Late-February U.S. farm outlook: expect frontal passages bringing brief precipitation and wind, then cooler, drier breaks. Risks include intermittent frost, variable moisture from West storms to Plains/Midwest mix, and trafficability issues. Use short spray/topdress windows, protect blooms and livestock, time nitrogen with light rains, and monitor local forecasts.
Farm cold rooms using phase-change materials act as thermal batteries, enabling efficient pre-cooling and storage where power is scarce. By banking cold during sunny or low-tariff hours, they cut spoilage, fuel use, and compressor wear. The piece outlines design, operations, economics, best-fit cases, purchasing criteria, policy supports, and next steps.
U.S. agriculture policy is shifting through Congress, USDA rules, EPA decisions, trade moves, court orders, and statehouse bills. Near-term signals—appropriations riders, hearings, pesticide and fuel guidance, export actions, and litigation—could alter inputs, risk, labor, and market access. Producers should monitor dockets and deadlines as regulatory steps sway costs and prices.
The Children’s Blizzard of January 12, 1888, struck the northern Great Plains after a mild morning, killing at least 235 and devastating farms. It exposed fragile infrastructure, halted shipments, and killed livestock, spurring improved forecasting, rural safety, shelter, and community networks—changes that inform modern agricultural preparedness and risk management.
U.S. farm country faces typical mid-winter variability: freeze-thaw cycles, intermittent showers, fog, and wind creating brief fieldwork windows and livestock stress. The week ahead brings oscillating temperatures, light precipitation, and disease pressure. Key actions: use morning firmness, avoid compaction, maintain drainage, scout winter wheat, protect sensitive crops, and manage bins.
Cold plasma and plasma-activated water bring on-demand, non-thermal, residue-free hygiene and seed priming to farms, enabling seed disinfection, produce sanitation, and biofilm control. Evidence shows multi-log microbial reductions and improved emergence, with careful dosing and fresh PAW. Costs center on electricity; regulations vary. Not a cure-all, they complement integrated management.
After a quiet Sunday, agriculture policy gears up for a busy week: oversight on farm safety nets, conservation funding, trade logistics, labor/H-2A, water permitting, and biofuels. Watch Federal Register dockets, USDA data, committee schedules, state bills, and program sign-ups; midweek reports and hearings will shape near-term budget and regulatory priorities.
With U.S. markets shut, investors prepare for Sunday reopen and a data-heavy week. Focus: inflation trajectory and Fed cuts, growth momentum, bank earnings, curve/term premium, and cross-asset moves in USD, energy, gold, credit. Key catalysts: CPI/PPI, retail sales, production, claims, housing, auctions, Fed speakers; scenarios span disinflation to growth scare.
January 11 marks pivotal U.S. agriculture milestones: FDR’s farm-income rights, USDA’s 1983 PIK supply-control, the 1964 smoking report reshaping tobacco, National Milk Day’s safety advances, Grand Canyon conservation’s grazing/water impacts, and Civil War cotton shocks—together linking policy, public health, markets, and stewardship that still guide farm security and consumer trust.
Early-January U.S. farm weather brings West Coast rain and mountain snow boosting snowpack, occasional California fog, a mostly dry Southwest, clipper snows and wind chills in the Northern Plains/Midwest, showery Delta/Southeast with inland frost, and a cold Northeast. Key risks: livestock cold stress, wheat desiccation/heaving, ponding, frost, and disease.
Containerized, renewable-powered systems let farms produce green ammonia on-site, replacing fossil hydrogen, stabilizing fertilizer supply, and serving as storable energy. Modular units integrate air separation, electrolysis, synthesis, and storage; economics hinge on cheap power, utilization, and incentives. It cuts upstream CO2, but handling, safety compliance, and adoption planning remain crucial.