Top Stories
Growing crush capacity shifts soy demand priorities
For decades, one of the soybean industry's biggest challenges was finding new markets for soybean oil. Today, however, the conversation is changing. Growing demand from renewable diesel and other biofuel markets has helped create new opportunities for soybean oil, while expanded processing capacity is creating a new challenge: finding markets for increasing supplies of soybean meal. When I visited Washington, D.C., I spoke with Pat Giberson, a New Jersey farmer and member of the United Soybean...
Pro Farmer Crop Tour wraps up with record crop projections
The final estimate from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour shows record yields for both corn and soybeans. Corn yield is set at 181.1 bushels per acre, while soybeans are at 54.9 bpa. Eastern Leg Tour Leader Brian Grete said that, while these estimates are just a snapshot in...
Strong notes for both pork and beef exports in June
June exports of U.S. beef reached the highest value in nearly two years, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While June pork exports were lower year-over-year, shipments through the first half of the year...
Crop management strategies for the stretch run of the season
As we approach the final stretch of the growing season, farmers are making critical management strategies to help their crops cross the finish line with the best yields possible. In instances where it is no longer helpful to apply crop protection products, farmers can...
Secretary Naig announces 11 grants to support Iowa specialty crop production
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has awarded more than $368,000 in grants to help grow demand for Iowa’s specialty crops. The funding will be distributed to support 11 projects that...
Iowa producer tells her farm’s story to buyers in San Francisco
Consumers are asking more and more questions about where their food and products are coming from. They want more accountability for the environment and sustainability. Farmers around the United States are working to share that story and assure their customers about...
As Pro Farmer Crop Tour continues, crops are mostly looking better
After estimates of a near-record crop in Ohio for a second year and a lot of potential in South Dakota on Monday, the Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts found even better results in Nebraska and Indiana on day two. Longtime Eastern Leg Scout Bryan Coffman of Iowa said that,...
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More Ag News
Consumers aren’t just looking at price as the main purchasing factor
Last week, we talked about the challenges that are involved in helping producers of pork products understand the sometimes volatile relationship between the supply and demand sides of the industry. In that conversation with Glynn Tonsor, an economics professor at...
New leadership in D.C. has work to do for agriculture
Election 2024 is behind us, and some new faces are taking over leadership on the House and Senate Ag Committees. Sam Kieffer, Vice President of Public Policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says the four leaders of the committees have a wealth of experience....
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association talks policy priorities for 2025
As we kick off 2025, the ag industry is still waiting for an updated farm bill. Following the results of the last election, especially with some agriculture-friendly faces in D.C., there is hope that something can get done this time around. The Iowa Cattlemen’s...
2024 A year of warm weather
A USDA meteorologist's list of top weather events in our nation this year includes what appears to be one of the warmest years on record. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says widespread warm temperatures across the country top the list for 2024. USDA meteorologist Brad...
Ten things that may affect ag in 2025
The majority of agricultural economists in the latest Monthly Monitor say U.S. ag ended 2024 in a recession. Farm Journal’s AgWeb.com says 56 percent of ag economists responded “yes” to the question of a recession. The newest Monthly Monitor asked economists what...
