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China soybean demand offers support for U.S. exports
Fresh soybean purchases by China are providing some encouragement for U.S. growers. The Wall Street Journal reports Chinese buyers have begun placing new orders for U.S. soybeans currently being planted. USDA officials say they remain optimistic China will meet previously announced purchasing commitments during the 2026 marketing year. The renewed demand comes as U.S. farmers face increased competition from record South American production. Analysts say Chinese purchases could help support...
Thanksgiving dinner will be slightly cheaper, but still historically pricy
The American Farm Bureau Federation Thanksgiving Cost Survey shows the traditional ingredients in a holiday dinner will cost a little less this year. Volunteer shoppers calculated the cost of a typical Thanksgiving Day meal for ten people. Bernt Nelson, an economist...
Talking with the EPA Part 1
Last week, I attended the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention in Kansas City. With so many broadcasters from all over the country, the convention was a hotbed of topics that were both regional and national in nature. One organization that would...
Food Bank of Iowa receives third annual “Meat the Need” donation
Food insecurity continues to be a problem across the state of Iowa, which means that many Iowans- some of whom might even be your neighbors- don’t have the proper access to nutritious food. As the top ag state in the country, Iowa is naturally poised to be able to...
South American Weather and Crop Update (11-19-24)
The weather is shifting slightly drier in Brazil, but it’s not enough to raise any concerns yet. Argentina is still seeing great rains. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in South America. McBride said planting progress...
Senate Democrats’ 2024 Farm Bill text fails to address Prop 12
On Monday U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released the Senate Democrats’ 2024 Farm Bill text. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) issued the following statement in a press release in response to the unveiling of the text of...
Secretary Naig celebrates the closing of Iowa’s last remaining ag drainage wells
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today celebrated the closing of the state’s last remaining Agricultural Drainage Wells (ADWs), concluding a more than quarter-century of sustained effort to close 195 of these drainage structures. ADWs were drilled into...
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Adjuvants can help protect endangered species
Adjuvants, which are substances that are added to pesticides, can play an important role in protecting endangered species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Helena Agri Enterprises has played a large role in advocating for that on Capitol Hill....
EPA currently accepting feedback on WOTUS regulation
Earlier this week, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a draft guidance for WOTUS involving continuous surface connection. This guidance is great news for cattle producers, and it’s part of the work that the National Cattlemen’s...
National Farmers Union sets 2025 policy priorities during national convention
The National Farmers Union recently held its national convention in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and detailed its policy priorities for 2025. As with most farmer and ag based groups, NFU President Rob Larew says one of the top priorities for the year is a new five-year...
NPPC celebrates future leaders with annual scholarship awards
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) proudly announced the recipients of the 2025 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship and Neil Dierks Scholarship at the National Pork Industry Forum. Sponsored in partnership with CME Group and the National Pork...
Seeing growth in high-oleic soy market
We often talk about innovation within the soybean checkoff—how new technologies and practices drive the industry forward. But it’s one thing to discuss innovation in theory and another to hear firsthand from a farmer putting it into practice. That’s where real insight...
