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Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment for cover crop adoption
Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers. Enrollment is open May 1 through Aug. 31. "Cover crops aren't just good for the soil - they're good for the bottom line," said Jim Douglas, farmer advisor for Farmers for Soil Health and a soybean and corn grower from Flat Rock,...
Updating reference prices must be a priority in the next farm bill
As input prices go up and commodity prices go down, farmers rely on the reference prices in the farm safety net to help stay in business when margins get squeezed. Betty Resnick, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), explained the basics of...
U.S. Export Sales Report (4-4-24)
Another week of uneventful export sales has come and gone with little reaction from the markets. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest numbers for corn. Beans were much worse off, though, as this week marked the eleventh week in a row of...
Summertime E15 waiver decision timeline
The clock is ticking, and time is running out for the Biden EPA to decide on a summertime E15 waiver which would allow for summer sales at the pump. A waiver is needed for sales of E15 to be allowed this summer, before a more permanent rule allowing for E15 sales goes...
New technology key to increasing ag productivity
Technological developments in agriculture have enabled continued output growth without requiring many additional inputs. Innovations in animal and crop genetics, chemicals, equipment, and farm organization have made it possible for total agricultural output to nearly...
Producers “egg”cited about the this year’s Easter egg consumption
With the easter holiday now past us, you have probably sworn off ham for at least six months even though you know it won't be the case because Iowa's pork farmers do such a great job producing delicious pork. You are also probably still eating the discount candy you...
Smallest drought area since 2020
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported a sizable drop in drought areas around the U.S. “After wet weather and an early spring across much of the country, drought has decreased to around 18 percent of the U.S. by the end of March, down from 20...
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More Ag News
La Nina likely to return this fall
The weather has been on the drier side in some parts of the state recently, as regions like western Iowa have seen the return of abnormally dry conditions on the drought monitor. However, this isn’t as big of a problem right now, as the crops are very close to full...
July was a strong month for beef and pork exports
Exports of U.S. beef continued to build momentum in July, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said July beef exports totaled 110,419 metric tons (mt), up 7% from a year ago-...
Farming efficiently and improving yields with PTx
In the spring of 2024 AGCO announced the launch of PTx bringing two of its precision ag entities, Precision Planting and PTx Trimble, together under one umbrella. Seth Crawford is the general manager of PTx and he says that with AGCO’s precision ag offerings from...
SAF coalition submits comments on energy credits and incentives
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition submitted comments responding to request for stakeholder comments on energy credits and incentives from the House Ways and Means Committee. In its comments, the Coalition underscored the economic benefits associated with SAF...
Hoegemeyer pleased with 24 performance and looks forward to 25
Record yields are being predicted once again in 2024. Now, we may wonder where those yields are coming from. However, what we have heard mostly around the state is that crops look good. People are saying that except for some drowned-out spots, the plants look strong...
