Feedyard gross margin (fed steer less yearling steer) in 1996 averaged about $350/head, while total yearling steer investment was just slightly over $450/head. That gap has consistently (and unfavorably) widened ever since. Gross margin in 2012 was only about $60-65 more compared to the 1996 mark, but the investment required to obtain that margin has surged nearly 10 times that amount, as yearling steer costs have jumped $665 to average $1,125/head in 2012....More

The Federal Reserve’s cheap money policy continues to fuel the rural economic fire, bolstering farmland values, commodity prices and farm income. And given that the Fed shows no inclination to change its policy, recent rural economic trends will likely continue throughout 2013....More

The retail landscape changed dramatically during the last few decades, with massive consolidation on one hand, and non-traditional retailers entering the fray on the other. Both have taken market share from traditional independent grocers....More

The success of the super center concept hasn’t gone unnoticed in the food world, and thus explains the format’s domination of growth during the past six years. A number of competitors are increasingly trying to introduce similar formats, including Target and K-Mart, while even traditional grocers are expanding their product offering to more closely mimic the super center concept....More