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Iowa dairy farmers brace for market & labor challenges in 2026
As 2025 winds down, northwest Iowa dairy farms are taking stock of a year that brought both optimism and new pressures. Sioux County dairy producer Christina Zuiderveen says harvest conditions set a positive tone, even though the year still delivered its share of challenges. Zuiderveen says the fall harvest came together smoothly for most dairy operations in her region. Wind damage and rust reduced yields in some fields, but overall, the season moved quickly, helped by a stretch of favorable...
Non-food uses for U.S. soybeans
The livestock industry drives most of the demand for U.S. soybeans, but there are actually plenty of non-food opportunities for soybeans as well. Soybean protein can be used in rubber products, which opens the door for a myriad of different uses. United Soybean Board...
New National FFA President looking forward to the coming year
Trey Myers of Oklahoma was recently elected as the new president of National FFA. He said it hasn’t truly sunk in yet, but it’s getting there. Myers said he was elected to a local FFA office as a freshman in college, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to run for National...
H-2A program still needs more fixes to be affordable
The calls for modernizing the H-2A program for temporary agricultural workers continue to be heard across the spectrum of agriculture. The worker visa program has seen some recent adjustments to calculating the Adverse Effect Wage Rate which is seen as an improvement...
Iowa 4-H youth development receives $50,000 grant from Iowa Total Care
Iowa 4-H Youth Development today announced the receipt of a $50,000 grant from Iowa Total Care, a provider of Medicaid healthcare coverage in Iowa and a Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC). The grant will support early literacy skill development in all Iowa counties....
New herbicide technology aims to tackle Iowa’s weed challenges
As harvest wraps up across Iowa, many farmers are already turning their attention to 2026 and the tools they will need to stay ahead of stubborn weeds. Weed pressure itself was not overwhelming this year, but the challenge remains constant. Waterhemp and Palmer...
AFBF recognizes Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence recipient
A retired Army veteran is the second winner of the American Farm Bureau Federation Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence. The award, presented with the support of Farm Credit, goes to retired Army Command Sergeant Major Matthew Rutter of South Carolina, who had an...
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Governor Reynolds, ISU, and BioMADE break ground on new $40M biomanufacturing facility
Today, BioMADE, the State of Iowa, Iowa State University (ISU), and Iowa State University Research Park celebrated the groundbreaking of a new pilot-scale bioindustrial manufacturing facility near Ames, Iowa. Scheduled to open in 2027, the 15,000 sq. ft. multi-user...
Flash sale data shows that China has not made big U.S. purchases yet
Last Friday was the first WASDE report since the end of the government shutdown. While the markets have already from recovered from that report, there is still plenty of information that was released that the markets will continue to look at. Allendale commodity...
What to expect from La Nina weather pattern this winter
It has been over a month since the National Weather Service officially declared the La Nina weather pattern for North America this winter. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says a La Nina winter has been the norm in recent years. Rippey describes the winter weather that...
Jay Theiler of Agri Beef Company elected chair of USMEF
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) concluded its Strategic Planning Conference in Indianapolis Friday with election of new officers. Chairing USMEF for the 2025-26 term is Jay Theiler, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Agri Beef Company in Boise,...
Naig: USDA is back and Iowans stayed committed
The federal government is back open following the longest shutdown in United States history. Congress reached an agreement late last week, the President signed it, and agencies have been working their way back to normal ever since. USDA entered the restart period in a...
