#Harvest25: Bumper Corn Harvest Hits 18% Completion Nationwide

Dave Kestel, a farmer from Will County and member of the Illinois Farm Bureau, joins us to share a boots-on-the-ground update on the 2025 corn harvest.

WILL COUNTY, Ill. (RFD-TV)Corn harvest is well underway across the U.S., with 18 percent of the nation’s crop now in the bin—just one point shy of the five-year average. In Illinois, farmers are pushing forward with harvesting through favorable weather, hoping to capitalize on strong early yields despite ongoing cost pressures.

Dave Kestel, a farmer from Will County and member of the Illinois Farm Bureau, joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to share a boots-on-the-ground update.

In his interview with RFD-TV News, Kestel discussed the progress of his own operation and compared this year’s progress to previous harvest seasons. He also shared what he’s hearing from other producers in the region, highlighting both successes and challenges so far.

Among the concerns are high input costs, lower commodity prices, and the potential for storage capacity and shipping issues as larger-than-expected yields are harvested.

Kestel wrapped up by giving viewers a look at his family’s farm and the traditions that keep them going through another busy harvest season.

Related Stories
Reed Marcum started hosting a toy drive in 2015. Since then, he has distributed thousands of toys across his home state of Oklahoma and in Texas and Arkansas. Now serving in the Army, Reed’s family and local 4-H chapter are running the event.
Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Commission, shares his outlook on current grain stocks and transportation lines amid bumper crops filling bins across the United States.
American soybean and corn leaders, along with Canada’s AgriFood sector, testified before the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office in support of the trade pact between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Working capital is tightening for crop farms, increasing reliance on operating loans even as land values steady in the broader sector.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Approximately 42,000 birds were affected in the outbreak, officials said.
Beef demand could be influencing other economic sectors, as consumers adjust spending habits to prioritize higher-priced beef products.
AFBF Economist Bearnt Nelson joins us with insights into current turkey flock sizes, HPAI concerns, and production impacts on holiday demand.
Dr. Beetham outlined the background of the EU’s decision to modernize seed regulations and where the process stands today, and its impact on global agriculture and food security.
“It, all of a sudden, says that tracking and fighting hunger is not a priority, apparently, at the federal level.”
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.