Top Stories
PQA Plus program helps build trust with consumers
The Pork Quality Assurance® Plus, or PQA Plus®, program helps pig farmers and their employees continually improve animal care practices. Illinois pork producer Paul Ayers says the industry reevaluates the PQA program every three years to ensure it stays relevant, science-based, and aligned with the evolving needs of producers and consumers alike. The latest version was released earlier this summer. More than 55,000 industry professionals are PQA certified, and this unified program allows state...
Food Bank of Iowa appoints familiar face as new CEO
After a nearly six-month national search, the Food Bank of Iowa has appointed a familiar face to be its next president and CEO. Since joining the Food Bank of Iowa in 2016, Tami Nielsen has held several important roles and helped to build many valuable relationships...
NRCS celebrating 90 years and looking ahead to future
The Natural Resources Conservation Service recently celebrated 90 years of protecting soil health and serving farmers to do so. However, they aren’t resting on their laurels. Aubrey Bettencourt, NRCS Chief, said connecting with farmers is something they talk about a...
Spring weather tests crop nutrition, protection plans
The next stage of the 2025 growing season is well underway, as crops emerge across the state and farmers shift their focus to post-emergence crop protection. With applications on the horizon, timing and field conditions will be key. Spring started off warm and dry,...
Insecticide-resistant soybean aphids pose a challenge to Iowa farmers
For a few years, soybean aphids weren’t too much of a problem in Iowa. However, last year was a wake-up call for farmers in Northern Iowa especially. Kurt Maertens, BASF technical services representative for Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, said that soybean aphids...
Mental Health Awareness Month is especially important for agriculture
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Farmers and ranchers experience higher rates of mental health issues compared to the general population. This is due to many factors, including financial strain and weather-related stress. Dr. Larry Tranel, a dairy field...
Farmland prices began to soften in 2024
2024 was the cooling period for farmland prices after several years of quickly rising farmland values. Randy Dickhut, farmland sales expert with Agricultural Economic Insights, says fluctuating farmland prices are a typical pattern over a multi-year period. According...
Video
More Ag News
Highlighting the impacts of tariffs on small family farms
A local distillery in small-town Swisher, Iowa, was the host site for an important discussion between farmers and Iowa ag industry leaders about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on small family farms. And Cedar Ridge Distillery wasn’t just the venue- CEO Jeff...
New study details positive interactions between cattle and sage grouse
A new study from the University of Idaho highlighted the interactions between cattle and sage grouse populations. The 10-year study confirmed that cattle grazing does not negatively impact greater sage grouse- in fact, it actually benefits the species through building...
Grassley says proposed RVOs from EPA “Very good news for Iowa farmers”
Last Friday the Environmental Protection Agency released the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and 2027. The increased RVOs for biomass-based diesel compared to recent years delivered immediate support into the ag markets for soybeans and soybean oil....
250+ food & ag groups call for greater transparency and public input in MAHA Commission
258 food and agriculture groups representing millions of American farmers, ranchers, producers, and manufacturers sent a letter calling on the Make America Healthy Again Commission to create greater transparency and public input in the commission’s activities. The...
Global markets hold the key to the pork industry’s future
Around the world, pork is more than just chops and bacon, it's a matter of taste and tradition. While many Americans might shy away from pig stomach or intestines, in South America and parts of Asia, those same cuts are culinary staples. As global demand shifts, every...
