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Naig shares crop expectations and safety reminders
This week is Farm Safety Week, a time when farmers and the ag industry take a step back to focus on staying safe during one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year. With harvest beginning in earnest very soon across Iowa, the reminders are timely because while strong yields matter, nothing is more important than making it home safe at the end of the day. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says this week is a reminder of two big storylines in agriculture right now: how the...
Figuring out what?s next for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act
Another year, another Congress following a year without Senate passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. For some, that?s a hard pill to swallow. Before the year-end break last month, U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse sounded cautiously optimistic. With a new...
U.S. Export Sales Report (1-13-23)
Yesterday?s WASDE report overshadowed the U.S. Export Sales Report, but that can be seen as a good thing. The report was bearish, but the markets ignored that as they focused on a surprisingly bullish WASDE. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided a breakdown...
Helping plants reach their full genetic potential with Novozymes
Novozymes is a biotechnology company that uses biotech solutions to help plants maximize their growth.Jason Ward, national sales director for Novozymes, says that in 2022 the EPA gave Novozymes the go ahead for a new active ingredient that acts as a plant growth...
Top market issues to watch in 2023
The number one priority for farmers is feeding the world. Unfortunately, the number of people who are food insecure worldwide is on the rise.During a panel discussion at the recent American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Puerto Rico, AFBF Chief Economist...
Total household income up for commercial farms
From 2015 to 2021, the median total household income for commercial U.S. farms rose an estimated 16 percent, to $278,339 from $238,994. Commercial farms earn more than $350,000 gross cash farm income regardless of the principal operator?s occupation. USDA?s Economic...
January WASDE brings surprisingly good market news
The January WASDE report was expected to bring bearish news to the grain markets, but we actually ended up seeing some bullish price action. The USDA made cuts to ending stocks and harvest acres for corn and soybeans, which were the primary forces behind the upward...
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Administration officials voice tentative support to restrict foreign ownership of farmland
Biden administration officials expressed tentative support for efforts in Congress to restrict ownership of U.S. farmland by foreign adversaries during a recent hearing of the House Select Committee on U.S.-Chinese Communist Party Competition.State, Defense, and...
Grain indemnity assessments will begin September 1st
It’s hard to believe we are just a month away from September and getting the itch to harvest our crops in the state of Iowa. As we get ever closer to the harvest, the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship reminds farmers that they will be starting the...
Legislation would target farm payments where needed most
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced legislation to rein in abuse of the farm payment system and ensure support goes to those actively engaged in farming. The “Farm Program Integrity Act” would create a hard cap of $250,000 in total...
Nomination period for FSA county committee elections ends August 1st
The Farm Service Agency nomination period for county committee elections closes on August 1st.Farm Service Agency county committees are a crucial part of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and location administration of federal farm programs....
Food Bank of Iowa serves record number in FY2023
DES MOINES, Iowa — Food Bank of Iowa ended fiscal year 2023 breaking every record in its 41-year history.Across the 55 counties it serves, Food Bank of Iowa distributed 21 million pounds of food, or the equivalent of 17.5 million meals. The number of pounds is an...
