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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 Greater Des Moines watershed and increases the program area. Erin Ogle, Project Coordinator for the Taylor Soil and Water Conservation District, present at the event, says the announcement brings exciting news. Ogle says the need for...
Extreme heat impacts the Midwest
Extreme heat has been impacting the western two-thirds of the United States in recent days as crops are in critical stages of growth. One example of the intense heat occurred recently in the badlands of South Dakota says USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. Although...
Farmers continue embracing conservation practices
Iowa farmers continue adopting conservation practices at a record pace, and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says new state investments will help keep that momentum going. During a recent interview, Naig said conservation remains one of the department's top...
U.S. pork exports to Japan show strong rebound
Exports of U.S. pork to Japan have shown an impressive rebound in 2026. The market has faced challenges such as high energy costs and a weak yen against the U.S. dollar, but some value sectors have increasingly relied on U.S. pork loin and pork butt. USMEF President...
Grassley says farm bill markup possible next week even without McConnell
United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says that the Senate Ag Committee could still mark up a farm bill next week before the August recess without sidelined Mitch McConnell and a GOP majority. Senator Grassley says Ag Chair John Boozman still hopes to take up...
Markets react to July USDA cattle reports
The USDA released two important reports last week that each had a direct impact on the U.S. cattle industry: the July Cattle Inventory and July Cattle on Feed Reports. Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the two reports offer a...
ICA lead on CRP reform at NCBA summer business meeting
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association (ICA) continues to deliver results for Iowa cattle producers, both in Iowa and across the nation. At the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Summer Business Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, earlier this month, ICA led...
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More Ag News
BASF XARVIO® guides fungicide application timing
With crop margins remaining tight, farmers are looking for every opportunity to make the most of each input dollar. Digital agriculture tools are becoming a larger part of that effort, helping growers use field-level data and predictive modeling to make more informed...
New Renewable Fuel Standard volumes spurring industry growth
The Environmental Protection Agency's new Renewable Fuel Standard volumes are giving the biodiesel industry a significant boost. The agency raised biomass-based diesel obligations to levels the industry says more accurately reflect production capacity. Paul Winters,...
End of July defined by intense market volatility
Just when we thought the markets couldn’t be any more volatile, the grains proved us wrong by dropping 20 cents in the corn and nearly 40 cents in the soybeans. Pressure from the warm and dry weather here in the U.S. and war headlines overseas will keep the markets...
Dairy industry needs USMCA improvements
The USMCA has been in the spotlight this summer with the review process in July a major focus. Dr. Megan Roberts is an economist with Compeer Financial and says that United States dairy producers have been closely watching the process unfold. On the Dairy Stream...
EPA seeks changes to WOTUS and DEF rules
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would eliminate derate requirements for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) on certain diesel-powered equipment. The proposal comes after months of feedback from farmers, ranchers, and truckers, who identified...
