Top Stories
New ARC/PLC acres will be specifically distributed
Thirty million new base acres in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill won’t be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, the USDA is electing to distribute those acres in a more organized way. USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce said producers don’t need to rush to their FSA office for the new Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) base acres. Fordyce said this will keep farmers from having to stake their claim on base...
Ground pork gaining traction as a great option for daily meals
As the new year gets underway, there’s growing excitement around adding more protein to the plate. Momentum is building with the “Taste What Pork Can Do®” consumer brand campaign. José de Jesús, assistant vice president of consumer marketing with the National Pork...
Employment data in rural America
USDA’s "Rural America at a Glance" report gives insight into employment trends in rural areas of the United States. USDA research economist Tracey Farrigan says from 2023-2024 employment in rural areas grew at a rate of about .6%. She says this was a continuation of a...
Rural Energy Council is a “disgrace”
Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, was very unhappy after it was announced that a legislative fix for year-round E15 was dropped from the January government funding bill. It was further incensed that Congress would instead form a “rural...
Iowa ag efforts meet setbacks as policy debates continue
Iowa agriculture continues to face pressure from growing production and slower demand growth, a dynamic that has weighed on commodity prices and raised broader questions about market access for farmers. Those issues were discussed earlier this week during a...
Potential ag impacts from significant winter system
A winter storm is set to move across the country this week and could have adverse effects for agriculture. The storm is unique in that it is tracking farther south than would be expected at this time of the year says USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. Southern states are...
Trump’s tariffs make a tough economy even tougher
As President Trump continues with his trade policies, farmers in Iowa are feeling the squeeze economically. It’s going to take much more than a bridge payment to make sure that family farms in Iowa are able to keep operating in the future. Iowa Farmers Union President...
Video
More Ag News
Stalled renewable fuels growth risks Iowa rural economy
Renewable fuels have been one of the most important demand drivers for Iowa agriculture over the past two decades, helping farmers absorb growing productivity while supporting jobs and investment in rural communities. But industry leaders say that momentum has...
ISA reacts to 45z tax credit news
The soybean markets have seen a ton of support this week, mostly due to the announcement of 45z tax credit guidelines. Soybean farmers across the country have been waiting for this announcement for far too long, and now there is finally a light at the end of the...
USDA Farm Income Forecast is lower for 2026
USDA released the first farm income projections for 2026. Carrie Litkowski, a senior economist with the USDA’s Economic Research Service, said the income forecast is lower this year. Litkowski said there are several notable increases in the forecast as well. For more...
Tracking the price movement in the cattle complex this week
It was a week of ups and downs in the ag marketplace for cattle this week. Two headline stories sent prices down midweek before a recovery on Friday to end the week. Joe Camp of Commstock Investments tells the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network about one of the news...
Former ag leaders warn of farm economy in crisis
A bipartisan group of former leaders of America’s major agricultural commodity organizations and biofuels organizations, farmer leaders, and former USDA officials issued a stark warning to Congress and the Trump administration. In a letter, they outlined the...
