The president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) will serve another two-year term after being reelected at the organization’s annual meeting in Des Moines. Craig Hill of Ackworth took over the top post in the state's largest farm organization in 2011. Hill started as Warren County Farm … [Read more...]
Reynolds mulls options in court fight over ‘ag gag’ law
Governor Kim Reynolds says she's disappointed a federal judge has temporarily blocked a new Iowa law that significantly boosted the penalty for trespassing on a farm. "We're going to continue to work with the Iowa attorney general to look at what our next steps may look like," Reynolds says. … [Read more...]
Farm Bureau president says members ready to move on from tough year
The Iowa Farm Bureau opened it annual meeting today in Des Moines. IFB president Craig Hill, says farmers are looking forward to turning the page on 2019. "We've had a difficult year. One, we've had to fight Mother Nature a bit to get our seeds planted. That was a difficult time -- harvesting was … [Read more...]
Corn harvest nearing completion after more weather delays
Rain and snow continues to keep farmers from finishing up the corn harvest. The latest U.S.D.A. report shows 92% of the corn has now been harvested. That is six percent more than last week. The report shows the northeast and south-central districts had more than 15% of their crop left to be … [Read more...]
Wild weather of 2019 has been hard on Iowa’s trees
Iowa's rapidly changing range of weather conditions can pose a challenge for people -- as well as for many types of plants. Jeff Iles, a horticulture professor at Iowa State University, says the wide weather swings we've seen in the past year have had a significant impact on many trees across the … [Read more...]
John Deere sales up, income down in fourth quarter
John Deere is reporting a five percent increase in worldwide sales, but the company's income in the last quarter dropped by $63 million. John Deere's fourth quarter ended October 28. John May, the company's CEO, says lingering trade tensions and a challenging growing season are causing … [Read more...]
Two Iowa turkeys get temporary reprieve for Thanksgiving
It happened again this year. "A longstanding Thanksgiving tradition and that's the Iowa Turkey Federation annual turkey pardoning," Governor Kim Reynolds announced late this morning. Two male turkeys and about two dozen humans gathered outside the governor's mansion in Des Moines for the … [Read more...]
Fate of CWD deer on farm in Van Buren County rests with federal officials
The Iowa Department of Agriculture is still working on the fate of deer on private farms in Van Buren County after tests came back showing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). State Veterinarian Jeff Kaisand says there are around 25 deer involved. "Right now we have two herds that are positive. Each … [Read more...]
Cold weather can help corn crop until harvest
An Iowa State University grain quality specialist, Charles Hurburgh says some growers are choosing to leave corn in the fields because the kernels’ moisture content is too high for safe storage. The late harvest and cold weather have strained the delivery system for the propane needed to dry the … [Read more...]
Number of turkey producers in Iowa has increased
The Executive Director of the Iowa Turkey Federation, Gretta Irwin, says the state's seen an increase in turkey producers in recent years. Iowa now has about 130 turkey farms with the majority of them comprised of second- and third-generation turkey farmers. "We have been in the top ten for many … [Read more...]