Top Stories
Rural Energy Council is a “disgrace”
Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, was very unhappy after it was announced that a legislative fix for year-round E15 was dropped from the January government funding bill. It was further incensed that Congress would instead form a “rural energy council” to formulate another compromise bill with petroleum interests, and with expectations for a vote in February. “What an incredible travesty as Congress picked refiners over American farmers and drivers today,” said...
Iowa on a record pace for wetland development in 2024
Yesterday, we talked with Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig about how conservation practices have been holding up with some of the near-historic flooding we are seeing along Iowa’s northern tier. He talked about a few great stories but highlighted how wetlands above the...
South American Weather and Crop Update (7-23-24)
Once again, there is very little that is different when it comes to the weather down in South America, as the dry weather has stuck around. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest weather conditions. That dry weather is still allowing...
Mitigating nitrogen loss with a no-burn nitrogen solution
The weather in Iowa this growing season has been unpredictable to say the least. With tornadoes, heavy rainfall and flooding, and even a derecho crossing the state, Iowa has dealt with numerous significant weather issues that bring unique challenges for farmers. With...
Obstacles remain for red meat exports to Canada
Canada is a top five destination for both U.S. beef and pork exports, but shipments are sometimes slowed by regulatory issues. The transition to the Public Health Information System (PHIS) was supposed to simplify this process, but that has obviously not been the case...
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...
How are conservation practices handling floods?
When we talk about conservation projects for our fields, we are often sold on what it can do to clean up the water and prevent soil erosion by wind and water. As we have witnessed through the spring and early summer, large amounts of rain have fallen across much of...
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Nebraska rancher Steve Hanson elected as USMEF chair
Steve Hanson, a rancher and cattle feeder from Elsie, Nebraska, was elected chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) at the organization’s Strategic Planning Conference in Tucson, Arizona on Friday. Hanson said one of his priorities will be to highlight the...
A November soybean surprise
In most years the USDA November WASDE report does not make significant changes to the yield and production forecast for soybeans. That’s USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer. He says that last Friday’s WASDE report provided a November surprise by cutting the previous...
Updated estimates of renewable diesel through 2026
University of Illinois analysts looked into the future of renewable diesel production in the U.S. and saw some headwinds. Renewable diesel production capacity has exploded in recent years, increasing by more than three billion gallons. This substantially impacted fats...
AI’s presence continues to grow in agriculture
It seems like every time that we blink, artificial intelligence, or AI, has found a new way of helping us do our tasks a little bit better. Sometimes, it can also be a little scary. We harken back to some classic movies where AI has become too smart and has put...
November WASDE looks mostly friendly for corn and beans
This busy news week is wrapping up with the November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. While concerns over tariffs still remain, the ag marketplace has not adjusted sharply in either direction. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said...
