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GeoKnife offers Iowa growers a new approach to soil sampling
At this week’s Farm Progress Show the Iowa Ag Radio Network stopped by the PTx tent to learn about the new soil sampling tool, GeoKnife, from Radicle Agronomics. Adam Vaccari explains the thought process around the development of GeoKnife and how it can help Iowa’s farmers. Vaccari says that because soil sampling is labor intensive and time consuming, Radicle Agronomics was determined to develop a more efficient and effective method for soil sampling. He says that GeoKnife collects a...
SNAP funding debate slows farm bill markup process
The House Ag farm bill markup has entered its second day, but the key stumbling block to a bipartisan bill has now come into sharp focus. The fight over SNAP versus farm programs has kept a new farm bill off the books for at least three years. Republicans got around...
Secretary Naig extends popular cattle and conservation working lands project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced a three-year extension of the popular, farmer-led Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Project. The extension renews program agreements in Taylor, Page, Carroll, Cherokee, Guthrie, and Ida counties through...
Cutting input costs key for Iowa farmers
As farmers prepare for the 2026 growing season, managing input costs remains a top priority. With tighter margins across much of agriculture, many producers are looking for ways to improve efficiency while still protecting yield potential. Shane Brockhoff, who works...
South American Weather and Crop Update (3-3-26)
As harvest wraps up in Brazil for the soybean crop, the safrinha corn crop is being planted right behind it. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the weather forecast looks good for both processes to continue smoothly. While progress is behind the usual pace,...
Many farmers have already signed up for Farmer Bridge Assistance Program
Several overdue changes are now happening for antiquated systems that farmers have relied on for many years. USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Programs Richard Fordyce talked about a new “One Farmer, One File” initiative at the agency. The USDA...
Iran conflict strengthens ethanol industry case for year-round E15 legislation
The ethanol industry now has another argument for Congress to enact legislation for year-round E15 sales as the Iran-Middle East conflict erupted last weekend. Troy Bredenkamp of the Renewable Fuels Association says that with oil and gas prices on the rise due to the...
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Quiet April WASDE report still contained important information
The April WASDE report lined up with the market expectations and made virtually no changes this month. However, that’s not to say that the report did not contain valuable information moving forward. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said the April WASDE included...
Projecting demand for grilling season as beef prices soar
Every year the meat industry can rely on a spike in demand for meat during the summer grilling season. However, with beef prices at extremely high levels in stores, will demand this grilling season be as high as it typically would be during the spring and summer...
GDM streamlines brands after acquisition
GDM is moving ahead with a seed brand realignment that will take effect in 2027, but company leaders say growers should expect no changes for the 2026 planting season. The move follows GDM’s acquisition of AgReliant last September, a deal that brought together major...
Deere reaches a settlement in right to repair litigation
Deere & Company announced it has reached a settlement in a multidistrict “right to repair” lawsuit filed in 2022, bringing the case to a close without any admission of wrongdoing. The agreement, pending approval from the U.S. District Court for the Northern...
2026 forecast shows another strong El Niño
Many parts of rural America have seen some wild back-and-forth temperature swings combined with on-again, off-again winter weather. John Baranick, an agricultural meteorologist from DTN, said we’re seeing a lot of normal temperature swings during the transition from...
