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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...
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...
Muscatine County Fair Queen talks journey to Iowa State Fair competition
The Iowa State Fair is right around the corner, and with that comes the Iowa State Fair Queen competition. Every contestant has a unique journey to the queen contest, and that’s no different for Kylie Langley, this year’s Muscatine County Fair Queen. Langley said her...
Farmer to farmer education act introduced in Senate
Senators recently introduced the Farmer to Farmer Education Act. Senators Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, and Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, introduced the bill last week. The legislation would leverage existing technical assistance resources by supporting...
USDA opens emergency CRP haying & grazing in 46 Iowa counties
With the dry weather, there has been a huge push to open emergency grazing and haying of Conservation Reserve Program land. A provision in the Farm Bill allows for this option to help relieve the producers of grazing animals. When we have conditions like this, forage...
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Crop insurance costs to jump 29 percent
The federally-subsidized crop insurance program will cost an additional $27.7 billion over the next decade. A Congressional Budget Office report says the government pays roughly 62 cents of each dollar in premiums, and sales of livestock and forage policies are...
Could whole & 2% milk be returning to schools?
During the Obama Administration, then-First Lady Michelle Obama spearheaded changes to the school lunch program for Public Schools across the country. The effort was presented to the American people as a chance to bring kids healthier lunches. Much debate has ensued...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-15-24)
Export sales are continuing their recent trends. Corn sales are looking good, while the same certainly cannot be said for the soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest export sales report. U.S. soybean prices are still far from...
AFBF seeks modernization for Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, passed in 1978, provides tracking and monitoring of investment in U.S. agriculture. However, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Economist Danny Munch said the process is due for an upgrade. Munch said the current...
Preparing the next generation of ag conservation and climate leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week announced a new initiative to prepare the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. The Working Lands Climate Corps is part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps initiative and will provide career...
