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Ernst backs Glen Smith, USDA restructuring plan
Another Iowan could soon be stepping into a key USDA leadership role, while the department also looks to reshape how it operates across the country. Senator Joni Ernst says Glen Smith is moving through the confirmation process for a USDA under secretary role, calling him a strong fit because of both his farming background and experience in Washington. Ernst says Smith’s confirmation would give Iowa another voice at the federal level during a period of major changes inside the USDA. She says...
Hinson helps pen letter to EPA for year-round E15
Recently, Iowa 2nd District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson joined in sending a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to spur some action on year-round E15. Last year, we saw the summertime moratorium get lifted, which was great to...
Helping new farmers to acquire their own farmland
To a new farmer, acquiring farmland without any prior family connections or in-roads to get started can be difficult. The barrier to entry as a new farmer can be quite daunting. Farmland and farm equipment can be very expensive and difficult to acquire for a farmer...
The impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on U.S. markets one year later
It?s been one year since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and started a war that many thought would only last days or weeks. When the Russian invasion first began, commodity prices shot up significantly. However, Karl Setzer, commodity risk analyst with AgriVisor,...
Look for farm incomes to decrease in 2023
The old saying is that ?what goes up, must come down.? This is something that we have been keeping in the back of our minds ever since we started to see farm prices climb higher just a few years ago. We knew it probably wouldn?t last. Eventually, there would have to...
Mad cow disease found in Brazil
Brazil?s agriculture and livestock ministry says beef exports to China are temporarily on hold after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in one of the northern states called Para. Reuters says the suspension is part of an animal health agreement made between the...
National FFA Week shares the story of FFA
Each year, FFA chapters around the country take a week to celebrate National FFA Week. What started as a day-long celebration has evolved to now be a full, week-long celebration where members and alumni share what the FFA is and the impact it has on youth around the...
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Grassley commends Iowa growers for sustainable farming practices
In September the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, working with Iowa’s 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other partners announced record breaking conservation and water quality practice numbers. In Iowa there was $21.86 million in total...
Fertilizer prices mostly higher in September
The Agricultural Marketing Information System’s October “Market Monitor” report says that fertilizer prices were mostly higher in September, as were the prices for the main fertilizer inputs. Farm Policy News from the University of Illinois says price movements for...
Fall weather may have changed, but drought concerns remain
Causing concern for the 2024 growing season to continued dryness here in Iowa and across the upper Midwest. It finally does feel like fall around here after a couple of cooler mornings. Not quite frost worthy so the growing season continues with lower daytime...
America’s rivers find themselves in uncharted waters
So, let’s recap what we know so far. We know it has been a dry couple of years. We know that this year has been the worst we have seen in a while, but not supposed to be as bad as 1988 or even 2012. If that is the case, why are we seeing more concerns over the low...
Midwest Row Crop Collaborative bringing a variety of groups to the same table
In 2016, about 100 Midwest farmers teamed up with leading environmental groups and some of the nation’s largest food and ag companies to promote a more sustainable agricultural system that focuses on soil health, erosion, and biodiversity. Since then, that group-...
