March 14, 2025 – More than 150 farmers attended an open house at the Robbins family farm to tour Justin and Lacie Robbins’ new cattle building on Friday, March 14. The cattlemen in attendance were there to learn more about the benefits of raising cattle under roof and to see how barns like this can safeguard the environment and enhance animal care.

Experts from CSIF were available to provide insight into interpreting rules and regulations impacting livestock farms, enhancing relationships with neighbors and choosing good locations for new barns and feedlots. CSIF assistance is available to farm families at no charge. The open house was sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, Hedgewood Equipment, Accu-Steel and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association.

“The open house was a great opportunity to see how modern livestock buildings enhance animal care and safeguard the environment and how much livestock contributes to our local economy,” said CSIF Executive Director Brian Waddingham. The open house featured a new 325 head deep-bedded cattle barn with space for 125 cow-calf pairs, 125 feeder calves and 75 fat cattle. The barn will be used year-round with a spring and fall calving herd.

“We’ve definitely seen an increased interest from farmers in placing cattle under roof,” said Waddingham. “This option allows the farmer easy access to monitor the animals and also protects them from inclement weather. The cattle barn also has several unique features including a covered manure bay and headlocks instead of feed bunks the length of the building. The open house also provided Iowa’s cattle farmers with the opportunity to see firsthand cows calving under roof and help them determine if this option is right for them.”

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Secretary Naig Announces 15 Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that 15 Iowa dairy projects  have been awarded Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants. The cost-share grants will help expand on-farm dairy processing and incorporate labor saving technology, both of which will help to increase the availability of Iowa dairy products for consumers to enjoy. The announcement was made at the Iowa State University Creamery in Ames, which was awarded a grant to expand cheese processing at their on-campus facility.

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Iowa Pork Barbecue Competition Calls on Backyard Grill Masters to Show Their Skills

Are you the king or queen of backyard barbecue? It’s time to put your skills to the test! Amateur grillers from across Iowa are invited to showcase their talent at the backyard BBQ competition, part of the BBQ & Brew at the Ballpark event this summer in Des Moines.

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ICGA Joins Coalition Opposing California Vehicle Mandates

Iowa Corn signed onto a coalition letter sent to Congressional leaders on March 17 opposing California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) and related vehicle regulations. These rules, which include a ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered and traditional hybrid vehicles by 2035, are viewed by the coalition as a threat to consumer choice and national security due to reliance on potentially unstable supply chains.

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Looming tariffs and trade disputes create uncertainty

Recent tariffs and trade disputes with China, Mexico, and Canada create market uncertainty for U.S. soybeans.

ISA CEO Kirk Leeds addresses the long-term impacts and how building relationships with new soybean buyers diversifies market opportunities.

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