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Change to student aid formula would hit Iowa farm families

Darcy and Eric Wemark and their family milk nearly 600 cows at their dairy operation in Ridgeway, near Decorah in northeast Iowa.

The family also has 450 heifers, a 2,500-head swine facility and farms about 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans on land it mostly rents.

The couple’s eldest son, Carson, is finishing his first year at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, where he’s studying agronomy. The 19-year-old plans to carry on in the family business, as does their eldest daughter, Addison. The high school senior plans to head to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to study dairy science next fall.

Carson currently receives federal financial aid through a Pell Grant to help the family pay for the roughly $16,000 annual expense to send him to college, including tuition, fees, room and board, and other expenses.

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Cheese Coproduct Benefits for Weanling Pigs - Dr. Diego Lopez

Video: Cheese Coproduct Benefits for Weanling Pigs - Dr. Diego Lopez

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Diego Lopez from Kansas State University explores the nutritional potential of a cheese coproduct in swine diets. He explains its amino acid digestibility, fat content, and fiber contribution, along with practical considerations such as cost and formulation accuracy. Discover how this ingredient may support pig performance and nutrition strategies. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The cheese coproduct we used in our study is mainly cheese and soybean meal, which ensures great amino acid digestibility."