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EPA issues Right to Repair guidance for farm equipment repairs
The EPA is weighing in on a debate farmers and independent repair shops have been having for years, issuing new Right to Repair guidance focused on non-road diesel equipment. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says the move is intended to clear up long-standing confusion over how the Clean Air Act applies when farmers or local mechanics need to fix equipment. Zeldin says equipment manufacturers have leaned on a misinterpretation of federal environmental law to restrict access to diagnostic tools and...
Low cattle inventory brings higher beef prices
USDA’s biannual Cattle Inventory report showed the nation’s cattle herd at 87.2 million head, down roughly two percent from last year. This is the lowest herd size in 73 years, and it means that we could be seeing record beef prices in the grocery store soon. American...
What to expect in the February WASDE report
The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) are released each month by the USDA and provide annual forecasts for supply and use of both U.S. and world wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, and cotton. The January report is typically thought of as a...
Secretary Naig encourages applications for century and heritage farm recognition
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition as part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program was created by the...
Iowa agriculture mourns the loss of Bill Northey
It came across social media and the agriculture information chain like a lightning bolt, yesterday. Bill Northey, former Iowa Agriculture Secretary and Former USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation passed away at the age of 64. Northey was a Spirit...
Building trust with consumers through quality practices
Pork certification programs are designed to help the farmers who raise pigs and also those who transport pigs to continually improve practices. Stephanie Wetter, the director of animal welfare for the National Pork Board, tells the IARN that the two main certification...
Crop insurance reference prices projected to be lower than last year
February is when reference prices are set for crop insurance, so it’s a very important time of year. Deadlines are approaching in just over a month, so it’s important to pay attention now and not let it sneak up on you. Pat Swanson, District 9 director of the Iowa...
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More Ag News
Corn acreage and storage numbers send market price lower
The USDA published the Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports on Friday and several factors combined to send the corn price in the ag marketplace to the downside. On Friday the ag marketplace reacted with a double digit drop in the corn price after the USDA...
Smithfield Foods delivers 34,000 pounds of protein to NW Iowa
Smithfield Foods delivered 34,000 pounds of protein to Rock Valley, Iowa, to provide free, restaurant-quality hot meals to victims, first responders and volunteers impacted by severe flooding across Northwest Iowa. As a local employer with more than 600 employees in...
Real Pork Scholar Program invests in the future of the pork industry
The Real Pork Scholar Program is one way the Pork Checkoff is establishing a firm foundation for the future of the U.S. pork industry. Hailey Schweke, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota and a Real Pork Scholar, said this program is focused on...
USMEF takes deep dive into Mexican market at U.S. Red Meat Symposium
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently held its inaugural U.S. Red Meat Symposium in Mexico City as U.S. red meat exports are hitting record levels in Mexico. With support from USDA, the Beef Checkoff Program and the National Pork Board, the symposium...
Converting melon waste into bioplastics
Farmers and the Ag industry are always looking for innovation; both to drive demand, find ways to reduce waste products, and help the environment. We may focus a lot on things like biofuels, aviation fuels, and other products for which our corn and soybeans are used....
