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The future of the farm bill could be decided by November elections
The future of the farm bill may be decided by what happens when voters head to the polls in November. Lawmakers have left Washington for a month of campaigning without passing a new five-year bill, leaving producers facing more uncertainty after the third extension of the current law expired. Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-AR) says the clock is running short on time. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that if Democrats win big in November, they might have a different plan for the...
AFBF pleased with Senate Ag Committee farm bill passage
The Senate Ag Committee approved its version of the farm bill on a 12-11 party line vote. Now, an updated version of the farm bill- which hasn’t been updated since 2018- is finally within reach. Brian Glenn, director of government relations for the American Farm...
Local farmers help steer Iowa State research
Agriculture may be a statewide industry in Iowa, but the conditions farmers face can vary considerably depending on where they operate. Differences in soil, terrain, weather, and other local factors mean the questions facing producers in northeast Iowa may not be the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (9-17-26)
This week’s export sales were good once again, especially for this time of year. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales are slightly behind the USDA’s pace, so this report was very much appreciated. McBride said the soybean sales have continued to...
Growing Iowa’s cattle herd
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association held a press conference on Thursday at the Pastour Family Farm near Mitchellville to announce its Building Iowa’s Cattle Future policy package. The press conference featured ICA’s plans for strengthening Iowa’s cattle industry,...
Fuel prices will likely keep climbing higher
Diesel fuel is at an all-time high of more than six dollars a gallon as farmers start a busy harvest season. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, said the price for fuel in the U.S. is hard to swallow. DeHaan said the U.S. and Iran war isn’t...
Ag Committee advances Farm Bill 2.0 to uncertain future in full Senate
The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its 2026 farm bill on a narrow 12-11 party-line vote after Sen. Mitch McConnell’s return enabled action on the measure. The bill includes major agriculture priorities such as year-round E15, mandatory country-of-origin...
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More Ag News
Naig urges safety as harvest impatience grows
Rain has kept many Iowa combines parked as farmers wait for fields to dry, and with October approaching, the desire to finally get harvest underway continues to build. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said that anticipation is evident as he travels across the...
Details from September Cattle on Feed Report
USDA published the September Cattle on Feed Report on Friday September 18th, and the report shows another increase in cattle and calves on feed. That’s according to USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer. However, Fischer says that when examining cattle that were...
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...
