NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Combines are rolling harder this week as windows open across the Corn Belt and Plains. Basis continues to split between interior users and river terminals, where draft limits and tow timing pinch movement. Winter wheat seeding chases moisture; propane, labor, and freight shape the pace.
Great Plains
- Texas — Cotton picking broadens in the High Plains and Rolling Plains; gins ramp while regrowth complicates modules in pockets. Late sorghum and corn are winding down; wheat pasture improves where showers hit. Feeder runs grow; Panhandle yards watching hay and fuel.
- Oklahoma — Cotton progress uneven by district; beans/corn finish in the north. Winter wheat planting pushes ahead of hoped-for moisture; weaning/market-timing in focus.
- Kansas — Sorghum and late corn wrap; wheat seeding advances with subsoil dictating stands. Sale barns active; placements steady as fall runs build.
- Nebraska — Corn/soy harvest accelerates; ethanol and feeders support interior bids. Irrigation shutdowns and propane needs managed as temps dip.
- South Dakota & North Dakota — Soy and corn pace up; basis firmer away from the river. Calf runs increase; pasture quality is mixed after late-season dryness in spots.
Midwest
- Iowa — Soy leads, corn follows as dryers light up. Local crush and feeders compete; river movement cautious on draft limits.
- Illinois — Beans and corn roll between damp spells; interior basis firmer than river. Fall NH3 booking steady; wheat behind the combine.
- Indiana & Ohio — Combines hit soy first; corn moisture easing. Wheat seeding follows on fit soils; processor vs. river basis bifurcates.
- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan — Soy/corn advance with cool nights; sugarbeets and dry beans (MI) are active. Early freeze risk monitored in northern tiers; dairy eyeing feed and energy.
- Missouri — Soy/corn accelerate; river basis softer where tow restrictions bite; cow-calf weaning shaped by variable hay quality.
Upper Midwest & Great Lakes (additional detail)
- Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin — Soy first, corn close behind; lake-effect showers the wild card. Basis steady-to-firm away from river constraints; sugarbeet campaigns active (MI/WI).
Delta & South
- Arkansas — Rice and soy move with selective drying; cotton picking picks up. River tightness nudges grain to rail/interior users.
- Louisiana & Mississippi — Cane steps up (LA); rice/beans move between showers. Poultry steady; trucks and labor tight.
- Alabama, Georgia, Florida — Peanuts and cotton advance; vegetables stage for holiday programs with tight logistics (FL). Poultry supports in-state feed use.
- Kentucky & Tennessee — Tobacco curing winds down; soy/cotton build. Divergent river vs. interior bids; cattle receipts rise with fall runs.
- North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia — Peanuts/cotton progress; sweet potatoes lift (NC). Poultry/hogs steady; small-grain seeding follows on fit ground.
West & Southwest
- Arizona & New Mexico — Desert veg ramps; dairies/feedlots monitor inputs as nights cool. Chile/pecan/hay work continues (NM).
- Colorado, Utah, Nevada — Corn silage wrapped; grain corn and beets advance (CO). Final alfalfa cuttings in UT/NV; water and feed plans firm up.
- California — Sacramento Valley rice harvest moves; almonds/walnuts/pistachios through hulling. Labor and freight remain the constraints; coastal veg in shoulder-season windows.
Northwest & Northern Rockies
- Washington & Oregon — Apples/pears in full swing; post-harvest wheat moves to export channels. Hay trade favors top dairy tests in eastern districts.
- Idaho, Montana, Wyoming — Potatoes lift, and storages fill (ID); beets steady. Winter wheat planting continues amid variable moisture; calves ship with freight —the swing factor.
Northeast
- New York & Pennsylvania — Corn silage largely wrapped; grain harvest building. Dairy adjusts rations and bedding as nights cool; propane and energy costs are in focus.
- New England (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI) — Apples and fall direct-market veg drive cash flow; greenhouses prep for winter greens. Livestock owners are lining up hay and bedding.
- New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland — Soy harvest expanding; small-grain seeding follows. Poultry integrators steady; litter and propane plans set for fall.
Far North & Territories
- Alaska — Root crops and greenhouse produce wind down; storage quality and energy dominate winter prep.
- Puerto Rico — Coffee harvest care and storm readiness in parallel; dairy margins hinge on feed and power.
Related Stories
Richard Gupton of the Agricultural Retailers Association explains a new resource designed to help farmers comply with ESA-related pesticide label requirements.
Lower tariff rates and new rail-service proposals may improve corn movement efficiency during early-season marketing.
Early Cattle-on-Feed estimates point to slightly tighter cattle supplies, reinforcing the need to monitor prices and timing for winter marketing.
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.
Elizabeth Strom of the American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers joined RFD-TV to provide the latest perspective on post-harvest business planning and cropland markets in the Midwest.
Dalton Henry, with U.S. Wheat Associates, joined RFD-TV to provide insight on what the pending trade frameworks may mean for American wheat growers.
Our friend Jake Charleston at Specialty Risk Insurance joins us for an industry update.
Urea and phosphate see the biggest price relief from tariff exemptions, but nitrogen markets remain tight, and spring demand will still dictate pricing momentum.
Cattle and hog supplies continue to tighten while dairy output expands, creating a split outlook in which red-meat prices soften and milk values come under pressure from larger supplies.