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USDA launches final phase of 2025 ag resource management study
Beginning later this month, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will spend several months gathering information about farm economics from farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. The agency will be conducting its third and final phase of the 2025 Agricultural Resource Management Survey. “This data will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and programs that affect farms and farm families,” said Agricultural Statistics Board Chair Lance Honig. The 2025 survey...
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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Ag history and modern technology on display at the Smithsonian
When you think of museums, you may think of old artifacts and history, but museum curators are also watching modern-day technology and how it tells the story of changing times. Abeer Saha, curator of the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington, D.C., said...
Grassley says farmers fed up with no new farm bill
Farmers are fed up with Congress’ failure to produce a new farm bill and will likely feel the economic impact. That’s according to United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley (R-IA) was hopeful early in 2024 that a new farm bill would be agreed to in the new...
Modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Orders
In early July, the USDA released its recommendations for modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Stephen Cain, senior director of economic research and analysis for the National Milk Producers Federation, shared his initial reaction to the proposal. The...
ISU studying benefits of grass-to-gas energy production for farmers
We’re proud of our ability to produce corn and soybeans at a high level in the state of Iowa, but one of the unintended consequences of growing those dominant row crops is the effect they have on the soil. Erosion, fertilizer runoff, and greenhouse gas emissions are...
Majority of beef cattle farms have small herds
The United States has numerous beef cow-calf farms that raise beef calves at least through weaning. However, USDA data says while there are a large number of farms, most are relatively small. Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture indicated that 55 percent of...
