Michigan December Agricultural Prices

Jan 02, 2015

Prices received by Michigan farmers for the full month of November 2014 and mid - month prices as of December 15, 2014 are listed in the table below. Some Michigan highlights were: December corn, at $3.80 per bushel, increased $0.23 from November and decreased $0.23 from last year; December soybeans, at $10.10 per bushel, was unchanged from last month and decreased $2.90 from last year; December wheat, at $5.90 per bushel, increased $0.25 from November and decreased $0.47 from last year; December milk, at $20.90 per cwt., decreased $2.10 from last month, and decreased $1.20 from last year.

The preliminary December Prices Received Index (Agricultural Production), at 102 percent, based on 2011=100, increased 1 point (1.0 percent) from November. At 82, the December Crop Production Index is up 2 points (2.5 percent). At 129, the Livestock Production Index decreased 5 points (3.7 percent). Producers received higher prices for corn, market eggs, wheat, and cattle but lower prices for milk, broilers, lettuce, and oranges.

In addition to prices, the f ive - year average monthly mix of commodities producers market impacts the monthly indexes. Increased monthly movement of wheat, oranges, broilers, and milk offset the decreased marketing of corn, calves, soybeans, and grapes. The preliminary Prices Receive d Index is up 2 points (2.0 percent) from December 2013. The Food Commodities Index, at 116, decreased 3 points (2.5 percent) from last month but increased 7 points (6.4 percent) from December 2013.

Source:usda.gov

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.