Top Stories
Federal farm safety net payments reach record $13.8 billion
Federal farm safety-net payments are expected to reach a record $13.8 billion for the 2025 crop year, reflecting the growing importance of government assistance to American agricultural producers. USDA says payments through the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs will be the largest since Congress established them in the 2014 farm bill. The programs provide financial protection when commodity prices or farm revenues fall below established thresholds. USDA says the...
Farm Crawl opens doors to Iowa agriculture
Fall in Iowa means harvest, football, pumpkin patches, and apple orchards. But it can also be an opportunity to get off the highway, travel some of Iowa’s back roads, and see just how many different products are being produced by farms and small businesses across the...
BW Fusion names new CEO
Dean Williams, an ag industry veteran with over forty years of experience, has been named the new CEO of BW Fusion. With experience leading a wide range of ag businesses, Williams said he is excited to bring the company into its next phase of growth in biological crop...
Examining record corn exports
Will the 2026-27 commodity marketing year produce another record for U.S. corn exports? The 2025-2026 marketing year was a record year for U.S. corn exports and USDA Chief Economist Justin Benevidez was asked recently if the 26-27 marketing year can follow that trend....
U.S.-China summit leaves key agricultural trade issues unresolved
U.S. farmers are awaiting more details on agricultural trade after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded talks Thursday without announcing a broader trade agreement. Reuters reports the countries extended their existing trade truce by two...
Diesel prices remain high as harvest gets underway
Diesel prices continue climbing, leaving farmers wondering how long this will continue. Crude oil prices have shown signs of easing, but diesel prices are not following suit, putting even more pressure on the farm economy. Faith Parum, an economist for the American...
Iowa grown food reaches more school cafeterias
The Choose Iowa Local Food for Schools program is expanding its efforts to connect Iowa schools with locally produced food after a successful pilot program last year. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the program was piloted last year before being made...
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More Ag News
Ag groups seek stability in uncertain markets
It has been a week since President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House, and U.S. agriculture continues to watch for signs that those discussions could lead to stronger trade relationships. Representatives from the ethanol and cattle...
U.S. Export Sales Report (10-1-26)
Following yesterday’s bearish Quarterly Grain Stocks report, this week’s export sales came in mixed for corn and soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales are still behind the USDA’s expectations, which will likely cause a correction to be...
Crop harvest pace on track nationally despite Midwest weather delays
Harvest is off to a slow start in Iowa with many farmers unable to begin due to the wet weather conditions in the early portion of the fall season. Despite the delay in harvesting in parts of the Corn Belt and Midwest, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that...
Old Farmer’s Almanac predicting a stormy first half of winter
Fall has officially started, and already a lot of focus is on what the weather might look like this winter. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the first half of this coming winter might be similar to the winter of 1997-1998, which was one of the warmest and...
More farmer aid unlikely until after midterm elections
Republican lawmakers are warning that additional farm aid may not reach producers fast enough. Politico reported that Republicans are pushing to attach roughly $11 billion in direct farm assistance to a defense spending package. Payments likely would not arrive until...
