Top Stories
Heavy rain hits crops in central Iowa again
Earlier this week, torrential rains hit central Iowa once again via a windbag storm. On top of the rain, heavy wind and hail damaged crops in some parts of the state. Dan Bjorklund, technical agronomist at Landus Cooperative, said that, while central and eastern Iowa have seen plenty of moisture, western Iowa is still quite dry. Bjorklund said areas like Ankeny and Huxley have fields with standing water in them, which has caused some significant but mostly isolated damage. While western Iowa...
Beef prices hit record highs in June
Ground beef prices continue hitting record-high levels. Newsweek says that’s despite still shrinking cattle herds and import restrictions set to push costs even higher. Government data says the average price of a pound of 100 percent ground beef rose to $6.12 in June,...
Iowa crops blessed so far, challenges loom
The 2025 growing season has brought a mix of promise and uncertainty to Iowa's farmlands. After years of drought conditions, this year’s plentiful rains have blessed the crops with lush growth, particularly across much of the Corn Belt. However, while the green fields...
Multiple modes of action are key to fighting resistant fungal disease
The state of Iowa has received consistent rainfall this summer and created concerns about fungal disease pressure for the stretch run of the growing season. Fungicide use has continued to increase in recent years and that has built some worries about fungicide...
PepsiCo and Cargill boosting resilience in Iowa corn production
A new collaboration between PepsiCo and Cargill aims to bolster the resilience in the corn supply chain in Iowa by expanding regenerative ag practices across 240,000 acres of Iowa farmland by 2030. The focus on Iowa is due to the shared dependance of both companies on...
USMEF urging USTR to review access issues in Africa and the Caribbean
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is currently conducting its annual review of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides favorable access to the U.S. market for products from some 30 African nations. Those nations are supposed to...
Iowa Barn Foundation 25th annual all-state barn tour September 13-14
If you are looking for something different to do on a September weekend, consider taking a self-guided tour of Iowa’s historic barns. The Iowa Barn Foundation is holding its 25th Annual All-State Barn Tour on Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14, featuring over 100...
Video
More Ag News
Ag marketplace is navigating blind without USDA reports
With the government shutdown in full effect, there won't be any export sales reports until Congress can pass a budget resolution. However, we can still look at the estimates this week for a rough idea of what the sales might look like. Allendale commodity broker Greg...
Government shuts down as Congress fails to pass budget resolution
The Congressional budget year runs through September 30, and the clock has recently run out. Emily Buckman, director of government relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said Congress was unable to reach an agreement to keep the federal government open....
Favorable fall weather conditions assisting Iowa’s farmers
Mother Nature is lending a helping hand to farmers this week as conditions are excellent for many aspects of agriculture. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the Central U.S. is experiencing nearly ideal conditions for both harvest and planting cover crops. Rippey...
California Governor signs landmark E15 legislation
In a historic move, California Governor Gavin Newsom today signed Assembly Bill 30 into law, authorizing the sale of gasoline blends containing up to 15% ethanol (E15) at retail fuel stations across the state. With this action, E15 is authorized for sale by all 50...
Stronger soils mean smarter decisions in 2026
Harvest is running full throttle across Iowa, and while combines are rolling, many farmers are already thinking ahead to what comes next. Rising input costs and shrinking profit margins mean every decision matters more than ever. As planning for 2026 begins to take...
