Missed some agricultural news this week? Here’s a quick catch-up on the news.

1. Former Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey was sworn in this week as USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. – Wallace’s Farmer 

2. Jeff Lake, a corn, soybean and kidney bean grower, teamed up with Pheasants Forever to turn some of his unprofitable acres to profitable acres. They relied on EFC Systems’ Profit Zone Manager, an online precision agricultural program that combines input costs with yield maps to calculate return on investment on fractions of an acre. – Dakota Farmer

3. Does anyone remember the last time American farmers were the unwitting victims of faulty international diplomacy? On Jan. 4, 1979, President Carter initiated the order to halt shipments of grain into Russia. – Kansas Farmer

4. The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reached its second-highest level in more than two years of data collection in February. Producers were also asked about the North American Free Trade Agreement.  – Farm Futures

5. Ohio farmers will soon have access to the revised Ohio Phosphorus Risk Index, which is a program developed by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service to help farmers assess their risk of phosphorus moving off farm fields. – Ohio Farmer

6. Four young farmers, ages 31 to 43, share the challenges they faced starting in agriculture and the strategies and innovations they used.- Nebraska Farmer

7. Chinese hog prices hit their lowest level in nearly four years this week, fueling concerns that a rapid expansion of large hog farms in China has outpaced demand. Live pig prices are around $1.74 per kilogram.  – Reuters

And your bonus.

It’s unlikely you missed President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but just in case you want to read more, here’s a compilation of Farm Futures coverage from March 1 through March 9.