A north central Illinois farmer says that long-term use of conservation practices is helping his fields cope with weather extremes. Brian Corkill, who farms in Henry County, says cover crops and minimal tillage have increased his soil’s water-holding capacity. “I don’t even think we had half an inch of rain in August, and it was…… Continue Reading

Across the Corn Belt, the upper Great Lakes region is experiencing increasingly windy weather, along with a gradual transition from rain to snow.  Elsewhere in the Midwest, mild, showery, windy weather in advance of a strong cold front is eroding a previously stubborn snow cover that in some cases has been on the ground for…… Continue Reading

The director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture says the agency remains committed to helping the state’s farmers expand their conservation efforts. Don Lamb says Indiana is ranked third in total cover crop acres. “When we think about erosion and we think about controlling the future of our land, it is such a long term benefit,” he says.…… Continue Reading

A market analyst says there’s some cautious optimism about the direction of commodity markets in 2026. Tanner Ehmke is the lead economist for grains and oilseeds at CoBank and says, “We think the lows for corn, wheat and soybean prices are in. We’ve had a very strong demand story, especially for corn. It’s been phenomenal.”…… Continue Reading