DTN

JULY 24, 2023

As discussions around sustainably grown grain become more prominent, it raises the question, “What qualifies it as sustainably grown?” It’s a question that has multiple answers since the current sustainable grain market is segmented, with multiple programs initiating their own certification requirements.

Farming 98

Farming Farming Crop Rotation Grain 98

The Equation

MAY 15, 2023

While a small number of winter crops such as small grains (wheat, oats, barley) and forage and pasture crops such as alfalfa can use some winter rain and snow, western agriculture largely depends on a steady supply of irrigated water that has led to extreme groundwater mining. Agriculture is the largest user of water in the western states.

Industrial Agriculture 103

Industrial Agriculture Crop Agriculture Agriculture 103

Civil Eats

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

And when nitrates are present, it’s inevitable that other contaminants, such as pesticides , are also polluting the water. Farmers would often plow the cover under early in the spring before it could provide optimal soil health benefits, and USDA restrictions didn’t allow much flexibility.

Crop 140

Crop Farming Farming Acre 140

Trimble Agriculture

OCTOBER 25, 2023

Combined with a poor grain season overseas, farmers achieved an economic high they expected to last for years to come. Farmers are using GPS-guided tractors to plow fields and drones to precisely apply pesticides. This led to industry-wide expansion, inflated land prices, and high rates of borrowing.

Farming 59

Farming Farming Finance Technology 59

Food Environment and Reporting Network

MARCH 1, 2025

Diesel-powered tractors replaced horse-powered plows, and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers replaced their manure. Farmers no longer reliant on horses no longer needed to grow crops to feed them and thus oats and other “small grains” began to vanish from the landscape. In the years after World War II, U.S.

Food 60

Food Crop Processing Tractor 60