Author: staff

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…

By Cami Koons Iowa Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said Iowa farmers are “hurting” and that the “status quo is not working” as he offered farm policies he would push for if elected to the U.S. Senate.  Scholten’s policies, discussed Monday at Griffieon Family Farm outside of Ankeny, a Des Moines suburb, are aimed at improving competition in the agriculture sector, funding conservation efforts and supporting regional food systems.   The agriculture sector is in a recession even “before tariffs — this is just the way the industry is working right now,” Scholten said.  According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Economic…

Spring wheat harvest is officially underway in all six spring wheat-growing states, according to the USDA’s first Crop Progress report of August. Across the six states, 5% of the crop has been harvested, behind the five-year average of 9%.  But as more of the wheat gets cut, the overall condition of the crop continues to decline. Based on the latest report, only 48% of the U.S. crop was rated good/excellent, a four-week low. Here’s a state-by-state look at spring wheat harvest progress and conditions. Washington Farmers in Washington state lead the nation for harvest progress — 24% of their 2025…

U.S. farmland continues to gain value, but signs of a market cooldown are emerging. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2025 Land Values Summary Report, the national average for farm real estate — including land and buildings — rose by $180 per acre over last year, reaching a record $4,350 per acre. This 4.3 percent increase marks the fifth consecutive year of growth, yet it also reflects a deceleration from earlier surges. While still strong, this year’s growth is more modest than the 5 percent jump between 2023 and 2024, and notably lower than the 11.7 percent leap between…

By Cami Koons The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) announced Tuesday more than $450,000 in cost-share funding awarded to several conservation districts for water quality improvement projects.  The Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts intend to use the funding to help private landowners implement practices such as cover crops, sediment control basins, grassed waterways, and other proven practices aimed at improving water quality in eight publicly owned lakes.  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the water quality improvement efforts go toward “ensuring these lakes remain vibrant and healthy destinations.” “We are fortunate to have some beautiful…

The Great Western Ranch — stretching more than 500,000 acres across New Mexico, making it one of the largest ranches in the United States — has just been sold. This hope is that this transaction allows the ranch to remain a vital ecological corridor and a model for large-scale land conservation in the American West. The final sale price was not made public, but its real estate listing shows the previous owners were asking for $115 million.  The Great Western Ranch is renowned for its abundant big game populations, attracting hunters globally, and holds significant historical and archaeological importance with…