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HPAI detected in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County. This case is Iowa’s eighth detection of H5N1 HPAI in 2026. About H5N1 HPAI in Birds H5N1 HPAI is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations. H5N1 HPAI can travel in wild birds without those birds...
Harvest opens key SCN testing window in Iowa
As soybean harvest approaches across Iowa, farmers have an opportunity to check their fields for a pest that can quietly reduce yields without producing obvious symptoms. Soybean cyst nematode, or SCN, remains one of the most damaging soybean pests, and once it...
Naig reveals additional funding for Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program
Just 10 days of the program expansion being announced at the Iowa State Fair, Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig said funding for the expanded Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program was fully obligated to Iowa livestock producers. Naig said the program, which is...
GeoKnife offers Iowa growers a new approach to soil sampling
At this week’s Farm Progress Show the Iowa Ag Radio Network stopped by the PTx tent to learn about the new soil sampling tool, GeoKnife, from Radicle Agronomics. Adam Vaccari explains the thought process around the development of GeoKnife and how it can help Iowa’s...
DOJ expands beef price investigation to major retailers
The U.S. Department of Justice is expanding its investigation into record-high beef prices, widening its review to include eight major grocery chains, according to Meatingplace. The retailers involved are Kroger, Walmart, Publix, Albertsons, Aldi, Ahold Delhaize,...
Farmers and ranchers are facing a growing pile of issues
While there is a rebound in ag exports for 2025 and 2026, growth remains below desired levels. New policy measures out of Washington, such as President Trump’s decision to allow tariff-free beef imports, are creating even higher levels of uncertainty for farmers and...
Small refinery exemptions raise big questions
EPA’s latest round of small refinery exemptions is raising concerns within the ethanol industry, after the agency granted exemptions to 29 refineries under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The exemptions allow qualifying refineries to avoid some of their renewable fuel...
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Rain has defined the 2026 crop year in Iowa
As the Pro Farmer Crop Tour traveled across the Midwest, many reports came in of dry crop conditions and lower yields. That was not the case for the Iowa leg of the tour, though, as yields were actually higher due to significant rains, especially in the eastern and...
Farmers hit hardest by high transportation costs
The impact of higher fuel prices goes beyond just what farmers pay to plant and harvest a crop. These prices are also driving up transportation costs throughout the supply chain. Mike Steenhoek, Executive Director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, said that...
Trends in cover crop use and production
An annual survey provides the latest trends regarding cover crop use and production in agriculture. The producer-based cover crop survey is conducted in part by USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Under Secretary for Farm Production...
Iowa farmers elect new leadership to advance opportunities for U.S. soybeans
Farmer-leaders of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) board of directors last week elected Lee Brooke of Clarinda as president during its September board meeting in Aberdeen, Washington. The association’s 22 volunteer farmer directors represent the state’s nine crop...
Solinftec robot adds another set of eyes
Scouting a cornfield is a job that never really ends. Crop development, plant populations, and disease pressure can all change throughout the growing season. Autonomous technology could provide farmers with another set of eyes that keeps watching even when they are...
