Author: staff

This week the U.S. Drought Monitor showed drought-stricken areas, from southern Missouri and Arkansas into the northeast U.S., received amounts of 1-2 inches with locally higher amounts in northwestern and southern Arkansas, parts of Tennessee and Kentucky and in eastern New York and southern New England. At the same time, dry weather continued in northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, most of Lower Michigan and the northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest. Above-normal temperatures were standard across the majority of the U.S., except for parts of Arizona and New Mexico. In most of the U.S., temperatures were between 2-6°F above…

In its latest Crop Progress report, the USDA rated 81% of the corn crop in Wisconsin good/excellent. Of the remaining top 18 corn-growing states, six states have more than 70% of the corn crop rated good/excellent. Nationwide, 66% of the corn crop was rated good/excellent. Take a look at the top seven states that are leading the ratings. Wisconsin With 81% of its crop rated good/excellent, Wisconsin has the best corn in the country. USDA rated 24% of Wisconsin’s corn excellent. Another 57% was rated good, 14% was rated fair, 4% was rated poor and only 1% was rated very poor.…

by Ryan Hanrahan The Wall Street Journal’s Brian Schwartz, Patrick Thomas and Natalie Andrews reported that “President Trump is considering providing $10 billion or more in aid to U.S. farmers as the agriculture sector warns of economic fallout from his far-reaching tariffs, according to people familiar with the discussions.” “The president and his team are weighing using tariff revenue to fund much of the aid, the people said, adding that distribution of the money could start in the coming months,” Schwartz, Thomas, and Andrews reported. “A senior administration official said the discussions have centered on $10 billion to $14 billion…

American Farmland Trust has announced the winners of the 17th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration, a national event honoring the role of farmers markets, which ran between August 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025. Ten markets receiving the most public votes are declared the national winners. A total of 1,263 markets nationwide participated in the 2025 celebration with over 60,000 votes. In 2025, AFT staffed 26 markets nationwide in a series of pop-up events meant to help markets reach supporters and raise awareness of the critical importance of farmers markets. “Farmers markets are the heartbeat of local food systems across…

DAILY Bites Disease pressures rising as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Avian Metapneumovirus strain U.S. turkey flocks, cutting production and complicating recovery Production at historic lows with USDA reporting just 195 million turkeys raised in 2025, the lowest level in 40 years and driving tighter supplies Higher prices for shoppers with wholesale turkey prices up about 40% from 2024, though supplies should still meet Thanksgiving demand DAILY Discussion As Thanksgiving approaches, turkey farmers across the United States are contending with mounting disease pressures and economic challenges that could impact both production levels and prices at the grocery store. After a…

JCB has launched a new series of Fastrac high-speed tractors, available in Q2 of 2026 to North American customers.  “The all-new 6000 Series stays true to JCB’s innovative and groundbreaking concept that defines all Fastracs, resulting in an exceptional combination of productivity, efficiency, versatility, and operator comfort,” JCB Agriculture Managing Director John Smith said. “It also takes the JCB Fastrac into a new power and performance category, meeting the needs of farmers and contractors with outstanding features that create a highly productive machine with unique capabilities in the field and on the road.” Fastrac 6000 Series Models There are two…

The October USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report is due Thursday, Oct. 9. However, if the government shutdown continues through next Wednesday, the report may never be released. This is what happened last time a government shutdown impacted a WASDE report in January 2019.  If the report is released, 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 September WASDE report showed U.S. old-crop corn carryout increasing by 20 million bushels, and old-crop soybean stocks unchanged. The…

National 4-H Week, celebrated October 5–11, 2025, will spotlight the impact of America’s largest youth development program, reaching nearly 6 million young people nationwide. This year’s theme, Beyond Ready, highlights how 4-H equips youth with skills, resilience, and leadership for a rapidly changing world. “From fairgrounds to classrooms, community gardens to robotics labs, 4-H youth in Nebraska are proving they’re not just ready for the future — they’re Beyond Ready,” Nebraska 4-H stated in its announcement of the week’s events. Two major theme days will anchor the week’s activities. On Monday, October 6, supporters are encouraged to take part in…

Ahead of 9 a.m. CT, December corn was down 2¢ at $4.19¾ per bushel. November soybeans were down less than a penny at $10.23½ per bushel. December CBOT wheat was up less than a penny at $5.15 per bushel. December KC wheat was down a penny at $4.98 per bushel. December Minneapolis wheat was up 3¼¢ at $5.63¾. “U.S. grain and oilseed prices continue to find support from President Trump’s Truth Social post earlier this week promising to ‘Make soybeans, and other row crops, great again’ when he meets with President Xi at the end of the month….” said Arlan…

An 85-year-old farmer in Pickerington, Ohio, is mourning the loss of hundreds of his prized pumpkins after thieves struck his fields in late September. According to WHIO-TV, around 300 pumpkins were stolen from Sam’s Pumpkin Patch, owned by longtime farmer Terry Dunlap. The theft represented “a loss of more than $6,000 for the owner” and involved what Dunlap described as his very best pumpkins. “It hurt. I was, I was sick when I saw it,” Dunlap told WHIO. “I saw they were gone. I just almost, I got sick. I just physically, you know, it got me.” Dunlap explained to…