Author: staff

Soil compaction is a critical concern, and the larger equipment becomes, the more important it is to pay attention to its potential long-term impacts to crop productivity and the environment.  An Iowa State University (ISU) survey revealed 59% of farmers are concerned about the impact of heavy machinery in their fields, and 42% say they consider the weight of agricultural machinery when they decide on equipment purchases.  “Farmers are aware of soil compaction, but they are also moving to bigger machinery because they want to finish their work faster with wider equipment,” said Mehari Tekeste, associate professor in ISU’s Department…

By Ana Mano SAO PAULO, Feb 21 (Reuters) – The Brazilian state of Maranhao on Friday defended its new law imposing a 1.8% levy on grain exports after an industry lobby representing large global traders launched a legal challenge against the tax. Under the new law, which will take effect next week, an export tax will be charged on shipments of grains such as soybeans, corn, sorghum, and millet. Maranhao state said proceeds from the new levy will go towards investments in logistics, benefiting the entire agribusiness sector. In a statement on Friday, it defended the measure as constitutional and aligned with…

Trailed implements can drift off guidance lines, even when farmers use autosteer, resulting in inaccurate placement of inputs and inconsistent rows. To help alleviate these problems, Ag Leader introduced RightPath at the National Farm Machinery Show. “Many times, the implement’s position is more critical than where the vehicle is driving, because we want to put our seed into the nutrients or into a pre-prepared strip of tillage that we did in the fall, or offset a little bit to ensure you’re not going directly into the anhydrous and causing seed burn,” said Logan Handsaker, Ag Leader product sales specialist. “There’s a lot…

In an expected move from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the organization announced Friday afternoon it was allowing the April 28, 2025 implementation date to provide parity for E15 and E10 in Midwestern states. This action, requested by the governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, provides regulatory certainty for fuel suppliers and expands consumer access to E15 year-round in these states. This confirmation comes amidst renewed efforts in Washington D.C. to push for a bill enacting nationwide year-long E15 usage. Bipartisan legislation in the Senate was introduced on Feb. 13, and the House introduced…

This winter hasn’t been too bad in our neck of the woods. We have little to complain about, but that won’t stop us from doing so. It’s not as if winter hasn’t left a mark. It has. We recently endured levels of subzero cold that are often associated with the formation of vast areas of new permafrost. When the mercury finally rose above zero, we weren’t sure if we could trust what our thermometers (who are known to be blatant exaggerators) were telling us. After venturing timidly outdoors, we exclaimed, “This is great! It’s almost 30 degrees! Where did I…

It appears that Washington Dulles International Airport is in full harvest mode after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a whopping 257 pounds of opium poppy pods over a single week. Clearly, someone out there had big plans for a floral arrangement — or something a bit stronger. The shipments, cleverly labeled as “ornamental decora craft balls,” were sent from Madrid, Spain, and destined for multiple addresses across the United States. We can only imagine the level of disappointment at those addresses when the expected décor turned out to be nothing more than an empty porch and a missed…

The price of eggs at U.S. grocery stores has climbed to a record high, nearly doubling from a year ago, as outbreaks of bird flu have led to shortages by wiping out millions of hens. Eggs are missing from grocery shelves nationwide, and shoppers able to snag a dozen are facing sticker shock for the breakfast staple. “A simple egg sandwich is like a luxury,” said Jon Harris, who was shopping for eggs at a supermarket in Chicago recently. Since November, a surge of infections of the lethal H5N1 flu in Iowa and Ohio, the two biggest egg-producing states, has…

The GROWMARK Foundation is again offering 55 scholarships, totaling $2,000 each, to students pursuing agriculture and business-related degrees or certificates at colleges, universities, and technical schools in the United States and Ontario, Canada. At the time of application, students must be high school seniors or equivalent, enrolled in a university, community college, or technical school for the fall semester of 2025, or enrolled and in good standing at a university, community college, or technical school. Scholarship applications can be accessed here and are due April 11, 2025. Students who are awarded a scholarship will be notified on May 21, 2025.…

Has Our Un-Insurability Wrecked Our Plan? Problem: The parents were counting on life insurance to make their estate plan work, but unexpected health issues mean they didn’t qualify. I’ve never been a fan of life insurance. I was skeptical when it was presented as a way for our farming son to buy out our other two kids through our estate. Then, I saw the cash flow projections with and without the insurance. I get it now. We planned on dividing our 1,500 acres equally and giving our farming son the option to buy out his siblings at a 30% discount…

John Deere has announced that nearly 120 workers at its Des Moines Works facility in Ankeny will be laid off this spring. The company confirmed Friday that 119 employees were informed of the layoffs, which will occur in three phases — March 28, April 4, and April 29. The facility currently employs around 1,500 workers. Deere attributes the layoffs to declining demand and a weakened farm economy. “They are not related to production moves,” the company stated as reported by multiple news sources. “As we have repeatedly stated, these layoffs are due to the weakened farm economy and a reduction…