Top Stories
New data shows continued threat to food affordability due to California Prop. 12
Equipped with brand new retail and U.S. Department of Agriculture data reinforcing California Proposition 12’s detrimental impacts on both producers and consumers, 105 American pork producers from 23 states took to Capitol Hill, advocating for their livelihoods with federal lawmakers. Researchers at the North Dakota State University Agricultural Risk Policy Center found that Prop.12-driven price increases have persisted, even two years after the law was fully implemented. On average, prices...
Indigo Ag continues to aid farmers with sustainable ag programs
The Farm Progress Show is a great opportunity to showcase ag innovation, and that’s especially true for one of the newer opportunities in agriculture: carbon markets. Indigo Ag has a wide portfolio of carbon program options that are available to help provide farmers...
Drought intensifies in weekly drought monitor
The weekly Drought Monitor showed drought getting worse across areas in the Midwest, South, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. In the Midwest, extreme heat impacted areas like Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Record high temps were set in cities...
USDA releases updated 2023 farm income forecast
The updated farm income forecast for 2023 is out from USDA and as you might imagine it’s predicting a drop. The new forecast includes information that wasn’t available during their last forecast in February according to Carrie Litowski, senior economist for the USDA,...
Grains & markets both challenged as harvest approaches
If you are holding onto grain to sell before harvest, you may have checked cash bids or listened to the Basis Matters program this morning and got a big surprise. The basis level has dropped like a stone overnight. I have seen drops as small as a nickel to a buck and...
Heat hits cattle, USDA updates LIP payments
The extreme heat is taking its toll not just on crops, but also cattle says United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack as USDA is updating its payment rates for cattle losses. So, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says the department will update Livestock Indemnity...
Ethanol production hits three-month low
The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output dropped to a three-month low while inventories hit the lowest point since November. Ethanol production dropped to an average of 1.007 million barrels a day during the week ending on August 25. The EIA report...
Video
More Ag News
Tyson Foods to close Perry pork packing plant
Tyson Foods has signaled that it will permanently close its pork packing plant in Perry in late June. Tyson is the biggest employer in the city of Perry and the closing of the facility will leave 1,276 plant workers without jobs. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining...
USDA finalizes “Product of the USA” labeling rule
The Department of Agriculture this week finalized a rule related to voluntary labeling claims of ‘Product of the USA.’ USDA’s final ‘Product of the USA’ rule will allow farmers to label meat, poultry, and egg products when they are born, raised, and processed in the...
Crop insurance deadline nears
Farmers not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2024 crop year have until March 15, 2024, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, support to farmers...
Effects from cattle losses in Texas wildfire could be felt for a while
Wildfires in Texas have been burning for some time. Even with the fire reported to be over 70% contained, the loss of property and life is terrible. Cattle spread across both of those spectrums. While they are livestock property of ranches, they are also lives being...
PFI’s Labor4Learning program offers hands-on experience for new farmers
Applications for paid on-farm jobs are now open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Labor4Learning program, which provides an opportunity for beginning farmers to train with experienced farmers across the state who are committed to developing the next generation of...
