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PFI hosts 2nd Annual Midwest Meat Summit
Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) hosted the 2nd Annual Midwest Meat Summit at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa, earlier this week. The two-day event brought together all members of the meat industry, including producers, processors, and distributors. Amos Johnson, livestock education coordinator with PFI, said the event started off with a small tour across central Iowa. After the COVID-19 pandemic, people started to notice certain weaknesses of the meat supply chain. Johnson said the...
U.S. Export Sales Report (9-6-24)
As the U.S. continues to have discounted grain in the global market, the export sales need to be following along as countries take advantage of the opportunity for cheaper corn and soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest report...
USDA lowers forecast for farm production expenses
In most years a farmer can expect to pay more than they did the year before for production expenses. However, in USDA’s new farm income forecast for this year, the report calls for lower production expenses. That is Spiro Stafanou, administrator of USDA's Economic...
What’s keeping farmland prices high?
The farmland market across the Midwest is resilient. While the markets have been pushing lower for almost a year and reaching below breakeven levels, Doug Hensley, President of Hertz Farm Management, says we’ve not seen land prices retreat in a similar fashion. While...
Solinftec’s new docking station takes autonomy to new level
We have talked in the past about Solinftec’s autonomous sprayers that can go around your field, under solar power, and take care of your spraying needs 24/7. However, there have been questions about how often the unit needs attending. Just like with any piece of...
Biden announces $7.3 million investment in rural electrification
President Biden traveled to Wisconsin today to announce an investment of $7.3 billion in affordable and reliable electricity for rural America through the Inflation Reduction Act. Sixteen rural electric cooperatives across 23 states- including Iowa- will be selected...
USDA net farm income report highlights need for new farm bill
The latest Net Farm Income Report shows a 23 percent drop in net farm income compared to 2022. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, says farms losing a quarter of their income isn’t economically sustainable. Duvall says there are a number of...
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More Ag News
Collecting financial data for flower farms
Iowa is no stranger to specialty crop farming, and flowers are one of those specialty crops. Since they can be planted so close together, flowers can offer substantial yields on smaller acreages. However, as it is with many specialty crops, there isn’t a lot of data...
USDA announces more regulatory reforms for Packers and Stockyards Act
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a third installment in regulatory reforms to the Packers and Stockyards Act. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said this third change, in combination with the others, is intended to level the playing field for farmers raising...
Arctic cold and potential cattle concerns
A strong arctic system is expected to settle over much of the United States late this week and into the weekend, creating concerns for livestock producers. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the latest blast of arctic air could bring some of the coldest temperatures...
SCN continuing spread renews focus on the threat
Researchers have been updating the map of known soybean cyst nematode distribution regularly since 2000, and with each update, the threat spreads. The latest update, spearheaded by Greg Tylka, a nematologist from Iowa State University, reveals 31 counties in ten...
John Deere See & Spray™ technology is ready for 2025
It might be the middle of January, but it won’t be too long, and we will be ready to return to the fields for another growing season. One of our main jobs when growing a crop is feeding and protecting those plants. To do that you need to have a sprayer that you can...
