Author: staff

July, perhaps the most critical month for corn development, may be over, but its full effects on the national corn crop are still to be seen.  To understand the month’s impacts, we asked agronomists in some of the top corn-growing states to describe July in a single word, reflecting the crop’s progress, condition, and challenges in their regions. Here are their insights. Extreme Eric Wilson described July in Iowa as “extreme.” He’s a Wyffels agronomist who supports southern and northeast Iowa. “July, which is typically one of the driest months, experienced a tremendous amount of rainfall,” Wilson said.  Topsoil moisture…

Image courtesy of the USDA The American Royal has selected its 2025 class of Royal Scholars. These college students will represent the American Royal mission and advocate for the agriculture industry throughout the next year. The Royal Scholars — who are studying agriculture, food or natural resources — will each receive a $3,000 scholarship. This year’s recipients were selected from 166 candidates from 29 states, representing 40 colleges and universities. “We are proud to continue the legacy of the American Royal and support the future of agriculture with the Royal Scholars program,” said Pat Macy, managing director of the American…

The August USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report is due Tuesday, Aug. 12. Going into the report, here is what farmers need to know about the U.S. corn, soybean, and wheat markets, and what Grain Market Insider will be looking for in the updated balance sheets. The July WASDE report showed U.S. old-crop corn carryout decreasing by 25 million bushels while old-crop soybean stocks were unchanged. The new-crop ending stocks estimate for corn decreased by 90 million bushels, soybean ending stocks increased by 15 million bushels, and wheat stocks declined by 8 million bushels.  The August WASDE…

Depending on which side you believe, rural America is about to either suffer the loss of a record number of hospitals or be infused with the largest fiscal investment in two decades. As with everything political these days, the dichotomy is too stark to span with hearsay alone. I have to admit it was a bit jarring to see a list of 12 “at-risk” hospitals in Indiana, with my own hometown’s Ascension St. Vincent Clay Hospital in Brazil smack dab in the middle. Also, on the list is neighboring Sullivan County Community Hospital. Meanwhile, the two hospitals in our other…

The USDA published its most recent Crop Progress report Monday, reporting for the first time this season which states had corn at the dented growth stage. Here’s a closer look at which 11 of the top 18 corn-growing states had dented corn. North Carolina The state had the most corn at the dented growth stage: 71%. that was an increase of 13 percentage points since the prior week. The five-year average for this time of year is 42% North Carolina’s corn was rated 1% very poor, 3% poor, 19% fair, 60% good, and 17% excellent. Texas As of Aug. 3,…

Ahead of 8:45 a.m. CT, December corn was down 1¼¢ at $4.00¾ per bushel. November soybeans were up 3¼¢ at $9.94 per bushel. September CBOT wheat was up less than a penny at $5.08¾ per bushel. September KC wheat was up 2½¢ at $5.07 per bushel. September Minneapolis wheat was up less than a penny at $5.70½.  “Markets continue to grind lower with little fresh news to shift momentum,” said Cole Raisbeck, commodities broker at Kluis Commodity Advisors. “Strong new-crop corn demand hasn’t been enough to spark a rally. Corn and wheat made new lows yesterday, while soybeans closed near…

TW: Mentions of suicide. Farming is physically demanding, emotionally taxing, and often deeply isolating. Add in extreme weather, market fluctuations, labor shortages, and the stress of running a small business, and you get one of the most high-pressure jobs out there. Studies show farmer suicide rates are two to five times higher than the national average, and mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and burnout are common, especially among BIPOC farmers who also face systemic barriers to land and capital. That’s why community-centered efforts like Real Farmer Care are so critical in moments of national transition and change. With a…

By Ryan Hanrahan Ongoing trade tensions and uncertainty about U.S. biofuel policy contributed to second quarter profits hitting multi-year lows for a number of crop trading companies — including Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge Global SA — while ag equipment manufacturers warned those trade tensions will begin increasing equipment prices in the second half of the year. Reuters’ Karl Plume and Katha Kalia reported that “Archer-Daniels-Midland posted its lowest second-quarter profit in five years on Tuesday as U.S. trade upheaval and uncertainty around biofuel policies slowed sales and crimped trading and crop processing margins.” “The company warned that full-year 2025 adjusted earnings…

By Cami Koons Corn across Iowa is a couple of days ahead of schedule, with 53% of corn acres reaching the dough stage and 9% entering the dent stage, according to the latest Crop Progress and condition report from the USDA. Eighty-nine percent of soybean acres have bloomed and 65% have set pods, as of the July 28–Aug. 3 reporting period.  Both crops continue to rate well, with 85% of corn and 80% of soybeans graded good to excellent.  LaVon Griffieon, who runs a diversified operation with her family outside Ankeny, a suburb north of Des Moines, said conditions have…

By Roberto Samora SAO PAULO, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Brazil’s Grupo Potencial will invest 2 billion reais ($392.9 million) to build a corn ethanol plant in Lapa, Parana state, as part of a plan to develop the world’s largest biofuels complex, Vice President Carlos Eduardo Hammerschmidt said. The group is already in advanced stages of constructing a soybean crushing facility at the site, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026. The plant will supply raw material to Potencial’s expanding biodiesel factory, Hammerschmidt said in an interview with Reuters on Monday, while future plans include building a sustainable…