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Lower cattle feedlot placements in August
The USDA published the latest Cattle on Feed Report on Friday and the numbers indicate continued contraction of cattle feedlot inventory. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell details the numbers as of September 1st. McConnell expands on the trends in the latest report. That was USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell.
Preparing for planting season by planning ahead
2022 was at the very least a challenging year for many farmers because of the uncertainty.Farmers and producers encountered a weather pattern that was not consistent. Dan Berning, agronomy manager with Pioneer, says that weather was not uniform for farmers, but many...
Rural job growth shifting to high-skill workers
Over the last two decades, the strongest rural job gains were in smaller industries that tend to employ high-skill workers. USDA Economic Research Service reports the highest growth was in the real estate industry. Also showing rapid growth was the administrative...
Farming more efficiently through the use of data collection
Efficiency of farm operations has come into focus for farmers. With input costs high, farmers and producers are eager to use those inputs as efficiently as possible.Stephen Leininger, an AGRIntelligence Information Specialist with Helena, says that farmers are always...
South American Weather and Crop Update (1-17-23)
More rain in the forecast for Argentina means they?re finally getting close to the end of planting season. On the other hand, the fabulous weather in Brazil has produced an enormous crop, which is stirring excitement in South America as Brazilian harvest begins....
Social Security increase followed by increase in scams
The Social Security increase for 2023 is welcome news for seniors, but it?s already being followed by an increase in scam attempts. Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments are increasing 8.7 percent in 2023. This is the annual cost-of-living...
Optimizing plant health and improving crop performance with biologicals
Each farmer would like to maximize production efficiently and effectively. One area that farmers and producers are turning to in order to optimize plant health and improve crop performance is through the use of biologicals.Corey Nikkel, a senior field scientist with...
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More Ag News
Behind the scenes of Iowa’s hard cider industry
The agriculture industry in Iowa is very diverse- there's no question about that. Our food comes from a lot of different places provided by local producers. Several of those places were on display this week on the Johnson County Ag Group Annual Farm Tour, including...
$580,000 in water quality practices to improve six publicly owned Iowa lakes
DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 2, 2023) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced today that six Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) will receive water quality funding from the Publicly Owned...
IDALS is ready for another busy Iowa State Fair
We are now into the single-digit countdown to the Iowa State Fair. Of course, nobody is more excited about this than our own Riley Smith. He has already mapped out what food he is planning to eat and when, and that includes when he is there outside of work hours.But,...
South American Weather and Crop Update (8-1-23)
Clear skies in South America will be very conducive to harvest progress, but it won’t help that Argentina drought at all. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather patterns.Since Brazil is doing fine with moisture levels for the most...
Senator Grassley gives update on Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act
With much of the state of Iowa in drought conditions Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and other Iowa lawmakers have been making the push for weeks for emergency haying and grazing on CRP land (Conservation Reserve Program) in the state of Iowa. Grassley says that request...
