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Examining record corn exports
Will the 2026-27 commodity marketing year produce another record for U.S. corn exports? The 2025-2026 marketing year was a record year for U.S. corn exports and USDA Chief Economist Justin Benevidez was asked recently if the 26-27 marketing year can follow that trend. Benevidez says that the pace has slowed a bit for corn exports in the new marketing year but also provides some optimism for sales to export markets. That was USDA Chief Economist Justin Benevidez.
Timely rains continue to benefit Iowa crops
The luck of Iowa’s farmers continues as timely rains have cycled through much of the state. As the Pro Farmer Crop Tour goes across the state, many analysts are predicting a hefty crop. Landus Cooperative Technical Agronomist Dan Bjorklund said the rain has been...
Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards presented to 33 farm families at the 2026 ISF
Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 33 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards during a ceremony at the 2026 Iowa State Fair. The Iowa Farm...
Thompson says SAWA could help Iowa livestock farms
Finding enough workers remains a challenge across agriculture. Still, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson says the federal guest worker program has not kept pace with the changing needs of farms and livestock operations. Thompson is pushing the Securing...
Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest brings farmers and fairgoers together
The annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is one of the most delicious and best-smelling contests of each Iowa State Fair. While the focus is certainly on the food, it also serves as a great opportunity to connect fairgoers with the farming families that raise the...
Big Bad Joe shatters previous record to win 2026 ISF Big Ram Competition
"Big Bad Joe," the Suffolk ram shown by Jim Fisher of Mercer, MO, is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Big Ram Competition winner weighing in at 568 pounds. Big Bad Joe shattered the previous Iowa State Fair record of 507.5 pounds which was set in 2014. Owner Jim Fisher says...
Major expansion of Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program underway
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, alongside Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, announced the second phase of the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program, which debuted in 2016. This second phase expands to 22 counties within the...
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Growing corn supplies increase need for demand
The food versus fuel debate has followed corn ethanol for decades. Critics argue that using corn for fuel removes it from the food supply. Corn growers counter that ethanol production also creates livestock feed, while increasing yields leave farmers searching for...
Pork demand continues to build in consumers
A growing appetite for pork is building momentum with consumers. Dr. Glynn Tonsor, an economist at Kansas State University, said the pork industry is turning appetites into action by making pork a favorite every day. One of the key shifts has been looking more closely...
Cooler weather in store for the end of August
After bouts of extremely hot weather in July and early August, a week of cooler temperatures is welcome across Iowa. The cooler temperatures could even help with soil and crop conditions as we approach the final stretch of the growing season. USDA meteorologist Brad...
Farm Bureau urges U.S., Canada to resume trade talks
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall is urging the United States and Canada to return to the negotiating table after trade talks broke down and additional tariffs were imposed. Duvall said Canada has been one of U.S. agriculture’s most important trading...
Ag groups speak out against President Trump’s beef import plan
The Trump administration has announced a new plan aimed at lowering beef prices in the grocery stores, but the plan- which will bring up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef into the U.S. over the next 90 days- will negatively impact the farm economy. Beef industry...
