Did you miss some news this week? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a collection of the top headlines in agriculture.

Bayer transitions regional brands to Channel brand

An announcement from Bayer explains the company’s 10 regional seed brands will begin to go away starting in 2024 as they combine regional offerings under the Channel portfolio. This new structure does not include the Dekalb or Asgrow brands. Learn more about the regional brands being phased out. – Farm Progress

Farmland values: What’s next?

Since 2008, farmland prices nationwide are on average around 75% higher. However, experts say 2023 could prove to be one of those one-off years where farmland values stabilize or even decline due to high inflation and rising interest rates. But the situation is a bit more nuanced than you may think. – Farm Futures

Illinois dust storm turns fatal

Winds stirred up a wall of dust from farm fields that engulfed a stretch of busy interstate highway on Monday as winds were gusting between 35 and 45 miles per hour. Witnesses described a sudden burst of dirt completely erasing visibility — “It was like a white out, only it was a brown out,” said Evan Anderson. Almost 40 people were injured and seven people were dead. – AP News

Support grows for DRIVE Act

Organizations are signing on to the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen Wheelers Act, commonly known as the DRIVE Act. The legislation introduced May 2 would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from imposing rules requiring vehicles over 26,000 pounds to have speed limiting devices. The FMCSA is still accepting feedback on its proposal and plans to take a “carrier-based approach” to speed regulation. – Farm Progress

5 tomato gardening tips

Many farmers have been busy in the field planting crops, but what about your backyard garden? Successfully growing tomatoes requires a little more effort than growing lettuce or green beans, but it is not that difficult. Editor Fran O’Leary shares some tips to help you grow plenty of fresh, juicy tomatoes in your garden. – Wisconsin Agriculturist

Gearing up for the 2023 Farm Progress Show

‘Tis the season for the Farm Progress Show! Mark your calendar – the 2023 Farm Progress Show is back in Illinois this year, coming to Decatur Aug. 29-31. Check out these 12 can’t-miss highlights about the largest outdoor farm show in the country. – Prairie Farmer

Farm bankruptcies decline

In 2022, the Chapter 12 bankruptcy rate reached the lowest level in nearly two decades, 0.78 bankruptcies per 10,000 farms. Under Chapter 12 bankruptcy, a financially distressed family farmer can propose and carry out a plan to repay their debts fully or partially, and the total number of these bankruptcies is an indicator of financial stress in the farm sector. – USDA Economic Research Service