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Why milk components matter more than ever
New dairy research is putting a dollar value on a trait many producers have been focusing on for years: milk components. CoBank Dairy Economist Corey Geiger says the difference between top and bottom performing herds can add up to hundreds of dollars per cow annually Geiger says that when the data is put into perspective the revenue potential can be surprising. The analysis compared thousands of herds across multiple federal milk marketing orders, revealing some regional differences. Geiger...
Farmers continue embracing conservation practices
Iowa farmers continue adopting conservation practices at a record pace, and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says new state investments will help keep that momentum going. During a recent interview, Naig said conservation remains one of the department's top...
U.S. pork exports to Japan show strong rebound
Exports of U.S. pork to Japan have shown an impressive rebound in 2026. The market has faced challenges such as high energy costs and a weak yen against the U.S. dollar, but some value sectors have increasingly relied on U.S. pork loin and pork butt. USMEF President...
Grassley says farm bill markup possible next week even without McConnell
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that the Senate Ag Committee could still mark up a farm bill next week before the August recess without sidelined Mitch McConnell and a GOP majority. Senator Grassley says Ag Chair John Boozman still hopes to take up...
Markets react to July USDA cattle reports
The USDA released two important reports last week that each had a direct impact on the U.S. cattle industry: the July Cattle Inventory and July Cattle on Feed Reports. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the two reports offer a...
ICA lead on CRP reform at NCBA summer business meeting
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association (ICA) continues to deliver results for Iowa cattle producers, both in Iowa and across the nation. At the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Summer Business Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, earlier this month, ICA led...
Naig: Heat, timely rain shaping Iowa crops
Iowa farmers have faced a little bit of everything this summer. Extended stretches of heat have increased stress on crops and livestock, while scattered thunderstorms have brought much-needed rainfall to some areas and flooding, hail, and damaging winds to others....
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Active August weather could boost Iowa crops
Strong thunderstorms rolled through Iowa on the opening morning of the Iowa State Fair, putting the weather front and center. While the storms may not have been what fairgoers wanted to see, the broader weather pattern could be arriving at a good time for Iowa crops....
August WASDE report drove U.S. grain prices higher
Overnight news of attacks on two Russian shipping ports had the markets higher to start the day, and the August WASDE report brought a few surprises that allowed to grain markets to hold on to those gains and go even further. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride...
Lower disease pressure gives Iowa corn growers more flexibility in 2026
Now that we are in the stretch run of the growing season, it won’t be long until corn growers fire up their combines and begin harvesting. However, there are still a lot of things that farmers can do the rest of the growing season and during harvest to optimize their...
Fertilizer, diesel costs remain elevated heading into fall
Fertilizer and diesel prices remain well above recent-year levels, adding pressure to farmers making fall input decisions for the 2027 crop. USDA data analyzed by the University of Illinois shows anhydrous ammonia averaged $915.50 per ton on August 7, up 16 percent...
Risk Management Agency giving farmers more time to pay
USDA is giving farmers more time to pay their crop insurance bills. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is authorizing Approved Insurance Providers to give producers up to 60 additional days to pay crop insurance premiums, administrative fees, and other amounts with...
