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New appointments to the State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the appointment of Iowans to serve on the State Soil Conservation and Water Quality Committee. The Committee promotes the adoption of proven water quality practices and provides expert advice and input related to technical and financial assistance programs administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. “Accelerating the adoption of practices that improve water quality and protect our soil is a significant ongoing...
BASF providing farmers with more tools to grow successful crops
Nobody in the state of Iowa would describe 2024 as normal. While it gave us more moisture than in years past, it also gave us a very dry second half of the year, which opened the door to different diseases and pests. The best we can do is learn from the lessons...
Benson Hill innovating while getting back to their roots
As harvest comes to a close, many companies are reviewing the performances of their seed products for the 2024 crop year. At Benson Hill, they’re also going back to their roots and reintroducing some of the former parts of their portfolio. Aaron Robinson, vice...
Pork industry navigating the changing regulatory environment
The political winds in Washington D.C. are shifting after the November elections, what does that mean for policy as it affects the pork industry? Lori Stevermer is the President of the National Pork Producers Council and she says that with government leadership...
Mississippi River low during harvest for third straight year
The Mississippi River is experiencing an unwelcome three-peat with low water levels during harvest season. The “Mighty Mississip” experienced low water in both 2022 and 2023 and now once again this harvest season. Charts from the U.S. Geological Survey show...
Plenty of uncertainty in ag economy heading into 2025
2024 has been challenging for farmers and the agricultural sector. Dave Widmar, economist and managing partner with Agricultural Economic Insights, said 2024 has been full of twists and turns. Widmar said there have also been changes in the overall U.S. economy. While...
What is the outlook for meat exports in 2025?
We have had a solid year, once again, for red meat exports in 2024. Many folks are working hard behind the scenes to sustain and strengthen our existing markets and putting the same efforts into cultivating new trade opportunities around the globe. The U.S. Meat...
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Preparing the next generation of advocates for the pork industry
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) introduced a new initiative in 2024 called the “Young Pork Advocates” for students aged 18-22. The program is intended to help young advocates for the pork industry learn more about the industry and in turn pass that...
Keeping cattle healthy by minimizing stress
Many producers are rightfully worried about managing cattle diseases from infecting their herds, but there is another part of disease management that sometimes gets overlooked- stress management. When cattle are stressed, they have a tougher time fighting off those...
Corn and soybean harvests nearly complete
As of November 10, 95% of the 2024 corn crop in the top 18 corn-growing states was harvested. This was up from 91% a week prior and ahead of the five-year average of 84%. USDA said 96% of the soybean crop in the top 18 growing states was in the bins. This was up from...
Turkeys and egg layers see greatest impact from H5N1
Since 2022, the U.S. poultry industry has been battling a particularly persistent strain of H5N1, or avian influenza, and more than 100 million birds have been affected over the last two and a half years. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau, said...
BASF providing farmers with more tools to grow successful crops
Nobody in the state of Iowa would describe 2024 as normal. While it gave us more moisture than in years past, it also gave us a very dry second half of the year, which opened the door to different diseases and pests. The best we can do is learn from the lessons...