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Making every drop count
Despite drones rapidly gaining popularity among farmers as a viable alternative for spraying, they remain a relatively new technology in farming. Tyler Steinkamp, technical agronomist for Winfield United, oversaw the station showcasing how droplets travel after leaving the drone’s rotor at Winfield United's field day in Story City. Steinkemp believes there is no standardized speed for spraying with a drone because drones differ in their intended use. He shared thoughts on the importance of...
South American Weather and Crop Update (2-12-25)
The one surprise- if you can even call it that- from the February WASDE report was the cut to some of the production numbers for Brazil and Argentina. At this point, some of the major growing areas have received too much rain. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride...
USTR pick Greer says US must diversify trade markets
President Trump’s United States Trade Representative pick, Jamieson Greer, says the US must become less reliant on China for its farm and other exports. China remains among the top three export markets for US farm goods, but its tariff and non-tariff barriers and...
Keeping an eye on Mississippi River water levels
Grain shippers and farmers are keeping an eye on the water levels in the Mississippi River. Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, said water levels have been a consistent challenge to shipping grains for the last few years. The...
USDA data confirms agritourism is saving some family farms
The latest Census of Agriculture from the USDA, conducted in 2022, is beginning to reveal hard data on the benefits of agritourism for family farms. The numbers confirm what many farmers have experienced firsthand diversifying into agritourism is helping sustain their...
Few changes made in February WASDE
Not much was expected from this month’s WASDE report. However, it still managed to be quiet even by those standards. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said they were looking for slight reductions to the U.S. balance sheet, but no changes were made. The only...
Speaking up for a new farm bill
With no shortage of issues facing farmers and ranchers right now, the House Ag Committee recently heard testimony from a panel of producers. Alisha Schwertner, a Texas cotton farmer, said there was one important message she hoped to pass on to the committee....
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More Ag News
Some farmers are having to replant in Northeast Iowa
It’s never a pleasant thought, but it’s important for farmers to understand when they might have to pull the trigger and replant some crops. Northeast Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Lee Koenigsfeld said planting was mostly done in his area, but some farmers have had to get...
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...
