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Markets falter in response to China, Mexico export news

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue tweeted the news that Chinese officials planned to purchase 10 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans. What he referred to as a “good faith” gesture occurred during trade talks between the two countries, and Perdue said it was an indication of “more good news to come.” Initially, the futures markets responded positively as Globex futures were sharply higher and at their highest levels in premarket trading. But the rebound didn’t last long. Chad Hart, agriculture economist with Iowa State University, said that the markets heading ...

Aristocrats, or entrepreneurs?

I never knew I was an aristocrat. Yet that’s how I was being described, along with anyone else whose family has a Century Farm or has farmed land in Iowa for multiple generations. It happened during a recent Story County Board of Supervisors meeting in February. I wasn’t there, but a friend forwarded me a link to the video of the contentious meeting, where supervisors voted 2-1 to request that the governor and state legislature impose a moratorium on new or expanding confined animal feeding operations. During the public comment period, a gentleman named John Monroe from Nevada ...

Online calving management resource now available

AMES— In the beef industry, calving management is critical to production and profitability of the cow herd. Proper care prior to and at calving can help reduce incidence of dystocia, and also minimize deleterious impacts should dystocia occur. Knowing how to prepare, what to do and not do, and when to take action all are critical aspects of correctly managing calving in your herd. That’s why the Iowa Beef Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach developed the Calving Management Manual. ISU extension beef veterinarian Dr. Grant Dewell led the effort with ...

THE ACE OF FADES

Jericho Habben was in seventh grade the first time he picked up some clippers and cut someone else’s hair. “My friends needed a haircut,” Habben, of Fort Dodge, said from his barbershop, Ace of Fades, recently. “I tried my best, but I think it was the best a seventh-grader could ...

Raising cattle indoors

LINDEN — Five years ago, Chad and Amy Wilkerson, of rural Linden, decided to try something new on their farm. The chance they took has paid off significantly for them. “Eight years ago, we attended a calving under roof seminar at the race track in Newton and were very intrigued,” ...

Applications open for Titan’s antique tractor restoration program

DES MOINES —Titan International, Inc. (Titan) is now accepting applications for their annual antique tractor restoration program. National FFA and 4-H student members can register online to qualify for a set of Titan or Goodyear Farm Tire branded antique tractor tires. Titan has awarded thousands of free tires to student-led tractor restoration projects since 1996. Tyler Schimke of the Paso Robles FFA chapter in California is one of the students to benefit from the program. He restored a 1956 Farmall 300 LP tractor in 2018. “It was my first tractor and a great learning ...