Intel for AG Helps Sow Seeds for Business Success

Jul 26, 2024

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Land suitability map from Intel for Ag.

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University of Missouri Extension has developed a free online platform to help beginning and established producers start or grow their agriculture ventures.

“Intel for Ag is a free toolbox that makes management concepts accessible and allows users to better determine what agricultural products might most suitable and sustainable for their individual success,” says Mallory Rahe, MU Extension associate professor and Intel for Ag contributor.

Intel for Ag guides users through land, marketing and management considerations as they evaluate agricultural products that could be well-suited for the operations, Rahe says.

“When working with those interested in starting or scaling up an agricultural business, we often hear many ideas shared with passion,” she says. “Evaluating the feasibility of these ideas can increase the potential for long-term success. With Intel for Ag, users can self-evaluate their land’s suitability for specific products as well as their own management capabilities and marketing opportunities.”

Intel for Ag offers interactive tools to inform decision-making. Features include:

· Sustainable enterprise product quizzes to determine how well select agricultural products might align with the user’s agronomic, marketing, financial and management resources.

· Land suitability maps to gauge the user’s land in its ability to support a crop or animal product.

· Market intelligence reports to explore potential marketing opportunities, consumer preferences and product demand estimates for the user’s area.

· Business startup resources to help users develop a startup checklist and calculate a break-even point for their product pricing.

Rahe notes that a little less than half of new farm businesses close within five years, but those with direct-to-consumer sales are more likely to stay in business beyond that milestone. “We’ve developed Intel for Ag to help users go beyond simply identifying agricultural products that might be a fit for their operation but to also evaluate marketing opportunities in their community and areas where they can grow their management capabilities.”

Rahe says Intel for Ag offers insights that can help operations of all sizes make management decisions for long-term success.

“Agriculture is Missouri’s top economic driver, and we want to see agricultural businesses and farms thrive,” Rahe says.

Source : missouri.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.