Agriculture is in my blood. Always has been, always will be. Why? Because it's a way of life I have experienced firsthand and have learned to cherish, respect, and appreciate the lessons it teaches. A little about me – I was born to a farm family in...
U.S. pork exports have been facing a series of challenges over the last few months that have resulted in reduced volume of exports during August and September. As indicated by the U.S. Meat Export Federation, higher pork prices by the end of July, Russia's pork import ban...
I have the privilege of working with a team that shares the guiding principles of placing family first, being honest in all of your relationships, having an unquenchable desire to learn, and a commitment to creating value in everything they do. While I enjoy my official role...
Distillers corn oil (DCO) is produced at the majority of ethanol plants today. The DCO market was relatively small prior to 2000. However, the production of DCO has increased over the years especially since 2008. The ethanol co-products market was developed beginning in 2008. Main markets for...
After dodging as many snowflakes as possible, witnessing several sliding and wrecked vehicles on I-80, and "ruining" the evening for thirty-five cub scouts for cancelling den meetings (I'm the Cub Master in my local area), our Business Development Manager and I made it to the "Land of...
March 31, 2015 is the deadline for producers to make the final election of program coverage under the current Farm Bill (2014-2018). As this is an irrevocable election for the duration of the current Farm Bill, producers may want to gather as much information as possible pertaining...
Our Executive Director, Spencer Parkinson, and I completed a very interesting and fun project earlier this month. We had the opportunity to work with a great team representing Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College, the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce, and POW-I80 (the economic development group...
I LOVE vacuums! You see, I just passed my five-year anniversary with the company and was surprised to find out that I could pick an anniversary gift as an appreciation for my five years of service. What did I pick? A vacuum. No, not the ones you...
At present, the recent outbreak of the bird flu has been found on 58 farms across 13 states in the U.S. The majority of those are located on 31 farms in the top turkey state of Minnesota. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates total birds on...
At Decision Innovation Solutions, we utilize the best tools in the market to help our clients make better informed decisions. We help our clients tell the "Story of Agriculture" in their counties, congressional districts, and states (see results here). You can also view a short video of...
