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Senate farm bill stalls over SNAP dispute
The Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance its Farm Bill Thursday after Democrats rejected the Republican proposal in a 10-11 vote, leaving the legislation without a clear path forward. Committee Chairman John Boozman recessed the markup after negotiations broke down over changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Democrats insisted on a two-year delay before states begin sharing SNAP benefit costs, while Republicans offered a one-year delay. “I want us to get to a...
Women in Ag Study highlights contributions of women in rural America
The United Nations is recognizing 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, with hopes of spotlighting the contributions of women in agriculture and agribusiness. Lisa Wherry, a Pennsylvania farmer and member of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership...
Chaos in the cattle complex
After a sustained run of lofty prices, we have seen a substantial selloff in the cattle complex in recent weeks. Commodity broker Eric Relph of Commstock Investments says that we have seen multiple limit down moves in recent trading days. Relph says traders are now...
Secretary Naig invites Iowa-based livestock vaccine developers to apply for research grant
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the availability of the Livestock Protection Innovation Grant to support an Iowa-based company working to develop vaccines that help protect livestock from foreign animal diseases. The Iowa Department of...
Ag group rolls into Washington with a message
The Farmers for Free Trade motorcade made its way across the country, carrying the voices of producers worried about how ongoing trade tensions are squeezing their operations. Earlier this year, agricultural leaders cautioned the Trump administration that while they...
Food Bank of Iowa receives another crucial donation
Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brought in a second truckload of food to complete a 72,000-pound donation to the Food Bank of Iowa. This is the organization’s second donation to the Food Bank of Iowa, with the first being in February 2024. Food...
More details still needed on U.S. and China trade agreement
Details remain scarce on the framework agreement of a trade deal between the United States and China although some optimism has returned to the soybean complex in the ag marketplace. Chinese officials did confirm some of the details of the framework agreement...
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Using soil tests to adjust nutrient applications in 2026
When it comes to having a successful crop season, soil nutrition is key. But it’s not just about having the proper nutrients in the soil- farmers need to focus on making sure those nutrients are available to the crops at the right time. Derek Emerine, national...
Farmers and ranchers encourage to share thoughts on WOTUS
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new Waters of the U.S. Rule to give U.S. agriculture more clarity on what constitutes an actual water of the U.S. The public comment deadline is rapidly approaching. Courtney Briggs, senior director of government affairs...
Disease pressures and the livestock sector in 2025
Disease pressures in the livestock sector featured prominently in 2025 across the spectrum from poultry to cattle. Two of the biggest stories about animal diseases in the past year were highly pathogenic avian influenza and New World screwworm. Former USDA Chief...
U.S. hog inventory up one percent
The U.S. hog inventory is growing. As of December 1, there were 75.5 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, which is up one percent from December 2024 and slightly higher than the numbers on September 1, 2025. That’s according to the Hogs and Pigs report published by...
Farmers see big returns with John Deere See & Spray
John Deere’s See and Spray technology continued its rapid climb in 2025 as farmers looked for ways to stretch input dollars, protect yields, and improve application efficiency. What started as a promising tool only a few seasons ago has now grown into one of the most...
