Top Stories
Corn and soybean planting near completion nationwide
Most U.S. farmers have nearly finished spring planting as crop conditions remain generally favorable. According to USDA data reported by Successful Farming, 97% of the nation’s corn crop has been planted, while soybean planting is more than 90% complete. Kentucky, Nebraska and North Carolina have already finished corn planting. USDA reports show 67% of the corn crop is rated good to excellent, reflecting favorable weather across much of the Corn Belt. Soybean emergence is also progressing...
Officials want fix for foreign-owned farmland disclosure process
Senate Ag Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are asking the USDA to improve its process for foreign-owned farmland disclosures. The letter follows alleged inaccuracies posted online by the Farm Service Agency under...
Ukrainian Ambassador Markarova visits Iowa and State Fair
The Russian invasion of Ukraine started over 900 days ago, and the fighting continues. In the last weeks, the Ukrainian forces have liberated over 50% of the land that the Russian military took control of as the invasion started. Ukraine has been looking for help...
60th annual Cookout Contest highlights Farm Bureau Day at the fair
Today, August 13th, is Farm Bureau Day at the Iowa State Fair, and it’s a beautiful day to stop by Farm Bureau Park. It wasn’t hard to find the park today either, because the Iowa Farm Bureau hosted its 60th annual Cookout Contest, and the smells were carried on the...
U.S. pork preferred by Mexican consumers
Mexico is a leading market for U.S. pork exports. According to Courtney Knupp, Vice President of International Market Development for the National Pork Board, the cultural connection to pork in Mexico is deeply rooted in family gatherings, which often revolve around...
A Teddy Bear of a Super Bull
Teddy Bear is the big bull of the 2024 Iowa State Fair, weighing in at 3,064 pounds and earning the win in the Super Bull Contest. The purebred Simmental bull was the heaviest of the three bulls competing and is now on display at the entrance to the Cattle Barn for...
Weekly crop progress and condition report
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and...
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More Ag News
Beneficial Ownership Filing requirement reinstated
Farmers and ranchers who operate corporations and limited liability companies are once again required to file Beneficial Ownership Information with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Dustin Sherer, director of government affairs for the...
Fighting for farmers in 2025
The American Farm Bureau is looking ahead to 2025 after a strong finish to 2024 with farm aid being included in the Continuing Resolution. Producers will be helped by $10 billion dollars in farm aid and $21 billion in farm disaster aid as part of the CR. Next up is...
Mexico is U.S. dairy’s most reliable customer
America’s dairy exports to Mexico are approaching record levels as consumer demand for dairy products continues to outpace the country’s production. Mexico is the leading market for U.S. dairy products, comprising over one-fourth of international sales. Dairy product...
Be better prepared for pest protection in soybeans
As we prepare and finalize plans for the 2025 crop, we have to start thinking about how we will protect our plants in the fields. So many factors are beyond our control, but crop protection isn’t necessarily one of them. While things may not go according to plan or...
USMCA biotech corn dispute settled in U.S. favor
After almost two years of back and forth between the parties, a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Dispute Settlement Panel recently announced its ruling on a U.S. challenge of Mexico’s ban of U.S. biotech corn imports. In a March 2023 senate hearing, Under Secretary for...
