Top Stories
White mold – the invisible soybean killer
Planting season will be over before we know it, and, unfortunately, that means plant diseases need to be a top priority for farmers to keep track of. In 2024 alone, white mold cost soybean farmers an estimated $281.1 million in yield losses, and the management window for this disease is shorter than many farmers realize. Ken Deibert, technical services representative with BASF, said white mold starts at flowering. Since the disease starts off invisibly, Deibert said farmers can’t wait until...
2022 Census Of Agriculture indicates loss of farms and farmland
The USDA released the 2022 Census of Agriculture this week. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says some of the results were concerning, especially the number of farms and total amount of farmland across America. While those numbers sound large, Secretary Vilsack was able to...
Crop insurance costs to jump 29 percent
The federally-subsidized crop insurance program will cost an additional $27.7 billion over the next decade. A Congressional Budget Office report says the government pays roughly 62 cents of each dollar in premiums, and sales of livestock and forage policies are...
Could whole & 2% milk be returning to schools?
During the Obama Administration, then-First Lady Michelle Obama spearheaded changes to the school lunch program for Public Schools across the country. The effort was presented to the American people as a chance to bring kids healthier lunches. Much debate has ensued...
U.S. Export Sales Report (2-15-24)
Export sales are continuing their recent trends. Corn sales are looking good, while the same certainly cannot be said for the soybeans. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride gave an update on the latest export sales report. U.S. soybean prices are still far from...
AFBF seeks modernization for Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, passed in 1978, provides tracking and monitoring of investment in U.S. agriculture. However, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Economist Danny Munch said the process is due for an upgrade. Munch said the current...
Preparing the next generation of ag conservation and climate leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week announced a new initiative to prepare the next generation of conservation and climate leaders. The Working Lands Climate Corps is part of President Biden’s American Climate Corps initiative and will provide career...
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More Ag News
Floods leading to enhanced weed and disease pressure
This year will be remembered for the staggering amounts of rain that we received over the course of the growing season. While the weather itself caused plenty of damage, there are going to be more issues in the future from the flooding that occurred from the rain....
Farm Progress Show field demonstrations will showcase the newest ag innovations
The Farm Progress Show returns to Boone Iowa August 27th-29th and this year’s show will once again feature live field demonstrations. The show rotates host sites between Boone and Decatur Illinois and in 2022 poor weather did not allow for field demonstrations at the...
U.S. pork industry fueling jobs and economic growth
The U.S. Pork Industry has a significant impact on America’s agricultural and overall economy. The National Pork Producers Council released a new economic contribution report detailing the impact. Holly Cook, an economist for the NPPC, talked about the main takeaways....
Secretary Naig announces new Choose Iowa food purchasing pilot program
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced the launch of the Choose Iowa Food Purchasing Program – Food Bank Pilot. The pilot program, which was authorized during the 2024 legislative session and is an initiative of the state’s Choose Iowa Program, aims...
Return of wet conditions means the return of mosquitoes
There were a few things that became a new normal while we dealt with the drought of the past couple of years. A lot of it was unpleasant. Dry ground, brown grass, and fire hazards were just a few we can name. However, if you were going to look for a silver lining in...
