Top Stories
Naig urges safety as harvest impatience grows
Rain has kept many Iowa combines parked as farmers wait for fields to dry, and with October approaching, the desire to finally get harvest underway continues to build. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said that anticipation is evident as he travels across the state. While some chopping, high-moisture corn harvest and seed harvest have taken place, widespread harvest activity still needs drier conditions. That impatience also makes the timing of National Farm Safety and Health Week...
USDA Secretary Rollins announces Ranchers First Initiative
Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the Ranchers First Initiative, a plan of several actions that aims to aid in the rebuilding of the U.S. cattle herd and bring ranchers back at the center of the food supply. During her visit to...
Small refinery exemptions offer a mixed bag for U.S. farmers
The Environmental Protection Agency granted 29 Small Refinery Exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard this week. Brian Glenn, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the exemptions create a shortfall for biofuels demand by...
Central Iowa farmers gearing up for corn harvest
The Farm Progress Show conveniently takes place just before the harvest season begins each year. It won’t be long until the farmers that are visiting the show are back at home in the cab of their combine to begin harvesting. Wade Peck is a district sales manager with...
EPA grants most small refinery exemption requests
EPA has granted most of the small refinery exemption requests it considered for the 2025 Renewable Fuel Standard compliance year. The agency announced decisions Monday on 34 petitions from individual refineries seeking relief from their biofuel blending obligations....
EPA backs innovation that works for farmers
As farmers continue to face high input costs, new precision technology could provide opportunities to reduce expenses while also limiting environmental impacts. Doug Jones, agriculture advisor for EPA Region 7, says the agency is watching several new technologies that...
Mexico bans U.S. lamb and sheep offal over scrapie case
In late July, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) surveillance program detected a case of classical scrapie in a single sheep at a slaughter facility in Oregon. It was the first such detection in the U.S. in more than five years. Although APHIS...
Video
More Ag News
Lending a trusted ear to farmer mental health struggles
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and that’s especially important in rural areas, where suicide rates are roughly 1.5 times higher than urban areas. A lack of rural mental health care options and a negative stigma against discussing mental health have...
U.S. Export Sales Report (9-4-26)
Old crop grain sales are wrapping up as we prepare to enter into the new crop year. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the old crop corn sales were strong in the latest export sales report, and that will likely be reflected in next week’s WASDE report....
Preparing for farm safety during harvest
Safety is always a primary concern for farmers during harvest season and making sure that you have the proper safety tools and procedures in place should always be top of mind. After a dry August and hot and dry start to September Dan Neenan of the National Education...
Iowa CSP, EQIP application deadline set for Sept. 25
Iowa farmers interested in signing up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) have until Sept. 25 to apply to be considered for 2027 funding. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural...
Harvest opens key SCN testing window in Iowa
As soybean harvest approaches across Iowa, farmers have an opportunity to check their fields for a pest that can quietly reduce yields without producing obvious symptoms. Soybean cyst nematode, or SCN, remains one of the most damaging soybean pests, and once it...
