President Trump was in Iowa on Wednesday and invited AAI leaders to be a part of a special visit to Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. The visit to the scho ol coincides with the White House's Technology Week.

The President met with students, toured Kirkwood, and saw firsthand how technology is driving the agricultural sector forward. He also delivered a speech about infrastructure improvement. Governor Kim Reynolds provided a list of her high priority infrastructure items including modernizing locks and dams on the Mississippi River and highway improvements. Ambassador Terry Branstad also made some brief remarks about the value of agriculture and the connection to China.  View White House Press Release>>

According to The Gazette, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will push for increased rural internet access in his proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan.  Read full article here>>

In attendance from AAI: CEO Joel Brinkmeyer; Chair Dave Tierney, Monsanto; Past Chair Tracy Gathman, Two Rivers Cooperative; Chair Elect Mark Morrissey, United Services Association; Treasurer Mike Moellenbeck, River Valley Cooperative; Legislative Committee Chair Matt Caswell, AGP; and representatives from AAI member companies - Dave Coppess, Heartland Cooperative; Brad Davis, Golden Eagle Cooperative; Billi Hunt, DuPont Pioneer.

Also in attendance were Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey, and Iowa Ag Deputy Secretary Michael Naig. 

by: The Progressive Farmer

The 25-person task force contains members from 23 different government departments and councils and is led by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. The group met for the first time Thursday at USDA, where each member presented their pitch for helping agriculture and rural America thrive in the next four years. See executive order here>>

Despite the sprawling membership and the fact that many of the departments remain understaffed, Perdue vowed the task force would produce an action plan ready to execute by October 22. Read More

State lawmakers this year deeply cut the funding to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.

Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union and chair of the Leopold Center's board of directors, says he'll work tirelessly to get lawmakers to reverse those funding cuts in next year's legislative session.

"It'll be a huge priority of ours to restore funding," Lehman says. "Farmers need these innovations more than ever. We're dealing with a situation where farm income is dropping for the fourth year in a row and we're dealing with a consolidated marketplace where farmers buy and sell their products." Read More

Ethanol is commonly used as a gasoline substitute, but an engineering startup sees the potential to use the corn-based fuel as a cleaner, renewable substitute for diesel fuel as well.

BJ Johnson, a mechanical engineer and CEO of ClearFlame Engines, said his company is optimizing a high-efficiency compression ignition engine that runs on ethanol to improve performance and lower soot particle emissions. Read More

by: Iowa Women In Ag

Iowa Women in Agriculture invite you to join us for the 11th annual Conference at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny on August 1.

 

The 2017 Conference will deliver a full menu of decision-making ingredients for success in today's difficult economic climate: the latest outlook for ag trade, marketing strategies for low commodity prices, financial risk management tactics, transition and estate-planning tips, and ideas for generating new income and adding value. Our keynote speakers will highlight the unique challenges of women's roles, offer opportunities to laugh and learn, and to celebrate agriculture.

Read full press release>>

The bright spots in agriculture right now are beef and pork.

Both have cheap grain to feed an expanding herd, and both are seeing excellent export sales, pork at almost 25 percent of U.S. production going out of the country.  Beef is the star right now as China is awaiting the first shipment, sent from Nebraska, to be released into channels of trade July 16.

There are a lot of requirements that U.S. processors are going to have to meet, and documentation and tracking is not the least of those. Read More