Author: staff

The Midwest will endure a particularly nasty stretch of heat and humidity this week, and many people are pointing to “corn sweat” as one of the driving forces. Think highs in the upper 90s and lows in the upper 70s as commonplace in the coming days. Corn sweat refers to the evapotranspiration process (common across the plant world) where leaves release water vapor into the air through their stomata. The process is a sign of healthy plants and the health of its surroundings, said Talon Becker, a University of Illinois Extension commercial agriculture educator. Conversely, when plants become stressed, like…

As the U.S. corn crop progresses through some of its most critical stages of development, something unusual is unfolding — not beneath the surface, but rather, beneath the leaves. The nation’s corn crop is in great shape: 74% was rated good/excellent by the USDA for the third straight week. Yet, a phenomenon called tight tassel wrap has been reported in several of the top corn-growing states, and it’s something that has the potential to impact overall yield. What Is It? With tight tassel wrap, corn tassels remain tightly wrapped in the upper leaves of the corn plant and fail to…

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the Lone Star State would be working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on efforts to reintroduce an improved pest control method to the international screwworm response: Swormlure Bait. “The New World Screwworm is not just a Texas problem. This is a nationwide crisis with potential massive implications for American agriculture, which could result in billions of dollars in economic losses and place a heavy burden on our agriculture, wildlife industries, and public health systems,” Miller said. “We cannot wait for sterile flies alone to turn the tide. That’s why we’re applying a…

USDA published the latest Crop Progress report on Monday, July 21. Here’s a closer look at recent weather and the status of Kentucky’s most important crops as July progresses. Weather Matt Dixon, University of Kentucky Ag Weather Center meteorologist, in a July Ag Weather Update article, said, “While the heat remains, classic summertime downpours have made a return, adding to what’s already been an exceptionally wet year across the Bluegrass State.”  This year has been the fourth-wettest spring in Kentucky history. The state averages 50.36 inches for the year, and he noted several locations have already surpassed that amount like…

Let’s talk about seed oils. The topic seems to ignite an immediate reaction — one that’s often loud, accusatory, and frankly, devoid of substance. It seems that the minute I share a balanced, science-backed opinion on seed oils — something as simple as, “Hey, maybe these oils aren’t inherently evil” — the internet erupts with a familiar chorus: “OMG, how much are you getting paid?” “Shill!” “She’s sponsored by Big Seed Oil!” Let’s pause right there. If the only counterargument someone can offer is “you must be getting paid,” that’s not a legitimate position. That’s a conspiracy theory. If you…

1. Corn, Soybean Futures Lower in Overnight Trading Corn and soybean futures were lower in overnight trading as rain this week is expected to give crops a boost.  Showers this week will limit stress on corn and beans in the U.S. Midwest despite a brief round of hot weather, Commodity Weather Group said in a note to clients.  Rainfall is expected to leave “only very spotty dryness” in parts of the Corn Belt, the forecaster said. Some excess rain is forecast for areas of the central Midwest.  Elevated temperatures that are expected to reach triple digits in parts of several…

December corn ended the day down 5½¢ at $4.22¼ per bushel. November soybeans closed down 9¾¢ at $10.26 per bushel. September CBOT wheat ended the day down 4¢ at $5.42¼ per bushel. September KC wheat closed down 3¼¢ at $5.25¾ per bushel. September Minneapolis wheat was down 9¢ at $5.86½.  “Corn, soybeans, and wheat were under pressure to start the week’s trade as profits were taken on last Friday’s rally,” said Karl Setzer, partner at Consus Ag Consulting. “Futures posted gains last Friday as weather premium was added to the market ahead of the weekend. Rains moved through some of…

What Happened Marketing is easy with good information. Or is it? Is there ever enough good information to make a “highly confident decision?”  Fundamental and technical factors in markets change constantly. Marketing decisions are forward-looking, meaning that what you decide today will have consequences, good or bad, in the future. Even with what you might feel is great information at the time, the results of a decision based on that information can be emotionally paralyzing. The bottom line is that farmers (who are only human and subject to emotion) may tend to shy away from the decision-making process. Selling too…

My love for the county fair runs deep and goes back to Aug. 21, 1931, 41 years before I was born.  The Great Depression was in full swing and times were tough, including in Warren County, Iowa. In order to take everyone’s mind off of the dire financial situation and give them something to look forward to, the Warren County Fair Association announced a contest where a local couple would win an extravagant wedding at the fair. The winning couple was kept a closely guarded secret until the moment they stepped into the grandstand for the ceremony. The winners were…

Today, USDA published the 16th Crop Progress report of the 2025 growing season. Here’s a look at the latest corn, soybean, wheat, and oat numbers. Corn As of July 20, 56% of the corn crop across the country’s top 18 corn-growing states had reached the silking stage. That puts progress behind the five-year average of 58%. USDA said 14% of the crop across 16 states had reached the dough stage. The five-year average is 12%. Only Colorado and North Dakota did not have any corn silking to report. The agency reported the condition of the nation’s corn crop as follows: Good/excellent: 74%Fair: 20%Poor/very poor:…