Top Stories
RMA changes offer farmers added financial flexibility
Farmers will have some additional flexibility in the federal crop insurance program following two recent changes announced by USDA’s Risk Management Agency. RMA Administrator Pat Swanson, who is also an Iowa farmer, says one of those changes is the return of the Prevent Plant 5 buy-up option. The option will allow farmers to purchase an additional five percent of prevented planting coverage beginning with the 2027 crop year. Swanson says prevented planting coverage is already part of the...
Iowa FFA will be well represented at National Ag Day
Iowa FFA President Chloe Zittergruen will be one of four National FFA members who will be representing agricultural youth across the country in Washington, D.C., for National Ag Day on Tuesday, March 24th. This year’s event theme, “Together We Grow,” honors 250 years...
USMEF bolstering Mexico’s in-home consumption of U.S. pork
Mexico’s demand for U.S. pork has soared in recent years, and 2025 was no exception. Pork exports to Mexico were record-large for the fifth consecutive year at 1.24 million metric tons, valued at $2.85 billion. But the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) continues to...
Details from the USDA March Cattle on Feed Report
USDA published the March Cattle on Feed Report on Friday March 20th and with the cattle industry in a pattern of low supply and continued high demand, the report can offer clues on the industry’s direction. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell provides the numbers...
Bipartisan Senators introduce bill targeting fertilizer costs and transparency
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation aimed at increasing transparency in fertilizer markets and potentially lowering costs for farmers facing high input expenses. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Chuck Grassley, and Joni Ernst said the proposal would...
KXEL hosting farmer appreciation luncheon in Waterloo
A farmer appreciation luncheon taking place on Wednesday in Waterloo is designed to recognize the men and women who keep agriculture moving forward every day. The event, hosted by KXEL Radio at the National Cattle Congress Pavilion, is free and open to the public and...
Pushing innovation in agricultural education
Farmers face new issues every year, so the ag industry has to be able to keep improving to keep up with changing demands. On top of that, we need to make sure the next generation of agriculturists is ready to tackle these problems. Brad Hammes, product specialist at...
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More Ag News
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-23-26)
This week’s export sales were better than what we’ve seen recently, but it was otherwise a muted report. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were strong once again. While the soybeans sales weren’t outstanding, McBride said they were above the...
Input costs aren’t dropping alongside inflation
General inflation has cooled off from the high points in recent years, but input costs are not following suit. Dr. Michael Langemeier is the director of Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture, and he said farm input prices don’t always follow inflation up or down....
Funding now available through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative
Funding is now available for research and development in specialty crop agriculture through a USDA support program. National Institute of Food and Agriculture Associate Director Rachel Melnick says there is more funding available compared to last year. Melnick...
ICGA applauds year-round E15 amendment inclusion in House farm bill
The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) has advocated for year-round, nationwide E15 for more than 15 years—a goal that remains a top priority as farm families face tightening margins and market volatility. With the recent introduction of an amendment to the House...
New export markets boost Iowa agriculture
As the U.S. works to expand agricultural trade, USDA officials say diversifying export markets is becoming more important for long-term stability. USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says relying too heavily on one major buyer...
