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Farmers aren’t getting extra profits from high grocery prices
Farm income across the country is not keeping up with the rising costs of groceries. Many consumers also don’t realize that higher prices don’t lead to greater farm profits, especially since farmers are also paying for groceries themselves. Terri Moore, vice president of communications for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said farmers only receive a very small share of each dollar spent on food. Moore said there are concerns that consumers think farmers are getting rich off of the high...
Pork producers advocating for industry priorities on Capitol Hill
The National Pork Producers Council has brought nearly 100 pig farmers from about 20 states to Capitol Hill for the Legislative Action Conference this week. NPPC Vice President Todd Marotz said they are meeting face-to-face with lawmakers and sharing the story of an...
Secretary Naig announces 125 schools receive Choose Iowa local food for schools grants
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that 125 Iowa public and private schools will receive funding through the Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools Program to purchase Iowa grown and raised food. Each participating school will receive approximately...
Iowa farmers can put soybean quality to test
Soybean harvest is just barely getting started in Iowa, and heavy rains across the state have put much of that early progress on hold. Once combines can get back into the fields, however, soybean growers can learn more about the quality of this year’s crop while...
Rain has defined the 2026 crop year in Iowa
As the Pro Farmer Crop Tour traveled across the Midwest, many reports came in of dry crop conditions and lower yields. That was not the case for the Iowa leg of the tour, though, as yields were actually higher due to significant rains, especially in the eastern and...
Farmers hit hardest by high transportation costs
The impact of higher fuel prices goes beyond just what farmers pay to plant and harvest a crop. These prices are also driving up transportation costs throughout the supply chain. Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, said that...
Trends in cover crop use and production
An annual survey provides the latest trends regarding cover crop use and production in agriculture. The producer-based cover crop survey is conducted in part by USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Under Secretary for Farm Production...
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Heavy rains reveal both water quality progress and needs
Heavy rains can put Iowa’s water quality challenges under a microscope. When water starts moving across farm fields, erosion and nutrient loss can become much easier to see. But those same conditions can also highlight the progress being made on farms where...
BASF pleased with herbicide weed control in 2026
This crop season has been defined by heavy rains across much of Iowa, especially as we get into harvest. Mid-season rains made weed control more difficult, but BASF has heard a lot of good feedback about the performances of their herbicide portfolio. Kurt Maertens of...
Trump administration weighs diesel export ban
Record-high diesel prices are pressuring farmers heading into harvest, and the Trump administration is considering whether restricting diesel exports could provide relief. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says officials are examining whether a full or partial export...
China’s ag purchase pledge back in spotlight ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping of China are set to meet Thursday September 24th in Washington D.C. Jim McCormick, co-founder of AgMarket.net, says that the agriculture industry will be closely following the meeting to determine what agriculture topics...
Oil prices move lower in response to peace talk rumors
After weeks of steady improvement, oil prices traded lower to start this week as they were down 4-5% in Monday’s trading action. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at Gasbuddy.com, said the markets are likely hopeful that the Trump administration is going to...
