In the News

 

Farm Bill Failure and Trade War Create Uncertainty for Farmers
“The U.S. House of Representatives was unable to pass the most recent farm bill, which has made farmers more uneasy than they already were amidst a trade war with China.”WHO TV

Can U.S. agency that brought us government cheese protect farmers from tariff fallout?
“A program that brought Americans government cheese four decades ago could get tapped to protect U.S. farmers if escalating tariff threats between the U.S. and China break out into a full-fledged trade war.” Des Moines Register

Farm, Food, Forestry and More On The Table in the Next Federal Farm Bill
“The massive piece of legislation known as the farm bill affects all taxpayers — whether they know it or not — and runs the gamut from farm safety net and conservation programs to food stamps and loan guarantees for rural hospitals.” Harvest Public Media

Iowa 1 of 13 States to Challenge California Egg Law
“Iowa and 12 other states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law that requires eggs sold in the Golden State to come from hens that have room to extend their limbs.” Iowa Public Radio

Iowa landowners unite against animal confinements
“A group of Howard County landowners, tired of Iowa lawmakers’ refusal to tighten rules on confined animal feeding operations, has banded together to outlaw these operations on their properties.” The Gazette

Hello, Iowa! The 2020 race is three years away. But Democrats are itching to start it now.
“With 1,131 days until the 2020 presidential election, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) showed up in a parking lot in Iowa.” Washington Post

Iowa: A Place to Grow (Billions of Bushels of Corn)
“Iowa has been the “king of corn” for almost two decades. In 2015, Iowa corn farmers grew 2.5 billion bushels of corn on 13 million acres of land. Iowa is also the number one pork producer in the U.S.” Iowa Public Radio 

Challenges to Providing Safe Drinking Water in the Midwest 
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that levels of nitrate in drinking water at or above 10 parts per million are unsafe, particularly for infants, who could develop a potentially fatal blood disorder called “blue-baby” syndrome.” Iowa Public Radio 

BPI Settlement Could Affect Media, Food Industry
“The settlement of Beef Products Inc.’s $1.9 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC and one of its correspondents is likely to reach far beyond the operations of both companies.” Sioux City Journal

Des Moines Water Utility Can’t Sue Drainage Districts for Monetary Damages
“An Iowa Supreme Court ruling has found that 10 drainage districts northwest of Des Moines are not liable for potentially millions of dollars in damages. Des Moines’s water utility brought the case in a novel attempt to sue other government entities for monetary damages.” Iowa Public Radio

Suit makes legal waves
“The lawsuit filed by the Des Moines Water Works against supervisors in three Northwest Iowa counties has generated plenty of animosity, and it also has the potential to generate a few legal waves.” Iowa Farmer Today 

Paying Farmers Not to Farm? Not Exactly
“Farmers face plenty of risk, including the unknowns of weather, global markets and the more predictable expenses of taxes and equipment costs.” Iowa Public Radio

Harvest of Change: Farm Families Confront a Nation in Transition
“Tassel-topped stalks across the Midwest corn belt await a harvest of grain that will fuel your car with ethanol, feed livestock that becomes your dinner steak or be processed into foods lining shelves at your supermarket.” USA TODAY 

Harvest of Change: Russell, Stanley preserve chemical-free farming
Matt Russell and Patrick Standley farm ‘1930s-style’ — chemical-free on a small farm that may have otherwise been swallowed up into a larger farm operation. Des Moines Register

As Climate Change Hits Home, Americans Call for Action
“The World Meteorological Organization announced this week that climate change pollution has reached record levels. Carbon pollution alone — one of the most potent greenhouse gases — had its biggest spike in 30 years. These measurements tell an alarming story about what is happening in our atmosphere. To understand what they mean here on earth, we just have to look outside the window.” Huffington Post