Here are 7 agricultural stories you might have missed this week. 

1. USDA on Friday released its Crop Production report. USDA raised soybean ending stocks, surprising the market. Soybean production was also raised for Argentina and Brazil. – Farm Futures

2. The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer is unchanged for May and has hovered in the same range for five of the last six months. The survey found producers are optimistic about current conditions and the future. – Farm Futures 

3. Terry O'Neel, a pork producer from Friend, Nebraska, was elected president of the National Pork Board at the organization's June board meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. He takes over at the close of the meeting. The National Pork Board is comprised of 15 farmer-directors. – Wallaces Farmer 

4. A trial pitting farmers against Syngenta over its release of the Viptera corn trait began this week in Kansas. Farmers allege the early release of the trait cost them revenue when the corn market tanked. – Farm Futures 

5. A sow multiplier facility will be built in southeast Missouri to house more than 5,500 females. Add in the number of piglets and at any given time, there could be as many as 8,500 animals under roof. The $17 million facility was built in eight months. It is part of Pipestone System. – Missouri Ruralist 

6. John Deere has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Germany-based Wirtgen Group, which is a world leader in the construction equipment business. – Farm Futures 

7. An Aurora Organic Dairy plant in Columbia, Missouri, is expected to create more than 90 jobs initially and up to 150 jobs over the next five years. The plant is expected to be operating in early 2019. Aurora Organic Dairy is based and Boulder, Colorado. – Missouri Ruralist

This week, we have two bonuses:

1. Farmer's Business Network has launched a digital crop marketing platform that allows farmers to find the best prices when selling their crops. Farmer's Business Network is the company that developed software that allows farmers to find the best prices when buying crop inputs. – Farm Futures

2. South Dakota farmer Robert Walsh bought a 24-row, 30-inch John Deere DB60 planter in 2014, but before even taking it to the field he replaced the John Deere meters, seed tubes and depth-control airbags with Precision Planting parts. He added Yetter air adjust floating row cleaners too. He has a few more changes to make before he has the 'perfect' planter. – Dakota Farmer