Monday December 08 Ag News - I-29 MooU Jan Forage Webinar - 2026 Climate Outlook webinar - USDA Makes Crop Insurance Changes - and more!

I-29 MooU January Forage Webinar  

The I-29 Moo University and the Northern Plains Forage Association Forage Webinar Series continues on Wednesday, January 7, from 7 to 8:30 pm CST with a variety of forage topics including an overview of virtual fencing, winter grazing and a hay market outlook.

Presenters this month include:

Yijie Xiong, Nebraska Extension Specialist notes Labor is tight, and input costs aren’t getting any cheaper. If you’re looking for ways to stretch your forage further, virtual fencing (VF) might be a tool worth adding to your operation. These GPS-enabled collars allow you to create or move paddock boundaries from your phone or computer. No posts, no reels, no fence to drag across the pasture. That makes it easier to rotate cattle more frequently, adjust grazing patterns on the fly, and make better use of your existing forage without adding to your workload. 

Dr. Yijie Xiong joined the University of Nebraska Department of Animal Science in 2020 as an Assistant Professor and Extension Precision Livestock Management Specialist. She has a split appointment between animal science and the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

Shelby Gruss notes that Interest in grazing cover crops and winter annuals has increased in recent years. Research on grazing winter and summer annuals in Iowa has been concentrated in southern Iowa, but because of differences in growing conditions, data on growth potential from the northern half of the state and the I-29 corridor, she will discuss options for Siouxland.

Gruss is an assistant professor and forage extension specialist. Dr. Gruss joined the Iowa State University Department of Agronomy in November 2023. Her role's responsibility covers forage management: hay, pasture, and silage.

Amber Friedrichsen will provide the hay market report from what she is seeing across the country and across the country. She will discuss the impact of high cattle prices, weather and other plant pressures in her discussion.

She author is the managing editor for Hay & Forage Grower. Amber Friedrichsen joined the Hay & Forage Grower staff as an associate editor in May 2023. In July 2024, she has assumed the role of managing editor. Friedrichsen also served as the editorial intern in 2021 and 2022. She graduated from Iowa State University in May 2023 with a double major in agricultural communication and agronomy. Friedrichsen grew up and worked on her family’s diversified crop and livestock farm in eastern Iowa near Clinton.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour prior to the webinar. Register online at: https://go.iastate.edu/FLHTEP. 

 For more information contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Sara Bauder, 605-995-7378; or in Nebraska Ben Beckman, 402-254-6821or Kortney Harpestad, 402-472-3571.



Farm And Ranch Clinics in December

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in December. The clinics are one-on-one in-person meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Dates
    Monday, Dec. 15 — Norfolk
    Tuesday, Dec. 16 — Fairbury
    Thursday, Dec. 18 — Broken Bow

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



ISU Dairy Team 2025 Webinar Concludes With Weather and Climate Outlook For The 2026 Growing Season On December 16

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Dairy Team monthly webinar series continues on Tuesday, December 16 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. CST. This program will be presented by Iowa State Weather and Climate Extension Specialist Madelyn Wuestenberg.

Madelyn Wuestenberg’s work is more than answering “What’s the weather like?” — she helps producers understand how weather affects their operations and what decisions they can make in response. She earned both her Bachelors and her Masters degrees in Agricultural Meteorology from Iowa State University. She will analyze the most recent climate outlooks and where to find reliable weather information.

Producers, dairy consultants and industry reps are encouraged to attend the free webinar live from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. on November 11 by pre registering at least one hour before the webinar at: https://go.iastate.edu/WEATHERANDCLIMATE. 

 For more information contact the ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Field Specialist in your area: in Northwest Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230 or fredhall@iastate.edu; in Northeast Iowa, Jennifer Bentley, 563-382-2949 or jbentley@iastate.edu; in East Central Iowa, Larry Tranel, 563-583-6496 or tranel@iastate.edu. 



USDA to Expand Crop Insurance Access for Farmers and Ranchers, Boosting the Farm Safety Net

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced major updates to federal crop insurance, reducing red tape for farmers, modernizing long-standing policies, and expanding access to critical risk protection beginning with the 2026 crop year. The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first.

“President Trump is cutting burdensome regulations and strengthening the farm safety net to ensure the future viability of American agriculture. Across the Trump Administration, we are removing burdensome regulations that were strangling small businesses. For every new regulation, President Trump has eliminated a remarkable 48 – lifting a weighted blanket from the American economy,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “With this new rule, we are delivering real, meaningful relief by modernizing the system, expanding access to crop insurance, and making it easier, not harder, for farmers and ranchers to protect their operations and keep doing the work that keeps America fueled and fed. We are continuing to put Farmers First every step of the way.”

Reducing Regulatory Burdens

Improving Land Access Through Prevented Planting Relief
    Removes the “insured” requirement from the “1 in 4” rule for prevented planting payments. Producers must still show the land was planted and harvested (or adjusted for an insurable cause of loss) in one of the previous four years.

Streamlining Production Reporting
    Allows policyholders switching Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to submit production reports directly to their new provider, reducing confusion and paperwork.

Expanding Direct Marketing Options
    Allows insurance under the Dollar Plan for direct-marketed fresh market tomatoes and peppers beginning with the 2027 crop year, reflecting specialty crop business practices in Northeastern states.

Simplifying Dispute Resolution
    In accordance with Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, removes the “automatic nullification” rule and shifts fact-finding authority to the courts, reducing administrative burdens on policyholders and AIPs.

Deregulating Coverage Dates
    Removes termination, cancellation, and end-of-insurance dates from federal regulations and places them in policy provisions, enabling more flexible, county-level updates.

Additional Policy Updates

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Implementation
    Incorporates provisions from Manager’s Bulletin 25-006.
    Extends beginning farmer and rancher eligibility from 5 to 10 crop years.
    Updates additional premium subsidy rates: 15% (years 1–2), 13% (year 3), 11% (year 4), and 10% (years 5–10).

Revenue Protection Clarifications
    Establishes that harvest prices will equal projected prices when insufficient data prevents use of the approved methodology.
    Creates a reimbursement process for policyholders who paid additional revenue protection premiums in such cases.

Crop-Specific Improvements
    Fresh Market Tomatoes: Extends end of insurance period by one month in TN and SC to better cover late-season hurricanes (2027 crop year).
    Fresh Market Peppers: Adds insurance dates aligned with northern growing seasons to support Dollar Plan expansion into Northeastern states.
    Safflower: Moves the contract change date from December 31 to November 30, aligning with other spring crops and simplifying enrollment.

Effective Dates and Public Comment
The EARP Final Rule became effective Nov. 30, 2025, for crops with a contract change date on or after that date (2026 crop year) and for the 2027 crop year as specified. USDA will accept public comments until January 27, 2026.

Additional Information
Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent or visit the RMA website for guidance on how these updates may affect coverage options.

RMA supports American agriculture by providing world-class risk management tools through Federal crop insurance and education programs, offering coverage for more than 130 crops and continuously improving policies based on producer feedback.



Cean Fuels Submits Comments to CARB Following Land Use Change Public Forum

Clean Fuels Alliance America along with the California Advanced Biofuels Alliance (CABA) submitted formal comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) following the agency’s recent public forum on biofuels and land use change.

In its filing, Clean Fuels emphasized the importance of using the most accurate science to inform land use change modeling and policy decisions under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The comments highlight substantial improvements in agricultural productivity, updated economic and carbon modeling and the need for regulatory approaches that reflect real-world environmental outcomes.

“Our members represent the majority of the clean diesel fuel used in California today, and we remain committed to working collaboratively with CARB to ensure the LCFS continues to deliver real, near-term emissions reductions,” said Cory-Ann Wind, Director of State Regulatory Affairs for Clean Fuels. “Modernizing land use change modeling is a critical step toward aligning policy with today’s data and market realities.”

Clean Fuels and CABA urged CARB to initiate a land use change model modernization effort in 2026, maintain appropriate treatment of waste-based feedstocks and provide clarity for emerging oilseed crops that can deliver additional climate benefits without expanding cropland.



Growth Energy Calls on CARB to Update Old, Inaccurate Assumptions about Ethanol’s Environmental Impact

Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, called on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) today to update the way the agency assesses the environmental impact of crop-based biofuels like ethanol.

“We were greatly encouraged when California finally approved E15 for use earlier this year,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Recognizing the environmental benefits of crop-based biofuels and setting carbon reduction policy that allows ethanol to compete on a level playing field is the next critical step. American ethanol producers and their farm partners are constantly innovating to increase their efficiency and lower their carbon intensity. To maximize the benefits ethanol can deliver to California consumers, CARB must stop penalizing today’s biofuel producers based on yesterday’s data.”

In submitted comments, Growth Energy noted that CARB unfairly penalizes crop-based biofuels by relying on environmental assumptions that are almost a decade old. In particular, the way that CARB assigns an exaggerated value for land use change (LUC) to crop-based biofuels is especially damaging and undermines the ability of biofuels like ethanol to qualify and compete in the state’s low carbon fuel standard (LCFS).