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Making sure the entire renewable fuels industry is represented
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted a new round of Small Refinery Exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard, exempting refiners from some renewable fuel blending obligations for 2025. While the action removes nearly 1.8 billion renewable fuel credits from the marketplace, EPA says it plans to restore that volume through future Renewable Volume Obligations. Kurt Kovarik with Clean Fuels Alliance America said the renewable fuels industry pushed hard to ensure farmers and biodiesel...
Iowa Dairy Princess passes crown at state fair
The Iowa dairy industry has a new set of representatives following the crowning of the 73rd Iowa Dairy Princess and alternate at the Iowa State Fair. Hannah Hagen of Allamakee County was selected as the 73rd Iowa Dairy Princess, while Mae Wiedemeyer, representing the...
Next-generation Big Boar Zoomer takes top prize at Iowa State Fair
Zoomer, a six-year-old boar from Atlantic Iowa, is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Big Boar contest winner tipping the scale at 1,246 pounds. Zoomer is owned by Todd Schuler of Atlantic and he tells the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network that Zoomer has the frame to put on...
Largest-ever combined corn and soy planted acreage
U.S. farmers planted a record amount of corn and soybeans in the 2026/27 season, USDA reported this week. Combined planted acreage of the two crops reached 183.5 million acres, more than 3 million acres higher than the previous combined crop record. The record was...
Major reports can cause sudden market shifts
As we saw with the August WASDE report, sudden surprises can cause the grain prices to jump up at a moment’s notice. With the right preparations, farmers can take advantage of those price rallies to get premium prices for their stored grain. Michael Weidner, director...
U.S.-Canada trade negotiations are vital to agriculture success
U.S. farmers and ranchers are paying close attention to the negotiations on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. Virginia Houston, the senior director of congressional affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation, highlights the vital roles Mexico and Canada...
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....
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Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest brings farmers and fairgoers together
The annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is one of the most delicious and best-smelling contests of each Iowa State Fair. While the focus is certainly on the food, it also serves as a great opportunity to connect fairgoers with the farming families that raise the...
Big Bad Joe shatters previous record to win 2026 ISF Big Ram Competition
"Big Bad Joe," the Suffolk ram shown by Jim Fisher of Mercer, MO, is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Big Ram Competition winner weighing in at 568 pounds. Big Bad Joe shattered the previous Iowa State Fair record of 507.5 pounds which was set in 2014. Owner Jim Fisher says...
Major expansion of Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program underway
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, alongside Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, announced the second phase of the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program, which debuted in 2016. This second phase expands to 22 counties within the...
Fertilizer prices expected to stay elevated through 2028
Fertilizer prices are expected to remain above pre-Iran war levels through 2028, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. Farmers and agricultural retailers continue to face higher costs as conflicts and supply disruptions affect global fertilizer...
Grassley, Thompson discuss Farm Bill path at Iowa State Fair
The Farm Bill remains unfinished in the Senate, but two lawmakers closely involved in the process say there is still a path to completing a new five-year bill this year. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson both discussed...
