Art's Way Ag Continues to Fight Headwinds of North American Farm Sector

Jul 11, 2024

ARMSTRONG, Iowa — Art's Way Manufacturing Co., Inc., a diversified manufacturer and distributor of equipment serving agricultural and research needs, announces its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 and six months ended May 31, 2024.

Sales: Art's Way's second quarter sales in its Agricultural Products segment were $4,555,000 compared to $6,368,000 during the same period of fiscal 2023, a decrease of $1,813,000, or 28.5%. For the six months ended May 31, 2024, sales were $8,792,000 compared to $11,813,000, a decrease of $3,021,000, or 25.6% for the same period of 2023. In February of 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a 25% expected decline in farm income levels for 2024 due to weaker row crop prices and expected increases in production expenses. Art's Way's sales year to date have mirrored the USDA's sentiments on projected farm income. Incoming orders on the fall 2023 and spring 2024 early order programs declined for the first time in three years.

Net Income (Loss): Consolidated net loss from continuing operations was $5,000 for the three-month period ended May 31, 2024, compared to net income of $330,000 for the same period in fiscal 2023. For the six months ended May 31, 2024 our consolidate

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.