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Specialty crop payment rates due in April
The USDA has already allocated over $6 billion in payments under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Programs. Payment rates for specialty crops under the program are due in early April. “I believe we’ll have those payment rates in place by early next month,” Deputy Ag Secretary Stephen Vaden told Politico. “We’ll publish those payment rates as soon as we have them, and then quickly get going on the payment part of it.” He added that sugar beets, cotton, and rice are the commodities in the most...
IDALS reinstates poultry protection measures
Bird flu (HPAI) has returned to Iowa this fall. This is much different than the outbreak in 2015, when we only saw an outbreak during the spring migration, that lasted until early summer. This year we are getting hit by the virus during both migration periods. The...
Mexico can?t afford to ban U.S. GMO corn
Mexico?s upcoming ban on U.S. imports of genetically modified corn or corn grown with glyphosate won?t be changed in any way, according to Mexico?s deputy ag minister. Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of the State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) said...
DEKALB Asgrow agronomist reflects on this year?s crop challenges and successes
As harvest wraps up across the state, it?s a good idea to look back on the crop year and think about how to improve next year. This year was definitely interesting, with issues ranging from drought to disease. Scott Johnson, a DEKALB Asgrow technical agronomist in...
Diversifying supply chains to give farmers options
Supply chain disruptions were not just the work of Covid and Covid restrictions. Supply chain problems are still creating challenges for farmers who are trying to move their commodities to domestic and international consumers. Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the...
What challenges are on the horizon for 2023?
We have talked about the drought situation here in Iowa til our voices are as dry as some of the ground in the state. So, we aren?t going to focus a lot on that topic. However, just like with a wet year or a normal year, droughts set us up for problems in the year to...
FFAR grant develops additional african swine fever vaccines
PLUM ISLAND, N.Y., and MANHATTAN, K.S. (November 10, 2022) ?African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious, fatal disease in pigs that spreads rapidly. There is no commercially available vaccine for the virus, and the threat to U.S. swine production is...
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New Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons excited to take on first fair
The best time of the year. The greatest summertime event. Or, as it?s referred to as this year, the best days ever. No matter what you call it, nothing compares to the Iowa State Fair. At this point, we are less than a month away from the start of the state fair, and...
AFBF promoting the importance of the farm bill
The American Farm Bureau Federation led the creation of Farm Bill for America?s Families, a campaign to highlight the broad reach of the farm bill. AFBF President Zippy Duvall says the high-level campaign includes several messages to Congress.?We want to see a 2023...
Labor issues remain prevalent in animal agriculture
Between Prop 12 compliance requirements, labor issues, and the constant threat of foreign animal disease there is a lot weighing on the minds of Iowa?s hog producers.Terry Wolters is a former president and current board member of the National Pork Producers Council....
Legislation would lower the cost of biofuel-blending compliance
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to lower the cost of complying with biofuel-blending mandates. Reuters says legislation was introduced that would direct the White House to let oil refiners purchase compliance credits (RINs) for biofuel blending laws at a lower...
Fungicide applications still necessary despite dry start in Iowa
This year, like many years prior, has been throwing curveballs. We are seeing dry conditions suddenly becoming wet, and crops that were under stress now suddenly growing to their potential. It has got farmers scratching their heads and thinking about if they need to...
