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China steps up U.S. soybean purchases ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
China has increased purchases of U.S. soybeans following a May summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, providing a boost for American soybean exporters. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported China purchased 238,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans last week. Bloomberg said that puts purchases roughly one-quarter of the way toward a U.S. commitment for China to buy at least 25 million tons annually through 2028. The Trump administration has also said China...
Farm income forecast is a tale of two farm economies
New data from the Department of Agriculture predicts farm income to increase in 2025. The latest Net Farm Income Forecast from USDA’s Economic Research Service predicts farm income to increase in 2025. However, Bernt Nelson, an economist for the American Farm Bureau...
California E15 approval estimated to absorb 200 million bushels of corn
The California general assembly’s approval of E15 sales last week is expected to boost corn demand at a time growers are preparing to harvest a record crop. The law is expected to be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and will be a big breakthrough for the ethanol...
Soybean producers face uncertainty in ongoing trade fight
U.S. soybean producers are once again caught in the middle of a trade war. China has been slow to make purchases, leaving farmers worried about where demand will come from. This marks the second Trump administration and the second time American agriculture has been...
Iowa soybean fields need to end the year strong
It may feel like there isn’t much of a choice for seed genetics anymore, but companies like BASF are making an effort to provide new genetics that stand out from the competition and give farmers some unique choices. Colin Rogers, BASF seed agronomist, said Xitavo...
Yield results from Allendale survey lower than USDA estimates
The Allendale brokerage firm has released yield results collected from a recent survey of farmers. The numbers are not particularly far off from the USDA August Crop Production estimates. Rich Nelson of Allendale said they’ve done this survey for a long time. Nelson...
Nationwide E15 sales can boost demand and help move “mountain of corn”
At this point of the fall, we can analyze the data and debate the final corn yield number but until the crop is in the bin, we won’t have our final answer. What we do know is that this fall’s corn crop is going to be very large and possibly even a record crop. Geoff...
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Non-food uses for U.S. soybeans
The livestock industry drives most of the demand for U.S. soybeans, but there are actually plenty of non-food opportunities for soybeans as well. Soybean protein can be used in rubber products, which opens the door for a myriad of different uses. United Soybean Board...
New National FFA President looking forward to the coming year
Trey Myers of Oklahoma was recently elected as the new president of National FFA. He said it hasn’t truly sunk in yet, but it’s getting there. Myers said he was elected to a local FFA office as a freshman in college, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to run for National...
H-2A program still needs more fixes to be affordable
The calls for modernizing the H-2A program for temporary agricultural workers continue to be heard across the spectrum of agriculture. The worker visa program has seen some recent adjustments to calculating the Adverse Effect Wage Rate which is seen as an improvement...
Iowa 4-H youth development receives $50,000 grant from Iowa Total Care
Iowa 4-H Youth Development today announced the receipt of a $50,000 grant from Iowa Total Care, a provider of Medicaid healthcare coverage in Iowa and a Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC). The grant will support early literacy skill development in all Iowa counties....
New herbicide technology aims to tackle Iowa’s weed challenges
As harvest wraps up across Iowa, many farmers are already turning their attention to 2026 and the tools they will need to stay ahead of stubborn weeds. Weed pressure itself was not overwhelming this year, but the challenge remains constant. Waterhemp and Palmer...
