Rotary Meeting Minutes 9/28/26
Attendees: Catti, Chris, Adam, Bob W., Lynn, Casey, Ann, Steve, Ron, Rich, Bob F. Hubert
Brag bucks:
Adam and Jill celebrate 26 years on Wednesday!
Rich celebrates 57 years of marriage on Saturday! Move to California at the end of October!
Club business:
Ditch by Bomgaars is completed; working on time to get out West to get it all completed but too wet right now.
Speaker: Chris Pudenz with IA Farm Bureau
- Grew up in Carroll; graduated from ISU
- Large steel mill being made in Eastern Iowa (rumored to be largest in US)
- Cattle income is up 96%
- Soybeans down
- When row crop profability is down; livestock profability is up
- Iowa ranks 1st in corn production and 2nd in soybean production in the country
- We are no longer in a drought.
- Corn yields are looking great for 2026 since we are no longer in a drought
- Soybeans exports that are in the field right now are looking good; Chinese are recommitting to our crop.
- When oil prices go up, it helps prices for soybeans go up and that’s more money in our farmers’ pockets.
- Iowa is THE state for raising livestock; 4th for hogs/pigs; 4th for dairy; 7th for turkeys; 1st for egg production
- Pork demand is down 27% since 2022; feed isn’t as cheap anymore.
- Cattle industry has had its best run since 2022 and it is continuing into 2027.
- US has the lowest cattle population since 1951 because lightweight cattle is scarce and expensive.
- Input costs must go down to get row crops in for farmers.
- China isn’t a reliable partner.
- Cost for land in Iowa is in the prime and could go up b/c Iowa is a great place to raise cattle especially at $1100 per head profit.
No speaker next week. We will still meet from 12-1 PM at Piranha Club.