author of the book
Simple Miracles for More Go to Becomebetter Leaders dot com.

Speaker 1 (16:23):
This is Dairy Radio now.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
A new modernized uskea Midwestern food safety lab dedicated Normandy,
Missouri by dignitaries including Agriculture Secretary Brook Rawlins.

Speaker 21 (16:35):
You're at the FSIS, our Food Safety and Inspection Service
for USDA. These employees work three hundred and sixty five
days a year to ensure that our meat, our poultry,
and our eggs are safe and that we are protecting
American consumers from all food born.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
Illness Roundfield Agnews. With the dedication of ad audio, The
Secretary additionally announced a comprehensive meat and poultry food safety plan.
We have five components which the modernized Normandy facility plays
a role in opening.

Speaker 21 (17:05):
This modernized Midwestern lab expands the FSIS capacity to detect
food borne pathogens and chemical residues, strengthening our nationwide safety
monitoring to keep the food supply safe.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
I'm Rod Bain reporting for the US Department of Agriculture
in Washington, d C.

Speaker 22 (17:26):
One of the major pest in almonds and pistachios is
naval orange worm and a lot of that treatment is
mating disruption, keeping them from finding their mate and reducing
the numbers. I'm Patrick Kavanaugh with the California Tree Nut Report,
part of the vastag Information Network. David Havilin is a
longtime farm advisor in Kerrent County specializing in entomology.

Speaker 23 (17:47):
Yeah, as far as mating disruption goes for naval orangeworm,
there's four companies that are all using the same pheromone
and there's two main types of products that are effective.
One is aerosols, you know, the pheromones and almost like it,
braid deodorant can inside a cabinet that's hung in the orchard.

Speaker 22 (18:03):
And that's one per acre.

Speaker 23 (18:05):
Semio specific biocontrol and Satera all have those products. They're
available for conventional and for organic, and yeah, very similar products.
Different companies offer different services when it comes to who
installs it, who puts it in, who takes it down?
Can they be controlled remotely or do they just run
on their own? So there are some differences there, but
those three companies offer that, and then Trace has what's
called a meso emitter. It's a strip that's hung on

(18:27):
the trees twenty per acre. But all of those systems
work season long, and they are the four main companies
in that arena, with some other companies, you know, coming
in and developing products and trying to penetrate the market
a little bit.

Speaker 22 (18:39):
That's David Devlin, a farm advisor in Kern County. He
says mating terruption. He says, mating disruption is working very
well throughout the armin and pistachio industry.

Speaker 24 (18:50):
Attention all growers, have your packouts been reduced due to
damage caused by heat stress or sunburn? This is called TIVA.
We are the manufacturer of Parka. Parka as a plant
based foliar product with a unique MOA that helps plants
resist and recover from heat stress. Parka reduces heat stress
and sunburn by reducing the development of oxidative compounds and

(19:10):
stressed crops. It allows the plant to continue photosynthetic activity,
which ultimately means your crops continue to perform during times
of excessive heat. As a result, plants treated with PARKA
are better equipped to sustain growth under environmental stress conditions
to deliver high fruit quality and marketable yields. Unlike other
products on the market, PARKA is highly tank mixed compatible

(19:31):
and leaves no residue on fruit or equipment, making it
easy to incorporate into spray programs. The heat is coming.
Is your crop ready to handle the stress? Give us
a call it eight eight eight six three eight nineteen
fifty five, or visit cultiva dot com.

Speaker 17 (19:47):
With the ag Information Network. I'm Patrick Kavanaugh, I'm Dwayne Murley,
and you're listening to agg Live.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
A final look at us all orange production for the
twenty twenty four twenty five marketing year reveals.

Speaker 25 (20:00):
Production is forecast at two point five four million tons.
That's up two point seven percent from the previous estimate,
but down five percent from the last season.

Speaker 2 (20:08):
Anthony Priliment of the National Agricultural Statistics Service notes production
by variety.

Speaker 25 (20:13):
Non Valencia orange production is up two point two percent
from last month, in a three tens of a percent
from last season. Valencia varieties are of four percent from
the gene forecast, but down seventeen point two percent from
last year.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
While he increased non Valencia production was recorded for California
from the previous forecast. Florida's Valencia orange production is expected
to be down year over year by state. A three
percent decline at Texas all orange production was offset by
increases for Florida and California All orange production for those
states up one at three percent, respectively.

Speaker 25 (20:46):
Great free production is forecast at three hundred and seven
thousand tons. That's down three point eight percent from the
June forecast, in down six point four percent from last season.
Florida great fruit production is down four hundred and ninety
thousand buses from last year and is the fourth lowest
toe on record. Eleven production at one point one five
million tons is up nine tens percent from last month
and a thirteen point five percent from last season. Most

(21:08):
of the year over year increase is in California, which
is up two point five boxes from what they produced
last year and lastly, US tangerine production at one point
one four million tons is up seven point six percent
from last month and up two point seven percent from
last season. Changed from the previous forecast, is due to
a two million bucks increase in California from their.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
Previous estemate prolonged extreme heat and humidity and impacts on
your vegetable and fruit guards. North Carolina State University Extension
expert bid To Doughtree says, basically, in periods a prologued
extreme heat at drought.

Speaker 3 (21:42):
It really disrupts the normal growth and the normal functioning
of that system or series of systems to get to the
plant to grow. Most plants really like it, especially vegetables
between about sixty eight degrees and about eighty six degrees.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Looking for sides of heat stress and veggies and fruit
is not necessarily simple, as.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
Everyone often thinks, oh my goodness, this is a disease. Now,
there's a lot of abiotic, non disease related sefts that
can look similar.

Speaker 2 (22:08):
So what to watch out for heat stress wise in
your veggies and fruit leaf and StEB will ticket, curly leaf,
scorch and subburd flour, abortion and premature blossom and fruit drop,
stunted plant growth, a bultag of fruit.

Speaker 12 (22:21):
One of the.

Speaker 3 (22:22):
Things that happens when a plant is undergrowing, heat stress,
or experiencing these conditions is it really messes with photosynthesis,
you have reduced photosynthesis which is where the plant is
making its food and increase respiration. The plant really prioritize
respiration to get that burning up the energy reserves to

(22:42):
live over producing energy through farm in sunlight the photosynthesis parts.
So what's going to happen is where that respiration happens
the underside of the plant leaf, which have the breeding
apparatus for lack of a better term, they close to
conserve water and that really reduces the uptake of carbon
dioxide needed for the farmans of the sunlight process the

(23:05):
photosynthesis process, you're going to see that the growth are
going to be inhibited and your yields are going to
be stunted. For examples, if you're growing tomatoes or a
lot of your broad leaf plants, you're going to see
the leaves wilting or rolling or cupping because those plants
are losing water faster than they can absorb it. And
that's where you're going to see the strup or the
curling upwards for the cupping so that it minimizes how

(23:26):
much sun it's getting and reducing the moisture wash. If
it goes on long enough, you're going to get some
leaf scorch, sunburn intent sunlight can cause these leaves to
dry out, and then when that happens, you can see
brown leaves, yellow leaves, even bleached white patches sometimes on
the leaves or on the fruit. Because you got fail damage,
you have tissue damage. If you have fruit on there.
Your flowers are going to abort because it's just too

(23:46):
hot to carry on major functions. You're going to have
blossom drop and fruit drop to conserve energy. If you're
talking about some cool seasoned vegetables like your lettuces or
your spinaches, then you're going to see bolting that plant
in order to get through their life. Micael may prematurely
flower because of these high temperatures. The yield is going
to be reduced.

Speaker 12 (24:04):
There.

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Rod Bain, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington,
d C.

Speaker 17 (24:11):
Let's take a look at the California Direct Hay Report
and it does say compared to the last report, trade
activity and demand was moderate to good, and retail hey
demand was good. Dairy haydemand was steady, Export of hay
demand was light, with some activity in Imperial Valley, and
life and army worms were a concern for Bermuda grass

(24:32):
in Imperial Valley. I'm Dwayne Murley and you're listening to
AG Live. Thank you for being with us today.

Speaker 24 (24:39):
It's time for California AG Today on the AG Information Network.
I am Hayley's ship. How is this for planting seeds
of hope? Forty six California students with dreams of farming,
ranching and ag careers just got a big boost. We're
talking two hundred and fifty one two hundred and fifty
dollars in scholarships from the California Farm Bureau of Scholarship Foundation,

(25:01):
awarded based on academics, leadership, and career goals. These scholarships
help grow the next generation of AG leaders. Our agricultural
future depends on young people who are passionate about farming, ranching,
and contributing to rural communities, said California Farm Bureau President
Shannon Douglas. Among the recipients Lassen Counties Caitlin Kirick and

(25:22):
Tyler Derossi Wood, who received the Kurt and Joan Moran
Scholarships for those heading into agriculture or trades like welding
and diesel mechanics. Dan Nuba's Elizabeth Kintiro Rubio planning a
career in ag law earned the Carolyn S. Richardson Memorial Award.
The majority of awards went to students pursuing livestock and
rangeland careers through the Rostichi Scholarship, supporting forty three future

(25:46):
leaders in beef, sheep and range management. With three thousand
to six thousand dollars apiece. Since nineteen fifty five, the
foundation has awarded over four point four million dollars. You
can learn more at CFBF dot com. Attention all growers.
Have your packouts been reduced due to damage caused by
heat stress or sunburn? This is Cultiva. We are the

(26:08):
manufacturer of Parka. Parka is a plant based foliar product
with a unique MOA that helps plants resist and recover
from heat stress. Parka reduces heat stress and sunburn by
reducing the development of oxidative compounds and stressed crops. It
allows the plant to continue photosynthetic activity, which ultimately means
your crops continue to perform during times of excessive heat.

(26:29):
As a result, plants treated with Parka are better equipped
to sustain growth under environmental stress conditions to deliver high
fruit quality and marketable yields. Unlike other products on the market.
PARKA is highly tank mixed compatible and leaves no residue
on fruit or equipment, making it easy to incorporate into
spray programs. The heat is coming. Is your crop ready

(26:50):
to handle the stress? Give us a call it eight
eight eight six three eight nineteen fifty five, or visit
Cultiva dot com with California agg today on the information network.
I am Hailey's ship, Bob Quinn.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
Here were some farm us as wanting friends well. While
the One Big Beautiful Bill helped out US agriculture, farmers
and ranchers are still waiting on a new farm bill.
Chad Smith as our story.

Speaker 4 (27:16):
While Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill budget package included approximately
sixty six billion in investment in key farm programs, there
is still work to be done. Brian Glenn, director of
Government Affairs with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said a
key focus was on improving risk management programs.

Speaker 6 (27:35):
About sixty billion of that investment was put towards modernizing
farm safety net programs. These modernizations include extending key commodity
support programs through the twenty thirty one crop year. The
bill also raises statutory reference prices for major covered commodities,
it expanded premium support for beginning farmers and ranchers.

Speaker 4 (27:56):
Despite those wins, Glenn said there are still several critical
farm programs that need updating through a new farm bill.

Speaker 6 (28:04):
Some of those programs include reauthorization and funding for the
Conservation Reserve Program, also support for rural broadband programs in
the Rural Development Title, and support for additional research and
extension programs. And there's also opportunity to make important policy updates,
such as securing a fixed to Proposition twelve.

Speaker 4 (28:23):
He said. Congress is working on the next steps in
the farm bill process right now.

Speaker 18 (28:28):
Chairman G. T.

Speaker 6 (28:29):
Thompson of the House Agriculture Committee is drafting a farm
bill that addresses those remaining farm bill programs. They're doing
that as we speak. Both the House and Senate Agriculture
Committees are currently conducting hearings on important policy priorities, and
they're looking to move the bill this fall.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Chad Smith Washington Well Friends.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
This year has seen an increase in storms, but not
all of those have been on Earth. Sean Dahl, the
Service coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, says that
geomagnetic storms have been running rampant in space and may
be affecting agriculture.

Speaker 18 (29:04):
Yeah, geo matting storms are results from the Sun interacting
with Earth's magnetic barrier, and this usually happens when we
have certain types of activity on the Sun, such as
a coronal mass ejection or CME for short. These are
explosive releases of solar material, billions of tons of it
in fact, that contains charged particles and more importantly, a

(29:25):
very strong magnetic field that gets dragged along with it
out into space, and when that reaches here at Earth,
that's when the interactions can happen that disturb our magnetic
environment to the point that we can get geomagnetic storms.

Speaker 1 (29:38):
All share some of the effects that these storms have
on agriculture in the US and some insight into work
they're doing to help mitigate their effects for farmers.

Speaker 18 (29:46):
So when you have these geometting storms happen, this causes
currents of energy to build up on high voltage transmission lines,
which can overheat transformers if it's not corrected or accounted for.
And as some of this conversations talking about today, GPS
GPS accuracy go out the window with some of the
most extreme storms and in some cases be completely unusable,
such as one of the storms last year in May

(30:08):
proved quite prolific for the farming industry.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
In twenty twenty four, one of these storms that took
place in May caused five hundred million dollars in losses
in the corn industry alone.

Speaker 18 (30:19):
Storms last year, the one in May in particular, it
became apparent to me pretty quickly that the storm was
much so impacting the farming industry in early May trying
to plant seeds, such as my brother in law North Dakota.
They had I got us contacted on the night that
the storms began, saying, hey, what is going on. My
chips and my tractors not working. I had to shut

(30:40):
it off and I got some more details and come
to find out, what was supposed to be accurate within
less than an inch was off by over twelve feet.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
Now they're working to be able to predict these storms
and get the warning broadcasted to help minimize losses that
may occur because of them.

Speaker 18 (30:54):
I want the same thing to happen with space weather.
I want the broadcast meter. I'll just be able to
get on the air and say, hey, look it's planting season.
It's hard this season. Your GPS equipment may not work
properly because the National Weather Service is expecting the geomagnetic
storm at the four to five level, and this could
impact your precision GPS equipment on your systems. That alone
would be remarkable, right because that would save fuel, that

(31:16):
would save stress, that would save trying to troubleshoot and
work a problem when maybe there wasn't really a problem
because it was something to do with space weather.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
Shan Dahl Space Weather Prediction Center this morning. Well, friends
of the US ethanol industry has serious concerns about a
trade imbalance with Brazil. The US continues to import sugarcane
ethanol from Brazil, but the South American nation doesn't engage
fairly in return.

Speaker 8 (31:41):
We've had concerns about that, mainly because Brazil has a
tariff on US ethanol US corn ethanol going to Brazil,
and we don't have the same tariff in the US.
And so certainly the Trump administration has been very engaged
on this fairness issue.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
That's not the only concern with Brazil's sugarcane f and all.

Speaker 8 (32:00):
I think one of the other concerns we have is
that Brazilian sugarcane ethanol is able to get an advanced
biofuel rin where corn starch ethanol is not, and so
that's an issue that we've been working on as well.
But we're pleased to see that our trade representative and
others in the administration are starting to address this fairness
issue and hopefully, you know, we can return to parity

(32:23):
between the two markets.

Speaker 1 (32:24):
We've been hearing this morning from Chris Bliley of Growth
Energy Farm News. You're listening to ag Life.

Speaker 26 (32:32):
From the Egg Information Network. This is your agribusiness update.
The h to A program continues to grow, allowing eligible
US employers a way to hire foreign workers to fill
seasonal and temporary agricultural jobs. At twenty twenty four, more
than three hundred and eighty thousand workers were authorized under
this program, a three hundred percent increase from twenty ten.
Most authorized h TOA workers are concentrated in Florida, Georgia, California,

(32:56):
and Washington states with labor intensive crops like fruits and vegetables.
As the cost of spring crops with pesticides gets more
expensive across the European Union, farmers and countries like Greece
are finding cheaper alternatives in unlabeled bottles smuggled into the country.
A dozen farmers anonymously told Reuters the products are more
effective than what they regularly use, but they are also

(33:17):
potentially more harmful. Lab tests show the pesticides were banned
in the EU due to risks to humans and the environment.
USDA says per capita total US food spending increased three
point two percent from twenty twenty three to twenty four,
outpacing the two point three percent increase in food prices
during the same period, showing a stronger demand for food
despite higher prices. However, national trends in sales mask on

(33:41):
even growth across multiple US states. Three states, New Hampshire,
West Virginia, and Kansas showed a decrease in per capita
food sales, driven by a six point six percent increase
in the sales at grocery stores.

Speaker 10 (33:52):
Empower Dairy a full solution approach for producers mark Animal Health,
Livestock and Dairy veterinarian doctor John Champagne cows are.

Speaker 27 (34:00):
Most productive when all aspects of dairy management sort of
work together. Even though we focus on individual parts, it's
the entire system and the dance that that system does.
This includes identification, our monitoring and our biopharma portfolio. And
by using all three of these, the Empower module allows
us to maximize productivity while reducing animal stress, labor and inefficiencies.

(34:24):
We have not only just the products, but the solutions
as well to enhance and go along with the products,
and those things can be interchangeable. In addition to that,
we have expertise within the organization and a significant amount
of research and development.

Speaker 10 (34:41):
Visit productivecows dot com or contact a merk animal health
representative to learn the best empower approach to keep your
cows productive.

Speaker 4 (34:49):
From the AAG Information Network, I'm Bob Larson with today's
agribusiness update.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
Bob went back to wrap up AG life for today. Friends, Well,
Tariffs continue to impact the grain markets as we enter
the second half of this calendar year. Mike Davis has
our closing report today.

Speaker 28 (35:06):
Ben Cash is an account executive at Bower Trading and
says that while US trading partners continue to buy, they
are watching carefully.

Speaker 29 (35:14):
You know, the finds remain you know, short the corner
weed market. You know they're kind of flat on the
sweving side of things, but you know that they just
haven't had a willingness to go along. And I think,
you know, looking at the TERRORF situation has made them
comfortable here being short. And you know, if you look
at our export sales, it's been very solid for corn.

(35:34):
I think what you know still has impacted that is
a lot of front end loading from a lot of
countries worried about the tariffs.

Speaker 28 (35:42):
Continued attractive pricing is keeping US export strong.

Speaker 29 (35:46):
You know, near contract lows. We you know, we're just
ten dollar novy bean, so you know for a new
crop standpoint, you know that that is you know, price
level you'd like to see global buyers, you know, get
some on the books there. And then you know, on
the wheat side of things, still kind of flirting with
a bottom maybe here getting pretty choppy down here at
these levels casey side of things. You know, we're getting

(36:08):
to that last leg of harvest. I think we're at
the sixty three percent done, so you know that last
bit really, you know, goes pretty quickly along as weather cooperates.

Speaker 28 (36:18):
Cash called last week's WASDI report constructive to the market.

Speaker 29 (36:22):
Old crop carry out lower, new crop carry out lower
global ending stocks. So you know there is a possible
story yet on corn here. And you know, I think
what we're seeing this week on this performance. You know,
we made some new contract lows, closed higher on Monday,
and we're continuing the strength here into this Wednesday. Nice
you know, solid close for corn of beans a day.

(36:44):
But but yeah, I think that WASDI report to me
was constructive.

Speaker 28 (36:48):
Boer Trading account executive Ben Cash. I'm Mike Davis.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
With that, friends, rount of time for today, Thanks for
joining us back tomorrow morning with another edition of Bad
Life