Category Archives: Farming

U.S. Farmers Suffer ‘Body Blow’ As China Slams Door On Farm Purchases

Posted on August 17, 2019 by

From Reuters, August 5th: “Chinese companies have stopped buying U.S. agricultural products, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday, a blow to U.S. farmers who have already seen their exports slashed by the more than year-old trade war. << snip >> … Continue reading →

Posted in #trumpresistance, 2020 election campaign, Farming | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Soybean Farmers Now Really In The Crosshairs Of Trump’s Policies

Posted on November 24, 2018 by

From the time Donald Trump announced his unilateral imposition of tariffs on products coming from China through China’s imposition of strategically aimed retalliation it has in some ways resembled a couple of old men playing a bluffing game. Certainly many … Continue reading →

Posted in #trumpresistance, Blog for Iowa, Farming, Trump | Tagged , | 5 Comments

For Farmers, Not Farm Bureau

Posted on September 22, 2018 by

We must give a nod of thanks to the Pulitzer committee for giving the 2017 award for editorial writing to Art Cullen of the Storm Lake Times. Since then we try to make it a practice of checking in with Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018 Election Campaign, Blog for Iowa, Farming | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Difficult And Strange Season Of Weather

Posted on August 15, 2018 by

By Carmen Black (Editor’s Note: Iowa Farmers deal with an existential reality that is the weather. Regardless of increasingly polarized discussions about climate change, weather affects real people in tangible ways. Carmen recently wrote this piece to members of her … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Local Food | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Tim Gannon For Agriculture – An Easy Decision

Posted on August 8, 2018 by

Supporting Tim Gannon for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture is an easy decision. Iowa Democrats want and need a secretary of agriculture that understands the current farm economy and is willing and capable of moving the state toward sustainability in agriculture. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018 Election Campaign, Farming, Food Insecurity, politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Rural Iowa Not A Hegemony

Posted on August 4, 2018 by

As “progress” causes big changes stresses start to show. Few can write as well as Art Cullen the Pulitzer Prize winning editor at the Storm Lake Times. Fewer still seem to be able to understand the changes that are going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog for Iowa, Economy, Farming | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Why Don’t Iowa Farmers Export More to Europe?

Posted on July 31, 2018 by

During a brief appearance at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta on Thursday, President Trump claimed a trade breakthrough with European allies. “We just opened up Europe for you,” he said. Not so fast! On Saturday, European Union Commission President … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018 Election Campaign, Farming, Trade | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Cindy Axne: Coming On Strong

Posted on July 22, 2018 by

There were some surprising fund raising numbers for Iowa’s congressional candidate released early in the week.  Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was Cindy Axne in Iowa’s 3rd district outraising incumbent David Young by over $100,000. Perhaps even as surprising … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018 Election Campaign, Blog for Iowa, Economy, Education, Farming, Health Care & Medicare, Social Security | Tagged

Killing The Economy Part 1 – The Farm Bill

Posted on April 28, 2018 by

Got this email from Iowa CCI Thursday looking for stories from farmers concerning the new Farm Bill that is weaving its way through the Republican controlled US House and US Senate. If you haven’t heard, this bill has many repugnant … Continue reading →

Posted in #trumpresistance, Blog for Iowa, economic inequality, Economic Justice, Economy, Farming

There Is A Family Dairy Farm Crisis

Posted on April 25, 2018 by

Things are bad when the coop sends the suicide hotline number with the milk payment. Milk prices are currently about $15 per hundred weight while cost of production at family farms is more than $22 per hundred weight. Like so … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming | Tagged , , ,