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As profit margins tighten, debt management is critical
As tighter margins pressure farm finances, lenders are seeing producers rely more heavily on borrowed capital to cover operating expenses. At the same time, higher interest rates are increasing the cost of carrying that debt. Chad Gent, senior vice president of retail credit with Farm Credit Services of America, said that is making cash flow management increasingly important. Gent said the impact of higher interest rates varies widely among operations, depending on their financial position and...
Long-term effects of data centers must be considered
As the development of large-scale data centers continues to be pushed in rural areas, many communities across the nation have one major question: what is the long-term impact on the local environment? University of Illinois environmental science student Bruce Beam...
Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling advances with Senate farm bill
Mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef moved closer to returning after the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the 2026 farm bill. The legislation includes an amendment tied to the American Beef Labeling Act that would restore mandatory...
USMEF holds seminars to grow demand in Saudi Arabia
For over a decade, U.S. beef faced technical barriers in Saudi Arabia that left only a small fraction of U.S. production eligible for the market. With those obstacles now removed, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – with support from USDA and the Beef Checkoff...
Technology and value added ag guide ISU priorities
Iowa State University President David Cook is spending his first year on the job looking at where the university can have the greatest impact in the years ahead, and agriculture remains a major part of that conversation. Cook has been traveling across Iowa during his...
Voraxor goes after tough and stubborn broadleaf weeds
At this year’s Farm Progress Show, BASF unveiled Voraxor, a next generation, ultra-low use rate burndown and pre-emergence herbicide. Josh Putman, technical marketing manager for corn herbicides at BASF, said Voraxor will be available to farmers next year and combines...
More than 400 FFA students gather for annual Ag and Dairy Expo at NICC
More than 400 Future Farmers of America (FFA) high school students from 36 schools in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin gathered on the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Calmar campus this week for the annual Tri-State Ag and Dairy Expo. Hosted at Iowa’s Dairy...
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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...
AFBF study shows ineffectiveness of U.S. beef import plan
Roughly one month after the Trump administration announced its plan to import beef in an effort to combat high prices at the grocery store, data is showing that prices have not been significantly lowered. New analysis shows that the plan to lower tariffs on imported...
South American Weather and Crop Update (9-29-26)
As the Americas prepare to face what is being called a “super El Niño,” farmers in Brazil and Argentina are moving along with planting season for the next crop. While there is a significant chance for excessive, damaging rains, Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride...
Beef prices and herd retention decisions
With turbulent cattle markets due to beef imports and the southern border with Mexico reopening for cattle imports cattle producers have a lot to think about when making decisions for the future of the herd. Will cattle ranchers and farmers make plans for starting the...
Fordyce explains unusual ARC and PLC signup
Persistent rain has kept combines parked across much of Iowa, leaving farmers waiting for fields to dry out and harvest to get moving. While they wait, there is another decision to make involving the 2026 crop. USDA has opened enrollment for the Agriculture Risk...
