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Smithfield Foods awards 12 Impact Grants nationwide
Smithfield Foods has awarded more than $280,000 in Impact Grant funding to 12 nonprofit organizations working to strengthen communities where Smithfield employees live and work. These grants build on the more than $24 million Smithfield invested in 2025 to strengthen communities nationwide, including donating more than 16 million servings of protein to neighbors experiencing food insecurity. “Through our Impact Grant Program, we are proud to partner with local organizations that are addressing...
Grassley wary of Chinese response to increased tariffs
On Tuesday President Biden announced a surge of increased tariffs on imported Chinese products under Section 301 of 1974’s Trade Act. The tariff hikes will be applied to $18 billion worth of imports from China including electric vehicle batteries and computer chips....
Hog prices much more stable now than a year ago
After soaring to yearly highs recently, the hog prices, along with the rest of the livestock, have come back down to earth. While we would’ve liked to maintain those higher levels, it’s important to remember that hog prices were considerably worse just a year ago....
Deadline approaching for century and heritage farm applications
The June 1 deadline for eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition is quickly approaching, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is encouraging farm families to apply today. The program, which was created in...
Spring warmup can be dangerous for stored grain
Spring warmup can be hard on stored grain, as the sun can cause bins to heat up very quickly. GSI District Manager Dave Ellis said it’s important to properly manage grain bins. Eilis said temperature management is key to proper grain storage. Ellis added that remote...
Ag loan interest payments are starting to soar
The economy is in a tough spot across the board, no matter how government officials want to try and spin it. Interest rates are climbing higher and that is causing problems for borrowers, especially in the agriculture sector. Agricultural operating loans, land loans,...
Benson Hill incorporating soybean meal into broiler chicken feed
Benson Hill recently conducted a feeding trial with Perdue Farms to showcase the ability of soybean meal to reduce feed costs while maintaining performance when used in the diets of broiler chickens. The soybean meal in this study was derived from Benson Hill’s...
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More Ag News
Hurricane Milton will directly affect fertilizer production in the U.S.
Yesterday we talked about the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While there was a lot of damage to agriculture and farms in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, there wasn't a lot of effect on the industry nationwide. It looks like this time around, that will change....
Dry weather can cause complications for soybean harvest
The dry weather is allowing harvest in Iowa to progress at a quick pace, and that’s especially true for soybeans in northeast Iowa. While the ease of harvest is great, the dry weather also has some inherent risks. Beck’s agronomist Lee Koenigsfeld said they’ve gotten...
AFBF supporting farmers suffering from hurricane damage
Hurricane Helene was the deadliest storm in America since 2017, with over 225 lives lost and many others still missing. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, says agriculture is an important part of the Southeast and has a long road to...
Make management decisions before planting to battle corn rootworm
Corn rootworm can cause significant yield loss but the best way to deal with the pest is to develop your plan for the yield robbers before planting. That’s according to Kevin Langdon a technical product lead for insecticides with Syngenta. Langdon says that corn on...
Secretary Naig announces record investments to expand E15, biodiesel availability statewide
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board recently approved 126 project applications from Iowa gas stations for new and expanded E15, E85, and biodiesel infrastructure projects. Totaling...
