Daily Radio Reports Focused on Agriculture & Rural Issues!

by Jeff Ishee September 10, 2026 - Pumpkins have been part of Virginia agriculture for centuries, beginning with Native American cultivation long before Jamestown. The Doeg people, living along the Potomac and Occoquan rivers, raised pumpkins alongside corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, and tobacco as part of their semi‑settled farming tradition. Their cleared fields and established crops later guided English colonists, who adopted pumpkins—then called "pompions"—as a dependabl

by Jeff Ishee Livestock production makes up about 63% of all farm cash receipts in Virginia, with poultry, beef cattle, and dairy serving as the state’s largest animal‑ag sectors. HARRISONBURG, VA — Virginia agriculture officials marked a major upgrade to the state’s animal disease‑testing network in early September, breaking ground on expansion projects at three regional laboratories that support food safety, livestock producers, and public health. L-R: Hobey Bauhan, VA Poul

Source" American Farm Bureau Federation By Faith Parum, Ph.D. and Daniel Munch, Economists, American Farm Bureau Federation Key Takeaways USDA raised its 2026 net farm income forecast by $5 billion from February to $158.4 billion, and its estimate of 2025 income even more. As a result, net farm income is now expected to fall 2.6% in nominal terms and 5.5% after inflation in 2026. Image credit - Farm Bureau The expense outlook has deteriorated significantly. USDA raised its 20

Source: Penn State Author: Katie Bohn UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Different cover crops may affect how plants can defend themselves against pests — including attracting more insects that eat harmful caterpillars, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. The findings offer practical solutions for growers using techniques they’re already familiar with, according to the researchers. Image credit - Jeff Ishee The research, published

Source/Author: Soil Health Institute Understanding your soil is the foundation of good farm management. Soil testing gives farmers, agronomists, and landowners the data needed to assess and improve their soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, supporting better decisions that enhance productivity and long-term sustainability. But not all soil tests tell the same story. Image credit - Soil Health Institute There are two different approaches – soil fertility testi

Source: USDA news release Labor expenses accounted for about 15 percent of total cash expenses across all U.S. farms in 2024, but the share varied widely by commodity specialization. Specialty crop farms, including fruit and tree nuts, vegetables and melons, and greenhouse and nursery operations, had the highest labor expense share. Labor accounted for about 40 cents of every dollar of cash expenses on these farms, nearly three times the all-farm average. Image Credit - USDA

By Jeff Ishee Wholesale egg prices have fallen sharply — roughly 67% over the past month. In some areas, wholesale eggs are as low as 36 cents per dozen. Retail prices for eggs at grocery stores such as Walmart are down to $1.67 per dozen in many stores. This is quite different from the situation in late 2024, when wholesale eggs in the Midwest hit $5.57 per dozen and retail prices in California hit $8.85 per dozen. The spike in 2024 was blamed largely on a shortage of hens c

by Jeff Ishee Data source: National Weather Service A new update from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center offers hope for farmers along the eastern seaboard. The region stretching from Pennsylvania to Florida is expected to see a complete removal of drought conditions. Other areas along the East Coast may see drought conditions persist, but improve over the next 90 days. In the Southeast, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia saw some of the most persistent

Source: GA Farm Bureau by Jennifer Whittaker August 20, 2026 - Although Georgia’s forestry sector has had a tough year with multiple timber mills closing, a record number of wildfires statewide, and international trade issues, while speaking at the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Conference in Tifton in mid-August, Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) Director and State Forester Johnny Sabo pointed out some of the positives the industry has going for it. Sabo said GFC is working w

by Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois' FarmDoc project Ryan Hanrahan is the Farm Policy News editor and social media director for the farmdoc project. Urbana, IL - Bloomberg's Ben Westcott reported that "corn futures topped the $5-a-bushel mark for the first time in 18 months as weaker-than-expected US crop tour results add to global supply concerns for the staple grain." "Reports from Western Iowa and Illinois released late Wednesday showed corn yields below those seen la