RFD-TV Weekly Crop Progress and Livestock Production Regional Update — Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — The final full USDA condition report available before Monday morning covers the week ending August 23; the August 31 Crop Progress report will not be released until 4 p.m. Eastern.

Across the country, late-summer harvest is advancing, but pasture and forage conditions have deteriorated sharply: half of U.S. pasture and range acreage was rated poor or very poor, compared with 32% a year earlier. State Extension reports through last week also show producers shifting toward silage harvest, supplemental feed and drought-management decisions where moisture remains limited.

Great Plains

• Texas: Pasture and range remained under severe pressure, with 50% rated poor or very poor and 86% of topsoil moisture short or very short. Corn was 65% mature, sorghum harvest reached 55%, and cotton remained particularly stressed, with 44% poor or very poor; livestock producers continue facing reduced grazing and heavier supplemental-feed needs.
• Oklahoma: Drought remains the dominant agricultural issue. Fifty-eight percent of pasture and range was poor or very poor, while 81% of topsoil moisture was short or very short; cotton was only 5% good to excellent, although peanuts remained considerably stronger at 67% good to excellent. Oklahoma State University also reported local nitrogen prices falling as heat and limited rainfall reduced field demand, with urea, UAN and anhydrous ammonia all moving lower during August.
• Kansas: Dry conditions continued to pressure both crops and cattle country, with 61% of topsoil moisture short or very short and 30% of pasture poor or very poor. Corn was 55% dented but only 42% good to excellent, while soybean conditions were stronger at 50%; sorghum remained weak, increasing concern about feed-grain and forage availability in western areas.
• Nebraska: Crop development continued while forage remained the larger livestock problem. Nebraska pasture and range was 64% poor or very poor, although corn and soybeans retained majority good-to-excellent ratings; Extension is emphasizing drought forage planning, Pasture-Rangeland-Forage insurance, and careful kernel processing as corn silage harvest approaches.
• South Dakota: Drought is pushing some cattle operations toward earlier pasture removal and tighter winter-feed planning. USDA rated 67% of pasture and range poor or very poor and 75% of topsoil moisture short or very short, while spring wheat harvest reached 91% and oat harvest 94%.
• North Dakota: Small-grain harvest accelerated, with spring wheat 56% harvested and barley 73%, both well ahead of last year. But 50% of pasture and range was poor or very poor and 70% of topsoil moisture short or very short, leaving cattle forage and late-season row crops under continued pressure.

Midwest

• Iowa: Crop conditions remain among the strongest in the Corn Belt. Corn was 78% good to excellent and soybeans 77%, while pasture was 65% good to excellent, giving livestock producers a comparatively better forage position than producers farther west.
• Illinois: Rainfall maintained generally favorable soil moisture, including 19% of topsoil rated surplus. Corn and soybean conditions were both 58% to 59% good to excellent, while pasture was 60%; harvest preparation is increasingly replacing drought management as the primary operational focus.
• Indiana: Wet soils remain more troublesome than drought. Thirty-six percent of topsoil moisture was surplus, slowing field access in some areas, while corn and soybean conditions remained near 60% good to excellent and pasture stood at 65%.
• Missouri: Corn and soybeans remained generally favorable, with corn two-thirds good to excellent and soybeans 60%. Pasture was especially strong at 73% good to excellent, helping cattle operations maintain grazing while rice harvest began in the Bootheel.
• Ohio: Excess moisture limited fieldwork to about two suitable days, with nearly half of topsoil moisture rated surplus. Corn and soybeans remained near 60% good to excellent, while pasture held at 61%, but producers preparing corn silage and fall forage work continue watching field accessibility.

Delta & South

• Arkansas: Rice harvest reached 16%, ahead of normal, and soybean leaf drop reached 36%, signaling a rapid transition toward harvest. The livestock picture is much weaker: 60% of pasture was poor or very poor and three-quarters of topsoil moisture was short or very short.
• Louisiana: Rice harvest advanced to 83%, well ahead of its normal pace, while soybean leaf drop reached 60%. Dryness remains widespread, with 81% of topsoil moisture short or very short and only 43% of pasture good to excellent, keeping forage conditions uneven for cattle producers.
• Mississippi: Rice and soybean harvest preparation moved quickly, with rice 20% harvested and soybean leaf drop at 51%. Pasture conditions weakened to just 38% good to excellent, and Mississippi State Extension is also alerting cattle producers to emerging pasture mealybug concerns.
• Alabama: Cotton and peanuts remained comparatively strong, with 78% of cotton and 74% of peanuts good to excellent. Pasture was also favorable at 77% good to excellent, giving livestock producers relatively solid late-summer grazing supplies.
• Georgia: Cotton and peanuts are entering their final production stages under uneven moisture. UGA Extension reports extreme heat and dry conditions in parts of the state have complicated irrigation decisions, while growers are also watching late-season peanut disease and cotton insects; statewide pasture was only 41% good to excellent.
• Tennessee: Corn maturity remained far ahead of normal, with 32% mature, while soybean development and cotton boll opening also advanced rapidly. Pasture was 63% good to excellent, although 37% of topsoil moisture was short or very short, leaving forage conditions more mixed than row-crop ratings suggest.
• Kentucky: Corn reached 74% dented and 38% mature, substantially ahead of normal, while both corn and soybeans remained near three-quarters good to excellent. Pasture was 69% good to excellent and soil moisture generally adequate, supporting cattle and hay operations heading into fall.
• North Carolina: Corn remains the weak spot, with only 24% rated good to excellent despite maturity reaching 52%. Peanuts and cotton were much stronger, and pasture was 45% good to excellent, creating a mixed outlook between livestock, row crops, and specialty production.
• South Carolina: Cotton and peanut conditions remained moderate, but pasture slipped to only 44% good to excellent. More than one-third of topsoil moisture was short or very short, leaving livestock forage and late-season crop finish dependent on timely rainfall.
• Florida: Peanuts remained exceptionally strong at 82% good to excellent, while moisture supplies were broadly adequate. Pasture and range were 57% good to excellent, keeping cattle conditions considerably better than across much of the western drought region.

West & Southwest

• California: Irrigated crops remain in strong condition, including cotton at 95% good to excellent and rice at 85%. Pasture was 70% good to excellent, and California’s rice sector spent the week focusing on variety, disease, insect and fertility research at the annual Rice Field Day.
• Arizona: Irrigated cotton remained strong, with 85% rated good to excellent and 71% of bolls open. The ranching side remains dramatically different, with 72% of pasture and range poor or very poor, underscoring the divide between irrigated crops and desert forage.
• New Mexico: Livestock and forage conditions remain among the most difficult nationally. Sixty-one percent of pasture was poor or very poor and 90% of topsoil moisture short or very short, sustaining pressure on cattle grazing, hay availability and water needs.
• Colorado: Crop and livestock conditions both reflect persistent dryness. Corn was only 19% good to excellent, while 64% of pasture was poor or very poor and nearly three-quarters of topsoil moisture was short or very short.
• Nevada: Producers had a full week for fieldwork, but forage remained limited. Forty percent of pasture was poor or very poor and 75% of topsoil moisture short or very short, keeping hay, grazing and irrigation water central to livestock decisions.
• Utah: Ranch conditions remain difficult, with 63% of pasture poor or very poor and more than half of topsoil moisture short or very short. Utah State University continues emphasizing the economics of buying feed versus selling cows and evaluating alternative feeds as drought restricts hay and grazing supplies.

Northwest & Northern Rockies

• Washington: Spring wheat harvest reached 69% and barley 70%, keeping fieldwork near or ahead of normal. Pasture was only 43% good, while 60% of topsoil moisture was short or very short, creating a sharper challenge for dryland grain and livestock producers than for irrigated specialty crops.
• Oregon: Dryness remained widespread, with 86% of topsoil moisture short or very short and only 31% of pasture good to excellent. Livestock producers continue balancing grazing pressure, stored hay, and feed purchases as forage availability tightens.
• Idaho: Grain harvest moved rapidly, with spring wheat 68% harvested and barley 73%, both well ahead of normal. Pasture was only 20% good and 57% of topsoil moisture short or very short, while dairies and cattle operations increasingly shift attention toward silage and stored forage.
• Montana: Spring wheat harvest reached 55% and barley 50%, but dry soils and forage remain the larger livestock concern. Forty-seven percent of pasture was poor or very poor, and 86% of subsoil moisture was short or very short.
• Wyoming: Ranch conditions remain among the toughest in the country, with 71% of pasture poor or very poor and 86% of topsoil moisture short or very short. Wyoming’s State Climate Office continued tracking drought and agricultural water conditions through the weekend, leaving forage, stock water and winter-feed planning at the center of ranch management.

Northeast

• New York: Moisture remained broadly favorable, with 87% of topsoil adequate and pasture 67% good to excellent. Those conditions continue supporting dairy forage production and late-season fieldwork better than in drought-affected northern New England.
• Pennsylvania: Corn remained exceptionally strong at 91% good to excellent, while pasture held at 64%. Penn State Extension began regular corn-silage dry-down monitoring during the week, an important signal for dairy farms preparing to chop and store their primary winter forage.
• Virginia: Cotton and peanuts remained generally favorable, but pasture was only 38% good to excellent. Nearly half of subsoil moisture was short or very short, increasing concern for livestock forage as producers move toward fall.
• West Virginia: Recent rainfall improved soil moisture but did not quickly repair forage conditions. Fifty-four percent of pasture remained poor or very poor, leaving cattle and hay producers with a much weaker feed base than surface moisture alone would suggest.
• Maryland: Topsoil moisture was mostly adequate, but deeper moisture remained much less favorable. Only 28% of pasture was good to excellent, keeping forage quality and availability a concern for dairy and beef operations.
• Delaware: Fieldwork continued under generally adequate moisture, but pasture remained weak at only 29% good. Livestock producers continue managing a forage situation that is less favorable than the state’s row-crop moisture profile.
• New Jersey: Topsoil moisture was broadly adequate, while pasture stood at 55% good. Vegetable, fruit and nursery producers continued late-summer harvest and marketing as livestock conditions remained comparatively stable.
• Connecticut: Pasture conditions remained favorable at 72% good to excellent and topsoil moisture was nearly all adequate. Hay, forage and specialty-crop operations therefore entered late August with considerably less drought pressure than nearby northern states.
• Massachusetts: Pasture was 73% good to excellent and topsoil moisture largely adequate. Dairy, forage, cranberry and vegetable operations continued late-summer work without the widespread moisture stress evident farther north.
• Rhode Island: USDA rated pasture entirely good and topsoil moisture entirely adequate in the latest weekly survey. The small agricultural sector therefore entered late August with relatively favorable forage and field conditions.
• New Hampshire: Pasture remained strong at 68% good, and 81% of topsoil moisture was adequate. Hay and livestock operations were in a better position than farms in neighboring Vermont and Maine.
• Vermont: Dryness became unusually severe, with 87% of topsoil moisture short or very short. Pasture remained mostly fair, and the moisture shortage is increasingly important for dairy forage production and late hay cuttings.
• Maine: Sixty-two percent of topsoil moisture was short or very short, while pasture was only 33% good to excellent. The developing moisture deficit is increasing pressure on hay, dairy forage and specialty crops heading into September.

Upper Midwest & Great Lakes

• Minnesota: Spring wheat harvest reached 78% and barley 83%, both well ahead of normal, while corn development also accelerated. Livestock conditions are considerably less favorable: 49% of pasture was poor or very poor and half of topsoil moisture was short or very short.
• Wisconsin: Corn and soybeans remained mostly good, but pasture slipped to 48% good to excellent. Wisconsin Extension reports some drought-stressed corn is already being chopped for silage, fourth-cutting alfalfa is underway, and livestock producers are being cautioned about nitrate risk in drought-stressed annual forages.
• Michigan: Corn remained 55% good to excellent, but soybeans were weaker and nearly half of topsoil and subsoil moisture was short or very short. Pasture was only 32% good to excellent, increasing forage pressure on dairy and livestock operations during final hay and silage preparation.

Far North, Hawaii & U.S. Territories

• Alaska: Commercial fishing remained a major agricultural and food-production activity entering September, with state managers issuing new salmon openings and adjustments across Kodiak, Southeast Alaska, Kotzebue and Lower Cook Inlet. Upper Cook Inlet harvest data through August 27 showed continued sockeye, coho and chum movement, while the state’s farm sector remained active in specialty crops, livestock, hay and direct-market sales.
• Hawaii: Island agriculture continues to center on livestock, specialty crops and irrigation management rather than mainland row-crop conditions. University of Hawaii Extension spent August working with producers on commercial egg production, irrigation and pest management, with additional breeding and grazing-management programs scheduled as farms manage high production costs and limited land and water resources.
• Puerto Rico: Drought is the dominant agricultural concern. The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture is urging farmers to assess water supplies, strengthen storage and distribution systems, document losses and prepare for possible assistance as dry conditions affect crops, livestock and farm infrastructure across agricultural regions.