Top Stories
South American Weather and Crop Update (2-24-26)
With all of the uncertainty in the U.S. ag marketplace, South America may be positioned to take some global market share back. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the latest weather forecasts look mostly good for their crops. McBride said harvest progress in Brazil is slightly behind, but it’s not enough to raise any concerns. Planting for the safrinha crop is looking great as well. With all of the moving pieces surrounding the U.S. tariff situation, McBride said it’s difficult to...
25th annual All-State Barn Tour set for this fall
This September, Iowans will have the unique opportunity to step back in time as the 25th Annual All-State Barn Tour takes place across the state. Hosted by the Iowa Barn Foundation, the self-guided tour will run September 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will...
Protecting yield by reducing crop stress with biologicals
The biologicals market has expanded rapidly in recent years and given farmers more tools to fend off crop stressors and preserve yield. Ryan Schnoes is the District Leader, Biologicals with Corteva Agriscience and says that as crops deal with stress in the growing...
Renewable fuels industry awaiting SRE decision
Several small refinery exemptions wait for a ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. renewable fuels industry is watching to see what the agency will do. Jacqui Fatka, lead economist for farm supply and biofuels at CoBank, said there are a...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-5-25)
The weather is still mostly dry down in South America, so not much has changed. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. The dry weather has allowed Brazil to catch up with the 5-year average on harvest,...
$450,000 in state cost-share directed to water quality practices around 8 public Iowa lakes
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that nine Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District partners will receive $451,176 in water quality cost-share funding from the Publicly...
Agriculture watches as U.S.-Canada tensions rise
The global trade war rhetoric is heating up again, but this time, America’s closest allies are signaling they’ve had enough. Canada, long known for its diplomatic restraint, is beginning to openly express frustration with the Trump Administration’s trade tactics. As...
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More Ag News
The most valuable commodity? Getting home safe
Next week is Farm Safety Week, and it’s a good reminder for all of us in agriculture to think carefully about how we approach safety during harvest. But the truth is, one week of reminders won’t cut it. Safety has to stick with us through the whole season, because the...
Warm temperatures will bring harvest here before we know it
The end of this crop year has been defined by disease pressure, specifically from diseases like Southern Rust and Sudden Death Syndrome. Unfortunately, farmers who did not prepare with fungicides are already seeing significant yield losses. Southwest Iowa Beck’s...
Iowa rural roadway safety considerations during harvest season
Rural roadway safety is one of the biggest safety challenges during harvest season. Dan Neenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says that rural drivers need to demonstrate patience as farmers share the roadways. Neenan says that motorists and...
Fertilizer decisions for 2026 crop will be a balancing act
Fertilizer prices aren’t at historic highs, but relative to last year’s prices and the current prices for crop commodities, they are elevated. According to data from USDA and analysis by University of Illinois Farmdoc, fertilizer prices in the state are 6% to 20%...
USMEF Heartland team reviews market investments in Korea
A team of producers representing the pork, beef, corn and soybean industries visited Korea last week to see first-hand the investments the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is making in the market. Korea is the leading export market for U.S. beef, with purchases...
