AMES, Iowa (6/13/25)  – The Iowa State University Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2025 Survey has been published, and the results make an interesting read for any land owner, tenant, or farm manager.

For the first time in six years, row crop rental rates decreased by almost 3%; however, rental rates on pasture and forage acres across the state remain steady to 3% higher for the ninth straight year. Record high beef prices, narrowing margins on forage acres, increasing competition for existing forage acres, and rising property taxes likely play a significant role in the strong forage rental rates faced by Iowa cattlemen and small ruminant producers.

Rental rates on pastures in Iowa have increased almost 20% over the last decade. For high productivity pastures with an estimated stocking rate of 2.5 or less acres per pair for the summer and adequate fence and water, the state average rate reported was $94/acre in 2025. Over the last ten years, rental rates bottomed in 2017 at $71/acre and recently topped at $95/acre in 2024.

For low-productivity pastures defined as pasture requiring more than 2.5 acres per pair, the 2025 state average rate reported was $61/acre.

Highest pasture rental rates were reported in USDA Crop Reporting District 3 (Northeast at $107/acre), District 5 (East Central at $105/acre), District 7 (Southwest at $103/acre), and District 4 (West Central at $102/acre). Lowest rates reported fell in District 2 (North Central at $81/acre) and District 8 (South Central at $81/acre). District 5 (Central) saw the largest reduction in average prices at $26/acre from 2024 to 2025 while District 9 (Southeast) saw the largest increase at $27/acre from 2024 to 2025.

Despite high carryover numbers in stored hay this spring, cash rent prices for established alfalfa hay acres continues to remain strong at an average of $206/acre. This equates to a 25% increase from $165/acre in 2016 and is up $6/acre from the 2024 state average reported at $200/acre.

While established grass hay acres have followed a similar trend as alfalfa, rental rates on oat acres harvested for forage production came in at $187/acre, down $11/acre from the previous year.

Data generated from this annual survey carried out by the ISU extension farm management team is reported on a statewide basis as well as by crop reporting district levels for forages. Although response rate varies, the report holds value as a year-to-year comparison. It is important to note these are not recommendations for rental rates but rather intended to serve as a starting point for negotiating prices, as multiple factors go into establishing a rental rate for each unique farm including productivity, drainage capacity, longevity of the lease, fence and water availability, and services performed by parties. You can download the entire Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2025 Survey (FM1851).

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Friday, released its renewable fuel standards draft rule which, if finalized, would set record high levels of biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said the draft rule, which proposes a total 24.02 billion gallon blending level in 2026, is a “very strong starting point for further discussions.” Shaw said the association will need time to evaluate the proposal, specifically as it relates to changes in credits for imported fuels and feedstocks.

According to the proposal, EPA is considering “several regulatory changes” to the RFS program that would reduce the number of Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs which is the measuring unit for renewable fuel, for imported renewable fuels and renewable fuels produced from imported feedstocks.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins at the Elite Ethanol production facility in Atlantic. (Photo by Cecilia Lynch/USDA)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports imported biodiesel feedstocks, like used cooking oil, tallow and canola oil have all increased over the past several years due to the high cost of domestic feedstocks. According to the same report, in the 2023 and 2024 marketing year, the U.S. consumed nearly 30% of biofuel feedstocks exported globally.

The news to prioritize domestic feedstocks was welcomed by Iowa Soybean Association President Brent Swart, who said biomass-based diesel supports “roughly 10% of the price per bushel of soybeans.” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said USDA and EPA have “never been more aligned” on the demand for domestically grown biofuels.

EPA will host a public hearing on the rules July 8.

Shaw said IRFA plans to work with EPA through the commenting period and to secure a final rule from the agency.

(Radio Iowa) – The Environmental Protection Agency is recommending a Renewable Fuels Standard for 2026 that would be a record amount — 24 billion gallons of biofuels produced for blending with petroleum based fuels. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director Monte Shaw says it would continue corn-based ethanol production at 15 billion gallons next year — along with a big increase in renewable diesel and biomass-based diesel.

“The last Biden rule that they did for three years really underestimated the growth in biodiesel and renewable diesel, so it really hamstrung the growth in the industry from being what it could have been,” Shaw says. Soybean-based biodiesel is produced in Iowa. Renewable diesel is generally made by the petroleum industry. The public can now weigh in on the E-P-A’s recommended production levels for renewable fuels.

“We like most of what’s in here,” Shaw says, “but we will still be engaging in the public comment period.” Shaw says that’s because the final rule for biofuels production has been adjusted in the past based on public reaction. The Trump Administration’s proposal includes some provisions to limit bio-fuels imports.

Iowa is the nation’s top producer of ethanol and biodiesel. The proposed Renewable Fuels Standards for 2026 as well as 2027. Iowa elected officials are praising the proposal. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the E-P-A’s announcement sends a welcome and optimistic growth signal to an important industry.

(Rural Cass County, IA) – A teen from rural Griswold has earned a position on the Iowa state/provincial National Junior High School Rodeo Team. McCoy H. Wicker, an 8th-grade student at the Oakland-Riverside School, will be traveling with fellow teammates to Des Moines (IA) June 22nd through the 28th, to compete at the 20th annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR) in Team Roping and Boys Goat Tying competitions. In addition, Wicker competed in the Iowa Junior High School Rodeo Association 2024-2025 season. He earned many achievements, culminating at the State Finals in Bloomfield, Iowa. Wicker concluded the Finals by achieving 1st in Boys Goat Tying, 2nd in Ribbon Roping, 5th in Chute Dogging. He also earned Rookie of the Year and received the Dalton H Baumann Exceptional Character Award.

Featuring roughly 1,200 contestants from 43 U.S. States, 5 Canadian Provinces, Australia, and Mexico, the NJHFR is the world’s largest junior high rodeo. In addition to competing for more than $80,000 in prizes, NJHFR contestants will also be competing for more than $200,000 in college scholarships and the chance to be named a National Junior High Finals Rodeo World Champion. To earn this title, contestants must finish in the top 20 – based on their combined times/scores in the first two go-rounds to advance to Saturday evening’s final round. World champions will then be determined based on their three go-round combined times/scores. Added money for the optional jackpot has increased to $100,000 and is available to everyone at finals who enters the jackpot in their event.

Again, this year, the Saturday championship performance will be televised nationally as a part of the Cinch High School Rodeo Tour telecast series on RFD-TV. Live broadcasts of all NJHFR performances will air on: https://www.cowboychannelplus.com/ . Performance times are 7 p.m. on June 22nd and 9 a.m. & 7 p.m. each day thereafter.

Along with great rodeo competition and the chance to meet new friends from around the world, NJHFR contestants have the opportunity to enjoy shooting sports, volleyball, contestant dances, family-oriented activities, church services sponsored by Golden Spur Ministries, and shopping at the NJHFR trade show, as well as visiting area attractions as Des Moines hosts the NJHFR this year. To follow your local favorites at the NJHFR, visit www.NHSRA.com daily for complete results.

For ticket information and reservations, go to: https://nhsra.com/juniorhighfinals/

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Nishna Valley Family YMCA Aquatics Coordinator Chelsie Rush reminds area residents that, to help ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming experience for all, several area pools have announced a new policy: Mask-style swim goggles (which cover both the eyes and nose, similar to snorkel or scuba masks) are no longer permitted. The change has been adopted by the following facilities:

• Sunnyside Pool – Atlantic
• Atlantic YMCA Pool
• Atlantic Golf and Country Club
• Elk Horn City Pool
• Oakland City Pool
• Audubon City Pool
• Avoca City Pool

Cass County: Corn $4.13 Beans $10.09
Adair County: Corn $4.10 Beans $10.12
Adams County: Corn $4.10 Beans $10.08
Audubon County: Corn $4.12 Beans $10.11
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $4.16 Beans $10.09
Guthrie County: Corn $4.15 Beans $10.13
Montgomery County: Corn $4.15 Beans $10.11
Shelby County: Corn $4.16 Beans $10.09

Oats: $3.12 (same in all counties)

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa; by an FFA Reporter) – The Atlantic FFA Chapter competed in the annual Iowa FFA Horse Judging Career Development Event held at Kirkwood Community College on June 10, 2025. Atlantic FFA had a team and individual that participated in this year’s Career Development Event. Team members Kayedance Sturm, Clara Kennedy, Callie Rudy and Paislee Klever earned a silver medal.

The Horse Judging CDE is designed to provide the student an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Equine Science. Each team member evaluated halter and performance classes. They also answered questions over the classes and gave oral reasons to explain their placings. A written examination was included along with a team problem solving competition.

In the Halter division, Kayedance placed second overall while the team placed 3rd overall. Sturm said, “Every year horse judging at Kirkwood College has been an amazing team building experience the night before going to eat, to going to the contest. I can’t wait to see what next year’s results hold for us.”

(From left-to-right): Kayedance Sturm, Clara Kennedy, Paislee Klever, Callie Rudy. (photo submitted)

Team member Clara Kennedy said “Aside from our pre judging nerves we have become more confident and grown as a team. We always make the most of our trip, from the night before, the drive there and back, to the actual reason we are there, for the contest. It will be exciting to see how our team continues to progress in the upcoming year.”

Callie Rudy said, “With the team being very young, it was a lot of fun. You can tell throughout the team that we have improved and that we genuinely love to do it. Always having fun the night before whether we go shopping or are hanging out in each other’s rooms it is always a blast with the team. The contest may be challenging, but it is a good experience for everyone.”

Paislee Klever said, Horse judging is a very fun experience I think everyone should try. The pre contest nerves are always the worst but not only the contest but being with your teammates, going shopping, having supper and just bonding was so fun. The contest might come across hard to others and it can be but that’s why we work for it, and we will get better as the years go on.”

The Iowa FFA Horse Career Development Event was made possible with support through the Iowa FFA Foundation Gold Standard Partners. The Horse Career Development Event was coordinated and held at the Iowa Equestrian Center in Cedar Rapids. Kirkwood Community College also provided lunch to all participants.

(Radio Iowa) – A few dozen tiny turtles were turned loose in a wetland in Guthrie County this month, the next important step in helping the rare creatures regain numbers in a state where they were once plentiful. Mick Klemesrud, a spokesman for the Iowa DNR, says many populations of Blanding’s turtles died out during a frigid, snowy spring about a decade ago. With the help of Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, more than 50 were hatched and raised last year.

“We released 32 of them last week. Most of them had a transmitter on them, so we’re going to track their movements and try and get some information on these juveniles, what they do, search for habitat and where they move throughout the wetland,” Klemesrud says, “so we could maybe make some management decisions based on that to help these turtles survive.”

An adult Blanding’s turtle may grow to 10 inches in diameter, resembling an old-style army helmet, but each of these youngsters would fit in the palm of your hand. So how do you track them? Klemesrud says Iowa State University is also a part of this project.

Two of the Blanding’s turtles (Iowa DNR photo)

“They have a student technician that’s going to be going out every day this summer with an aerial transmitter, and she’s going to be tracking these. There’s different frequencies associated with different transmitters,” Klemesrud says. “She’s going to be collecting some of this information just to see, where are they going? What are they using? What is their preferred habitat in the wild?”

Blanding’s turtles are a threatened species in Iowa and they’re being considered for federal listing. Besides the frigid weather, Klemesrud says the turtles face many other challenges in Iowa.

“The turtles will travel a long distance to lay their eggs and so they have to travel across a lot of roads and sometimes they get hit by vehicles. There’s a lot of nest predators that will just completely wipe out their nests,” Klemesrud says. “We have very little natural reproduction. It takes about 14 to 20 years for these turtles to become mature and to start laying eggs, the females, so it just takes a long time to get these back.”

In an agency statement, DNR director Kayla Lyon says: “In the wild, just hatching means these turtles beat the odds. Leaving the nest and finding the wetland is another major achievement, and making it to year one is like winning the lottery — which makes today all the more exciting.”

She says the restoration of wetlands and shallow lakes benefits Blanding’s turtles, in addition to many other wildlife species, including nesting trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes.

(Radio Iowa) – Dozens of landowners who would be impacted by the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline project held a conference call today (Thursday) to talk about the governor’s veto of the pipeline bill. Megan Sloma is the part owner of a Century farm in Sioux County says the governor chose the rights of the pipeline company over landowners, without any alternatives. “My dad told me growing up to never bring him a problem without also bringing him possible solutions, so I would ask Governor Reynolds what is your solution to help the land owners?,” Sloma says. Wright County land owner Julie Glade says she is “righteously angry” about the veto. ”

Megan Sloma. (Photo from Sierra Club video news conference)

Governor Reynolds, I’d like for you to tell me how modern life depends on the pumping of a waste product, highly pressurized and dangerous, through our very productive rich family farmland. I feel like she’s thrown us under the bus and sided with wealthy corporate interests in the state of Iowa,” Glade says.

Glade says people are paying attention like never before, and that will show when its election time.  “My phone was exploding yesterday with messages from friends and family that heard the breaking news that governor Reynolds had vetoed our bill,” Glad says. “This is going to be a high priority election issue from here on out. We are going to make sure of it. We can do what South Dakota did and elect representatives that will reflect the will of the majority in Iowa, unlike Governor Reynolds and her minions in Senate leadership.” Bremer County Supervisor Cory Cerwinske says the veto is extremely disheartening, and says the governor’s reasoning is absolutely flawed from any and every angle. “This isn’t an agree to disagree circumstance, as we sometimes see ourselves varying over legislation. This veto is an outright attack on our inalienable rights that we, the people, are protected by both our U-S and Iowa Constitutions,” Cerwinske says. He supports the effort to override the veto, and also wants the governor removed from office.

“I suggest to speaker Grassley that in addition to an attempt to override, that our General Assembly addressed the glaring issue of the governor’s malfeasance by ignoring the Constitution to decimate our private property rights with her actions, by going forward and introducing articles of impeachment under the guidelines contained in Article three, Section 20 of the Iowa Constitution,” Cerwinske says. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says impeachment is not the way to go. “Look, I understand everybody’s emotions on this, but a governor choosing to veto a piece of legislation in spite of what we feel about how it may violate the Constitution and those sorts of things probably doesn’t rise to the level of impeachment. So I doubt that that would get gained much traction,” Holt says.

Holt says that there would likely not be enough votes in the Senate for a special session to override the veto. He says the veto will be an issue for legislation the governor proposes in the next session, and they will continue to bring up legislation in the House to force the issue. “And the Senate is going to figure out. What they’re going. To do about, you know, they tried for over four years. They stopped the will of the people through their elected representatives to address this issue, they hid behind process and refuse to let legislation come to the floor and now the chickens have come home to roost in the Senate. They’ve got a civil war going on in the Senate, they’ve attack one another,” Holt says.

The bill the governor vetoed would have put limits on the use of eminent domain for pipelines. The governor says the bill was too broad and would impact other projects outside of carbon pipelines.

DES MOINES, June 11, 2025 – The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), in partnership with MidWestOne Bank, Wednesday, announced the winner of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition: the CP770 cotton picker, manufactured by John Deere in Ankeny.  The CP770 Cotton Picker was introduced in 2021 and is a leader in cotton harvesting technology. The picker is larger, faster, and more efficient than previous models. In addition, the model features smart tech that offers guidance to farmers in the fields.

Sixty-nine products were nominated for this year’s competition, representing manufacturers from 51 Iowa communities. After an initial public voting round and a head-to-head bracket-style tournament, four finalists emerged to compete for the title. More than 93,000 votes were cast throughout the contest, demonstrating the pride Iowans have in the products made in their state.

JD CP770 Cotton Picker

One of the products that made it into the Top Four, was The Moose Fireplace Grill – The Moose Fireplace Grill , which is manufactured in Red Oak.

This is the second year of the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest. The Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler won during the first year in 2024. The Iowa Association of Business and Industry says the contest is successful and plans to bring it back next year.