Editor's note: This column originally appeared in the Iowa Bankers Association's spring quarterly magazine.

Uncertainty surrounding farm bill and trade disputes add pressure to crop and livestock income outlooks.

Everyone has seen the headlines: The Iowa ag­­ricultural economy is struggling. Farm incomes are depressed, ag manufacturers across the state continue to lay off workers, and uncertainty abounds. We have been in a cyclical downturn for several years at this point. 

Because agriculture is such an important part of Iowa’s economy, stress in the ag...