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Soybean checkoff looks ahead after 35 years
With tight margins continuing to squeeze farm budgets, soybean producers are scrutinizing every dollar they spend. That includes their investments in the soybean checkoff, which has spent the past 35 years developing markets and creating additional demand for American soybeans. Courtney Knupp, the new CEO of the United Soybean Board and a native of Washington County, Iowa, says farmers have every right to expect results from their checkoff investments. She points to the development of markets...
Diesel tax relief for Iowa farmers during busy harvest season
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today issued the following statement in response to President Trump and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ actions temporarily allowing farmers to use non-taxed, off-road diesel in agricultural and trucking equipment that support on-road...
SCN management requires more than egg counts
Soybean cyst nematode management often starts with knowing what is present in a field, but BASF's Mike McCarville says growers should not let the process end with a soil sample and an egg count. McCarville says farmers need to take a more active approach to SCN...
Historically wet September caused sprouting in Iowa fields
This September was the wettest month in Iowa in roughly 112 years, and farmers are feeling the impacts of that intense amount of rain. Producers in the southern parts of the state have even observed sprouting in their fields, which can reduce grain quality and ruin...
Markets anticipate yield numbers in October WASDE report
Following last week’s Quarterly Grain Stocks Report, attention now turns to the October WASDE report which will be published by USDA at 11 a.m. central time on Friday. Greg McBride is a commodity broker with Allendale, and he says that we could see back and forth...
USMEF-Mexico celebrates 35 years of market development
As the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) celebrates its 50th anniversary, the organization’s Mexico office is also celebrating 35 years of promoting U.S. beef, pork, and lamb. Gerardo Rodriguez, USMEF’s regional director for Mexico, Central America, and the...
Nearly 130 Choose Iowa members ready to welcome visitors for statewide Fall Crawl
Nearly 130 Choose Iowa members across the state are preparing to welcome visitors on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, for the second annual Choose Iowa Fall Crawl. The two-day, self-guided event invites Iowans to hit the road, enjoy the fall colors, discover new...
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More Ag News
Diesel tax relief is appreciated, but costs are still high
Earlier this week, President Trump made an executive order to temporarily allow tax-free dyed diesel to be used on highways and defer the federal diesel tax through the end of the year. While farm groups are welcoming any relief this move could provide, many say the...
Fall warmth kickstarts harvest in Iowa
After an abnormally wet September, drier conditions have returned to some of the key row crop growing regions of the country in October. USDA Chief Meteorologist Brad Rippey says the drier conditions are leading to a slow and steady return to harvest activity in...
Farm bill expiration leaves rural programs in uncertainty
The latest extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expired September 30, leaving Congress without a new long-term agriculture policy. The Farm Bill covers farm safety-net programs, conservation, crop insurance, food assistance, and other programs important to rural America....
Earlier planted soybeans reshape waterhemp management
Earlier soybean planting has become increasingly common as growers look to extend the growing season and capture more yield potential. But that shift can also change the timing of one of the crop's biggest weed management challenges. BASF Technical Marketing Manager...
Secretary Rollins announces funding for new Seed Sovereignty Initiative
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins was in Prairie City, Iowa, today to announce a $180 million investment into a new Seed Sovereignty Initiative, which aims to protect valuable plant genetics resources and enable breakthroughs in U.S. agriculture innovation. Rollins said...
