Top Stories
Food hubs: the connecting piece for local farmers and producers
When people think of agriculture, they tend to focus only on what happens on the farm, namely planting, harvesting, or raising livestock. However, farmers still need to find a way of reaching consumers, which is where food hubs come in. Market access can be challenging, especially for local producers without a dedicated supply chain system. Food hubs aim to bridge that gap by enabling producers to reach a broader clientele. Phil Jahnke Sauer, a value chain manager with Iowa Value Resource...
Senate Majority Leader Thune sets out priorities, including farm bill
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated his priorities for Senate lawmakers, including a new farm bill, as the 119th Congress takes office to begin 2025. Thune says his rural upbringing led him to value the land, agriculture, and the importance of...
Ethanol production grows for fourth consecutive week
The Energy Information Administration says ethanol production averaged 1.111 million barrels a day during the week ending on December 27. This was the fourth consecutive week-over-week increase, up from 1.107 million barrels a day during the prior week. In the...
It looks like corn will be crop of choice in 2025
The new year has started, and there is no shortage of insights into what might happen in the 2025 U.S. growing season. Farmers make their decisions based on the markets and the outlook for their crops and livestock. That being said, we are in a situation that has many...
45Z Tax credits could compete with 2017 tax cuts for funding
45Z clean fuel tax credits, which are key to expanding renewable fuel use in aviation fuel, may have to compete for dollars with President-elect Trump’s efforts to preserve his 2017 tax cuts. Will there be a so-far un-finalized 45Z tax credit for sustainable aviation...
East and gulf coast port strike seems more likely
Shippers want to know if there will be a strike because there’s less than a month until the International Longshoremen Association’s contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance is set to expire. Supply Chain Dive says a major development in the prolonged negotiations...
U.S. Export Sales Report (1-3-25)
In the first report for 2025, this week’s export sales were disappointing compared to expectations. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest U.S. Export Sales Report. McBride said the exports usually see a seasonal decline at the beginning...
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More Ag News
Farmers should use a varied approach to combat SCN
Often referred to as the “billion-dollar pest,” soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major pest that farmers have to deal with every year. While we do have several great options, especially in genetics, it’s important to keep from relying too much on one single mode of...
USDA provides publicly available resources to farmers
USDA reports can be a very valuable resource for hog producers. Lee Schulz, chief economist with Ever.Ag, says fundamentals are key when digging through publicly available data. Dr. Schulz points to additional market pressures, including changes in the World...
Helping veterans transition from national security to food security
We’ve all heard the saying, “Food security is national security.” Few people take both food and national security more seriously than veterans in agriculture, such as Matthew and Kara Rutter, who have established Project Victory Gardens in Townville, South Carolina....
Farm bankruptcies climbing in 2025
Farm bankruptcies grew 55 percent from 2023 to 2024 and are trending even higher in 2025. Farmers are continuing to struggle with low prices for their agricultural commodities and the high costs of inputs needed to grow those crops. Bloomberg says unpredictable...
John Deere unveils their 2026 line of combines
Even as the 2025 planting season begins, many growers already have their eyes on harvest. For most, that means evaluating the performance of one of the most critical machines in their operation—the combine. With efficiency and grain quality at the forefront of your...
