Bee Bum, a honeybee farm near Beatrice, Nebraska, is expecting to harvest about 6,500 pounds of honey this year. Owner Kevin Monfelt said commercial honeybee production presents many challenges and opportunities in Nebraska. Bee Bum operates 300 bee colonies and they're hoping to reach 400 colonies by next year. Monfelt…
Cattle trade has been decent this week, with early steady cash activity out of the South, while the North might wait until Friday to finalize deals. On this week's Cattle Call, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek examines the factors influencing the trade. Many processing plants are shifting to 32-hour…
The U.S. Dollar. The Brazilian Deal. The Chinese Yuan. The U.S. Dollar is often referred to in commodity trading, but why? What impact does it have on major commodities? About 65% - 75% of all price settlements and merchandise trade invoices have been settled in U.S. dollars, according to Mike…
In April, we visited with Dan Kristensen, a farmer near Minden, Nebraska, who was looking forward to a promising growing season. Fast forward to July, and hail has wiped out thousands of acres of crops. In this week's edition of Fridays in the Field, we catch up with Dan to…
The old saying "when county fairs come around, so does the seasonal drop in the cattle market" rings true this year. On this week's Cattle Call, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek examines the early steady trade in the south that is setting the tone for the week. He discusses…
Every Friday after the markets close, the Commitment of Traders report is released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). You’ve likely heard analysts talk about the report, but what does it really mean for your farm? Do the numbers matter if the data is three days delayed? John Payne…
Friday's WASDE report brought many questions for the market trade moving forward. On this week's Nebraska Soybean Board Weekly Market Roundup, we hear from John Payne of Advance Trading and Darren Frye of Water Street Solutions as they break down the report. They discuss how, at one point, the U.S.…
"Why the drop?" "Is cash at a record high?" "What are packer margins?" These are just a few of the questions circulating in the cattle trade this week. On this week's Cattle Call, Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek delves into the trade action, examines boxed beef numbers, and discusses…
The 4th of July holiday put a temporary pause in the week’s trade, but wheat played a pivotal role in pushing the grain market higher. On this week's Nebraska Soybean Board Weekly Market Roundup, Kyle Bumsted of Allendale and Darin Fessler of Lakefront Futures provide insights into the recent trading…
Cattle producers experienced a strong week of selling opportunities as the demand for beef remained robust. On this week's Cattle Call, Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek breaks down the moving factors in the trade. The Dodge City, KS plant is expected to be back online by Friday, alleviating some…