Harvest USA Report

From Kansas Wheat   Fertilizer isn’t just another line item - it’s a globally traded commodity shaped by geopolitics, energy markets and overseas demand.   In a recent episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, Aaron Harries talks with Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, about why fertilizer markets feel like “three-dimensional chess” for wheat producers working on tight margins...

(AUSTIN, Texas) — The Texas Department of Agriculture issued an emergency quarantine Feb. 5 to protect against the two-spotted cotton leafhopper . The quarantine inspections help monitor pests that could be introduced into Texas from out-of-state agricultural shipments. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the quarantine would help safeguard the cotton, nursery and ornamental sectors. “T...

Screwworm photo from Texas Farm Bureau

Harvest Brigade and Industry History The origins of modern-day custom harvesting in the U.S. are traced back to World War II's Harvest Brigade. Initiated by an individual from Massey Harris, this movement involved 500 combines harvesting a million acres to address labor shortages during wartime. This historical endeavor is credited with starting the Harvest Run, a seasonal practice where harvestin...

David Misener gives a rundown of the USCHI Convention schedule. The convention spans several days with several organized events, including an H2A day and the changing of the gavel at its conclusion. The importance of providing feedback and compliments after the event is also emphasized as a means of ensuring continuous improvement.

Custom Harvester David Misener discusses his experience attending the U.S. Custom Harvesters Association's annual convention in Elk City, Oklahoma. He details his journey to the event, describing the change in weather and the various activities he was involved in, including setting up the event and participating in meetings. The association boasts over 500 membership names, comprised of various ty...

Did you know that February is 4-H Month, a whole month dedicated to celebrating the youth involved in the 4-H program. 4-H stands for Head, Hearts, Hands and Health, and creates opportunities for youth to grow skills in leadership and community service. Support your local 4-H programs. And speaking of recognizing those who work hard, during this international year of the woman farmer, we are celeb...

The Brad Scholarship is now accepting applications! Please encourage the students in your life who might qualify to apply for it. It is not a difficult application to complete (no submitting letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT scores, certified class rank, etc.). Applicants can choose between submitting a video response and writing an essay. The committee's goal is to get money into the hands of st...

Our host David Woodruff has Nathan Cummins on the phone talking about employees during the harvest season. Do you find enough people that want to work and can work? It's a really, really big challenge. I mean, anybody who's in the ag industry knows that the seasonal fluctuations that happen are probably the toughest part of the employee aspect or finding employees is probably one of the toughest p...

Our host David Woodruff with our guest, Nathan Cummins. So do you mostly use semis or you've got some straight trucks? No, we use semis. We had a little bit of a change in our equipment program. Oh, it's been six years now going on seven, where we started. Sputnik builds a deal called a crop cart. Yeah. And they've got a cleaning table right in them. And so we eliminate a lot of dirt in the field...

This past winter's rains were beneficial, bringing a favorable year with a protein-rich desert plant called Filaree growing abundantly. This plant’s unexpected growth pattern is compared to wild oats, suggesting its resilience by lying dormant until conditions improve. David also notes the logistical ease and economic sense of managing cattle in Arizona but mentions the setback caused by border cl...

Host David Woodruff with Keith Flake of Snowflake, Arizona; Keith shares his experiences and updates on ranching at Gold Canyon, near Mesa, Arizona. Despite a lack of impactful monsoon rains, the past winter's rains were beneficial, bringing a favorable year with a protein-rich desert plant called Filaree growing abundantly. This plant’s unexpected growth pattern is compared to wild oats, suggesti...

Host : David Woodruff Guest : Nathan Cummins This conversation delved into Nathan's harvest logistics, including the use of semi-trucks and crop carts to improve efficiency by reducing the amount of dirt transported during harvest. This method not only minimizes logistical challenges but also enhances the preservation of crops.

Let's jump back in on that conversation between David Woodruff, our host, and Taff Hughes, custom harvester from Great Bend, Kansas. So now, is that fall rye? Yes. Yes, correct. Fall rye is a big crop up here. Not that it's so much of it is grown, but rye is forgiving, you can do everything wrong and it will still give you a good crop. Just historically, it hasn't sold for very much. So, but it's...

Let's jump back in on that conversation between David Woodruff, our host and Taff Hughes, custom harvester from Great Bend, Kansas. We're on the road to Iowa to the US Custom Harvester Convention, rest of the week here. Oh yeah. Looking forward to that, like always, get together with like-minded people and people in the industry and look forward to seeing everybody learning some new stuff and have...

Harvesting Progress and Winter Preparations: Glenn Jones from Greenfield, Iowa, reports that the harvest has been completed successfully, despite previous weather challenges. The cattle and calves are now settled for the winter, and recent snow has melted, improving conditions. Severe Weather Conditions in the U.S.: There are upcoming storms across the United States, with severe cold and snow expe...

David Woodruff with Nathan Cummins Nathan detailed his current farm operations, including winter activities like rebuilding potato harvesters and managing shipments. His farming crew expands from 10 to 30 people during the harvest season. Staffing, especially during peak times, is challenging, but Nathan utilizes the foreign worker program to maintain labor consistency.