Top Stories
Drought coverage shrinking across most of the U.S
Spring and early summer rainfall has helped to shrink the drought coverage area in the United States. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the U.S. Drought Monitor looks vastly different as of July 7th compared to the drought monitor maps of April 2026. The areas of D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought categories are also shrinking, although Rippey says only some of the regions with those designations have seen improvement. The Great Plains is one of the regions that has benefited from...
Midwest’s premier dairy conference is happening next month
One of the longest-running dairy nutrition conferences in the country will take place again this year from June 3-4 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference- a collaboration between the extension services of Iowa State...
More reaction to house farm bill passage
U.S. agriculture groups continued to react to the House of Representatives’ passing of its 2026 Farm Bill. “Instead of caving to attacks on the livestock industry from groups posing as farmers and ranchers, a bipartisan group advanced a bill that will provide needed...
Farm Bill Clears House as E15 Waits
The U.S. House has now passed its version of the Farm Bill, but just hours before that final vote, lawmakers were still working through the steps needed to bring the legislation to the floor. Speaking Wednesday morning, just minutes before the House began voting on...
Farm Bureau applauds House passage of 2026 farm bill
After several months of work and negotiation, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also known as the farm bill, with a bipartisan vote. Brian Glenn, director of government affairs for the American Farm Bureau...
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-30-26)
This week’s export sales continued the recent trends we have seen. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales had another strong report. The soybean sales, however, were disappointing once again. Additionally, there have been no flash sales since last...
Demand for soy oil driving price to the upside
When petroleum diesel prices rise, renewable diesel and biodiesel become more competitive. As the crude oil price has climbed in the weeks since the beginning of the war in Iran, soy oil prices have followed suit. However, it’s not just the war that is causing price...
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More Ag News
Recapping a volatile week in the grain markets
President Trump’s meeting with China President Xi Jinping is over, and, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there was much discussion about agriculture. The ag industry was hoping for some official trade deals, but all we’ve seen so far are verbal agreements between...
Stay prepared for natural disasters in farm country
Here in Iowa, tornadoes and other severe weather storms can decimate an area in no time. The same is true for much of the country- in fact, data shows that 90% of US counties have experienced a flood, hurricane, wildfire, or other calamity serious enough to receive a...
USDA soybean oil export outlook raises concerns about market volatility
New USDA projections for soybean oil exports are increasing concerns about price volatility in agricultural markets as demand tied to renewable fuels continues reshaping the soybean sector. Analysts with the University of said the government’s first 2026-27 soybean...
A multi-state focus on specialty crops
Applications are now being accepted for grants from USDA's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program, which is designed to address various concerns and efforts within the specialty crop industry. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Deputy Administrator Tricia Kovacs provides...
Soy checkoff continues evolving with changing demand needs
Farmers across the country are taking a harder look at every dollar moving through their operations. With tight margins, elevated input costs, and continued uncertainty in the ag economy, some soybean growers may question whether they are truly seeing value from the...
