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Drought coverage shrinking across most of the U.S
Spring and early summer rainfall has helped to shrink the drought coverage area in the United States. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the U.S. Drought Monitor looks vastly different as of July 7th compared to the drought monitor maps of April 2026. The areas of D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought categories are also shrinking, although Rippey says only some of the regions with those designations have seen improvement. The Great Plains is one of the regions that has benefited from...
USDA soybean oil export outlook raises concerns about market volatility
New USDA projections for soybean oil exports are increasing concerns about price volatility in agricultural markets as demand tied to renewable fuels continues reshaping the soybean sector. Analysts with the University of said the government’s first 2026-27 soybean...
A multi-state focus on specialty crops
Applications are now being accepted for grants from USDA's Specialty Crop Multi-State Program, which is designed to address various concerns and efforts within the specialty crop industry. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Deputy Administrator Tricia Kovacs provides...
Soy checkoff continues evolving with changing demand needs
Farmers across the country are taking a harder look at every dollar moving through their operations. With tight margins, elevated input costs, and continued uncertainty in the ag economy, some soybean growers may question whether they are truly seeing value from the...
Iowa Farm Bureau accepting applications for “Grow Your Future” award
Iowa Farm Bureau is now accepting applications for its Grow Your Future Award, offering one young farmer $10,000 to scale their ag-related business. The competition highlights Farm Bureau members ages 18 to 35 who are building creative, value-added businesses from...
Feenstra says year-round E15 has strong bipartisan support
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives was able to pass legislation that would allow E15 to permanently be sold year-round. By unleashing ethanol production, demand for corn can increase, fuel prices can go down, and America can become more energy...
U.S. Export Sales Report (5-14-26)
This week’s export sales were mostly a repeat of recent trends once again. However, there were a few notable differences. Allendale commodity broker Ben Breisch said old crop corn sales were lacking, but that market has been so strong recently that this is a minor...
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South American Weather and Crop Update (5-27-26)
The weather is drying out quite a bit in South America. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride said some areas are being viewed as deficient in rainfall. McBride said the first crop corn harvest in Brazil is nearly complete. McBride said corn and soybean harvest in...
Rain has been appreciated, but dry weather will return
The weather forecast for the Midwest could be a bit of a mixed bag in the near future. DTN Meteorologist John Baranick said the recent rainy weather will give way to drier conditions across a significant part of the Midwest. Baranick said the South has seen plenty of...
More details of latest U.S.-China ag trade commitment
During President Trump’s visit to China earlier this month, China agreed to purchase $17 billion worth of U.S. ag goods. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg provides some of the details behind the recent agreement by China to...
Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment for cover crop adoption
Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers....
Naig says E15 backers finally proved their case
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the recent House vote approving nationwide year-round E15 sales confirmed what biofuels supporters have argued for years: once lawmakers finally allowed the issue to reach the floor, it had enough bipartisan backing to pass....
