Late-December farm outlook: Pacific waves bring West rain/snow and Central Valley fog; deserts risk frost. Clippers keep the Northern Plains cold; Plains mostly dry/breezy. Midwest sees rain/snow with freeze–thaw; South/Southeast periodic showers and inland frost; Northeast mixed systems. Key risks: frost, wind, heavy mountain snow, localized ponding; plan operations accordingly.
Electrified weed control (eWeeding) kills weeds with high-voltage current, targeting roots without chemicals or soil disturbance. Deployed in row crops, perennials, and infrastructure, it complements herbicides and tillage. Performance depends on species, size, and moisture; safety and dosing control are critical. Precision, variable-rate systems improve efficacy, economics, and sustainability.
Over the Christmas week, U.S. agriculture policy movement will be light, with Congress quiet and agencies posting occasional notices. Watch for funding continuity via CRs, USDA/RMA administrative updates, labor (H‑2A/AEWR) advisories, and biofuels guidance. Expect deadline extensions and program timelines, with segment impacts mostly incremental rather than sweeping.
U.S. macro roadmap: Markets weigh inflation progress, growth momentum, labor cooling, policy path, supply, energy, and global signals. Upcoming week hinges on data, Fed tone, and Treasury auctions. Hot prints lift real yields and dollar, pressuring equities/credit; soft prints reverse. Watch curve moves, breadth, credit spreads, oil, and seasonality.
On three September 20 milestones, U.S. agriculture was reshaped: Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico’s farms, spurring resilience initiatives; the 1965 Delano grape strike catalyzed farmworker rights; and the 1873 Wall Street panic triggered agrarian reform. Together, they highlight agriculture’s dependence on weather, labor, finance, and policy.
U.S. agriculture faces a start-stop week: frontal passages bring scattered showers and brief harvest delays across the Corn Belt and East, followed by drier, breezy windows. West and Southern High Plains stay mostly dry with elevated fire risk. Monitor Gulf/Atlantic tropics and patchy northern frost. Use local forecasts.
Cold plasma uses reactive species from electrically energized air to sanitize seeds, cut produce pathogens, extend shelf life, and sanitize equipment with minimal water or residues. Promising for food safety and sustainability, it demands careful dosing, ventilation, validation, and scaling. Economics, regulations, and commodity-specific trials govern adoption.
Washington agriculture policy centers on averting Oct. 1 disruptions via a CR and possible farm bill extensions, while agencies juggle disaster aid, conservation, and broadband. Hot spots include EPA pesticide actions, P&S enforcement, H-2A wages, USMCA trade frictions, and state rules. Watch CR terms, EPA dockets, committees, and harvest waivers.
Markets stayed data‑dependent: front-end rates volatile, long end shaped by term premium; equities balanced rate sensitivity with AI/capex themes; dollar firm on rate differentials; commodities signaled inflation risk; credit orderly. Upcoming surveys, labor and housing data may steer Fed timing. Maintain balanced, quality-focused, flexible positioning across rates, equities, and credit.
September 19 threads pivotal U.S. agriculture moments: Washington’s farewell shaping land and infrastructure; Hurricane Hugo and Florence exposing climate vulnerability of crops, livestock, and rural systems; and the spinach and cantaloupe outbreaks spurring food-safety reforms. Together they reveal resilience, traceability, and infrastructure choices that safeguard and reshape the food system.
U.S. farm country sees mixed harvest windows as scattered showers and humidity elevate disease pressure in central/eastern areas, heat lingers south, and cooler northern shots carry limited frost risk. The West stays dry with fire concerns. Next week: periodic fronts, Plains-Midwest storms, and possible Gulf/Southeast moisture surges.