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Boozman seeks to shift foreign food aid to USDA in farm bill
Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman says that USDA should operate foreign food aid programs, not the State Department. Boozman, says he hopes to make the switch if he can pass a new farm bill. Most U.S. foreign food aid was transferred to the State Department after President Trump largely dismantled USAID. Now, Boozman wants Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole program moved under the control of USDA. Boozman is hopeful that the switch can be made by including the change in the farm bill,...
Congress must act to protect family farms
Farmers and ranchers could face higher estate taxes if Congress fails to act before the end of the year. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act contains provisions that are set to end in 2025, many of which are beneficial to farmers and ranchers. Samantha Ayoub, an associate...
More farmers are tapping into the power of AI
As agricultural technology continues to evolve, farmers are finding faster and more accurate ways to produce their goods. Among the latest tools gaining traction in the farming community is AI, a technology once known mostly for helping students with research or...
Farmers should use a varied approach to combat SCN
Often referred to as the “billion-dollar pest,” soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major pest that farmers have to deal with every year. While we do have several great options, especially in genetics, it’s important to keep from relying too much on one single mode of...
USDA provides publicly available resources to farmers
USDA reports can be a very valuable resource for hog producers. Lee Schulz, chief economist with Ever.Ag, says fundamentals are key when digging through publicly available data. Dr. Schulz points to additional market pressures, including changes in the World...
Helping veterans transition from national security to food security
We’ve all heard the saying, “Food security is national security.” Few people take both food and national security more seriously than veterans in agriculture, such as Matthew and Kara Rutter, who have established Project Victory Gardens in Townville, South Carolina....
Farm bankruptcies climbing in 2025
Farm bankruptcies grew 55 percent from 2023 to 2024 and are trending even higher in 2025. Farmers are continuing to struggle with low prices for their agricultural commodities and the high costs of inputs needed to grow those crops. Bloomberg says unpredictable...
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New 2026 Hagie sprayers roll off line
The 2026 Hagie STS sprayers are officially here, rolling off the line just yesterday morning at the company’s Clarion, Iowa plant. The new lineup features a series of updates designed to improve comfort, efficiency, and performance. Hagie says these changes were made...
World’s first large-scale renewable butanediol starts production in Iowa
QORE, a joint venture between Cargill and German-based chemical company HELM, officially started the production of its newest product- QIRA- in Eddyville, Iowa. QIRA is the world's first large-scale renewable butanediol (BDO), which is made from locally grown yellow...
Grassley urges tariff flexibility with fertilizer costs climbing
Fertilizer to grain cost ratios are hitting historic levels and leading to calls for the White House to help protect farmers with flexibility on fertilizer tariffs. United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says fertilizer costs are burdening Iowa’s farmers....
AFBF seeking nominations for Farm Dog of the Year
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in cooperation with Nestlé Purina PetCare, is looking for the country’s best four-legged farmhand. Terri Moore, vice president of communications for AFBF, said the Farm Dog of the Year contest is a unique opportunity to showcase...
Beef prices hit record highs in June
Ground beef prices continue hitting record-high levels. Newsweek says that’s despite still shrinking cattle herds and import restrictions set to push costs even higher. Government data says the average price of a pound of 100 percent ground beef rose to $6.12 in June,...
