Top Stories
Impending government shutdown needs to be avoided
Every year, Congress needs to pass 12 appropriations bills to keep the government fully funded. With the September 30th deadline quickly approaching, Congress still needs to pass 9 more bills. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Director of Government Affairs Tanner Beymer gave an update on the appropriations process and offered insight into what might happen next. Beymer said the NCBA supports a continuing resolution for the simple fact that a government shutdown does not benefit anybody....
Robust weed management strategies nip weed issues in the bud
Weed management is a difficult issue to tackle every year, and this year was no exception. With late plantings and hot, dry conditions, some farmers had an especially tough time trying to keep weed populations under control. Dean Grossnickle, technical development...
Farmer’s Business Network helping farmers to secure crop inputs
Making a crop plan and purchasing inputs for next growing season can be a difficult task.Global supply chains were heavily disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, but those supply lines are making a slow recovery. In the agriculture world there are some ag inputs that...
Former USDA-FSA Director gives his take on Congressional shift
With the Midterm elections nearly a month behind us, we know that Congress will look a little different next January. Republicans took control of the House of Representatives and Democrats took outright control of the Senate. This means bipartisanship or continued...
Senators Ernst, Grassley push to bring E15 certainty to the pump
WASHINGTON ? U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Midwest senators on a push to expand the year-round sales of E15 nationwide. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act...
Farmers need to be proactive when fighting tar spot
Tar spot has continued its invasion of Iowa in 2022. The invasive disease that was first found in the eastern corn belt several years ago has continued its westward trek into the state of Iowa and was found throughout the state this year.Rod Jurgens, a farmer from...
South American Weather and Crop Update (11-29-22)
Once again, the weather in South America is favorable for Brazil, but it is still very dry in Argentina. This means that Brazil is anticipating a great crop, while Argentinian farmers are hoping they can get a crop in the ground at all. Allendale commodity broker Greg...
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More Ag News
NPPC is dedicated to improving export climate for pork industry.
When we have been talking about the pork industry lately, we have focused on things like the low market prices, and the Prop 12 issue. However, there is much more to what is going on in the industry. Obviously, when we are dealing with a global economy that is being...
Despite talk of weather pattern changes, the soil is getting dryer
Several areas in the Upper Midwest and the Corn Belt are continuing to struggle with drought. Dennis Todey, director of the USDA?s Midwest Climate Hub in Iowa, said some areas haven?t gotten away from excessively dry weather in several years.Todey said the expanding...
Combatting summer heat stress in dairy cattle
Temperatures can get very hot in rural America from April through September, and the recent weather here in Iowa has been a prime example of that. Combine those high temps with a high humidity index, and dairy cows will get heat stressed. Dr. Glenn Holub is the...
Connecting with consumers online to increase demand for beef
Marketing and promotion of the beef product has changed dramatically over the years.Social media has become a central focus of connecting with consumers.Greg Hanes, Cattlemen?s Beef Board CEO, says social media now plays a large role in marketing beef as it gives...
Midwest drought has Mississippi River level concerns coming back
Remember last summer and early fall when we were so worried about the levels of the Mississippi river? Even though those levels eventually came back up, we are still not out of the woods. Drought has gripped much of the Midwest, and the main tributaries of the Old Man...
