Top Stories
Don’t wait for crisis to plan farm succession
Passing a farm from one generation to the next involves more than transferring land, equipment or livestock. For many farm families, succession means determining the future of a business, a livelihood and a legacy that may have taken generations to build. That complexity can also make it easy to put succession planning off until circumstances force a family to act. Farm succession expert Mike Downey with UnCommon Farms has a personal connection to the issue. Neither of the family farms he grew...
South American Weather and Crop Update (10-7-25)
With the current government shutdown, the markets are looking for any headlines to react to. There’s definitely a watchful eye on the crop conditions in Brazil and Argentina, but some political meetings may cause more of a shakeup. Allendale commodity broker Greg...
Crop farmers still facing a rough ag economy
As the broader ag economy continues to struggle, row crop farmers face a particularly difficult time. Now, many farmers and ranchers are studying their balance sheets. Faith Parum, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the difficult ag economy is...
Senator says time is running out for US growers, help needed now
United States Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) told the Senate that U.S. growers can’t wait much longer for help from Washington. Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer says that the combination of high input costs and uncertainty in trade has brought farm finances dangerously close...
Secretary Naig announces grants to bolster access to E15, biodiesel in Iowa
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board recently approved an additional 48 grants, totaling more than $1.86 million, to support new and expanded biofuel infrastructure projects. These...
Scout from the combine seat as weed escapes show
The combines are running full throttle across Iowa, and while farmers are focusing on bringing in the crop, another reality is emerging along the field edges and in bare spots: weeds that slipped through this year’s control programs. Those escapes may look harmless...
Government shutdown adding more uncertainty to the ag markets
The agriculture industry and ag markets have been dealt a lot of uncertainty in 2025. From the tariffs of the trade war to the new world screwworm shutdown of the border between Mexico and the United States, the markets have dealt with many unknowns. Now amid the...
Video
More Ag News
Establish and maintain a strong crop protection program in 2026
Throughout harvest, farmers are monitoring their fields for problem areas. Now that harvest is wrapped up, it’s time to take those observations and start making some plans for next year. Will Griffin of Valent said a strong pre-emerge program can protect the...
Forecasting winter temperatures and precipitation
The latest weather outlook from the National Weather Service is calling for a La Nina weather pattern that will dictate temperature and precipitation patterns for the winter months. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says that recent very cold temperatures are in line...
First confirmation of ASF in Spain since 1994
Late last month, African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in Spain for the first time since 1994. ASF was first found in two dead wild boars in the Barcelona area, located in the Catalonia region. Eleven more wild boars, found dead in the same area, later tested...
China’s deadline moved to February
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent extended an earlier deadline for Beijing’s purchases of American soybeans from December to February. Bessent said China is on pace to meet its pledge to buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of February. Bloomberg said...
ASA urges real movement in soybean trade talks
Soybean farmers have been navigating one of the most difficult trade years in recent memory. Tariffs, months of stalled demand, and unpredictable movement from key buyers have shaped the 2025 market in ways few expected. American Soybean Association President Caleb...
