Top Stories
Heavier cattle weights bring bonuses and challenges at marketing time
As everyone knows by now, the total number of cattle in the U.S. herd is historically low. One of the ways that the low supply is being compensated for to meet the high demand for beef is by keeping cattle on feed longer and feeding them to heavier finishing weights. Dr. Derrell Peel, the extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University, says those heavier weights are having an impact. There are also downsides to feeding cattle to heavier weights, including additional...
Promoting dairy demand in 2024 and beyond
Midwest Dairy covers a ten-state region in the U.S. and is busy promoting dairy sales to help put more money in the pockets of U.S. dairy producers. Martha Kemper, vice president of dairy experience and business development for Midwest Dairy, said online shopping is...
Farm Bureau hopes for early 2025 Farm Bill
2025 will be a fresh start in the push for a new modernized and updated five-year farm bill. Ag groups and ag state lawmakers will be hopeful that farm bill work gets completed early in the year, but will that come to fruition? Two farm bill extensions were too many....
U.S. and global ag economies uncertain about 2025
The prospect of new tariff disputes when Donald Trump returns to the White House has the global economy in an uncertain position in early 2025. Farm Policy News says ongoing geopolitical tensions and continuing climate challenges will significantly impact agricultural...
Secretary Naig’s Year in Review (part 2)
Yesterday, we started a year in review with Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig, and today we will conclude our look back on the year that was for Agriculture in our state. You can’t start another look into 2024 without talking about the Iowa State Fair. It’s the biggest...
Pork is great for any plate
Consumers choose pork at the meat case for different reasons. Kristen Hicks-Roof, director of human nutrition at the National Pork Board, said taste is the top driver in food choices. Hicks-Roof said the National Pork Board is gaining momentum in connecting with the...
USDA forecasts higher retail egg prices for 2025
If you purchased eggs throughout 2024 you are well aware of the climbing price of eggs over the course of the year. Eggs are up in price on average 7.7% compared to last year. Unfortunately, those prices are not expected to decline in 2025. That is USDA economist,...
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More Ag News
How many ag and food careers are there?
The 2025 Feeding the Economy Report says over 47 million people in the U.S. work in the agricultural and food industries. That is 29 percent of the U.S. population, and that number may be surprising to people, depending on where they live. One interesting thing about...
GROWMARK partner Eion secures $33M Frontier deal
Eion, a GROWMARK partner, is a company turning the proven science of enhanced rock weathering (ERW) into a scalable climate solution. Eion has announced a $33 million carbon removal purchase by Frontier buyers. Through this offtake deal, its largest to date, Eion will...
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-17-25)
Despite the intense volatility and uncertainty in the global market, this week’s export sales were excellent for corn and soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were significantly higher than average. Soybean sales were also great this...
Cybercrime is a very real problem in rural America
Cybercrime might seem like something straight out of a futuristic spy novel, but it’s absolutely real, and it even happens in rural America. The Federal Trade Commission recently reported another record year of fraud losses totaling $12.5 billion by American...
Grassley says fluid ag markets help U.S. producers amid China tariffs
As China and the United States engage in a tariff tug of war, China is placing levies on U.S. farm goods and making purchases from America’s competitors. However, U.S. senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says some of those losses can be offset. Grassley confirms that China...
