Top Stories
Some of this year’s crop issues could carry into 2027
Every year, farmers deal with unique crop issues from planting season to harvest. While many of those issues are contained within that crop year, some issues can carry over into the next. Bryant Luers, field agronomist with AgriGold, said the heavy rain from this year might cause some diseases to carry over into 2027. Luers said the rain also washed away a lot of soil nitrogen, which can obviously be an issue for next year as well. While there are disease concerns for next year, Luers said he...
Business and housing investments in rural America
Small businesses and housing opportunities in rural America are part of the portfolio of USDA Rural Development and its mission to support expanded rural economic development and quality of life. USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Glen Smith says investments...
Former Ag Secretary Vilsack sees opportunity for farm policy under split government
With Democrats gaining a majority in the House and Senate and a Republican-led executive branch, the next congressional session will host a divided government. The ag industry is hoping to still see a focus on farm policy as farmers continue to deal with a tough farm...
U.S. soybean farmers face higher input costs than Brazilian producers
U.S. soybean farmers spend considerably more per acre on production inputs than their counterparts in Brazil, according to a new Farmdoc daily report. The report estimates total input costs average 616 dollars per acre in the United States, compared with 416 dollars...
Farm financial concerns temper improving farmer confidence
Farmer confidence improved slightly in October, but concerns about farm finances continue to weigh on producers as they evaluate their financial performance and prepare for another growing season. The latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer shows some...
El Nino could impact potential crop yields in Brazil
The long-term demand picture for U.S. grain is raising some concerns, as we won’t have many guarantees once China finishes its purchases of U.S. soybeans. If Brazil ends up having the bumper crop that many analysts are expecting, that could make demand for U.S. grain...
Updating Iowa’s corn harvest progress
While Iowa was delayed in starting harvest this year due to rain and wet conditions, farmers have made up significant ground in recent weeks. However, Iowa still lags behind the national corn harvest pace which has almost caught up to the five-year average. That is...
Video
More Ag News
Fareway and IFBF team up for 5th annual Meat the Need donation
Today, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) and Fareway Stores delivered nearly 24,000 pounds of ground pork and turkey to the Food Bank of Iowa as part of the 5th annual Meat the Need partnership, which brought a truckload of protein to each of Iowa’s six Feeding...
Funds continue to liquidate long positions in grain markets
Corn and soybeans finished in the green at the Friday close, with slight gains for corn and modest gains for soybeans. However, for the most part the corn and soybeans have been in a consistent move to the downside for the better part of two months. A big part of that...
Public data provides insights on pork demand
The National Pork Board aims to improve demand globally, and that commitment includes economists’ analysis of publicly available data. Lee Schulz, chief economist with EA Risk (formerly Ever.Ag), talks about risk and macroeconomic sensitivity across domestic and...
Report questions funding behind campaign opposing Save Our Bacon
A new RealClearInvestigations (RCI) report is raising questions about the funding and leadership behind a multimillion-dollar campaign opposing the Save Our Bacon provision in the farm bill. The proposal would address California’s Proposition 12, which sets animal...
Small financial decisions matter as farm margins tighten
With high input costs and tighter profit margins continuing to challenge agricultural producers, farmers are being encouraged to take a closer look at their financial management strategies. Agricultural economist Dr. David Kohl says maintaining profitability in...
