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Secretary Naig thanks Iowa Senate for unanimous passage of Iowa Farm Act
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today thanked the Iowa Senate for its unanimous passage of the Iowa Farm Act, Senate File 2465, by a vote of 47-0. “I appreciate members of the Iowa Senate for their support in advancing the Iowa Farm Act with a strong bi-partisan vote. Thank you to Sen. Annette Sweeney and Sen. Tom Shipley for managing the bill through the process, Sen. Dawn Driscoll for her leadership of the Agriculture Committee, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh for his work to...
Grill pork this Labor Day holiday
The first tailgating weekend and the final summer holiday are right around the corner, so what locally grown meats will you be putting on the grill? Iowa is the number one pork producing state, so if that’s your protein of choice this weekend, National Pork Board’s...
Vilsack defends administration’s ethanol policy and climate-smart programs
Today, at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the Biden Administration's approach to supporting family farmers and the biofuels industry. Vilsack touted the department's Climate Smart Agriculture partnerships during his...
More affordable input costs providing options for growers
Even though harvest is just around the corner in the state of Iowa, it’s never too early to start thinking about the spring. Mike Howell, senior agronomist, with Nutrien says that once the grain is in the bins it is time to start the fact-finding process and...
Farm futures releases 2024 planting estimates
Farmers are gearing up for the 2023 harvest season with an eye already on next year’s crop. A Farm Futures August survey finds growers are expecting to plant 93.1 million acres of corn in 2024, down one percent from this year’s total acreage. Shrinking revenue...
Ag group asks Congress to evaluate trade policy in Farm Bill
Today we are one month from the deadline of the Farm Bill. We need to have the 2023 Farm Bill in place or extend the current bill until a new Farm Bill is voted on. All recent signs point to the fact that the new legislation is on the front burner, but there is only a...
Precision ag upgrades provide latest technology to growers
Precision ag upgrades from John Deere allow a farmer to upgrade their existing farm equipment without needing to buy a completely new ag implement or piece of equipment. That’s Yancy Wright with John Deere who says that retrofit technology can be outfitted seamlessly...
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Tyson Foods to close Perry pork packing plant
Tyson Foods has signaled that it will permanently close its pork packing plant in Perry in late June. Tyson is the biggest employer in the city of Perry and the closing of the facility will leave 1,276 plant workers without jobs. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining...
USDA finalizes “Product of the USA” labeling rule
The Department of Agriculture this week finalized a rule related to voluntary labeling claims of ‘Product of the USA.’ USDA’s final ‘Product of the USA’ rule will allow farmers to label meat, poultry, and egg products when they are born, raised, and processed in the...
Crop insurance deadline nears
Farmers not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2024 crop year have until March 15, 2024, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, support to farmers...
Effects from cattle losses in Texas wildfire could be felt for a while
Wildfires in Texas have been burning for some time. Even with the fire reported to be over 70% contained, the loss of property and life is terrible. Cattle spread across both of those spectrums. While they are livestock property of ranches, they are also lives being...
PFI’s Labor4Learning program offers hands-on experience for new farmers
Applications for paid on-farm jobs are now open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Labor4Learning program, which provides an opportunity for beginning farmers to train with experienced farmers across the state who are committed to developing the next generation of...
