Clean water advocate and author Chris Jones formally launched his campaign for Iowa secretary of agriculture Thursday with a sharp critique of the state’s farm economy — calling for a “retreat from ethanol” and a fundamental shift in how Iowa produces food in order to improve water quality.
Sixth-generation farmer Wade Dooley of central Iowa announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2026.
Clean water advocate and author Chris Jones announced he is formally launching a campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, centering his bid on what he calls Iowa’s worsening water-quality crisis and the influence of industrial agribusiness.
The state agency described the proposed bill as ‘first-of-its-kind, comprehensive legislative package designed to support Iowa farmers’
Throughout 2026, the state will highlight Iowa’s agriculture, gardening and horticulture, leading up to a massive Harvest Festival in October that will celebrate Iowa’s “integral role in feeding and fueling the world for 250 years.”
Iowa’s congressional delegation has introduced resolutions in the U.S. House and Senate honoring two Iowa National Guard members killed in a weekend terrorist attack in Syria.
President Trump this week announced $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers who for months have been dealing with low crop prices, high production costs and diminished trade markets.
Democrat Chris Jones pushed back at comments Wednesday from Mike Naig, the 2-term Republican incumbent state ag secretary.
China recently pledged to buy 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the year, according to the White House, but thus far has bought fewer than 2 million tons
Former University of Iowa researcher Chris Jones has announced an exploratory committee for Secretary of Agriculture in Iowa, a major step toward running for office. Jones has long been a critic of industrial agribusiness in Iowa.
Iowa Senate Republicans called for an audit of Des Moines Public Schools after the arrest of former superintendent Ian Roberts — prompting pushback from State Auditor Rob Sand. Also in this week’s Capitol Notebook: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joins a multistate coalition backing Trump’s National Guard deployments.
Reynolds plus a 20-person Iowa delegation — including Iowa Agriculture Sec. Mike Naig, Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham, and Iowa agriculture, business and education leaders — completed the trade mission this past weekend.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ announcement that she will not seek another term in office creates an open seat for the 2026 election. It’s been nearly two decades since Iowa had a gubernatorial election without an incumbent. Here’s who is — and isn’t — running for the office.
Food banks in Iowa will get $200,000 in new funding this year to address food insecurity by buying fresh food — such as dairy products, meat, poultry, eggs, grains, honey and produce — from local producers.
The Iowa Department of Ag announced this week a pilot project that will provide $3 million to encourage farmers and landowners in the watersheds upstream from the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metro areas to add perennial buffers to fields along streams.
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