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Ernst builds on USDA food safety center announcement
Following up on last week’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about establishing a National Food Safety Center in Iowa, more details are emerging about what that move means for the state and the broader ag industry. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is planning to locate the new center in Urbandale, creating a hub for administrative, technical, and support functions as part of a broader effort to modernize the agency and better align it with production...
Grassley: Farm Bill work needs to be completed early in ‘24
The farm bill is often known as one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation that Congress works on each cycle. United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that during this year’s attempt to create a new five-year farm bill, he noticed a shift in attitudes....
Iowa Pork honors top OL in HS championship games
The Iowa Pork Producers Association paid tribute to seven players in the state high school football championships for their valuable, but often unheralded, contributions. The Hog of the Game Award goes to the outstanding offensive lineman in each of the seven state...
Looking Ahead to 2024 Seed Decisions
Here’s the latest on technology in the seed bag available for you for 2024 coming up from our friends at DeKalb in Iowa. The only way to continue to improve and to create products that are in demand in the marketplace is by accurately analyzing the prior results...
The Chinese marketplace is intriguing for U.S. soy
It's a crazy world we live in. Civil unrest, war, and just plain disagreements are causing our global marketplace to be a very unstable area as the years have gone on. More so lately after numerous trade disagreements that caused us to either reevaluate or update our...
Preparing for updated Salmonella standards in swine
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) is updating the performance standards for Salmonella in raw pork. Since Salmonella has many different serotypes, which are groups of microorganisms that share distinctive surface...
Ag economy barometer lists input prices as primary concern
The Purdue University Ag Economy Barometer was started in 2015. It’s a monthly survey of 400 different farmers every month. Dr. James Mintert of Purdue says the most recent survey showed a slight improvement in overall producer sentiment. Mintert says that of all the...
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House Ag Chairman Thompson releases 2024 Farm Bill draft
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson released a discussion draft of the 2024 Farm Bill- now named the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. The legislation includes twelve titles, covering commodities; conservation; trade; nutrition; credit; rural...
Another negative Rural Mainstreet Index during May
The Rural Mainstreet Index continued below growth neutral in May. It’s the ninth consecutive month that the survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a ten-state region stayed in the red. Dr. Ernie Goss, an economics professor at Creighton University, says one thing that...
Cattle grazing pasture and rangeland recharging from rainfall
Despite some delays to planting caused by recent rainfalls in the Corn Belt, the moisture boost has helped to recharge the soil and brought relief to many drought-stricken areas. Row crop farmers are certainly welcoming the recent rains, but what about cattle...
Two beef industry bills signed into law by Governor Reynolds
Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two bills into law that were high priorities for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA). Showcasing the importance, a large crowd gathered at Pat and Laura Blomme’s farm to witness this notable event. The Meat Integrity Bill (S.F....
Building trust in the dairy industry through the checkoff
The dairy industry has faced some scrutiny as of late, especially as it pertains to the safety of products and H5N1, formerly known as “bird flu” and “High-Pathogenic Avian Influenza”. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration...
