Ag News

Iowa corn growers focus on clearing hurdles

IARN — Iowa Corn Growers Association members convened virtually for the annual Grassroots Summit. Incoming president Carl Jardon speaks to key issues, which remain of top priority among the nation’s leaders in corn production. Read more

Senators seek enforcement of USMCA dairy agreements

IARN — A bipartisan group of 25 Senators is identifying challenges with implementing several dairy-related provisions in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Underscoring USMCA’s importance to the dairy industry, the group asks the U.S. government in a letter to use USMCA’s enforcement measures to ensure full compliance with the trade deal. Read more

Farmers, it is okay to talk about your stress

IARN — It is something we have talked about in the past, but it needs to be talked about again. The stress of farming has been tough. It has always been tough. There are always a host of challenges that producers are facing every year. Some of these stresses are widespread and some of them are yours alone. 2020 has certainly come with its share of challenges. There are very few people on the planet that have had much good to say about this year, and we still have four months to go. Read more

USDA extends signup deadline for prairie pothole program

IARN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to November 20, 2020, for the Soil Health and Income Protection Program (SHIPP), a new pilot program that enables farmers to receive payments for planting perennial cover for conservation use for three to five years. Signup opened March 30, 2020, for the pilot program, which is part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and available to producers in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Read more