At least two dozen states, including South Dakota, are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry producing farms. Amid the outbreaks, farms of all sizes are under the microscope.

State and federal officials say more than a dozen South Dakota counties have seen outbreaks of the avian flu, which has led to higher prices for products such as eggs.

Sherilyn Ortman, co-operator of Berrybrook Organics in Marion, said thankfully, they have not had a positive test among their flock. She added they are aware of the threat facing backyard operations like hers and are taking precautions.

"We're watching what goes into the barn," Ortman explained. "We're limiting access to the barn basically, and our birds are not going outside at this point."

Enhanced precautions took center stage after the 2015 bird flu outbreak. Some industry groups are deflecting criticism of the role factory farms play, pointing out wild birds can come in close range with flocks raised organically. Department of Natural Resources officials in affected states say the spread is linked to wild birds, such as ducks and geese.

But some activist groups say devastating outbreaks still occur within concentrated animal feeding operations, and regulators should limit their presence.

Patty Lovera, policy adviser at the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, said the nation has become too reliant on factory farms, which can be all it takes is for a virus to slip through and wreak havoc.

"We are putting so many animals often that are genetically identical together in one place," Lovera observed. "The disease just runs through very quickly and does a tremendous amount of damage"

Outside South Dakota, the bird flu has had a severe impact in several neighboring states, including Iowa and Minnesota. While there are still many unknowns, agriculture leaders at both the state and federal level have expressed confidence the outbreak will not be as extensive as the one in 2015.

The proposed merger between the Idaho-based grocery chain Albertsons and Kroger has antitrust laws in the spotlight, as the supermarket companies are already the two largest in the country.

Idaho has the third most Albertsons stores in the country, with 39 across the state. Announced in October, the merger has been under intense scrutiny.

Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, said the grocery industry is already consolidated, which hurts workers, small businesses and consumers.

"We've seen food production workers and farmers getting paid less for food, and we've seen consumers paying more for groceries," Mitchell observed. "What's happening is that you've got a small number of companies in the middle -- the middlemen, including the supermarket chains -- who are absorbing more and more of that spending for themselves."

Mitchell noted since the announcement of the merger, Congress has enacted what she calls the most significant antitrust legislation in 50 years. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act was passed in the government spending package in December. It lowers fees on smaller acquisitions and increases them for the largest mergers, raising more money for Congress to use to fund antitrust enforcement.

Mitchell pointed out consolidation especially is harmful for rural areas, which depend more on small and mid-sized businesses for their economy. She noted the country has seen a sharp decline in businesses of this type.

"Rural areas have been particularly hard hit by that because, if you're a small town, you don't have a corporate headquarters of a giant company, right?" Mitchell explained. "You rely naturally on smaller businesses and those businesses have really been hurt and squeezed by the monopoly problem that we're seeing."

The spending package also included the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, which makes it easier for state attorneys general litigating antitrust cases to remain in their selected courts.

Mitchell added the changes have support from lawmakers in both parties.

"We've seen this growing momentum in Congress to address antitrust, and it's bipartisan," Mitchell stressed. "That's one of the things that I think is striking in this moment, given the partisan divisions on just about any other issue you can think of."

The Center for Rural Affairs wants the Iowa Legislature to prioritize water quality and renewable energy in the new session.

One priority is more funding for the 27 Watershed Management Authorities in Iowa.

Kate Hansen, senior policy associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, said funding for the people who staff the authorities is critical, because they are working with locals who know the area best, and have insight into ways to protect Iowa's water.

"Quite literally, boots on the ground," Hansen explained. "They're building those relationships with local landowners and farmers who are ready to implement new practices, but maybe don't know where to look, or don't know if there's even funding available for them."

The Center is also asking lawmakers to consider renewable energy's role in rural Iowa. There has been legislative resistance in the last few years, but Hansen said the Center continues working to promote local cooperation.

"Decisions regarding land use are best made at the local level through a process in which the community and local leaders are involved," Hansen said.

As the popularity of green energy grows across the country, many Iowa counties have not jumped on board.

Andy Johnson, executive director for Clean Energy Districts of Iowa, said opponents have limited where solar panels can be installed based on the amount of corn a farm can grow; the higher the potential crop yield, the less chance of solar being installed on the land.

"The point is, it's still a poison pill that would effectively ban solar from almost all farmland, because to build significant scale solar, you need to put together significant acreage," Johnson contended. "And if any little piece is over the limit that they're talking about, that you need to put together a project, then it would effectively nix the whole project."

Johnson added Iowa has the potential to become a leader in solar power production, much as it has done with wind power, but said the Legislature will need political muscle to overcome fossil-fuel industry opposition.

Tractor maker Deere and Company has reached a deal with the American Farm Bureau Federation to allow independent mechanics to work on John Deere brand farm equipment.

Until now, if a mechanic not certified by Deere touched the high-dollar gear, it could void the company warranty, much like cellphone companies which void your warranty if you or an "unauthorized party" fixes your phone. Some farm equipment can cost a million dollars or more.

Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said having to wait for a certified Deere mechanic at planting or harvest time, when repairs are most common, is costly to a farmer who needs to be in the fields.

"So a farmer can't touch the machine legally," Scholten explained. "And is stuck in a backlog to get somebody to come out to their farm, so they can fix their machine, so they can have a harvest."

There are 85,000 farmers in Iowa, and while not all of them have John Deere equipment, those who do will now have more options to get it fixed. Right to repair measures are being addressed across the country, but so far the deals have been agreements stopping short of binding legislation.

Farmers have said limiting who they can hire to work on their equipment is anticompetitive and hurts their business. Scholten added farmers cannot be expected to thrive under such restrictions, and sees the agreement as critical, given the investments farmers make.

"Can you imagine buying a million-dollar piece of equipment and not having the rights to fix it?" Scholten asked. "To me, that's absurd. Ultimately, I'm on the side of the farmers."

The Farm Bureau has said the agreement is just the beginning of addressing the right to repair issue. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021 to limit anticompetitive practices, which advocates argued should apply in these cases. The issue could also be part of this year's Farm Bill.