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U.S. red meat exporters connecting with buyers in Mexico
Exporters of U.S. beef, pork, and lamb met face-to-face with buyers from across Mexico last week at the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s second U.S. Red Meat Symposium in Mexico City. One of those exporters was Mark Spengler of Greater Omaha Packing Company, who returned after attending the first USMEF Symposium two years ago. Spengler said the event is of high value for his company because it allows a small company to develop personal relationships with buyers across Mexico with just a two-day...
Climate smart commodity grants available for crop and pig farmers
Pork producers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri have a grant opportunity in sustainability assisting in climate smart agriculture practices. Jamie Burr, the chief sustainability officer at the National Pork Board, said this grant is focused on a variety of practices...
Drones becoming increasingly prominent in agriculture
It's always amazing to see who stops by the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network tent at the Iowa State Fair. One of them is Paul Merdy, a high schooler from the Conrad area where he and a friend started Merst Precision Application, a drone custom spraying and application...
Grassley says dispute settlement panel with Mexico necessary
The dispute between the United States and Mexico over genetically modified corn has reached the next stage of the formal process to resolve issues between trade partners.Last Thursday the United States Trade Representative’s office formally requested a dispute...
ISF vendors donate 12,000 pounds of leftover food to food banks
Sixteen Iowa State Fair vendors have donated 12,113 pounds of unused food to Food Bank of Iowa at the close of this year’s fair. That’s nearly 5,000 pounds more than last year!Among the food collected by FBOI staff and volunteers on Aug. 21, some was delivered...
Representative Nunn responds to concerns with EATS Act
Before the Iowa State Fair, we talked with the Organization for Competitive Markets about concerns they were sharing with the EATS Act. This has caused some producers and organizations to fire back that these claims are being made by groups led or influenced by...
Dominican Republic opens to Brazilian pork and beef
Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock recently announced that the Dominican Republic has granted access for imports of Brazilian pork and beef. Three Brazilian plants in the states of Acre, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul have reportedly been approved to...
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Finding new uses and sustainable demand for U.S. corn
At last week’s Commodity Classic farm show in Houston Texas the stage was set for the announcement of the "The Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge sponsored by US Corn Farmers." The challenge comes from Radicle Growth, a company that invests in early stage ag and food...
U.S. corn and soy vital for success of red meat exports
Last week, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Chair Randy Spronk and other USMEF leaders were on hand at Commodity Classic in Houston to thank corn and soybean producers for their support. Spronk said it was very important for the red meat industry to show its...
Iowa Corn Growers highlight the benefits of your checkoff dollars
In a time when we are all having to tighten our belts again, it is not out of the question to take stock of monies being spent and make sure that you are getting the most out of each dollar. After all, any dollar not being spent wisely should be reallocated. This is...
Number of U.S. farms falls below two million
The USDA says the number of U.S. farms has fallen under two million for the first time since before the Civil War. The numbers come from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. In 2022, there were 1,900,487 farms in the country, a seven percent decline from the level in the...
Farm Bill differences continue to hinder legislation progress
United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack quoted USDA’s founder, President Abraham Lincoln at a USDA oversight hearing with Senate Ag Leaders this week. With the President Lincoln quote he made the unspoken point, that stubborn partisan differences...
