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Ag and Environment

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Vilsack said to head USDA for second term

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack will stay on as U.S. agriculture secretary during President Barack Obama’s second term, Bloomberg reported, quoting anonymous sources familiar with the matter. 

If Vilsack were to serve until 2017, he …

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2013 Year in Preview: Ag & environment

For agriculture, 2013 will begin with three big ifs

Weather, taxes and the farm bill will weigh heavy on the farm economy in 2013.

With the entire state of Iowa locked in varying degrees of …

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Iowa crop losses top $1 billion

Last summer’s drought caused more than $1 billion in corn and soybean cross losses, according figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in The Des Moines Register.

The losses are covered through federally-subsidized corp …

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2012 in Review: Ag & Environment

Lifting a bridge is part of Des Moines flood protection strategy

The floods of 2008 defied previous studies and predictions about what the city of Des Moines could expect during periods of high water. This …

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More wind from MidAmerican

MidAmerican Wind, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., said it has completed its 81-megawatt Bishop Hill II wind project. The project, located in Henry County, Ill., features 50 General Electric 1.62-megawatt wind turbines. Bishop …

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Reynolds to Southeast Asia: Eat more pork

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will lead a trade mission to Vietnam and the Philippines from Feb. 22 to March 2. The trip will focus on increasing exports of Iowa pork to Southeast Asia and fostering …

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Farm Bureau accepting teacher grant applications

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is accepting applications through Feb. 8 for its Teacher Supplement Grant program, which awards $200 for use in classroom programs that promote agricultural literacy. Farm Bureau has given $120,000 to …

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Deere reports year-end profits

Boosted by double-digit increases in agricultural equipment, Deere & Co., Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, reported fourth-quarter profits of $687.6 million, or $1.75 per share, in its fourth fiscal quarter, which ended Oct. 31. That compares …

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Farmers profit despite drought

Despite the worst drought in half a century, farmers are  having their one of their most profitable years ever because of record-high corn prices and crop insurance payments, reports Bloomberg.

Farmer income probably will jump …

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Water quality plan ready for public review

Gov. Terry Branstad released the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy today. The plan is an attempt to to reduce water-fouling nutrients in surface water from farm fields, industrial plants, urban areas and wasterwater treatment plants. Experts …

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