Legislative Priorities Proposed for 2026

The late summer meeting of the AAI Legislative Committee this week consolidated input from committees and other AAI members to create a suggested list of legislative priorities for upcoming year. That list will be considered during the AAI Board of Directors meeting next week.

Legislative priorities are determined based on input from the Agronomy, Animal Industry, Environment, Grain, Membership, and Transportation Committees. Additional priority recommendations are provided by Legislative Committee members and the Board of Directors. Once the priorities are finalized at the September Board of Directors meeting, new items are added to the ongoing efforts of the association in preparation for the upcoming legislative session.

The next Legislative Committee meeting will be scheduled for early December.

JOIN A COMMITTEE

AAI members can help shape the policies, programs, and events that matter most to them by participating in an AAI committee. AAI member company employees can serve on a committee by emailing aai@agribiz.org, calling the AAI office, or filling out a form online.

Pesticide App for Label Mitigations

EPA released the Pesticide App for Label Mitigations (PALM), a mobile-friendly tool to serve as a one-stop shop that helps farmers and applicators use EPA’s mitigation menu to reduce pesticide exposure to nontarget species from agricultural crop uses. PALM combines the functionality of the spray drift and runoff calculators in a mobile-friendly and easy-to-use web interface. This application also provides a useful summary to show how users calculated their runoff and erosion mitigation points or ecological spray drift buffer reductions and what field characteristics or application parameters are applicable to their individual applications. 

These calculators are tools for informational purposes to assist pesticide users in determining whether the necessary level of mitigation has been met before applying a pesticide product. Pesticide users remain responsible for ensuring that all pesticide labeling requirements are met. Not all labels permit use of runoff/erosion mitigation measures or spray drift reduction.

EPA Resources:

PALM Page

Runoff/Erosion Calculator

Spray Drift Calculator

AAI MEMBERS ONLY WEBINAR: Planning Ahead for the 2026 Growing Season

Join us for a webinar featuring Jim Knuth, senior vice president for lending at Farm Credit Service of America, as he provides insight and perspective on the economic factors that may influence farmer decisions for the 2026 growing season.

Jim will share his outlook on the collective financial health of Iowa farmers and highlight key considerations for ag businesses as they plan for 2026 and beyond. Topics will include:

• Land value trends
• Interest rates
• Grain production economics

WEBINAR DETAILS

Wednesday, Sept. 17

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Online Event (link provided upon registration)

This webinar is only available to AAI member companies and their employees.

Join this webinar to better understand the financial landscape your farmer customers are navigating. Reserve your spot today and gain the insights you need to plan confidently for the year ahead.

Out And About

GEAPS Central Iowa Chapter Meeting

Attended by: Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director

Spraytec Ribbon Cutting

Attended by: Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director

Batch and Build Field Day

Attended by: Ben Gleason, INREC Executive Director

2025 DMACC Fall Agribusiness and Horticulture Career Fair

Monday, Sept. 29

FFA Enrichment Center

DMACC Ankeny Campus

This event expects more than 175 students to be in attendance. Additional information and an agenda will be sent out about one week prior to the event to those that register.

Register for the DMACC Fall Agribusiness and Horticulture Career Fair

Companies also have the opportunity to offer "Lunch and Learn" sessions in addition to the career fair. This is allows your company or university to set up a time to meet with DMACC students. The greatest impact is from lunch and learn sessions held prior to the Career Fair. Additional Lunch and Learn opportunities are available throughout the entire semester. 

Organizations with an interest in the Lunch and Learn sessions, and anyone with questions about the career fair, should contact Andrea Rouse, adrouse@dmacc.edu or 515-964-6866.

IDALS Streamside Buffer Pilot Project Targeting Priority Watersheds

A new state-funded conservation cost-share pilot project supporting farmers and landowners in the watersheds upstream from the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metropolitan areas has been announced by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). The Streamside Buffer Initiative encourages farmers and landowners living in these priority watersheds to add perennial buffers to fields along streams to prevent nutrients from entering these important source water areas. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is initially allocating $3 million from the state’s Water Quality Initiative (WQI) fund to support this pilot project. 

View Project Details

This state-funded cost-share initiative is intended to be more flexible than existing federal cost-share programs to encourage even more farmers and landowners to participate.

• Farmers and landowners living in the North Raccoon, Boone, Middle Cedar and Turkey watersheds and Dubuque County are eligible (watershed map) for the Streamside Buffer Initiative pilot project. 
• Enrolled buffers must be between 30 to 100 feet wide (on average) on at least one side of the stream. 
• Payments will only be made on new buffers established on land that is currently in row crop production. 
• Streamside buffers must be maintained for at least 10 years.  
• Harvested buffers will receive a one-time payment of $250 per acre for establishment costs and $1,500 per acre for foregone income (total $1,750 per acre). Non-harvested buffers will receive a one-time payment of $500 per acre for establishment costs and $3,000 per acre for foregone income (total $3,500 per acre).
• Farmers and landowners are encouraged to incorporate complementary conservation practices, like saturated buffers and bioreactors, on streamside buffers, if feasible, for additional water quality benefits.

Farmers and landowners in the targeted watersheds who are interested in participating in the Streamside Buffer Initiative pilot project should visit their local USDA Service Center to enroll.

September 10

AAI Golf Outing

9 a.m. Shotgun Start

Amana Colonies Golf Club - Amana

September 11

AAI Board of Directors Meeting

10 a.m. - Hotel Kirkwood, Cedar Rapids