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House farm bill amendment blocks foreign adversaries from buying U.S. farmland
Foreign adversaries are barred from buying U.S. farmland under an amendment added to the House farm bill which recently passed in the House by voice vote. The bill was introduced by Florida Republican Greg Steube. Much of the land referred to by Steube is located near sensitive military sites. Hawaii Democrat Jill Takuda agrees those sites should be protected, however she argues that the land restriction could be abused by the executive branch. Takuda went on to point out that just 3.5 percent...
Soybean numbers appear to weaken in South America
As we go through the winter, it is obvious that the markets are watching what happens in Brazil. They are passing our numbers for exports and are in the midst of their growing season. However, they are also getting much attention because the conditions in the south...
Great Plains Manufacturing talks partnership with Bayer ForGround
The newest sustainability practices can be confusing or intimidating to some farmers, so it’s important for companies to make the technology easy to use and to understand. James Shurts, president of the ag division at Great Plains Manufacturing, said they’ve been at...
Finding positivity in a bearish ag marketplace
The January WASDE report typically moves the market with traders reacting to the final year-end numbers for production and supply. After a bearish report was released last Friday, the commodity markets have seen price movement to the downside in both corn and...
2024 farm equipment sales are looking to be a mixed bag
Combine sales closed out the year ahead of 2022 levels, while almost all tractor segments saw declines in both the United States and Canada. The latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers shows total U.S. farm tractor sales fell 5.1 percent in...
USDA: Large family farms account for bulk of commodity production
Large-scale family farms accounted for a majority of the value of commodity production in 2022, according to a new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service. Specifically, these farms accounted for 51 percent of cash grains and soybeans, 56 percent of hog...
Looking at your farm budget with a different perspective
We know the story. It’s been the top of mind subject in farming for the past few years. Grain prices are slowly declining and crop inputs are slowly rising. That intersection is different as each farm has a different break-even level. As we enter this year, that...
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Smithfield foods closing its Altoona Iowa facility
Smithfield Foods will close its Altoona, Iowa, ham boning facility and consolidate the production volume at other locations to improve the efficiency of its manufacturing platform. Smithfield says it will provide transition assistance to the 314 employees at the...
July weather forecast for the Midwest and Corn Belt
With July a critical month for crop growth in Iowa, growers have their eyes fixed on the latest weather forecasts in hopes of timely rains for their crops. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says a cooler trend is in store for parts of the Midwest and Corn Belt to begin...
Cover Crop Business Accelerator from PFI and ISA celebrates 5 years
Practical Farmers of Iowa and the Iowa Soybean Association offer their Cover Crop Business Accelerator (CCBA) program to support cover crop adoption in the Midwest. The program is now in its fifth year, and it helps new and emerging cover crop businesses with the seed...
Class III milk futures likely to see continued choppiness
The Class III milk market has experienced significant volatility recently, with prices fluctuating and market participants seeking clear direction. Kathleen Wolfley, an agriculture broker with Ever.Ag, provided insights into the current dynamics and future outlook for...
Independence Day means so much more than a day off
Today, as most of us enjoy a day off work, we should take the time to reflect on what the 4th of July means. 248 years ago, men from across a fledgling nation sat in a small room in Philadelphia and found a way to put aside their differences and come to an mutually...
