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Looking back at the rainy 2026 growing season
Today brought the beautiful weather back to the state of Iowa, but as we all know, that hasn’t been the story for this past growing season. Overall harvest progress is still slightly behind due to heavy rains at the beginning of harvest season, and almost nonstop rains flooded many of the fields in Iowa over the summer. AgriGold Field Agronomist Bryant Luers said the months of June and September were particularly rainy. Luers said the heavy September rains caused farmers to start nearly half a...
U.S. Export Sales Report (10-29-26)
This week has been mostly quiet in the ag marketplace, and that was reinforced by this week’s export sales. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales were uneventful, which is not what they need right now. McBride said the soybean sales were strong...
Investments in rural America
USDA Rural Development investments during the past fiscal year demonstrate the diverse areas of support for rural economic development and quality of life. USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Glen Smith gives the data for the past fiscal year. Smith says that...
Fertilizer prices continue rising as farmers prepare for 2027 growing season
Fertilizer prices continued climbing in October, adding pressure to American farmers already struggling with tight profit margins and elevated production expenses. According to DTN's latest retail fertilizer survey, seven of eight major fertilizers increased in price...
Sac County bird flu case renews biosecurity concerns
With much of Iowa agriculture focused on finishing harvest, poultry producers are being reminded that another seasonal threat demands their attention. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, remains a concern as wild birds migrate through the state. The Iowa...
Trade policy affecting farmer voting decisions nationwide
Midterm elections are less than a week away, and the farm community has been a hot topic among many of the candidates running for office. There are many ag issues to consider, but one of the most impactful issues from the federal government has been the Trump...
Gut health key for the youngest in the herd
Dairy calves are an investment in the long-term success of an operation. That’s why the dairy industry is so invested in researching genetics and nutrition. Olivia Genther-Schroeder, a dairy feed research scientist with Purina Animal Nutrition, says gut health is an...
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More Ag News
Winter soybean strategy may help pig farmers beat the summer heat
New research funded by the Soy Checkoff suggests winter feeding decisions could help pork producers minimize the seasonal drop in carcass weights during the summer months. Researchers found that increasing soybean meal levels in grow-finish diets helped pigs maintain...
Iowa harvest advances despite weather interruptions
Harvest continues across Iowa, with farmers reporting strong yields despite weather interruptions that have slowed fieldwork in some areas. As producers bring in the remaining crops, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says favorable yields and changing weather...
Channel Seed helps update barns at Louisa County fairgrounds
Our state’s county fairs are at the heart of our local communities, and many of those fairs have been around for a long time. As such, those buildings also need updates as time takes its toll. When Louisa County’s old livestock barns became unsafe, several local...
Tough week of trade in the cattle markets
Across the industry most analysts pointed to the October Cattle on Feed Report as mostly friendly, however the markets this week were anything but positive for the cattle trade. Both the live and feeder cattle markets experienced sizable losses for the week. Matt...
NASS taking steps to provide more accurate crop numbers
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently had to correct the numbers from the September Crop Production Estimates report. However, a lot of the damage has already been done by this point, as the inaccurate numbers caused some of the largest...
