Top Stories
Early action can preserve farm financial options
The current farm economy continues to put financial pressure on many producers. While government assistance has helped offset some losses, several years of tight margins have left many farm operations facing difficult financial decisions. Legal experts say recognizing financial problems early can help producers avoid more serious challenges later. Austin Peiffer, an associate attorney with Ag and Business Legal Strategies, says repeated losses can quickly snowball into bigger financial...
Swine industry is combatting misinformation about California Prop 12
True animal welfare starts with supporting hog producers, not creating legislation to impede their ability to raise their livestock. As swine industry leaders push to get legislation to nullify California Proposition 12 on the Senate version of the farm bill, another...
Grassley discusses the USMCA ahead of July 1st review
Last week President Trump said that he does not plan to renew USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) ahead of its mandatory July 1 review. On Tuesday United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was asked about the president’s comments and whether Grassley and other...
U.S. Senators call for more action against NWS
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is urging the USDA to take additional steps to contain the growing New World Screwworm outbreak in the U.S. The lawmakers, led by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, sent a letter to USDA expressing concern about the threat the...
USDA reports mixed red meat exports for April
USDA data release compiled by the U.S Meat Export Federation (USMEF) seemed encouraging for U.S. pork exports as a strong momentum was maintained throughout April. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom reports an 8% increase in pork exports consequent to the growth in...
George Washington’s cherries reveal agricultural legacy
The story of George Washington and a cherry tree has long been part of American folklore. While historians have dismissed that tale as fiction, a recent discovery at Mount Vernon has revealed a very real connection between the nation's first president and the fruit he...
Swine producers taking advantage of strong economic factors
The swine industry has seen some rough times in recent years, but now things are finally feeling much better. When hog prices are good, it’s smart to look at ways to improve your operation while also keeping those profits intact. Chris Ford, vice president of swine...
Video
More Ag News
Heavier cattle weights bring bonuses and challenges at marketing time
As everyone knows by now, the total number of cattle in the U.S. herd is historically low. One of the ways that the low supply is being compensated for to meet the high demand for beef is by keeping cattle on feed longer and feeding them to heavier finishing weights....
Soybean growers applaud Supreme Court decision on glyphosate
The American Soybean Association is praising a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal pesticide labeling requirements take precedence over state failure-to-warn claims. The decision in Durnell v. Monsanto found that pesticide labels approved under federal law cannot...
Year-round E15 and farm aid included in Iran supplemental request
In a major breakthrough for U.S. agriculture, President Trump has included year-round E15 and billions of dollars in new farm aid in his Iran war supplemental request to Congress. The almost $88 billion war request was signed by Trump’s budget director Russel Vought...
USMCA review begins July 1 with an uncertain future
Mexico and Canada, two of the three USMCA nations, have said they want this collaboration to continue, unlike U.S. President Donald Trump. President Trump, speaking to reporters at the June G7 meeting in France, seemed unconvinced about continuing this collaboration....
Iowa response limits pseudorabies trade impacts
Iowa's response to a recent pseudorabies case demonstrated how established animal health protocols can protect both livestock and export markets. The virus was detected in a small commercial swine herd after pigs that had previously been housed in Texas were moved...
