Industry experts say demand for locally raised meat is high, but processing is often a bottleneck. State grants from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship aim to widen the middle of the supply chain.

The USDA said it will invest up to $18 million into a program that makes connections between schools and local farmers after canceling the program in March. The announcement was made alongside the release of the Make America Healthy Again report.

Some programs that help low-income Iowans access healthy foods are at risk after federal SNAP-Ed funding was eliminated in the major tax and spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last month.

A fungal disease that can cut corn yields in half in severe cases has been detected in at least 40 counties in Iowa. Strong winds and a hot, humid summer have helped southern rust spread earlier and farther this year.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service announced last week that it will cut the Regional Food Business Center program, which provides grants to small and medium-sized local farm and food businesses.

The massive legislation extends tax cuts and increases safety nets for farmers who grow commodities, like corn, wheat and rice. But deep cuts to federal food assistance spending could hurt specialty growers who benefit from programs like Double Up Food Bucks.

The CyberTractor Challenge is a weeklong event for university students to learn about cybersecurity for agricultural equipment. Experts say the threats are evolving and becoming more complex.

Shoppers are seeing record high beef prices at the grocery store. That's in part because the number of cattle in the U.S. is at an all-time low, while consumer demand has remained strong.

Across much of the Midwest, the atmosphere is becoming warmer and retaining more water, leading to heavier downpours. A two-crop system called relay intercropping could help farmers buffer weather whiplash and boost profits.

State officials say Asian longhorned ticks and the parasite Theileria orientalis Ikeda were found in a cattle herd in Van Buren County. Livestock experts say producers should diligently check cattle for tick infestations and symptoms.