It is a rainy Tuesday morning. We sure appreciate this rain, it has been really dry here. I need to get this column written. I wish I wouldn’t always wait until the last minute to write it. Life gets too busy sometimes and we need to stop and take time to read God’s wonderful words of encouragement daily. Without “His” love what would we have?
After a late 2025 drought and lower crop prices, farmers are looking ahead to the 2026 crop year. High volatile fertilizer prices will be a significant concern next year. Currently, the DAP retail price is $926 per metric ton, up from $580 in January. DAP or diammonium phosphate is 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphate (18-46-0). The retail price for MAP (mono ammonium phosphate) is $921 per ton. Potash or potassium (60% potash or K, 0-0-60) prices are about 24% higher than last year at $483-485 per ton. Some global spot prices are $350-$360 per ton. Ammonia (NH3) prices are about $440-$450 per metric ton.
Midwesterners are known for discussing the weather. At all times of the year, no matter what the skies are delivering up (or not delivering), you can rely on your friends and neighbors to bring up something weather-related.
On October 1, 2002 (23 years ago), I wrote my first column. I thought it would be interesting to all the new and old readers.
Hospitals are in the business of treating patients and helping them overcome injuries and illnesses. In many instances, hospitals offer unparalleled care. However, hospitals are not always without risk, and sometimes are not the most comfortable places for their patients, particularly those recovering from injuries or facing end of life.
As the days cool, autumn cooking starts to heat up. If soup hasn't yet been on the menu, then now is the time to explore new recipes that can warm us up from the inside out.
Entering October, is it too late to plant small grains (wheat or possibly barley), and is it even profitable to do so? It is not too late, but with wheat at roughly $4.50 to $5.00, it is difficult to make wheat profitable. Most can justify planting wheat at $6/bushel. However, $4.50 corn is not much better. Planting wheat helps improve the crop rotation, reduce weeds, and may increase other crop yields by 10%. Wheat and other small grain crops like barley, cereal rye, oats are alternative crops. The market for barley and oats are fairly limited. Due to high test weight oats grown in Canada and a few breweries in Ohio, the oat and barley markets are slim. At around $12/bushel for cereal rye as a cover crop, cereal rye can be profitable with good yields.
Here we go again. That glorious, beautiful native plant – goldenrod – is being maligned in ways it does not deserve. It has endured decades, perhaps centuries, of being blamed for the sneezes and wheezes of those who have seasonal allergies.
Farmers are in a tough spot. Fertilizer prices are spiking, and crop prices are not high enough to cover the costs. The bright spots are on the livestock and dairy side, with much higher prices and profits. For grain farmers; with a late drought, yields and prices are not high enough to make much money.
I am going to write a daily diary for today, September 22. First of all, Happy 6th Birthday to grandson Curtis. I left him a voicemail wishing him a happy birthday. I can already see him when his parents let him listen to it.