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Pro Farmer Crop Tour concludes, projects lower corn, higher soybean yields vs. 2025
Pro Farmer is projecting a smaller U.S. corn crop in 2026 after its annual Crop Tour found lower yield potential across much of the Corn Belt. The organization estimates the national corn yield at 173.2 bushels per acre, with production totaling 15.344 billion bushels. The yield forecast is about 5% below 2025 levels and marks the first time in three growing seasons that Pro Farmer has not projected a record yield. Pro Farmer economist and Eastern Crop Tour lead Lane Akre said samples showed...
Fertilizer prices expected to stay elevated through 2028
Fertilizer prices are expected to remain above pre-Iran war levels through 2028, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. Farmers and agricultural retailers continue to face higher costs as conflicts and supply disruptions affect global fertilizer...
Grassley, Thompson discuss Farm Bill path at Iowa State Fair
The Farm Bill remains unfinished in the Senate, but two lawmakers closely involved in the process say there is still a path to completing a new five-year bill this year. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson both discussed...
Another record-breaking Governor’s Charity Steer Show in 2026
The 2026 Governor’s Charity Steer Show set a record Saturday by raising $572,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Owen Kahl of Tipton Iowa was one of the exhibitors in the show alongside his celebrity showman former Iowa Hawkeye and NFL Football Player...
Developing new processed products for Latin America at Global Innovation Symposium
Buyers and processors from across Latin America gathered at Colorado State University to develop new processed products with U.S. beef and pork at the Global Innovation Symposium hosted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). USMEF Manager of Technical Programs...
Supporting farmers and small businesses across the country
The Iowa State Fair is a top entertainment event for the state, but it also serves as an opportunity to connect people with agriculture. This is especially important as each new generation becomes further removed from the farm. Bringing that connection back starts...
U.S. soybean export sales surge
U.S. soybean export sales jumped during the latest reporting week, providing encouraging news for farmers heading toward harvest. USDA data released Thursday showed sales for delivery during the 2026-27 marketing year reached 1.76 million metric tons during the week...
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More Ag News
Thompson says SAWA could help Iowa livestock farms
Finding enough workers remains a challenge across agriculture. Still, House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson says the federal guest worker program has not kept pace with the changing needs of farms and livestock operations. Thompson is pushing the Securing...
Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest brings farmers and fairgoers together
The annual Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is one of the most delicious and best-smelling contests of each Iowa State Fair. While the focus is certainly on the food, it also serves as a great opportunity to connect fairgoers with the farming families that raise the...
Big Bad Joe shatters previous record to win 2026 ISF Big Ram Competition
"Big Bad Joe," the Suffolk ram shown by Jim Fisher of Mercer, MO, is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Big Ram Competition winner weighing in at 568 pounds. Big Bad Joe shattered the previous Iowa State Fair record of 507.5 pounds which was set in 2014. Owner Jim Fisher says...
Major expansion of Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program underway
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, alongside Bryan Whaley, CEO of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, announced the second phase of the Cattle and Conservation Working Lands program, which debuted in 2016. This second phase expands to 22 counties within the...
Fertilizer prices expected to stay elevated through 2028
Fertilizer prices are expected to remain above pre-Iran war levels through 2028, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. Farmers and agricultural retailers continue to face higher costs as conflicts and supply disruptions affect global fertilizer...
