Top Stories
Congress proposes changes to Endangered Species Act
New legislation is aimed at providing improvements and updates to the Endangered Species Act. Shelby Hagenauer, senior director of government relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the organization especially appreciates the updates help to incentivize early adoption of actions that would help wildlife. Hagenauer said the Endangered Species Act was first passed with good intentions in 1973 to protect species in peril. After a potential House vote this week, the bill will move...
Showing at the Governor’s Steer Show is an honor for the kids
One of the highlights that we focus on at the beginning of the Iowa State Fair is the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer show, which raises money for the Ronald McDonald Houses in Iowa. This year will be the 41st show. The kids that are chosen to show a steer with their...
One thousand pounds of pig
The Big Boar contest at the Iowa State Fair is annually one of the biggest draws at the swine barn and this year was no exception. Despite a small field of contestants, a big crowd was on hand Monday for the show to see which boar tipped the scales at the heaviest...
U.S. Export Sales Report (8-10-23)
Ahead of tomorrow’s WASDE report, this week’s export sales didn’t bring too much excitement. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided a breakdown of the latest U.S. Export Sales Report.While we will obviously learn more about the USDA’s shipment goals...
New FFA chapter at Center Point-Urbana schools
It's been about a three-year effort on the part of certain community members to bring FFA to Center Point-Urbana schools in east central Iowa. Rob Libolt is the high school principal there, and he says he's excited for the leadership opportunities the program will...
Drought covers 100% of Iowa
A few consecutive dry weeks are giving crops in Iowa varying degrees of drought stress. An Iowa State University Extension expert says there hasn’t been much measurable rainfall for as many as three weeks in many areas. Prior to that dry spell, Iowa had been getting...
There is plenty of funding to close the rural broadband gap
We have spent so many years talking about getting rural broadband up to speed with the rest of urban America. A lot of funding has been coming in to help close that gap. Now, it is just a matter of getting it all done. So, if you feel that you still need to get better...
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More Ag News
EPA’s E15 final decision welcome, but some questions remain
The Environmental Protection Agency has granted the request from eight Midwestern states, including Iowa, to sell year-round E15 beginning in 2025. The EPA approved the long-delayed petitions from eight Midwest governors to allow summertime sales of E15 in these...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-23-24)
This week was not a good one for the grain markets, and that could be seen in this week’s export sales as well. Corn is still looking fine, but soybeans posted the lowest numbers for this week in over thirty years. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an...
U.S. milk production to grow slower in 2024
The good news is U.S. milk production is expected to grow in 2024. Michael McConnel of the USDA’s Chief Economist Office says the bad news is the growth rate will slow compared to last year. The good news for U.S. dairy farmers is it will cost less to feed their...
Brazil soybean exports double U.S. shipments
Brazil’s 2023 soybean exports reached a record 3.74 billion bushels, 29 percent higher than the previous year as Brazilian production hit record levels. Meanwhile, U.S. shipments dropped 14 percent to 1.78 billion bushels in the same period. The two countries are...
Farm loan repayments are beginning to slip
After a couple of years of great prices and good profit margins, we have seen the ag profit forecasts start to dip lower year by year. However, we had been consistently reassured that the ag economy was holding its own. Several indicators are considered when these...
