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Rural roadway safety concerns during harvest season
Harvest season is underway in many parts of the country including the Midwest as warm temperatures have started the dry down process early and farmers have fired up their combines. Every year as harvest season begins it is important to remind both farmers and the public about the importance of sharing the roadway safely at this time of year. Dan Neenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says that everyone in rural areas needs to be aware of large equipment on roads and...
Applications are open for 2026 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship
The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is encouraging college students who are pursuing careers in the beef industry to apply for the 2026 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten students will be selected to receive scholarships worth $1,500 each. NCBA Senior Vice...
Korean pizza chain adding U.S. pork sausage to menu
In South Korea, pizza chain Pizza Alvolo was looking to add something new to its menu. When it turned to the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) for assistance, USMEF Senior Marketing Manager for Foodservice in Korea Elly Sung suggested U.S. pork sausage. After...
Strong yields & weak margins: Financial pressures mount on farmers
The 2025 season has been defined by both resilience and strain in the farm economy. Strong yields in many regions helped keep optimism alive, but they were tempered by financial pressures that have made every decision more critical. Interest rates remain historically...
Dry Iowa weather can make harvest more complicated
Combines are rolling across much of the state, and the dry weather has allowed harvest to continue mostly uninterrupted. However, that dryness can bring with it a whole different slate of issues. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said corn yields might seem...
Turkey inventory squeezed as Thanksgiving approaches
As the weather turns cooler across the US, many shoppers are beginning to plan holiday meals. American Farm Bureau Federation Economist Bernt Nelson said USDA’s latest Turkeys Raised Report gives us some important insight on the size of the U.S. flock ahead of...
Farm bankruptcies on the rise in 2025
The latest data from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shows farm bankruptcies increasing year over year. Joe Peiffer, an attorney with Ag & Business Legal Strategies in Hiawatha Iowa, says the numbers are disturbing. Peiffer says the...
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More Ag News
Major takeaways from the 2025 crop season
This was a very eventful crop year for Iowa’s corn and soybean farmers. While the variety of issues felt lower than most years, the problems that did pop up threw many farmers for a loop. John Brien, agronomy division manager with AgriGold, said crop health proved to...
U.S. Export Sales Report (12-11-25)
The weekly export sales are continuing to catch up to where we are currently in the calendar year. This week’s sales covered data through the week of November 13th. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the data showed a good week for both corn and soybeans....
Ag Economy Barometer survey findings on farmer financial assistance intentions
The recent farmer bridge payment announcement from the White House and USDA is a welcome relief for farmers. Although the payments are not a permanent fix to any of the financial problems farmers face, they do help to provide assistance during the trade war with...
CoBank: Forces shaping the 2026 rural economy
A new CoBank Report on the forces shaping the economy in 2026 says ample grain supplies will likely continue burdening the markets in 2026. Global grain and oilseed markets are still oversupplied, but increased biofuels production and improving export conditions are...
Early beans, late rust, and a year full of surprises
You could not plan for the 2025 growing season. Farmers across Iowa saw everything from once-in-a-decade disease pressure to long stretches of uncooperative weather, along with a planting window that turned upside down more than once. Brad Gibson of Channel Seeds...
