Farming

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.

For many of the domesticated animals we live with, it’s pretty easy to see how they might be related to their wild ancestors — but where did cattle come from? Later, farmer and author Beth Hoffman joins the program to talk about her podcast, At the Iowa Farm Table.

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.

World leaders and top experts in development, agriculture, economic policy, resource management and nutrition gather annually in Iowa for the Norman E. Bourlaug International Dialogue.

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.

The Trump administration is closing all Job Corps centers in the U.S. by the end of this month, including centers in Denison and Ottumwa. Also, the New World Screwworm could disrupt American agriculture.

Global Greens helps former refugee and immigrant farmers grow and sell food in Iowa. With federal funding freezes, cuts and uncertainty, staff are exploring new ways to bring in dollars.

Five speakers shared their stories of grappling with gender and masculinity at a live event hosted by Investigate Midwest.