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New U.S. ammonia plant will increase domestic production
Fertilizer prices and availability have been a major pain point for U.S. producers for several years. A major factor that contributes to that pressure is fact that the U.S. imports about 50 percent of the 20 million tons of the fertilizer farmers across the country use every year. The recent groundbreaking of the $3.7 billion Blue Point 1 project in Louisiana signals an eventual turning point in the overreliance on fertilizer imports. Stephen Vaden, USDA Deputy Secretary, said the time to act...
Strong protein demand meets ongoing producer challenges
Growing consumer interest in protein-rich diets is helping drive optimism across the livestock industry, even as producers continue to manage risk and long-term investment decisions. Marshall Hansen, Senior Vice President of Corporate Proteins with Farm Credit...
Get ahead and stay ahead of weed issues in 2026
As farmers develop their spring burndown programs, they need options to not only get ahead of weeds but maintain that control throughout the season. Including a residual herbicide, like Perpetuo® Herbicide, in pre-emergence tank mixes can help corn growers strengthen...
Demand for used agriculture equipment remains strong
The used agriculture equipment market continues to stay hot as farmers look for ways to save money in a time of tight margins. Mike Price is a territory sales manager with Purple Wave Auction and he says Purple Wave is placing an emphasis on used ag equipment right...
USDA unveils plan to cut red tape and legal pressures on farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday launched the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework — a policy initiative designed to shield producers from what the department calls politically motivated legal actions and regulatory overreach. Secretary Brooke Rollins...
Small machines with big impact on Iowa farms
Utility vehicles may not always be the largest machines on an operation, but John Deere says they are often among the most used. As farms continue to look for efficiency in daily tasks, the company says feedback from producers is shaping how newer Gator models are...
Doubts around year-round E15 linger
Agreement on legislation to allow year-round E15 sales continued to elude farm and oil interests despite a Sunday deadline. A draft plan by the House GOP’s Rural Domestic Energy Council failed to win support by the weekend from mid-sized oil refiners who killed...
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Fareway and Murphy Family Foundation team up for 6th annual food donation
This past Tuesday, the Murphy Family Foundation teamed up with Fareway for the sixth year in a row of donating Easter meal kits to the Food Bank of Iowa. Food insecurity is still more present than ever across the state, and these meal kits will provide a sense of...
Feeding the Economy report shows agriculture’s impact
Each year, the Feeding the Economy Report measures the downstream, off-the-farm economic impact of U.S. agriculture. Danny Munch, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the report tracks three layers of impact. Munch said when you combine those...
Hog inventories up in March
The latest Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report from USDA shows an increase in inventories. USDA livestock analyst Michael McConnell says the total number of hogs in the U.S. is up compared to this time a year ago. McConnell says hog inventories remain stable, adding that...
Secretary Naig issues statement on the Trump administration’s RFS volumes
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized strong renewable volume obligations (RVO) within the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2026 and 2027: “Biofuels lower costs at the...
Ernst: 45Z must reflect Iowa farm practices
As federal agencies continue working through the rulemaking process for the 45Z clean fuel production credit, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the final guidance must reflect the work farmers are already doing on the ground. She says she and Senator Chuck Grassley have...
