Top Stories
Iowa grain producers navigate challenging market conditions
Iowa farmers continue to face challenging grain market conditions as harvest supplies, disappointing soybean demand figures, and uncertainty surrounding international trade weigh on commodity prices. While soybean demand has strengthened in recent years, the latest indicators raise questions about whether that momentum can continue. Ben Brown, a research associate with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, says the September soybean crush report was particularly disappointing....
USDA moving to modernize farm loan programs
The USDA is making efforts to streamline the farm loan process, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle that is the current farm economy. The changes to the farm loan program come as farmers face increasingly tight profit margins and greater credit demand. Danny...
ARC and PLC enrollment underway
Enrollment is open now for acreage in the ARC or PLC safety net programs. USDA Farm Production Undersecretary Richard Fordyce says enrollment is open through early December for farmers to choose either program. Fordyce explains the ARC safety net program. He says that...
South American Weather and Crop Update (9-22-26)
As planting for the next crop season continues in South America, a shift to a rainier weather pattern is providing a boost to the crops that are in the ground already. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and...
Financial pressure persists for corn and soybean farmers
A new survey of corn and soybean farmers finds financial pressure remains high despite recent improvements in commodity prices. The National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association report nearly two-thirds of growers are moderately or very concerned...
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...
Details from September Cattle on Feed Report
USDA published the September Cattle on Feed Report on Friday September 18th, and the report shows another increase in cattle and calves on feed. That’s according to USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer. However, Fischer says that when examining cattle that were...
Video
More Ag News
NPPC says a Prop 12 fix is still within reach
The National Pork Producers Council continues pushing lawmakers to address California's Proposition 12 through the next farm bill debate. NPPC President Rob Brenneman, who is also an Iowa pork producer himself, said the organization believes a fix would benefit both...
NASS reports corn ending stocks 35% higher than last year
Higher than expected corn production numbers were negative for the grain markets today and implied lower demand. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), old crop corn stocks on hand as of September 1st, 2026,...
The future of the farm bill could be decided by November elections
The future of the farm bill may be decided by what happens when voters head to the polls in November. Lawmakers have left Washington for a month of campaigning without passing a new five-year bill, leaving producers facing more uncertainty after the third extension of...
Clean Fuels applauds effort to extend biodiesel producer credit
This week, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to extend availability of the Small Agri-Biodiesel Producer Credit through 2029. U.S. companies that produce up to 60 million gallons of biodiesel per year using...
Iowa farmers juggle two crop year decisions
Iowa farmers will soon find themselves making ARC and PLC decisions for two different crop years at nearly the same time. As we reported Tuesday, USDA has opened an unusual enrollment period for the 2026 crop that runs through December 11. That signup was delayed as...
