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Iowa harvest advances despite weather interruptions
Harvest continues across Iowa, with farmers reporting strong yields despite weather interruptions that have slowed fieldwork in some areas. As producers bring in the remaining crops, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says favorable yields and changing weather are creating both opportunities and challenges. Naig, who recently completed harvest on his family's northwest Iowa farm, says yields in his area were solid, although not necessarily record-setting. He says reports from across the...
September USDA crop reports build upon August
The September WASDE and Crop Reports from USDA will be published on Friday September 11th. The September reports build upon initial field survey numbers from August. USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski explains how the hard data is gathered by...
Midwest heat raises late-season corn and soybean concerns
Extreme heat remains a major agricultural issue across a large portion of the Corn Belt. Heat warnings stretch from Iowa and Kansas through Illinois and toward Ohio, with heat indexes expected to reach 105 to 110 degrees in some areas. The timing matters. USDA...
Beef markets may not need government intervention
The cattle industry continues to sort through questions surrounding the Trump administration's proposal to temporarily allow an additional 300,000 metric tons of imported beef into the U.S. market. At the same time, producers are dealing with the smallest U.S. cow...
Beef exports were strong in July while pork was down
July exports of U.S. beef climbed 6% year-over-year in value while volume was steady, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said the value increase was driven primarily by...
Another trade dispute leaves farmers facing the fallout
Trade tensions between the United States and Canada are creating another potential problem for American agriculture, this time for the dairy industry. Trade negotiations between the two countries broke down in August, followed by new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods....
Lending a trusted ear to farmer mental health struggles
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and that’s especially important in rural areas, where suicide rates are roughly 1.5 times higher than urban areas. A lack of rural mental health care options and a negative stigma against discussing mental health have...
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More Ag News
U.S. Export Sales Report (9-17-26)
This week’s export sales were good once again, especially for this time of year. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the corn sales are slightly behind the USDA’s pace, so this report was very much appreciated. McBride said the soybean sales have continued to...
Growing Iowa’s cattle herd
The Iowa Cattlemen's Association held a press conference on Thursday at the Pastour Family Farm near Mitchellville to announce its Building Iowa’s Cattle Future policy package. The press conference featured ICA’s plans for strengthening Iowa’s cattle industry,...
Fuel prices will likely keep climbing higher
Diesel fuel is at an all-time high of more than six dollars a gallon as farmers start a busy harvest season. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, said the price for fuel in the U.S. is hard to swallow. DeHaan said the U.S. and Iran war isn’t...
Ag Committee advances Farm Bill 2.0 to uncertain future in full Senate
The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its 2026 farm bill on a narrow 12-11 party-line vote after Sen. Mitch McConnell’s return enabled action on the measure. The bill includes major agriculture priorities such as year-round E15, mandatory country-of-origin...
Soybean checkoff turns research into new demand
Soybeans are most commonly associated with food, livestock feed, and renewable fuels, but a growing share of soybean research is looking at what the crop can do beyond those traditional markets. From tires and lubricants to firefighting foam, industrial uses are...
