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EPA still very murky on WOTUS clarity
This has been going on for more than a decade already. The back and forth between the Waters of The United States (WOTUS) from the Obama Administration, the Navigable Waters Act of the Trump Administration, and now the New WOTUS from President Biden’s EPA. Definitions over what is considered “navigable”, and where the jurisdiction of the Federal Government ends, and the states and counties begin. It’s a political problem that seems to have no end in sight. What is complicating the situation...
SW Iowa crops still looking great heading into harvest
There’s not much time left until harvest season will be upon us in Iowa, and the crops in the southwest part of the state are still looking great. SW Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said he’s expecting a bumper crop for both corn and soybeans this year. Meyer said...
Financial benefits of climate-smart commodities
Approximately 13,000 American farms participate in the climate-smart commodity initiative, which covers about eight million acres of land. Ag Secretary Tom talked about the appeal of the initiative and said he expects those participation numbers to continue growing....
A drop in soybean condition ratings
USDA is reporting a drop in condition ratings for soybeans and a possible frost in parts of the Upper Midwest. That is USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. There was no change to the corn condition rating this week with the number remaining at 65% good to excellent....
Koch completes $3.6 billion purchase of Iowa Fertilizer Co.
Koch Ag & Energy Solutions successfully purchased OCI Global’s fertilizer plant in Wever, Iowa, for $3.6 billion. After announcing the pending sale last year, the finished transaction gives Koch access to a state-of-the-art facility and its related businesses. The...
Keeping new dairy calves healthy from respiratory diseases
While we have talked at length about what H5N1 or bird flu looks like for dairy herds, we have to remember that this isn’t the only health concern we face. There are still the old standards we have to guard against, and at this time of year, we see more calves moving...
Congress returning with work to do for agriculture
Congress has a lot on its plate with few work weeks remaining this year, including keeping the government fully funded. Ryan Yates, managing director of government affairs with the American Farm Bureau, talks about a couple of the big projects Congress needs to deal...
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La Nina likely to return this fall
The weather has been on the drier side in some parts of the state recently, as regions like western Iowa have seen the return of abnormally dry conditions on the drought monitor. However, this isn’t as big of a problem right now, as the crops are very close to full...
July was a strong month for beef and pork exports
Exports of U.S. beef continued to build momentum in July, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said July beef exports totaled 110,419 metric tons (mt), up 7% from a year ago-...
Farming efficiently and improving yields with PTx
In the spring of 2024 AGCO announced the launch of PTx bringing two of its precision ag entities, Precision Planting and PTx Trimble, together under one umbrella. Seth Crawford is the general manager of PTx and he says that with AGCO’s precision ag offerings from...
SAF coalition submits comments on energy credits and incentives
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition submitted comments responding to request for stakeholder comments on energy credits and incentives from the House Ways and Means Committee. In its comments, the Coalition underscored the economic benefits associated with SAF...
Hoegemeyer pleased with 24 performance and looks forward to 25
Record yields are being predicted once again in 2024. Now, we may wonder where those yields are coming from. However, what we have heard mostly around the state is that crops look good. People are saying that except for some drowned-out spots, the plants look strong...