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Secretary Naig Confirms Iowa’s completion of USDA pseudorabies response protocol
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig confirmed today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has successfully completed the Pseudorabies (PRV) response protocol outlined in the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (USDA APHIS) program standards. The second round of testing did not reveal any additional cases, confirming the Pseudorabies virus did not spread. “Thanks to a strong, coordinated effort, this situation...
July rains benefitting most major crop areas
The United States primary growing regions for corn and soybeans have been receiving beneficial rainfall during the crucial stretch of the growing season. For corn and soybean production areas of the United States, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says drought levels are...
Ag history and modern technology on display at the Smithsonian
When you think of museums, you may think of old artifacts and history, but museum curators are also watching modern-day technology and how it tells the story of changing times. Abeer Saha, curator of the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington, D.C., said...
Grassley says farmers fed up with no new farm bill
Farmers are fed up with Congress’ failure to produce a new farm bill and will likely feel the economic impact. That’s according to United States Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley (R-IA) was hopeful early in 2024 that a new farm bill would be agreed to in the new...
Modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Orders
In early July, the USDA released its recommendations for modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Stephen Cain, senior director of economic research and analysis for the National Milk Producers Federation, shared his initial reaction to the proposal. The...
ISU studying benefits of grass-to-gas energy production for farmers
We’re proud of our ability to produce corn and soybeans at a high level in the state of Iowa, but one of the unintended consequences of growing those dominant row crops is the effect they have on the soil. Erosion, fertilizer runoff, and greenhouse gas emissions are...
Majority of beef cattle farms have small herds
The United States has numerous beef cow-calf farms that raise beef calves at least through weaning. However, USDA data says while there are a large number of farms, most are relatively small. Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture indicated that 55 percent of...
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Continuing resolution contains important ag legislation
While it is disappointing that the ag industry will not be getting a new farm bill this year, it’s great to see that some important ag legislation is being included in the continuing resolution. It also means that there’s more time to write up a long-term farm bill in...
Pork is an ideal holiday meal
The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to feed family and friends during the celebrations. Charlie Torgerson, contractor for the National Pork Board, says pork is a great protein to serve a crowd during those upcoming holiday get-togethers. Torgerson said several...
U.S. “high value” exports on the rise
Bulk ag commodity exports such as soybeans and wheat were running 8% behind a year ago after 10 months of 2024 but the story is much different for “high value” ag export products. That is USDA economist Bart Kenner who says that sales of U.S. fruit and fruit products...
Secretary Naig announces water quality partnership project
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has formed a public-private partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to...
Looking back at some of the year’s market performance
As we are halfway through the last normal trading week of the year, we looked back at some of the trends in different areas of the markets, especially the ones that seemed to make the biggest splashes. On the grain side, it hasn’t been the rosiest picture by any...
