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Ag and Environment

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Farm Bureau members gather to set policy position

Members of 100 Iowa county Farm Bureaus will gather in Des Moines for the organization’s annual summer policy conference at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation office in West Des Moines. Issues to be discussed include …

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Nonprofit: Farm Rescue

Farm Rescue has been helping farm families in distress since 2006, and this fall the North Dakota organization plans to expand its operations into Iowa.

Elizabeth Reiss, who will coordinate Farm Rescue’s Iowa operations along …

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Crop insurance tally to date: $822 million

Crop insurers have paid out $822 million in claims this year with much of the nation suffering a severe drought, although it is too early to provide precise estimates of the losses, said Thomas Zacharias, …

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USDA slashes estimates for corn harvest

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today slashed its forecast for corn production this year by about 17 percent as drought conditions worsened in key growing regions, MarketWatch reported. Farmers are now expected to produce …

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Vilsack designates 42 counties disaster areas

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has designated 42 counties in Iowa primary natural disaster areas because of a summer drought devastating crops and driving up corn and soybean prices.    Polk County was named a natural…
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Monsanto and DuPont trial goes to jury

A patent dispute between Monsanto Co. and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. over genetically modified seeds has gone to a jury in federal court in St. Louis, in a trial that could leave DuPont…
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More rain needed to save corn crop

Rainfall last week slowed the deterioration of Iowa’s corn crop, but Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey said the state still needs more rain.

In the week that ended July 22, 37 percent of the state’s …

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COSC certifies three companies

Since its March launch, the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) has certified three companies through its COSC Evergreen certification program, which measures the impact of sustainable choices made by individuals within their professional, civic and social …

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Volunteers harvest produce for food pantry

A group of volunteers will travel to the Rinehart Family Farm outside Boone to harvest half a mile of produce as part of the Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh Buy Local’s Go the Distance project. …

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USDA asks insurance companies to give farmers more time

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has asked crop insurance agencies to voluntarily forgo charging interest on insurance premiums for an extra 30 days to help farmers struggling because of the worst drought in 30 years. …