The U.S. government is going to start buying three BILLION dollars of meat, dairy and produce from farmers, to supply food banks. The announcement came after Vice President Mike Pence heard sobering assessments of the farm economy during a forum in West Des Moines on Friday.

Senator Joni Ernst says farmers from corner to corner of the state are impacted.

Both Ernst and Senator Chuck Grassley called for an investigation of allegations that meat packers are engaged in price fixing.