Iowa farmers are eligible for savings on insurance premiums for planting cover crops, which are known to improve water quality. The savings are offered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Crop Insurance Discount Program. The annual program, part of the implementation of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, provides farmers who plant fall cover…

The Iowa Revenue Estimating Conference issued its latest report on Oct. 16, forecasting $813.4 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2026, a 9% drop from the previous year. The three-member panel forecasts Iowa’s state revenue and evaluates the fiscal impact of legislation. Iowa lawmakers use the forecasts as a bellwether for state budget performance. The…

The Great Outdoors Foundation and ICON Water Trails announced the fifth annual Wild Prairie Showdown raised nearly $190,000 to support conservation and recreation initiatives. Held Oct. 16 at the Val Air Ballroom with more than 400 attendees, the event featured head-to-head competition between Team GOF and Team ICON across fundraising, fashion and interview categories, with…

AgZen, a Massachusetts-based agricultural startup, has signed an agreement with Corteva to explore the commercial potential of AgZen’s crop-spraying technology. The agreement includes evaluation of in-lab and on-field improvements of Corteva commercial products. AgZen develops technology that measures and improves the number of drops of agrochemicals applied to crops. “We’ve already seen how much RealCoverage can…

Drake University has announced the appointments of Kelly Bruhn as dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Megan Brown as dean of the John Dee Bright College. Bruhn, who joined Drake’s faculty in 2009, will begin her role on July 1, 2026, succeeding retiring dean Catherine Staub. A public relations scholar and…

The Des Moines Art Center has received a $113,000 Legacy Grant from Prairie Meadows that will support a campaign to conserve and protect sculptures in the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park over the next three years. The effort will begin with conservation work on Nomade, the sculpture by Jaume Plensa that creates a person’s…