Friday August 28 Ag News - Gillespie Soil Health Fund Invests in Soil Health Leaders - IRS Relief for Fire, Storm Impacted Residents, Businesses - Rollins to Attend Farm Progress - ISU CALS Dean Search - and more!

Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund invests in Nebraska’s next generation of soil health leaders

The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund (DGSHF) continues to strengthen Nebraska agriculture through investments in youth engagement, farmer innovation and hands-on soil health education.

Over the past year, the fund has supported projects advancing regenerative agriculture, water infiltration, soil biology, biodiversity and agricultural education—helping producers, students and communities explore practical solutions that improve soil resilience, water quality and long-term farm sustainability.

Among the fund’s recent investments was support for the Grain Place Foundation. Jay Goertzen, Grain Place Foundation director of Outreach and Education stated “I want to extend sincere gratitude for awarding us the Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund Grant. As the head of Outreach and Education here at Grain Place Foundation my goal is to reach interested and curious people. Specifically, those who are interested in farming or growing food in a healthier way that may look different than mainstream agriculture. I have had the opportunity to speak with a bunch of farmers over the past months and a handful of them have become deeper connections as they have begun their journeys of changing mindset and practices towards healthier more sustainable farming practices.

We have also made connections with a few college professors and have had the opportunity to share in a few college level classes about what regenerative organic farming looks like.”

“Grain Place also host high school field trips and a Jr. High age group at the farm to share more hands-on experience about what an organic/regenerative farm looks like. In conjunction with that I have the goal to go host some more on farm trips as well as get into a few high school classrooms this fall and talk a bit more in-depth with FFA and Ag students about what we are doing out here at The Grain Place with regenerative organic farming. But also, more broadly to simply share about the interconnectedness of human health, soil health and global health that how we treat our ecosystem does matter and it affects us all. Whether we directly farm or simply eat the produce/grain/meat that is farmed by others we are all affected by the health of the soils where our food is raised.”

The DGSHF is excited to enable great organizations like Grain Place to expand their outreach efforts. Thanks to the generosity of individual and corporate donors—including WK Kellogg Co and Cargill—the Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund will increase its maximum grant award to $2,500 for the next two grant cycles, with application deadlines of October 1, 2026, and March 1, 2027. This support enables DGSHF to continue investing in the next generation of soil health leaders while advancing practical, producer-focused solutions that strengthen Nebraska agriculture, communities, and natural resources. We look forward to receiving more on-farm, high school and/or college and other soil health organizations grant applications prior to the Oct 1, 2026 deadline.

For more information about the Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund or to support its mission, visit www.nebcommfound.org/give/dan-gillespie-soil-health-fund. 



Pillen Announces IRS Tax Relief for Fire and Storm Impacted Residents/Businesses

Governor Jim Pillen has announced the approved postponement of tax filings and payments for individuals and businesses in parts of Nebraska that were impacted by wildfires and storms beginning on March 12, 2026. The issuance of tax relief by the IRS applies to five separate state disaster declarations. As a result, affected individuals and businesses now have until Feb. 1, 2027 to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during that time.

Gov. Pillen requested tax relief from the IRS under newly passed federal legislation that allows the IRS to grant tax relief based on a governor’s declared disaster or state emergency, rather than waiting for a federal disaster declaration, which can take longer for review and approval. Under the legislation, a qualified state-declared disaster is any natural catastrophe, fire, flood, or explosion that causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant a request to postpone such federal tax deadlines. This is the first time Nebraska has made and received tax relief from the IRS under the new law.

“When a disaster strikes, surviving the immediate aftermath takes priority. Undoubtedly, this year has weighed heavily on those who experienced losses and or damage resulting from the fires and storms that happened just months ago,” said Gov. Pillen. “This determination from the IRS will hopefully provide a little respite to Nebraskans in those counties who were affected, by allowing them the time to meet their tax obligations without incurring additional penalties.”

The five state-declared disasters and current list of counties include:
March Wildfire Declaration: Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith, Grant, Lincoln, Dawson, Frontier, Saunders, Red Willow
Pressey Wildfire: Custer
May Severe Storms: Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Richardson, Thayer, Thurston
May Wildfires: Dawes
June Wildfires: Sioux

Should additional counties be added to the declared disasters above, residents and businesses in those counties will also be eligible to postpone filings and payments until Feb. 1. Additionally, if a resident or business receives a late filing or late payment penalty notice that falls withing the defined postponement period, the taxpayer should call the number on the notice to have the IRS abate the penalty.

The IRS has published additional information pertaining to each of the five declared disasters on its website: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/around-the-nation-nebraska.



Rollins to Attend Farm Progress Show 

The Farm Progress Show is pleased to announce that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will attend the 2026 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Secretary Rollins will address farmers and agricultural professionals at 10:30 a.m. in the Hospitality Tent, Lot #625. Her remarks will be open to all Farm Progress Show attendees. Following her speech, Secretary Rollins will participate in a tour of the show grounds.

"We are honored to welcome Secretary Rollins to the Farm Progress Show," said Matt Jungmann, senior national events director at Farm Progress. "This event has always been the premier location to connect ag producers to the knowledge and policies impacting their operations, and Secretary Rollins' visit underscores the vital role this show plays in advancing American agriculture."

The Farm Progress Show, taking place September 1-3, 2026, in Boone, Iowa, is the nation's largest outdoor agricultural tradeshow, featuring hundreds of exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge farming innovations, equipment, and technology.

General admission tickets are available at a discounted rate of $15 plus fees through Aug. 28, after which full-price admission ($30 plus fees) will apply.




CALS dean search launches with selection of committee, timeline

Iowa State has launched the search for the next endowed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station.

"Leadership of Iowa State agriculture and life sciences programs is one of the most critical roles at Iowa State and also helps to ensure the vitality of Iowa’s agriculture economy," senior vice president and provost Jason Keith said. "We’re looking for a transformative leader who will grow the college, extend the pipeline of graduates and scholarship to Iowa communities, and be a trusted partner to commodity groups and industry."

Committee members reflect CALS broad scope and impact. Raj Agnihotri, Raisbeck Endowed Dean of the Ivy College of Business, and Surya Mallapragada, associate vice president for research, will co-chair the search. Joining them on the search committee are:

    Emily Anderson, student services specialist
    Amy Burgin, professor and chair of ecology, evolution, and organismal biology
    Michael Castellano, professor of agronomy
    Brian Feldpausch, vice president, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
    Dean Frazer, president, Iowa Pork Producers Association
    Adam Janke, associate professor of natural resource ecology and management
    Kendall Lamkey, associate dean for facilities and operations
    Kirk Leeds, CEO, Iowa Soybean Association
    Steven Lonergan, Morrill Professor of animal science
    Katie Mahlmeister, graduate student, natural resource ecology and management, and interim president, Graduate and Professional Student Senate
    Ajay Nair, professor and chair of horticulture
    David Peters, professor of sociology and criminal justice, and CALS Faculty Senate caucus chair
    Brinae Rice, undergraduate student, agriculture and rural policy studies, and Student Government senator
    Joe Roberts, president, Iowa Corn
    Shelley Taylor, director of global programs
    Roger Underwood, CALS alumnus and agriculture technology innovator and investor
    Bryan Whaley, CEO, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
    Wendy White, associate professor of food science and human nutrition
    Sally Worley, executive director, Practical Farmers of Iowa

Megan Peterson from the provost’s office will provide administrative support to the committee. Additional information on the search is available on the CALS dean search webpage https://www.provost.iastate.edu/about/search-cals.

The process will begin with the nomination of high-quality candidates followed by a review of applications and interviews of semifinalists and finalists. The Buffkin/Baker search firm will assist the search committee throughout the process. Nominations of qualified candidates may be sent to Agnihotri and Mallapragada at any time. The next dean will succeed Dan Robison, who served in the roles from 2019 to July 2026, and current interim dean Ruth MacDonald.



E15 Savings Show Value of Strong RFS to American Drivers

A recent report published by the Department of Energy found that E15 has been selling recently for $0.47 per gallon less than standard E10 gasoline on average, an 11.5 percent discount. The DOE report, which is based on actual pricing data collected from the marketplace, also showed E15 costs 8 percent less at the pump on an energy basis—meaning drivers choosing E15 pay less per mile traveled than drivers choosing E10. 

The Renewable Fuels Association said the DOE report further underscores the fact that expanded ethanol consumption, driven by the Renewable Fuel Standard and its RIN market mechanism, is leading to lower prices at the pump for American consumers 

“While a handful of stubborn oil refining companies continue to suggest that the RFS somehow leads to higher prices at the pump, this new data from DOE proves that the exact opposite is true,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “After the Trump administration finalized the highest-ever RFS volumes back in March, the marketplace responded by expanding the supply of lower-cost E15. As this report shows, American drivers who have access to E15 are saving real money with each fill-up, and those savings are being enabled by the RFS and RIN values. Undermining the RFS with small refinery exemptions, as is reportedly being considered, would reverse this progress and lead to higher prices at the pump. Granting massive SREs would do nothing at all to lower pump prices and, in fact, would have the opposite effect.”

The DOE report, released in July, shows that the average E15 price in April was $3.62 per gallon compared to an average E10 price of $4.09 per gallon. The data also show that regular gasoline prices jumped by $1.20 per gallon, or 42 percent, between January and April as global oil supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused retail prices to spike. The July release was the first time DOE’s quarterly report included E15 prices.



FFAR Research Explores Novel Approach to Protect Livestock from New World Screwworm 

As the Southern U.S. continues to navigate cases of New World screwworm, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the ​University of Notre Dame​ are investing $140,389 in a Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research (ROAR) grant to evaluate whether an existing drug can be repurposed to kill screwworm larvae.  

The reemergence of New World screwworm ​is now threatening ​U.S. livestock production, wildlife and agricultural trade. Reports of reduced effectiveness of some commonly used treatments in South America, combined with the limited number of approved control options, underscore the need to evaluate new approaches. This urgently needed research could provide producers and veterinarians with an additional tool to protect livestock and strengthen U.S. preparedness.  

"New World screwworm is a significant and urgent threat to animal health, U.S. producers’ profitability, competitiveness and the food supply chain," said Dr. Jasmine Bruno, FFAR scientific program director. "This research could expand the limited options available for controlling New World screwworm. By evaluating a drug already approved for human use, the project could accelerate the path toward veterinary applications by building on existing safety data."  

Led by ​Dr. Lee Haines​, associate research professor ​of biological sciences ​at the University of Notre Dame, and Dr. Álvaro Acosta-Serrano, professor of biological science at the University of Notre Dame, a team of researchers are evaluating whether nitisinone, a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug with an established safety profile in humans, can effectively kill screwworm-related blowfly larvae. Research breakthroughs over the last five years have shown that nitisinone also kills several blood-feeding ​arthropods (including mosquitoes, ticks, kissing bugs, ​bed bugs, ​tsetse flies and stable flies) by blocking a key enzyme they need to digest blood, which is also found in screwworms.  

Using the closely related secondary screwworm as a model, the team is testing nitisinone’s ability to kill screwworm larvae and adults, with a primary focus on larval toxicity and the drug’s potential to target screwworms in the wound environment. Researchers are also establishing methods to assess how nitisinone affects fly growth, reproduction and survival. The results will provide critical data to establish the dosing and additional parameters needed to guide future primary screwworm trials.  

​​"We've already demonstrated nitisinone’s transformative ability to kill other blood-feeding insects, and applying this knowledge to screwworms opens up a timely new frontier in livestock protection," Dr. Haines said. "Growing up on a farm, I watched our animals suffer from other blood-sucking insect pests every summer, and that experience taught me early on just how much these tiny predators can wear an animal (and the farmer) down. We are eager to build on our recent breakthroughs in vector-borne diseases to develop a much-needed and complementary tool for protecting U.S. livestock and producers from the screwworm populations expanding across the country."​  

FFAR is investing in this research to evaluate a novel treatment strategy for New World screwworm, providing the scientific foundation for new tools to improve producer preparedness, animal health and response efforts. The ROAR grant provides rapid-response funding for a pilot study to establish and refine research methods and determine nitisinone's toxicity to secondary screwworm, with a particular focus on larvae and its potential use to treat the wound environment. The findings and methodologies developed through this project will provide a foundation for subsequent research at a larger scale, including studies of additional applications of nitisinone and its effectiveness against adult flies. This research supports USDA's research priority on Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species.  

FFAR's ROAR program rapidly funds research and outreach in response to emerging or unanticipated threats to the U.S. food supply or agricultural systems.