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AFBF highlights gaps in Dairy Margin Coverage Program
The Dairy Margin Coverage Program is a farm safety net program that helps U.S. dairy farmers manage risk when the gap between milk prices and feed costs shrinks. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the program has been a big help to dairy farmers. However, Munch said that recent years have highlighted limits in the program’s effectiveness because it only covers milk prices against feed costs, which doesn’t account for other input costs. Munch said Congress...
Iowa crop progress and condition report
March 25 - 31, 2024 DES MOINES, Iowa (April 1, 2024) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented today on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through...
No bird flu yet, but it could come with a variant
We have spent too much time having to deal with the High-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu. We all remember the devastation we saw in the upper Midwest in 2015. We remember the thousands upon thousands of animals affected and farms...
Renovations underway at Iowa State Fair’s historic sheep barn
Believe it or not, the livestock buildings at the Iowa State Fair have each been there for over 100 years. And if you drive across the fairgrounds right now, you’ll notice that one barn in particular- the sheep barn- is getting some modern renovations that will...
Celebrating the past, present, and future of agriculture
The 36th annual Celebration of Agriculture dinner took place in Cedar Rapids last week to celebrate Iowa Ag Week. Both Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig and former U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue, who was this year’s featured speaker, were in attendance to highlight Iowa...
Grain stocks report shows more corn, beans in storage
The USDA’s Grain Stocks Report shows corn stocks in all positions on March 1, 2024, totaled 8.35 billion bushels, up 13 percent from March 1, 2023. Of the total stocks, 5.08 billion bushels were stored on farms, 24 percent higher than last year. Off-farm stocks were...
Unleashing potential with advancements in soybeans
The Research Center for Farming Innovation at Iowa Soybean Association features an on-farm research center, an analytics and insights team, and a conservation team. Christie Wiebbecke is the chief officer of research and conservation at Iowa Soybean Association and...
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More Ag News
SW Iowa crops still looking great heading into harvest
There’s not much time left until harvest season will be upon us in Iowa, and the crops in the southwest part of the state are still looking great. SW Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said he’s expecting a bumper crop for both corn and soybeans this year. Meyer said...
Financial benefits of climate-smart commodities
Approximately 13,000 American farms participate in the climate-smart commodity initiative, which covers about eight million acres of land. Ag Secretary Tom talked about the appeal of the initiative and said he expects those participation numbers to continue growing....
A drop in soybean condition ratings
USDA is reporting a drop in condition ratings for soybeans and a possible frost in parts of the Upper Midwest. That is USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. There was no change to the corn condition rating this week with the number remaining at 65% good to excellent....
Koch completes $3.6 billion purchase of Iowa Fertilizer Co.
Koch Ag & Energy Solutions successfully purchased OCI Global’s fertilizer plant in Wever, Iowa, for $3.6 billion. After announcing the pending sale last year, the finished transaction gives Koch access to a state-of-the-art facility and its related businesses. The...
Keeping new dairy calves healthy from respiratory diseases
While we have talked at length about what H5N1 or bird flu looks like for dairy herds, we have to remember that this isn’t the only health concern we face. There are still the old standards we have to guard against, and at this time of year, we see more calves moving...
