Sara Wyant

With the deadline for the first key farm program decisions looming on Feb. 27, and the vast majority of farmers delaying or avoiding their decisions, leading agricultural economists are taking a cue from Nike`s marketing campaign and encouraging farmers to "just do it."

Whether you agree or disagree with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, you always know where he stands. And for about a decade, he has consistently crusaded for actively engaged limits on the amount of money large entities can receive from federal farm programs in an effort to mai

Ask just about any farmer leader if they support science and innovation in agriculture and the answer will usually be a resounding yes. But ask them about how to commercialize new seed traits and avoid sending those products to unapproved international markets, theres lit

When biotech products are rejected in international markets, who is to blame?

The U.S. Biotech Crops Alliance (USBCA) aims to find common ground on the introduction, stewardship, and distribution of commodities and processed products containing or derived from modern biotechnology.

Most Iowans know that theyÐll see a lot of presidential wannabes running around the Hawkeye state - shaking hands in coffee shops and eating pork chops at the Iowa State Fair Ð between now and the stateÐs first-in-the-nation caucuses, tentatively set for Feb.

International trade, the 2014 farm bill and concerns about government regulation were some of the key themes discussed when over 7,900 growers and agribusiness leaders Ð a new record Ð gathered in Phoenix for the 20th annual Commodity Classic.

When commodity prices were hitting record highs a couple of years ago, farm bill critics often made the case that it was finally time to make deep spending cuts or eliminate farm subsidies altogether

Not everyone who graced the stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds was asked the same question, but moderator Bruce Rastetter did a great job making sure they responded to several key issues, while limiting each one to about 20 minutes. HereÐs an overview of how they answered.

Eliminating the Harvest Price Option (HPO) in crop insurance would leave growers without some key income protection when a severe drought drives up market prices but leaves producers with little to sell, says Art Barnaby, a Kansas State University economist who helped develop the p