Top Stories
Farmers trim input costs as profit margins remain tight
Farmers across the Corn Belt are reducing spending on fertilizer, seed and crop protection products as they prepare for another year of narrow profit margins. Agricultural economists and industry analysts report that many producers are carefully managing expenses after several seasons of declining crop prices and higher operating costs. While fertilizer prices have moderated from record highs seen in recent years, input costs remain elevated compared with historical averages. Farm management...
Secretary Vilsack comments on USDA response to H5N1
During my trip to Washington this week, it was driven home that the bird flu is no longer the bird flu. It isn’t even Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, anymore. The Federal government and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are now calling it...
Silver linings to rainy weather planting delays
As we finish up the 200th consecutive week of drought in Iowa, there’s actually some hope to be found, as the drought conditions are very much trending in the right direction. The recent storms have dumped off plentiful amounts of rainfall for the soils across the...
The latest tool to help growers battle SCN
If you are a soybean grower in the Midwest you are well aware of the threat of soybean cyst nematode or SCN. The yield robbing pest is responsible for $1.5 billion dollars in loss annually. To give growers another tool to help fight SCN, BASF has developed a new...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-2-24)
Despite an exciting day in the grain markets, export sales were very mild this week. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said corn and beans came within estimates. Corn sales are only slightly behind the 5-year average, but McBride said beans are far enough behind...
The 2024 Iowa’s best burger announced
From cheese curds to chip dust, burgers as big as dinner plates to multiple patty burgers, fresh veggies to cheeses, and sauces to spreads, this year’s Top 10 Iowa’s Best Burger restaurants had it all! However, only one can claim the title of Iowa’s Best Burger in...
Ag Committees release previews of Farm Bill
Yesterday, while the NAFB attended Washington Watch, House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson released a framework for the House Version of the Farm Bill, and Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman released the full Senate version. Both addressed the NAFB members in attendance...
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More Ag News
Dry conditions mean an enhanced risk for field fires
This year’s harvest is looking to be a bumper crop, and the drier weather conditions have allowed farmers to work mostly unimpeded. Southwest Iowa Beck’s Agronomist Nate Meyer said most farmers in his area are very happy with their yields. This has officially been the...
Fall flavors go well with pork
As the weather cools, pork is perfect for pairing with the most popular fall flavors. Charlie Torgerson, contractor and channel marketing development brand manager for the National Pork Board, talks about some of the perfect options. Torgerson said there are several...
IDALS has crop insurance discount for cover crop acres
We have been seeing the push towards more conservation farming practices for a while now. The results have been looking good when it comes to protecting the soil and water in the state. One of the most common practices we are seeing used is cover crops. It is one of...
EPA stated goals and rules conflict, ag leaders complain
EPA rules on issues from biofuels to water regulation conflict with the administration’s stated goals. That’s according to farm industry leaders. On the one hand, the EPA and Treasury Department say they want to foster a huge new biofuel market in sustainable aviation...
Dockworker strike begins at east and gulf coast ports
Dockworkers at ports stretching from Maine to Texas are walking picket lines as of Tuesday morning, striking over wages and automation. Farm Policy News says it could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes more than a few weeks. There was some...
