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NCGA survey shows rising alarm over fertilizer costs
U.S. corn farmers are growing increasingly concerned about fertilizer affordability and availability, with worries extending beyond the current planting season. That’s according to new survey results released by the National Corn Growers Association. Surveys conducted in late March show that while many growers secured fertilizer for the 2026 crop, anxiety is rising sharply for 2027. For every farmer concerned about 2026, nearly two report greater concern for the following year. “Fertilizer...
Census of Ag data not available for Farm Bill talks
It is one of those busy years for the agriculture industry regarding government reports. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking to have farmers finish up their 2022 Census of Agriculture forms and have them sent back. Congress is debating the...
Turning natural wet spots into water quality wetlands
With Earth Day coming up tomorrow and next month marking the 10-year anniversary of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS), there?s no better time to talk about soil and water conservation in Iowa. We use several different conservation tactics across the state,...
Proposed SEC rule won?t work for family farms
A proposed rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would require public companies to report on Scope 3 emissions, which are the result of activities the companies don?t own or control. Public companies producing goods from agricultural products would...
Fighting SDS and white mold with a biological seed treatment
Sudden death syndrome and white mold are two of the biggest problems for soybean growers in the upper Midwest and the state of Iowa. These yield robbers must be dealt with if a farmer has any hopes of a good growing season and high yields.Colin Dutcheshen president of...
NPPC wants producers to have the freedom to operate
While in Washington during the better part of the week, I had a chance to talk with many folks in the ag industry, including NPPC President Scott Hayes, we talked about a number of things including the farm bill and also having the freedom to operate their farms. We...
U.S. government planning year-round sales of E15 next year
The Biden administration is planning to begin year-round sales of E15 in 2024. Oil Price Dot Com says the Environmental Protection Agency feels the move will help reduce the retail price of fuel. Eight Midwestern states originally asked the EPA for waivers to provide...
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Pork and beef exports to China strengthen
U.S. beef and pork exports to China received a boost recently. China’s General Administration of Customs approved 18 U.S. beef establishments and 12 U.S. pork establishments for export to China – the first new U.S. plants cleared for export to China in about 10...
Most states saw growth in net farm income in 2022
The U.S. saw growth of almost 31 percent in net farm income from 2021 through 2022. NFI is a broad measure of farm sector profitability. Researchers with USDA’s Economic Research Service used data from the Farm Income and Wealth Statistics to classify states into six...
A New Bio Stimulant Seed Treatment is Now Available
Taking a look at a new bio stimulant that shows results in early season stand establishment. You may or may not be familiar with the product called Biochar, which is a product basically made from things like timber stalks or corn stover and applied dry in tons per...
EPA reaching out to farmers and funding community projects
It seems recently that there haven’t been a lot of good relations between the agriculture community and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You need to look no further than topics like the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule or the ongoing...
Now is a great time to deworm your cattle
Deworming is a fairly routine part of taking care of any livestock, especially cattle, but it’s still not something to be taken lightly. For every day that there are parasites in your livestock, you are losing valuable dollars in ROI. Grant Crawford, associate...
