Examine worries about Iowa's ag economy; check RAGBRAI coverage; wish us happy birthday!

Twenty-two percent of Iowa's economy — $53.1 billion and 385,000 jobs — is tied to agriculture, from crop and livestock production to manufacturing, according to a new report commissioned by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.

Those statistics underscore how foundational agribusiness is to Iowa's economy, which is why agricultural economists are watching with concern as the count of layoffs climbs at Iowa's ag-related manufacturers and food processors, according to a story published earlier this week from agriculture reporter Donnelle Eller .

The tally so far this year is about 3,750 lost jobs at Deere & Co. , Firestone/Bridgestone , Tyson and Smithfield facilities in Iowa and on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, Donnelle reports. The layoffs are driven by weak crop prices and a USDA-projected 25.5% drop in U.S. farm income this year.

What's weighing on the minds of farmers and economists are memories of the six-year agricultural recession that began in 2014, costing 5,670 farm-related jobs in Iowa and pushing about 120 growers into bankruptcy, Donnelle writes.

The worrisome question that Donnelle explores: Will this downturn be short-lived or become another prolonged, painful slump? It's an important issue for state leaders and all Iowans to consider.

Catch up with RAGBRAI 51

Check out dozens of stories and hundreds of photos of RAGBRAI 51 for escapist fun, such as meeting a new RAGBRAI celebrity , a bicyclist who rides down hills backward , or the occasional somber interlude, such as the ride through Greenfield, devastated by an EF4 tornado on May 21.

It's our birthday!

Friday marks 175 years since the Register's earliest predecessor, the Iowa Star, published its first edition, on July 26, 1849. Here's a photo of some of your friends and neighbors who work at the Register.

Plus some more on the people behind our work:

• Meet the Des Moines Register's editing staff , part of a long line of distinguished editors
• These veteran Des Moines Register reporters break exclusive news, write with authority

We thank our readers of yesterday and today for your support of local journalism. No business can survive 175 years without the loyal support of its customers!

— Carol Hunter, executive editor, chunter@registermedia.com

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Examine worries about Iowa's ag economy; check RAGBRAI coverage; wish us happy birthday!