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Northern heat wave shouldn’t last long enough to negatively affect crops
A stretch of the Northern U.S. is the path of a ridge of high pressure producing high temperatures hovering around 100 degrees through the week. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the northern portions of the great plains are still experiencing high temperatures that began last week. Despite the extremely hot weather in the northern great plains, the rest of the Midwest including Iowa is experiencing more normal temperatures for this time of year. Rippey says that even in the areas with the...
Outlook for summer and fall weather
The past week of weather in Iowa has felt more like July than May. The warm and dry conditions have allowed farmers to move quickly with planting, but the heat has some questioning if it is still spring. With abnormal warmth in mid-May, what do the summer and fall...
SAF Coalition commends House Ways and Means Committee for advancing 45Z extension
Today, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition’s Executive Director, Alison Graab, issued the following statement in response to the House Ways and Means Committee’s inclusion of a 45Z extension in its budget reconciliation markup. “Sustainable aviation fuel...
Ernst: keep food policy off Rodeo Drive
It’s been more than two years since California’s Proposition 12 took effect, and pork producers across the country are still grappling with its consequences. The law has done little to improve animal welfare, critics say, but has created significant financial strain,...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-13-25)
Concerns about the dry weather are becoming more real in South America- in fact, it's to the point where the USDA is now adjusting its crop projections. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said there's some rain in the forecast, but the overall climate is going to...
Farmers travel to Washington D.C. to talk labor issues
Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers to talk about labor challenges facing agriculture. Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers...
U.S. agriculture is looking for certainty
Uncertainty in the ag sector is nothing new. However, the level of uncertainty for all areas of agriculture has ramped up in 2025. Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, says that U.S. agriculture needs more stable ground to stand on to be as efficient...
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More Ag News
The Iowa State Fair is one big ag education opportunity
In true Iowa fashion, the weather was unpredictable for the first day of the Iowa State Fair. Thunderstorms rolled across the Des Moines metro, and many state fair attendees decided to wait out the storms before making their visit to the fair. But once the storms...
Farmer sentiment weakened in July
Farmer sentiment continues to weaken. The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined again in July, falling to 135, an 11-point month-over-month decline from June. The July Current Conditions Index dropped 17 points to 127, while the Future Expectations...
First annual Heart of the County Fair Award recipients
The Heart of the County Fair Award honors exceptional Iowans who have made significant contributions to their local fairs and communities. The families will be honored at the Iowa State Fair with a plaque and special recognition, made possible by Beck’s Hybrids in...
Field level yield predictions and AI agronomic advice from FBN
As every farmer knows, scouting a corn field from the end rows can tell a much different story from what is happening in the middle of your field. Farmers Business Network is attempting to help farmers with their scouting by providing field level yield data to Iowa’s...
Iowa farmers face tough old crop decisions
As summer winds down, many farmers are working to finish moving the last of their 2024 old crop grain out of storage. But with market pressure mounting and prices slipping, it’s becoming more difficult to find strong opportunities. The clock is ticking, and making the...
