Mid-Year Review Shows Soybean Oil Leading Ag Markets With the first half of 2025 complete, market data reveals a clear leader in the agricultural commodities space: soybean oil, up an impressive 26% year-to-date. It’s the top agricultural performer among 48 tracked commodities, and second overall only to platinum, which has surged more than 50% so far this year. Trailing closely …
Corn Plantings Rise, Soybeans and Cotton Fall in 2025
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2025 – The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its annual Acreage Report today, showing key shifts in U.S. crop planting for 2025. Corn continues to dominate the landscape, while soybean and cotton acreage fell compared to last year. According to the report, U.S. farmers planted 95.2 million acres of corn in 2025, marking a 5% …
How Native Crops and European Grains Shaped U.S. Agriculture
The Crop Exchange That Built American Farming In this edition of the American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold revisits a pivotal moment in agricultural development—when cultures collided and crops crossed continents to shape what we now know as American agriculture. As settlers expanded westward, Native Americans played a crucial role in introducing farm families to vital crops like sweet potatoes, …
Before Tractors: The Thresher That Changed Farming
Long before tractors revolutionized American agriculture in the 1930s, a different machine was already transforming the harvest: the threshing machine. In 1847, Daniel Massey launched the Newcastle Foundry in Ontario, Canada, producing some of the world’s first mechanical threshers. These devices separated grain from stalks—an essential but once backbreaking task. Above: A vintage threshing machine at work during a historical …
Upcoming Crop Reports and Wheat Harvest Progress
The wheat numbers in last week’s USDA monthly crop report could garner the most attention in our view. USDA, we expect to place more attention on old crop corn, soybean and wheat supplies. But as one bottom line analyst suggested, he sees USDA quote sitting on their hands again this month, US and world supply demand numbers waiting for July …
Winter Wheat Crop Conditions Rebound from Gloomy 2024 Forecast
Health conditions of the 2025 U.S. winter wheat crop were described as the “second-worst ever” last Fall. As harvest ramps up, Reuters says winter wheat ratings now sit at a six-year-high point for early June. It’s precisely what U.S. exporters need to continue and possibly grow their impressive sales numbers into next year. As of last weekend, the USDA rated …
American Agriculture History Minute: Butler Manufacturing Company Founded
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Brothers Charles and Newton Butler founded Butler Manufacturing Company in Kansas City, 1901. The two worked together on building an improved livestock watering tank. And during the early 1900s, the men designed and built several agricultural products, particularly grain storage bins. The company enjoyed success selling the merchandise, and by 1908, …
Tracking Agricultural Commodities in April
With April almost over, Mark Oppold takes time to review how certain agricultural commodities have performed thus far this month. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Weather and Reports Affecting Grain Markets
Various weather conditions over the weekend, tariff news and various reports coming out this week all are having an effect on the grain trade. Mark Oppold has the story. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
Grain Prices Holding Mostly Steady
Grain prices have held mostly steady this week, which is considered a victory for many in the trade. Mark Oppold has more details of what traders are seeing right now. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024