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No relief in sight for difficult farm economy
Farmers and ranchers are continuing to struggle with a difficult farm economy. Unfortunately, a study from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows the economic situation in rural America will only get worse. Faith Parum, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the latest estimates show shortfalls in the billions. Parum said there are several reasons why the challenges are increasing. Even with recent federal help bolstering the rural economy, Parum said more help is...
Weather will affect how much disease pressure we see in 2026
Due to the beautiful weather we have seen in Iowa recently, which has included some cool and wet nights, tar spot has already been detected in some fields across the state. However, this week’s much hotter temperatures should suppress any additional pressure from tar...
Naig stresses value of USMCA framework
Trade agreements often receive the most attention when negotiations become contentious, but for Iowa agriculture, their greatest value is often found in the stability they provide. Canada and Mexico remain Iowa's two largest international trading partners, making the...
Boozman defends excluding Prop 12 from farm bill
Senate Ag Chair John Boozman shares reasons for his decision not to limit the out-of-state reach of California’s Prop 12 restriction on extreme animal confinement in his farm bill draft. Boozman says although Republicans are ready to vote to restrict California’s...
How El Niño will impact agriculture
The weather pattern shifting to El Niño this year has been a topic of conversation in weather forecasts for some time. Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, says the El Niño weather pattern arrived earlier this month. Merrill says the forecast for July is...
Grain markets brace for key USDA reports
Grain traders are positioning for one of the most closely watched government report releases of the year as USDA prepares to issue its Planted Acreage and Quarterly Grain Stocks reports on Tuesday. Market analysts say the reports could significantly influence corn,...
U.S. Export Sales Report (6-29-26)
Last week’s export sales held a couple of surprises, particularly in the corn exports. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales may look disappointing, but they were actually good compared to the 5-year average. McBride said the soybean sales were...
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Agriculture helps tell America’s story
As Americans celebrate Independence Day and the nation's 250th anniversary, it's an opportunity to reflect on the people, industries, and values that have helped shape the country over the past two and a half centuries. For Iowa, agriculture has long been one of the...
250 years of agriculture transformed America
250 years of agriculture has transformed America through innovation and marketing to industrial development and mass production. American agriculture was not just transformed by America, but it helped to transform America says retired Smithsonian Institution curator...
Signs and myths regarding mental health in U.S. agriculture
Mental health in the farming and ranching community has never been more important than it is now, given the challenges facing U.S. agriculture. Linda Emmanuel, a farmer and the agricultural health liaison for the AgriSafe Network, highlighted some misconceptions about...
Promoting swine herd health with feed additives
As always, swine herd health is a top priority for Iowa producers. Producers who are looking for ways to mitigate the effects of endemic diseases and guard against potential foreign animal disease outbreaks may want to consider using feed additives. Rob Patterson,...
Iowa growers urged to scout for tar spot
Tar spot has already been confirmed in nine Iowa counties, and crop protection specialists say its early appearance should have corn growers thinking about disease management well before symptoms become widespread. While much of Iowa's corn crop has benefited from...
