Iowa Farm Bureau to Host Meetings to Help Farmers Navigate Market Challenges

We hike Pulpit Rock for the views — and for the stories waiting at the top. Support Decorah News today. Iowa Farm Bureau is scheduled to host meetings across Iowa to help farmers navigate challenges like tighter margins, high interest rates and market uncertainty as they financially prepare for 2026. The meetings will examine some of the current drivers in the markets and discuss crop insurance considerations, risk management tools and transition planning for farmers. Iowa Farm Bureau Farmer Education Program Manager Zach Brummer said the organization wants farmers to have a "relevant look" at how these challenges affect profitability. "Farmers are making decisions in an environment with a lot more unknowns than we've seen in recent years," Brummer said in a news release. Brummer said the series will give farmers steps they can take now to manage risks in 2026 as rising input costs, tariff volatility and "global uncertainty" are expected to persist as challenges for farmers. An early projection of net farm income predicted declines of more than 20% for farmers in 2026 compared to 2025. A survey of agricultural economists from December shows economists rate row crop sectors with overall poor financial health and 46% of agricultural economists expect the ag economy to stay the same in 2026 as it was in 2025. Fifteen percent of surveyed economists predict ag economy conditions will get worse over the next 12 months. A contributing factor, as noted in the release from Iowa Farm Bureau about the event series, is ongoing uncertainty with foreign trade partners. China, the largest global purchaser of soybeans, did not purchase from the U.S. early in the season due to ongoing tariff conflicts with the U.S. and Chinese goods. While President Donald Trump secured a deal with China in October to purchase U.S. soybeans, farm groups have said they still need expanded markets — domestically and in other countries — to be profitable. The federal government announced in December it would send $12 billion in one-time payments to farmers to help alleviate some of the financial strain farmers have suffered from market disruptions. The farm payments are expected to reach farmers by the end of February. The Farm Bureau meetings will take place between Feb. 16 and Feb. 25 at six locations across the state. Economists, financial service consultants and crop consultants with Iowa Farm Bureau will be at the events, along with representatives from several local banks. The events are free to Iowa Farm Bureau members, who can contact Ashley Lennon to register. Event schedule: Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, Feb. 16 from 7:45 to 10:45 a.m. Wall Lake Community Center in Wall Lake, Feb. 16 from 12:45–3:45 p.m. Dunlap Four County Fairgrounds in Dunlap, Feb. 17 from 9:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Feb. 24 from 7:45–10:45 a.m. Jones County Farm Bureau in Anamosa, Feb. 24 from 12:45–3:45 p.m. Cambridge Building on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Fairfield, Feb. 25 from 5–8:15 p.m. Iowa Corn Growers Association is also hosting events, in collaboration with National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council to teach producers more about the current agricultural trade market. Both events, one in Atlantic and the other in Knoxville, will take place Jan. 27 and are open to the public. Registration for the "Beyond Your Field: Why Trade Matters" events can be completed online. Don't miss a beat! Subscribe for free and receive the stories, insights, and events that keep your community thriving.