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Fertilizer issues have taken on a life of their own
Fertilizer prices were already elevated before hostilities broke out between the U.S. and Iran, but input prices have since reached even higher heights due to supply chain issues in the Strait of Hormuz. Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of the Fertilizer Institute, said fertilizer issues have taken on a life of their own. About a third of the world’s urea, 20 percent of the phosphate, and more than half of the sulfur moves through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked by...
National Ag Day to be celebrated next week
March 19th is National Ag Day. It’s a celebration of the hard work and dedication of American farmers to feed the world. Increasingly we are finding ourselves having to educate our consumers and defend against slanted misinformation. The day is a great way to also...
Nitrogen stabilization key for spring application
A very mild fall and winter allowed for plenty of early nitrogen work to be done, which has set up an interesting planting season. Andrew Luzum, nutrient maximizer specialist with Corteva Agriscience, gave an update on how the soil is faring heading into this spring....
Ag secretary’s CCC spending discretion limited in bill
The USDA spending bill that President Biden just signed for the rest of this fiscal year limits the Ag Secretary’s discretion in spending funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation, which is USDA’s financing institution. The Ag spending bill requires the Secretary to...
AM radio supports quality of life in rural America
AM radio is a critical to rural America, according to National Farmers Union President Rob Larew. Speaking at the NFU annual convention this week, Larew said automakers shouldn’t limit access to information. “In terms of like emergency information and getting the word...
Farms received nearly a quarter of each food-at-home dollar in 2022
In 2022, farm establishments received 24.1 cents for each dollar spent on food at home and 3.6 cents for each dollar spent on food away from home. These amounts, called farm shares, highlight the different paths that food takes from farms to consumers' points of...
Low demand hurting dairy so far in 2024
The dairy industry just seems to never be able to catch a break these past few years. Regulations, trade disputes, labeling products that aren’t dairy as though they were, and the list goes on and on. As we move through these first three months of 2024. We see that...
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Pro Farmer Crop Tour saw lower day one results than last year
The results from the first day of Pro-Farmer’s annual Midwest Crop Tour are lower than last year. About a thousand scouts- including our own Andy Petersen- headed out into Midwestern corn and soybean fields on Monday to objectively determine the final projections....
Many fields in southwest Iowa are looking outstanding
With some pretty cooperative weather during pollination, the fields in southwest Iowa are mostly looking great as we approach the end of the crop year. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said that, while some areas could use some rain, he’s very pleased with...
Farm Progress Show ready for the latest and greatest in agriculture
The Farm Progress Show will take place Tuesday August 27th-Thursday August 29th at the Farm Progress Show site in Boone Iowa. FPS media day was held on Wednesday to showcase the newest attractions at the show along with the final preparations being made for the...
Food Bank of Iowa receives 6,000 pounds of food from ISF vendors
Sixteen Iowa State Fair vendors have donated 6,000 pounds of surplus food to Food Bank of Iowa at the close of this year’s fair. (That’s half of last year’s 12,000 pounds, but not surprising given the fair attracted an all-time record number of visitors this year:...
Fertilizer outlook is less than rosy for fall 2024
Input costs are higher than ever, and with a grain market settling back lower, that is not happy news. There have also been issues with supply chains and obtaining what we need to be successful in any crop year. Where this really hurts is when it comes to inputs we...
