Successful Farming

Successful Farming
Title	Successful Farming
Publisher	Meredith Corporation
Founded	1852
Country	United States
Language	English

Successful Farming

Successful Farming is a long-established American agricultural publication covering agribusiness, crop production, livestock, farm management, rural technology, and policy. It has served readers across the Midwest and national markets, reporting on developments in agronomy, machinery, commodity markets, and conservation programs. The magazine has chronicled shifts in agricultural practice from 19th-century homesteading to 21st-century precision agriculture and biotechnology.

Overview and History

Founded in the 19th century, the publication grew alongside movements such as the Morrill Land-Grant Acts and the expansion of the Homestead Act era, aligning coverage with institutions like Iowa State University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Early editors engaged with agricultural societies including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, and the title reported on innovations promoted by the United States Department of Agriculture and initiatives like the Smith–Lever Act. During the Dust Bowl and the New Deal farm programs, the magazine covered responses involving the Soil Conservation Service and figures such as Henry A. Wallace. In subsequent decades it tracked the influence of the Green Revolution, the introduction of Roundup Ready crops, debates around the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, and modern policy discussions shaped in venues like Capitol Hill and hearings by the United States Congress.

Farm Management and Business Practices

Coverage emphasizes tools used by operators working with entities such as the Farm Service Agency and markets linked to the Chicago Board of Trade and Minneapolis Grain Exchange. Articles analyze balance sheets, cash flows, and decisions influenced by tax law changes from the Internal Revenue Service and programs administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Business strategies reference supply chains that connect to corporations like Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, and John Deere, and cooperative models such as Land O'Lakes and Farm Credit System. Management pieces often cite case studies from states like Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas and use tools promoted by extensions at Purdue University and University of Minnesota.

Crop and Livestock Production Techniques

The title reports on agronomic methods tested at research centers like USDA Agricultural Research Service stations and universities including Penn State University and University of California, Davis. Crop coverage spans corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton influenced by plant breeders at Monsanto and public programs at Iowa State University Research Farms. Integrated pest management stories reference regulators at the Environmental Protection Agency and researchers publishing in forums such as the American Society of Agronomy. Livestock sections cover beef production linked to the American Hereford Association, swine operations associated with National Pork Producers Council, and poultry developments involving Tyson Foods and research at North Carolina State University.

Technology and Innovation in Agriculture

Reporting highlights precision agriculture advances by technology firms like Trimble, AGCO, and CNH Industrial, and sensor, drone, and satellite applications developed with partners such as NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Biotechnology pieces examine work by researchers at Broad Institute collaborations, regulatory debates before the Food and Drug Administration, and innovation ecosystems around Silicon Valley agtech startups and accelerators. Machinery reviews compare tractors by John Deere and combines by CLAAS while coverage of automation touches on robotics developed at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University.

Environmental Sustainability and Soil Health

Coverage includes conservation practices promoted under programs like the Conservation Reserve Program and examples from watershed projects such as those in the Mississippi River Basin. Articles explore soil health principles advanced by researchers at the Rodale Institute and NRCS Soil Survey teams, no-till adoption documented in studies from Kansas State University, and carbon sequestration discussions linked to initiatives like the 4 per 1000 movement. Topics also address habitat programs coordinated with Ducks Unlimited and policy interfaces with the Environmental Protection Agency and international agreements such as the Paris Agreement.

Risk Management and Market Access

The magazine analyzes crop insurance frameworks administered by the Risk Management Agency and futures markets traded on exchanges including the New York Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Market access topics cover export corridors involving the Port of New Orleans and trade negotiations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and its successor, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. Risk articles examine weather impacts studied by the National Weather Service and disaster assistance programs coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Education, Policy, and Community Support

Successful Farming has partnered with land-grant universities like Cornell University and University of Wisconsin–Madison and supported outreach through county Cooperative Extension System offices and events such as state fairs like the Iowa State Fair. Policy coverage profiles lawmakers from United States Congress agriculture committees and associations such as the National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association. The magazine highlights workforce and succession issues involving programs run by Future Farmers of America and research on rural communities by entities including the United States Department of Commerce and think tanks like the Brookings Institution.

Category:Agricultural magazines