Successful Farming

With a statewide average weekly temperature of 79.8 degrees Fahrenheit, Iowa had one of its hottest starts to September on record, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan. The weekly average temperature was more than 11 degrees above the normal for the week, according to Glisan’s weekly weather report, which accompanies the state’s crop report. The National Weather Service reports that the hottest September on record in Iowa was in 1939, with triple-digit high temperatures on Sept.

Since Aug. 12, when the USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was released, grain markets have been on the offensive, with significant fund money buying corn, soybeans, and wheat. Several fundamental factors, along with geopolitical issues, have helped propel prices to some of their best levels in more than three years. Volatility has picked up, and pricing decisions are quickly becoming important. The goal is to be strategically balanced.

The 175–299-horsepower (hp) tractor segment has traditionally been a stable cornerstone of the ag equipment market, making the recent fluctuation in supply and demand something to watch closely. With soft commodity prices placing pressure on margins, higher-hour, low-cost options are gaining momentum. “Because customers are priced out of their comfort range for new tractors, more are turning to auctions,” said Andy Campbell, director of insights at Tractor Zoom.

The U.S. corn crop is racing to maturity with 10 states ahead of the five-year average while five states are ahead of the five-year average by double digits. The entire corn crop is 2% ahead of the five-year average. That’s according to data published by the USDA in its latest Crop Progress report released on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Here’s a closer look at the corn crop in the five states ahead of the five-year averages by double digits.

CHICAGO, Sept. 9 (Reuters) - Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower on Wednesday as outside market pressures weighed in, according to analysts. CME October live cattle settled 1.175¢ lower at 215.850¢ per pound. CME October feeder cattle rose 0.37¢ to 325.82¢ per pound.

JCB expanded its skid-steer lineup with the 250 and 290 74-hp models. The 250, with a rated operating capacity of 2,531 pounds, and the 290, with a rated operating capacity of 3,029 pounds, expand the company’s offerings into one of the industry’s most popular machine classes. A single-boom arm is designed to pair visibility with side-door entry.

A new program from Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Master Gardener Program offers expert horticulture and practical gardening skills to home gardeners. Garden Academy is an online course that includes video lectures, a digital textbook, and knowledge checks, according to a press release. It includes 10 weeks of content in eight modules, although participants may complete the work at their own pace.

Wisconsin Public Radio’s Hope Kirwan reported that “American farmers are bracing for the impact of new tariffs exchanged between the U.S. and Canada on both their supply costs and their sales.” “President Donald Trump’s administration placed new 50 percent tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks between the two countries fell apart in late August,” Kirwan reported.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Locations for two major taxpayer-supported construction projects at Oklahoma State University were revealed Tuesday. A $330 million veterinary teaching hospital and a $50 million Agronomy Discovery Center will be built west of OSU’s Stillwater campus in a farmland area, the university announced. The Oklahoma Legislature agreed to fund most of the cost of both projects, but the university is still raising millions of dollars in private donations to cover remaining expenses.

BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 9 (Reuters) - Argentina’s soybean planted area is expected to grow 1.2% in the 2026/27 season to 17 million hectares, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Wednesday, as lower corn planting in the north due to the spread of the leafhopper pest frees up land for soybeans. Argentina is the world’s top exporter of soybean oil and meal, and soybeans compete with corn for acreage during the Southern Hemisphere spring planting season.