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Fresh pork expected to be more price-competitive with beef and chicken
A National Pork Board report expects pork to be even more price-competitive with beef and chicken during the fall. The pork supply continues to fall short of expectations. In the last month, slaughter is down 3.3 percent, and when combined with the decline in weights, production has been down four percent. With Labor Day weekend, there will be some volatility in terms of pricing and supply. Hog slaughter is expected to quickly climb above 2.5 million head per week by mid-September. This will...
Butterfield’s lullaby: 24 simple notes that carry a lot of weight
If you slept through history class, you did not miss anything about General Daniel Butterfield. Nobody really talks about him. However, there is not an American who does not know at least something about him, even if they do not realize it. AUDIO: Profit Matters...
Some farmers are having to replant in Northeast Iowa
It’s never a pleasant thought, but it’s important for farmers to understand when they might have to pull the trigger and replant some crops. Northeast Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Lee Koenigsfeld said planting was mostly done in his area, but some farmers have had to get...
Employing a proactive approach to get ahead of tar spot
The fungal disease, tar spot, continues to expand each year across the corn growing regions of the United States. One of the biggest problems brought on by tar spot is that it has a latency period of 14-20 days. That is the time in between which the plant has been...
Confluence Genetics purchases Benson Hill assets out of Chapter 11
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved this week the sale of the business assets of Benson Hill to Confluence Genetics, LLC. This sale, set to close at 11:59 p.m. tonight, will enable the historic business to continue outside of...
First MAHA report undermines confidence in U.S. agriculture
The Make America Healthy Again Commission released its first report this week, and it contained some troubling assertions. The consequences of this report are causing concerns among farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American...
2025 planting nearly done, but not easy
Iowa farmers got an early jump on planting this spring, taking advantage of favorable conditions in April. But progress hasn’t come without challenges, as scattered storms and temperature swings kept growers on their toes. With planting nearly complete, heavy rains...
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Bringing together family and farming through innovation and mentorship
At first glance, farming might not seem like a way to strengthen family ties or inspire the next generation, but for Robb Ewoldt, it’s exactly that. As a dedicated Iowan farmer, a Director of the United Soybean Board, and former President of the Iowa Soybean...
June WASDE report overshadowed in commodity markets by EPA news
This month’s WASDE report was mostly neutral, which is what we usually expect from the USDA at this time of year. More will be revealed about the status of this year’s crop at the end of the month. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the old crop corn ending...
Farm transitions are becoming increasingly challenging
The ag industry must do something about the average age of America’s farmers as it keeps rising. The next generation of ag leaders is entering the work force, but we’re not seeing enough of them return to the farm. Chad Hart, agricultural economist at Iowa State...
Another successful Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade concludes in Mount Pleasant
The 26th Annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade wrapped up on Wednesday with a day three route northeast of Mount Pleasant and a return to Mount Pleasant for lunch and a closing ceremony. Each year a different host city is homebase for the Tractorcade with the Old...
John Deere must face right-to-repair lawsuit
A court ruling determined that agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere must face a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission, which accuses the company of forcing farmers to use its authorized dealer network. A judge ruled that drove up farmers’ costs for repairs...
