Top Stories
“Big Beautiful Bill” would exacerbate food insecurity in Iowa
While legislative battles rage on in Washington D.C., food banks across the country are struggling to get enough food to feed those who are in need. Not only are USDA donations halted, but the “Big Beautiful Bill” threatens to cut SNAP benefits if it is passed, which would severely limit the ability of food-insecure Iowans to receive life-saving food. Annette Hacker, vice president of communication with the Food Bank of Iowa, said food banks everywhere are worried about the future. Hacker said...
Employing a proactive approach to get ahead of tar spot
The fungal disease, tar spot, continues to expand each year across the corn growing regions of the United States. One of the biggest problems brought on by tar spot is that it has a latency period of 14-20 days. That is the time in between which the plant has been...
Confluence Genetics purchases Benson Hill assets out of Chapter 11
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved this week the sale of the business assets of Benson Hill to Confluence Genetics, LLC. This sale, set to close at 11:59 p.m. tonight, will enable the historic business to continue outside of...
First MAHA report undermines confidence in U.S. agriculture
The Make America Healthy Again Commission released its first report this week, and it contained some troubling assertions. The consequences of this report are causing concerns among farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American...
2025 planting nearly done, but not easy
Iowa farmers got an early jump on planting this spring, taking advantage of favorable conditions in April. But progress hasn’t come without challenges, as scattered storms and temperature swings kept growers on their toes. With planting nearly complete, heavy rains...
Indigo Ag completes industry-leading fourth carbon crop
Recently, Indigo Ag announced the issuance of its fourth carbon crop, which totaled at nearly 1 megaton of carbon sequestration. This makes them the only company to complete four carbon harvests and pay participating farmers. Lauren Lindner, account director with...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-22-25)
After a few weeks of excellent export sales, this week’s report was much quieter. This has helped the markets settle down ahead of the extended Memorial Day weekend. Allendale commodity broker Ben Breisch gave an update on the latest numbers from the USDA. Breisch...
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More Ag News
Iowa is still slightly dry, but rains have been helpful
The beginning of May was quite dry compared to years past, but the last third of the month brought enough rain to make it wetter than average overall. The timing couldn’t have been much better either, as many farmers were able to get their crops in the ground before...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-30-25)
The USDA released its weekly U.S. Export Sales Report on Thursday. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were decent this week, but that’s still high for what we expect at this time of year. On the other hand, soybean exports were slightly lower...
Quantifying genetics can lead to premium profits
Beef demand remains strong, but it’s important to always be thinking about the future and ways to improve production practices and maximize return on investment. Kara Lee, director of producer engagement for Certified Angus Beef, says that a focus on quality genetics...
MAHA report could hurt farmers and consumers
The National Corn Growers Association responded to the Making America Healthy Again Committee report which raised unfounded questions about the safety of pesticides. The NCGA released a report speaking to the economic impact of widely-used technologies like atrazine...
GROWMARK invests in future ag professionals
Fifty-five students across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, have been awarded $2,000 scholarships through the GROWMARK Foundation, supporting their pursuit of degrees in agriculture or business-related fields. Nearly 805 students applied for the competitive program, with...
