News, Insights & Interviews Archive

Cattle ranchers have found bipartisan allies in Washington, D.C., who have joined their efforts to halt President Donald Trump's initiative to increase ground beef imports from Argentina and Brazil.

People around the country may not immediately recall Dan Pedersen's name, but many may remember his situation. Pedersen operates a 10,000-acre farm and feedlot with 12,000 cattle in Underwood, Iowa.

The American economy is feeling the weight. None of these things were what supporters had in mind when President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2027 with Republican majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.

The call is out: "The U.S. Government is investigating the fertilizer cartel and has asked anyone with firsthand knowledge to come forward. The cost is too high to remain silent," the new savefamilyfarms.us website headlined.

President Donald Trump's moves to further escalate his trade war will once again test the patience and resolve of his optimistic supporters while causing others further angst as they brace for costs to continue to climb and some supplies' availability to lessen.

A new report lays out the value of agriculture in North Carolina: nearly one million jobs and $117 billion in economic activity.

Numerous agricultural organizations are sorting through the Environmental Protection Agency's confirmation that it will nearly double the number of exemptions for smaller oil refineries from Renewable Fuel Standards blending requirements.

What would it take to change the mind of the president of the United States? That is what numerous agricultural organizations, ranchers, farmers, and elected officials are trying to figure out after President Donald Trump announced that he would temporarily drop tariffs on ground beef imports to try to provide cost relief for families.

Nevada became the first state to sue the Trump administration after federally mandated water usage cuts due to decades of drought that diminished the Colorado River. It is the latest example of a regional water crisis that threatens agricultural vitality.

Some farm families in Minnesota now know that nitrate levels in their wells could be higher than levels deemed acceptable by health officials. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) tested water quality for 125 families at FarmFest 2026 last week. The department laid out this information about nitrate levels: “Nitrate levels above 1 mg/L are considered elevated, and those above 10 mg/L are known to be harmful, especially for infants and pregnant women. Recent studies a

For many years, China has had a food problem. It’s not easy feeding about 20% of the world’s population -- about 1.4 billion people -- using only 9% of the world’s arable land. As China’s middle class grew, the country could not fully meet the demand for more diverse foods. So, for many years, China depended on the U.S. for many of its agricultural needs. However, trade between the U.S. and China has declined, and the long-term outlook for the relationship is challenged. Trad

One state finds itself different when it comes to all the rest. That state is New York. Communities across the country are having passionate debates – for and against – about locating data centers in their jurisdictions. But New York initiated a temporary ban for the entire state. More than a dozen states have discussed the idea of temporary bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which has been tracking legislation. But none progressed as far

Changes to international trade policy carry a risk for businesses, especially farms dependent on exports. New rules are often challenged or delayed as economists and politicians debate policy. At the Iowa Farm Bureau 2026 Economic Forum in Des Moines, several speakers explained how that uncertainty has a cost. Agriculture seeks trade certainty Former U.S. Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer said, “For agriculture, what we need is consistent certainty of market access, right?

A downward economic trend has continued for another month for Creighton University’s “Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI),” according to its latest survey of rural bank CEOS in a 10-state region. RMI surveys leaders in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The index measures approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. Input costs rise for farmers “The farmers out there and ranchers are

The sequel can sometimes be much different than the original. That could be the case with the proposed update of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).

This week’s renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran further underscore concerns about what a prolonged war will do to agriculture and the overall global economy. The International Monetary Fund lowered one forecast and raised another, providing two new indicators about increased concerns about the war harming economic stability. The IMF reduced its 2026 global growth forecast to 3% on Wednesday, while it increased its inflation projection to 4.7%. The new

New analysis from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) raises questions about whether the USDA’s staffing changes will be able to meet the needs of local farmers.

Some of the largest egg producers have agreed to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits after reaching a tentative settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and 17 states. The settlement could resolve allegations that the companies -- using their massive egg producing capacity – colluded to illegally raise egg prices at a time when the United States dealt with the spread of avian influenza. The three companies, according to the co

Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings last week could affect farmland owners in two different ways: fertilizers and workforce. One involves a top priority for the Trump administration, and the other could prevent numerous lawsuits across the country. The Court ruled 7-2 in Monsanto v. Durnell that federal law overrides state-level claims that require pesticide makers to include cancer warnings on their products. The decision could protect pesticide manufacturers like Bayer (the comp

Every now and then, something comes along that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction movie. It goes something like this: Hydrogen is trapped 8,000 feet beneath Iowa farmland. Private developers extract it. Landowners have a new source of income. Their neighbors have new protections. Eventually – maybe, just maybe – residents across the state could see lower income taxes. They might not pay income taxes at all.