Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Iowa is still the champ when it comes to corn and soybean production. Iowa hauled in 2.368 billion bushels of corn in 2007, and 439 million bushels of soybeans.
Iowa may still be the king of corn production, but this state's famous "Corn King" died this week. Francis Childs broke several world records for non-irrigated corn production, including his stunning feat of growing 442 bushels per acre in 2002.
It's been a wild week in the grain markets. Last Friday the price of corn shot up after a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed lower-than-expected supplies. Corn futures prices have peaked above $5 per bushel. That's good news for Iowa farmers who have corn in the bin, but not so good for livestock producers buying feed. Wallaces Farmer has an article this week about what to expect in the grain markets.
The ethanol plants of tomorrow will be much more efficient than those of today. Research into a new way of making ethanol from corn is proving successful at a pilot plant in Eddyville, according to an article this week in the Des Moines Register. Renessen, a joint venture between Cargill and Monsanto, is perfecting its system that boosts the efficiency of the process and results in a higher-quality co-product that can be fed to livestock.
The USDA is celebrating a milestone for one of its conservation programs. The one-millionth acre of farmland has been enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
There's lots of room for more expansion of Iowa's viticulture, according to the director of the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute. Read more in this article from Iowa Farmer Today.
Chris Clayton over at DTN Ag News has an article that sums up the current situation of the Farm Bill.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter