Top Stories
Why discipline matters more than market moves
Risk management is always part of agriculture, but in today’s volatile markets, the fundamentals matter as much as ever, regardless of operation size. Understanding costs, knowing who you are selling to, and being honest about what a balance sheet can withstand are decisions every producer faces, whether the operation is large or small. Those principles were part of a recent conversation with Fallon Savage, senior vice president of corporate credit with Farm Credit Services of America. Savage...
South American Weather and Crop Update (5-7-24)
Much like it is up here, rain is causing issues down in South America. Southern Brazil is getting especially heavy rains, which could start damaging the crops. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather. McBride said planting progress...
Rainfall slowing planting progress across the Corn Belt
Rainfall and wet conditions are slowing planting progress in the Midwest. Betty Resnick, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said a lot of the slowdown is taking place in the Corn Belt. Resnick said we’re still early in the planting season for major...
Innovation and technology helping farmers reach sustainability goals
The mission of the U.S. Grains Council is to develop markets, enable trade, and improve lives. Carlos Suarez is the manager of sustainability, policy, and innovation for the U.S. Grains Council and says that sustainability is becoming more of a central focus across...
Iowa crop progress and condition report
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and...
Senator Ernst reacts to Stabenow’s version of Farm Bill
Last week, the respective Chairpeople of the House & Senate Ag Committees released their visions for a Farm Bill. While House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican, released a framework for legislation that he wants to mark up by May 23rd,...
Rain delays causing potentially premature market reactions
Rain continues to delay planting across the Corn Belt, but since rain makes grain, it’s pretty worth it at this point. However, we are getting closer and closer to that planting deadline, and the markets were feeling the heat today and shot upwards. Robin Schmahl of...
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More Ag News
September WASDE makes changes to corn ending stocks and yields
This month’s WASDE report comes to us as many farmers are preparing to enter the fields very soon- in fact, some have even been able to start already. As a result, not many changes have been made to the crop numbers since the USDA seems to have gotten a pretty good...
What will it take to pass a farm bill?
With the current partisan stalemate in Congress in Washington D.C. it is going to be difficult to get a new farm bill passed. That’s according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. On Monday Ag Secretary Vilsack told a group of visiting farmers union members that...
Beef industry still pursuing market access overseas
U.S. agricultural groups are looking for more trade agreements that mean market access overseas. Kent Bacus, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said trade was a bigger priority in past years. Bacus said the...
2024 Iowa watershed award winners
Congrats to the 2024 Iowa Watershed Award winners An outstanding southwest Iowa watershed coordinator, a career schoolteacher (and part-time farmer), and a statewide team of oxbow restorers - all featured among this year's Iowa Watershed Award honorees. The Iowa...
Make sure your combine is properly prepped for fall
We have seen the first combines entering fields in Iowa for some early planted soybeans. That means it won’t be long before we start harvesting in earnest. There is still time to prepare your combine for the harvest season. The last thing you want is to break down in...
