cargill

How the Cargill Brothers Built an Agricultural Empire in Iowa

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, Corn, This Land of Ours, Wheat

The Birth of Cargill: From Iowa Grain Storage to Global Agribusiness Surplus Grain Sparks Innovation In the mid-1800s, America’s agricultural landscape was changing rapidly. As grain production soared, farmers across the Midwest began facing an unexpected problem — too much success. With harvests exceeding their personal needs and limited local markets, many were forced to sell crops quickly or risk …

ncga

National Corn Growers Join Effort to Modernize Pesticide Drift Model

Dan Corn

NCGA Joins AMP to Help Modernize EPA’s Pesticide Drift Model Software The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has joined a national initiative to modernize pesticide drift modeling software used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aiming to ensure more accurate assessments of spray drift and its environmental impact. “The National Corn Growers Association is joining a project with the goal …

crop report

Private Crop Report Estimates

Dan Agri-Business, Corn, Economy, Field Crops, Soybeans, Wheat

USDA Crop Report Suspended, But Private Estimates Offer Insight on Corn and Soybeans Following the recent government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the suspension of its monthly crop report, a key source of market-moving data for farmers, analysts, and traders alike. However, despite the lack of official data, Bottom Line analysts have compiled their own report using …

corn

An Update on the US Corn Crop Harvest at the end of September

Dan Agri-Business, Commodities, Corn, Economy, Field Crops

USDA Reports 18% of U.S. Corn Harvested by September 28 With harvests well underway across the Corn Belt, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey provided an update on the pace of this year’s U.S. corn harvest as of September 28th, 2025. The national harvest is slightly behind schedule, with regional disparities based on weather and crop maturity. “The corn harvest number for …

plymouth

Plymouth Colony Crops: Corn, Tobacco, and Early Trade

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, Corn, Field Crops, This Land of Ours, Trade

The First Crops in Plymouth Colony When the first settlers arrived in Plymouth, they planted barley and peas brought from England. But their most important crop soon became Indian corn, or maize. Corn was not only more adaptable to New England’s soil and climate but also provided a dependable food source critical for survival. Native Farming Techniques and Fertilization The …

harvesting corn

Harvesting Corn With Higher Moisture Increases Yields

Dan Corn, Soybeans

Harvesting Corn at Higher Moisture Can Preserve Yields, Say Iowa State Agronomists Conventional wisdom has long said that harvesting corn at 15% moisture is ideal—but Iowa State University agronomists say it may be time to rethink that standard. Their recent studies suggest that 20–22% moisture may actually be the sweet spot for corn harvest, offering both yield and cost advantages. …

GMO

USDA Deregulates Bayer GMO Corn Variety

Dan Corn

USDA Deregulates Bayer MON 95379 Genetically Modified Corn In a recent decision impacting the future of genetically modified crops, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has officially deregulated Bayer U.S.-Crop Science MON 95379 corn. This genetically engineered corn variety was developed to resist feeding damage from several significant pests, including fall armyworm, sugarcane …

harvest

Fire Danger Increased From Dry Conditions At Harvest

Dan Agri-Business, Beef, Cattle, Corn, Economy, Field Crops, Forestry, Marketing, Soybeans

Harvest 2025 Ahead of Average, But Dry Conditions Raise Fire Concerns Harvest 2025 continues to move ahead of the five-year average in several key states, fueled by another week of dry weather. While this helps speed up fieldwork, the lack of moisture is increasing fire danger across much of the country. Conditions in some areas are less severe than in …

corn

A Look At Corn And Soybean Futures

Dan Corn, Economy, Field Crops, Soybeans

Corn and Soybean Futures Eye Early August Lows as Harvest Pressures Markets As harvest ramps up across key growing regions, December corn and November soybean futures are showing signs of holding their early August lows—but that support may soon be tested. Analysts caution that the market could see renewed pressure as sellers work to push values lower in the coming …

Corn growers

Farmers Report Grim Economic Outlook

Dan Agri-Business, Corn, Field Crops

A new nationwide survey reveals growing concern among America’s corn farmers about the state of the U.S. farm economy. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has released survey results showing that an overwhelming majority of growers believe the industry is either already in a crisis or dangerously close to one. “Farmers are in a lot of economic pain right now. …