Wasde, a Solar Eclipse and More Rain

Apr 09, 2024

Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of April 7. Watch for coverage of these and other topics through the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com. Note that all webinar and report release times are Central Daylight Time (CDT) unless otherwise noted.

1. Rare solar eclipse: A rare total solar eclipse will be seen in a belt from southwest Texas to New York on Monday. The biggest concerns will be the traffic with lots of tourists driving unfamiliar roads and clogged towns during the many festivals planned this weekend. We'll have on-the-ground follow-up reporting. In the meantime, if you're in the path of the eclipse, drive defensively and enjoy.

2. WASDE Thursday: On April 11, at 11 a.m. we'll have the USDA Crop Production and April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports. Watch for our WASDE preview earlier in the week. Our initial flash story will hit DTN digital platforms just after the report release, with updates and commentary throughout the 11 a.m. hour. As always, we'll follow with a 12:30 p.m. webinar featuring reports insight by DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman. DTN will also have a full recap at market day's end and in our Closing Market video. To register for the webinar, go here: https://www.dtn.com/….

3. Rain stays in forecast: More showers are forecast to move through the Central and Southern Plains this weekend with widespread showers next week. The pattern stays active in April, increasing the chances to build soil moisture ahead of spring planting. Even so, there are no areas in the region that are overly wet, so spring planting is likely to be on time. Weather will be quieter across the Northern Plains, with some chance for showers Sunday and Monday. Temperatures are rising this week, which has already melted the snow in South Dakota and is adding to soil moisture. The lack of snowpack should lead to on-time planting.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.