Top Stories
Drought coverage shrinking across most of the U.S
Spring and early summer rainfall has helped to shrink the drought coverage area in the United States. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the U.S. Drought Monitor looks vastly different as of July 7th compared to the drought monitor maps of April 2026. The areas of D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought categories are also shrinking, although Rippey says only some of the regions with those designations have seen improvement. The Great Plains is one of the regions that has benefited from...
Confluence Genetics purchases Benson Hill assets out of Chapter 11
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved this week the sale of the business assets of Benson Hill to Confluence Genetics, LLC. This sale, set to close at 11:59 p.m. tonight, will enable the historic business to continue outside of...
First MAHA report undermines confidence in U.S. agriculture
The Make America Healthy Again Commission released its first report this week, and it contained some troubling assertions. The consequences of this report are causing concerns among farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American...
2025 planting nearly done, but not easy
Iowa farmers got an early jump on planting this spring, taking advantage of favorable conditions in April. But progress hasn’t come without challenges, as scattered storms and temperature swings kept growers on their toes. With planting nearly complete, heavy rains...
Indigo Ag completes industry-leading fourth carbon crop
Recently, Indigo Ag announced the issuance of its fourth carbon crop, which totaled at nearly 1 megaton of carbon sequestration. This makes them the only company to complete four carbon harvests and pay participating farmers. Lauren Lindner, account director with...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-22-25)
After a few weeks of excellent export sales, this week’s report was much quieter. This has helped the markets settle down ahead of the extended Memorial Day weekend. Allendale commodity broker Ben Breisch gave an update on the latest numbers from the USDA. Breisch...
SAF Coalition commends House for advancing 45Z extension
Today, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition’s Executive Director, Alison Graab, issued the following statement after the House passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill which includes an extension of 45Z: “The SAF Coalition applauds the House of...
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August WASDE threw a curveball at the corn markets
With trade uncertainty on the minds of many farmers, the USDA threw the corn market a curveball. The August WASDE report gave farmers and ranchers across the country an interesting look into how production might look this fall. Faith Parum, an economist with the...
449 Century and Heritage Farm families honored at the 2025 Iowa State Fair
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Brent Johnson honored 449 Iowa farm families with Century or Heritage Farm designations at the 2025 Iowa State Fair. The program celebrates farms that have been owned by the same...
Crops are promising, but yields need to be protected
The recent WASDE report from the USDA confirmed that this year’s crops have great potential. Now, it’s important for farmers to keep a close eye on their crops and do whatever they can to realize those potential yields. Kurt Maertens, BASF technical service...
Corn yield estimate will affect local basis levels
On Tuesday, USDA published the August WASDE report with a corn yield estimate of 188.8 bu. That number was well above the trade guesses going into the report and signifies the potential for a massive crop. That is Naomi Blohm of Total Farm Marketing who says that the...
Iowa producers urge action on farm bill & trade
In yesterday’s coverage, we noted the wide range of policy issues weighing on Iowa farmers. Today’s focus narrows to two of the most immediate priorities: passing a comprehensive farm bill and addressing ongoing trade challenges. While the Reconciliation Bill approved...
