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Michelle Rook

National Reporter

Michelle Rook is a national agricultural reporter and market analyst for Farm Journal’s AgDay and U.S. Farm Report, and she is the host of Markets Now. With expertise in commodity markets, grain trading, and agricultural journalism, she delivers daily market updates and analysis to farmers nationwide. She earned the NAFB Farm Broadcaster of the Year award and the prestigious Doan Excellence in Reporting Award.

Latest Stories
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Ag Policy
Where’s The Beef? U.S. Beef Left Out of China Trade Framework
Officials say 400-plus beef establishments were not relisted by China back in April.
December 08, 2025 02:00 PM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Can Cattle Continue to Rally and Retest the Highs? Soybeans Break $11
Brad Kooima says both live and feeder cattle futures markets struggled Monday as the huge recovery off the lows put contracts up into 50% retracement levels.
December 08, 2025 10:20 AM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Cattle Futures Soar on Sharply Higher Cash but Can They Keep Rallying? Grains Drift
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says Thursday saw the volume of live sale prices at $220, up $10 from last week but even some $222 developed in Iowa.
December 05, 2025 09:56 AM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Cattle Fail Monday So What Will Confirm a Low? Grains See Profit Taking
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says he would be more confident about the lows holding in the cattle futures if three factors would turn positive.
December 01, 2025 10:01 AM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Cattle See Higher Weekly Close but is the Bottom In? Corn, Soybeans Also Rally
The question now is was this just a correction of the oversold status in the cattle markets? While a higher weekly close is positive, Varilek says recoveries often come in three day waves.
November 28, 2025 02:34 PM
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Michelle Rook
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Beef Production
Unexpected Blessings: How Regenerative Cattle Production Shaped One Family’s Faith Journey
The use of regenerative practices at Stoney Creek Farm has lowered their costs and improved their profitability, but its also shaped their faith journey.
November 26, 2025 05:13 PM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Cattle Limit Down on Tyson Plant Closures: How Far Will Prices Drop?
Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle were limit down early Monday on news that Tyson Foods will be closing its Lexington, Neb. beef processing plant on Jan. 20 and the Amarillo, Texas plant will go down to one shift.
November 24, 2025 10:26 AM
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Michelle Rook
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News
Tyson Foods to Close Lexington, Neb., Beef Plant
The company will end operations in early 2026 in the plant that employs nearly 3,200 people and can slaughter almost 5,000 cattle a day and convert its Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift.
November 21, 2025 03:42 PM
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Michelle Rook
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Markets
Cattle Slide with Brazil’s 40% Tariff Cut: Is the News Priced In?
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the market had been anticipating the tariffs to be lowered on Brazil beef for several days and it was part of the recent selloff in cattle. “So I think a lot of this was already penciled into prices.” he explains.
November 21, 2025 10:05 AM
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Michelle Rook
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Industry
Did the Administration’s Plan to Lower Beef Prices Wreck the Bull Run in the Cattle Market?
Cattle market fundamentals remain unchanged while psychology shifts the market due to the President’s comments and industry interference.
November 14, 2025 02:12 PM
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Michelle Rook
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