Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and...
It feels like we have had a broken record going around and around during the spring and fall of the past few years. We have talked at length about High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). The main difference between the two is that when the virus jumped the species...
The plentiful amount of rain we have received so far this crop season has been a blessing for the drought conditions across the state. In fact, Iowa is now entirely drought-free. However, receiving so much rain in a relatively short period of time also has some...
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Corporate Chef Germán Navarrete is based in Mexico City, but his talents are employed throughout the world. With support from USDA and the Beef Checkoff Program, Chef Navarrete recently conducted training sessions for chefs and...
To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023. As inflation has receded, expectations for rate cuts have not materialized. 2024 has been a difficult interest environment for farmers with rates steady and no...
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the USDA is awarding $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico. The funds come through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program and will reach 177 unique agricultural operations and more than 11,000...
This spring has given Iowa an interesting start to the 2024 growing season. On the one hand, we know that the rains slowed down planting progress, but we also needed the rains to replenish the drought-stricken soils and give our crops a fighting chance to have a less...
Yesterday marked the ribbon cutting of Landus’ brand new 75,000-square-foot Fertilizer Production and Distribution Facility in Boone. The facility, which costs nearly $15 million, will produce sustainable, slow-release fertilizer products to bring environmentally and...
The One Health approach is vital in meeting the growing market demand for pork. As consumers become more conscientious about the food they consume, there is a heightened focus on food safety, animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Dr. Heather Fowler,...
As rural populations continue to decline in rural America, labor issues have become a hurdle for the agriculture industry. With many rural counties losing population to urban centers, the number of available workers for agricultural jobs has also declined. As an...
