March 26, 2026

An extension agronomist covering southeast and east central Iowa says soybean planting could begin this weekend. Rebecca Vittetoe with Iowa State University says soil conditions are steadily improving. “Something that people are keeping on their radar and on their mind, it wouldn’t honestly surprise me even if we have beans going in later this week […] The post Iowa farmers may begin soybean planting as early as this weekend appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The USDA says its new voluntary “Product of USA” label provides transparency for consumers. Kent Bacus, executive director of government affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says the rule that took effect on January 1st closed a loophole for imports. “NCBA has been working closely to address a lot of concerns we’ve had on […] The post New “Product of USA” label empowers producers, builds consumer trust appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Lawmakers are taking steps to address the price and availability of fertilizer. Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar tells Brownfield rising fertilizer costs and low commodity prices continue to erode profitability for farmers. “We have seen, even before the war in Iran, fertilizers like potash that farmers need were up 20 percent in 2025 […] The post Lawmakers target fertilizer prices as farmer profitability declines appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An ag meteorologist says drought improvement across parts of the Corn Belt could hinge on the timing of an El Niño weather pattern. Matt Makens says there’s a strong chance the system develops later this year, which could impact the majority of the Midwest. “Toward the tail end of the season when we get to […] The post Midwest drought relief day depend on arrival of El Niño pattern appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

An agricultural lender says financing, programs, and experience vary, so choosing the right farm loan advisor is important.  Dan Guthie with Old National Bank tells Brownfield that many farmers are not using all the financial tools available to them. “Which means partnering with the right bank, with the right commodity advisor, all of those, and […] The post Not all lenders, programs are the same appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Now that the EPA has issued its temporary waiver for E15, U.S. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says it’s time for Congress to act on a long-term solution. “Our farmers do deserve that long-term certainty.” During a press call on Wednesday, the Iowa Republican said she’s optimistic a bill could be brought before the U.S. House soon. […] The post Hinson suggests E15 could ride with broader Iran funding package appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The executive director of government relations with GROWMARK says U.S. farmers were facing fertilizer challenges even before the Middle Eastern conflict closed the flow of products through the Strait of Hormuz.  Chuck Spencer says volatility in the global market has been having an impact for a while. “North America is still one of the lowest […] The post Middle Eastern conflict compounding already volatile fertilizer markets appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A Democratic member of the U.S. Senate Ag Committee says she hopes President Trump’s recent call to pass a farm bill can bring legislation forward. Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin says, “The president last week tweeted, ‘Hey, we need a farm bill,’ and we were like, welcome to the party!” “Yes, we need a farm bill,” she […] The post Michigan Senator Slotkin pushes for farm bill as President Trump weighs in appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

A biofuels group says increasing domestic ethanol production could help lower fuel costs and boost corn demand for U.S. farmers. Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, says crude oil prices have risen more than 40 percent since the conflict in the Middle East began. “While prices are up across the board, ethanol […] The post ACE says permanent E15 legislation could bring fuel market stability and certainty for U.S. corn farmers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story