Missouri grain dealer jailed in grain Ponzi Monday, April 5, 2010 Missouri grain dealer Cathy Gieseker promised some farmers too much for their grain and paid them off by selling the grain of other farmers. She led a high life, spending millions of dollars on properties, gifts to friends and buying and showing cattle.According to the St. Louis Business Journal Gieseker was sentenced to nine years in jail in February in connection with a $27 million Ponzi scheme, the largest grain brokerage failure in Missouri history. She pleaded guilty to one felony count of mail fraud and forfeited millions of dollars in personal property, but it won't be nearly enough to cover the losses of scores of farmers with no grain and no payment for their crop.Gieseker had told farmers she had a special deal with a major grain company and offered prices twice the spot market at harvest. As futures prices rose in 2008, she was forced to pay an ever greater rate of return, according to Feedstuffs magazine.The state is still pondering whether to file fraud charges. BF Brazilian beef company now Oz's largest lamb slaughterer Compostable bags for chips find special market
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online
Canada Post Strike Continues to Threatens Agri-Businesses and Rural Communities Thursday, October 2, 2025 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to take swift action to end the ongoing Canada Post strike, warning that the disruption is causing serious harm to small businesses – including many in the agriculture sector. “The government’s... Read this article online
Farmland Values Climb Across the Prairies-Manitoba Leads, Ontario Holds Steady Thursday, October 2, 2025 Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). This marks a modest acceleration compared to the first half of 2024, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase. Over... Read this article online
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online