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South American Weather and Crop Update (9-22-26)
As planting for the next crop season continues in South America, a shift to a rainier weather pattern is providing a boost to the crops that are in the ground already. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest conditions in Brazil and Argentina. Soybean planting is still in the very early stages in Brazil, but corn planting progress is starting to pull ahead of the average. In Argentina, McBride said farmers are just getting started planting corn. McBride added that...
Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards presented to 33 farm families at the 2026 ISF
Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 33 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards during a ceremony at the 2026 Iowa State Fair. The Iowa Farm...
Thompson says SAWA could help Iowa livestock farms
Finding enough workers remains a challenge across agriculture. Still, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson says the federal guest worker program has not kept pace with the changing needs of farms and livestock operations. Thompson is pushing the Securing...
Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest brings farmers and fairgoers together
The annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is one of the most delicious and best-smelling contests of each Iowa State Fair. While the focus is certainly on the food, it also serves as a great opportunity to connect fairgoers with the farming families that raise the...
Big Bad Joe shatters previous record to win 2026 ISF Big Ram Competition
"Big Bad Joe," the Suffolk ram shown by Jim Fisher of Mercer, MO, is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Big Ram Competition winner weighing in at 568 pounds. Big Bad Joe shattered the previous Iowa State Fair record of 507.5 pounds which was set in 2014. Owner Jim Fisher says...
Major expansion of Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program underway
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, alongside Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, announced the second phase of the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program, which debuted in 2016. This second phase expands to 22 counties within the...
Fertilizer prices expected to stay elevated through 2028
Fertilizer prices are expected to remain above pre-Iran war levels through 2028, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. Farmers and agricultural retailers continue to face higher costs as conflicts and supply disruptions affect global fertilizer...
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Ag groups speak out against President Trump’s beef import plan
The Trump administration has announced a new plan aimed at lowering beef prices in the grocery stores, but the plan- which will bring up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the U.S. over the next 90 days- will negatively impact the farm economy. Beef industry...
Iowa water quality progress requires everyone at the table
Clean water is not solely a rural concern or an urban concern. Water moves across property lines, through communities, into rivers, and eventually downstream. Whatever reaches it moves with it. That makes Iowa’s water quality challenge a shared problem, even though...
Pro Farmer Crop Tour sparks new questions over corn yield
The final Pro Farmer Crop Tour numbers surprised many traders, particularly on the corn side. However, commodity analyst Mike Zuzolo says his own survey of farmers painted a different picture- one that was actually closer to USDA's August estimates. Zuzolo says the...
South American Weather and Crop Update (6-23-26)
It’s the dry season in South America, and the forecasts definitely reflect that. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said this isn’t a huge problem yet, but they are monitoring the weather. McBride said harvest progress is behind in Brazil, but it is approaching...
Senator Grassley responds to beef import plan
Last Friday President Trump announced the administration's plan to allow an additional 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef imports over the next 90 days. In a social media post, President Trump said the beef would sell at roughly 25% below market prices to help...
