Author: staff

The second annual Iowa Farmers of Color Conference will be held Saturday, November 10, at Living History Farms in Urbandale. The event aims to bring together farmers of color from throughout the Midwest. Last year, 120 people attended, and the goal for this year is 150, according to event co-founder Todd Western III. The conference will offer networking opportunities, direct access to state agencies and farm allies who can offer resources and guidance, insights into the latest developments with the Farm Bill, and information on cost-sharing programs and other resources for farmers. Representatives from the USDA, NRCS, FSA and U.S.…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first U.S. case of H5N1 avian influenza in a pig on a small, backyard farm in Oregon. The discovery is a significant development in the ongoing management of this virus. The infection on this farm, which houses a mix of poultry, pigs, and other livestock, raises concerns due to pigs’ unique ability to serve as “mixing vessels” for different influenza strains. When pigs are infected with both human and bird flu viruses, there is a potential risk that the viruses could exchange genetic material, possibly creating a more transmissible or virulent strain…

Chevron announced today that the Grand Champion winner of this year’s 27th annual Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition is Tyler Billings of Floresville, Texas, for restoring a 1980 John Deere 4440. Teens across the United States competed in this STEM initiative last week in Indianapolis during the 2024 National FFA Convention and Expo. The Chevron TRC is an initiative that inspires high school students to engage in hands-on learning while honing critical thinking, budgeting, time management, and collaboration skills. This program goes beyond the classroom to help students cultivate a deep understanding of engineering, mechanics, and the agricultural industry. Here are…

On Election Day, North Dakota residents will vote on Measure 4, a ballot initiative that would eliminate the state’s ability to levy property tax on citizens. The measure has been met with a mixed reaction from farm owners and farm organizations. Multiple organizations expressed concerns that passing the measure would have more benefits for out-of-state landowners than North Dakota residents.  North Dakota Farm Bureau Daryl Lies, president of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, expressed clear support for the initiative in a statement on the NDFB website.  “Last November, during the NDFB Annual Meeting, NDFB members passed a policy advocating for…

As of Oct. 27, 65% of Wisconsin’s corn was harvested, said USDA in its latest Crop Progress report. That’s a striking 30 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. In context, that means corn harvest is 15 days ahead of normal, said USDA in Wisconsin’s Crop Progress and Condition report.   At 96%, the state’s soybean harvest is 23 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. That translates to nearly four weeks ahead of typical progress. Shot of Rain ‘Not Enough to Slow Down Harvest’ It was continued dry weather that factored into the productive week of harvest across the state.…

Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, declared October 25, 2024, as Larry Itliong Day for all Californians. Who is Larry Itliong? Many of us agriculturalists, unless you directly worked with Itliong or frequented the Central Valley Community, wouldn’t know of him from names glance. It’s unfortunate, but direct blame for that has come from the lack of representation Filipinos have had in our history texts and the problematic occupation of the Philippines by the U.S. (from 1898 to 1946),  essentially shunning Filipinos’ stories from the American fabric. In 2009, the United States declared Filipino American Heritage Month (FAHM), a national month…

After evaluating the bids to have a pickup painted, Blanchard, North Dakota, farmer Jordan Waldner created his own paint booth he could use for multiple projects.  To save precious shop space, Waldner manufactured drop-down walls from the ceiling that could roll up when not in use. The booth measures 14.5 feet high x 16 feet wide x 34 feet long. A local tarp shop built the roof and sidewalls, incorporating zippers on the sidewall corners, and eyelets for ¼-inch support cables at 2-foot intervals, and installed pipe roll tubes. The booth was aligned with an outside roll-up door for easy…

By Cami Koons Iowa corn harvest reached 84% this week, up from 68% last week, and soybean harvest is nearly complete, at 96%, as the state nears the end of one of its driest Octobers.  The crop progress and condition report for Oct. 21 through Oct. 27 showed a continued decline in soil moisture conditions. Topsoil rated 75% short to very short, and subsoil moisture condition rated 80% short to very short. The state climatologist Justin Glisan reported precipitation totals for the week were higher than the past four weeks combined, yet still below the state’s average for this time…

Agriculture Undersecretary Jenny Moffitt announced a $15 million program to expand sales of organic dairy products to schools and youth programs on Monday. “Expanding access to a variety of organic dairy products in schools and community programs promotes healthy consumption habits and strengthens local dairy markets,” said Moffitt during a trip to southeastern Vermont. As part of the new Organic Dairy Product Promotion program, the Agricultural Marketing Service will enter cooperative agreements with four organizations, the University of Tennessee, the University of Wisconsin, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, and the University of California-Fresno, to develop regional project…

By Ryan Hanrahan Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported Monday that “former President Donald Trump confirmed to Joe Rogan in a podcast episode released Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former presidential candidate and current MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”) crusader, would have a place in his administration to focus on health and food policy.” “‘I’m gonna let him go wild on health. I’m gonna let him go wild on the food. I’m gonna let him go wild on medicines,’ Trump said of Kennedy,” according to one report. The Hill’s Ashleigh Fields reported about two weeks ago that “Robert F. Kennedy…