by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 21, 2026 New modeling from the U.S. Geological Survey shows nutrient loads in rivers across the nation increased between 2000 and 2020, largely due to nutrients stored in the landscape from past seasons and current season agriculture nutrient applications. The research, according to USGS, shows why “water‑quality improvements […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (July 20, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 20, 2026 Temperatures across Iowa were, on average, more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit above the climatological normal over the past week, and the statewide average precipitation was near zero according to the weather and crop report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for July 13 […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (July 13, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 13, 2026 After several weeks trailing last year’s pace and the five-year average, corn development in Iowa has jumped ahead according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the report, 38% of Iowa corn acres were silking as of […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 8, 2026 A report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources shows Iowa had 36 nitrate-related drinking water violations in 2025, which is more than double the number reported in 2024. Each year, DNR submits a compliance report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency detailing violations of federal […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 7, 2026 Volunteers across Iowa conducted nearly 500 bumble bee atlas surveys in 2025, which was more than three times the number of surveys conducted the year prior. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting several field days in July to help train volunteers who want to […]
Popular statewide cover crop cost-share program complements recent Farm to Faucet conservation investments in the Greater Des Moines Watershed DES MOINES, Iowa (July 7, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged Iowa farmers and landowners who are planning to seed cover crops this fall to enroll in the state’s annual Cover Crop […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (July 6, 2026) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this […]
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 1, 2026 U.S. Department of Agriculture staffing cuts in 2025 have left county-level service offices understaffed, according to an analysis of federal data from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The report found that Iowa lost nearly 19% of its Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, staff and 8% […]
