RFD-TV Weekly Crop Progress and Livestock Production Update — Monday, September 28, 2026

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Harvest is expanding across much of the country, but agriculture enters the final days of September with sharply different regional conditions.

Heavy rain slowed fieldwork across parts of the Midwest while heat and drought continued to pressure Southern pasture, forage and livestock; meanwhile, diesel climbed to $6.529 per gallon, and grain transportation costs remained elevated.

Great Plains

• Texas: Heat and dryness remain major concerns for cattle and crop producers, especially where summer grazing deteriorated across the Panhandle. Recent rainfall may help wheat pasture, while cotton harvest is beginning under difficult yield prospects in parts of West Texas; August milk production was up 5.1% from a year earlier as the state added dairy cows.
• Oklahoma: Hot, dry conditions continue to pressure pasture and livestock water supplies while winter wheat planting moves forward. Sorghum harvest is well underway, but crop condition remains weak after a difficult growing season.
• Kansas: Corn, sorghum and sunflower harvest continue while winter wheat planting expands. Recent rainfall improved some northeastern areas, but transportation costs for Kansas wheat have increased, and southwestern cattle operations remain sensitive to processing capacity, labor availability and feed movement.
• Nebraska: Corn and soybean harvest is expanding while producers move cattle off summer grazing and assess winter feed supplies. Rain improved portions of western Nebraska, but higher diesel and rail costs are becoming more important as grain movement accelerates.
• South Dakota: Corn and soybean harvest continues, and recent rain improved moisture in some areas after a variable summer. Dairy production remains a notable growth area, with August milk output up 8.4% from a year earlier.
• North Dakota: Spring wheat harvest is essentially complete, shifting attention toward storage, basis, and transportation. USDA reports wheat transportation costs from North Dakota to both Pacific Northwest and Gulf export routes were higher than a year earlier.
• Colorado: Corn, dry bean and other fall harvest activity continues while livestock producers assess range and hay supplies. Monsoon-related moisture reached parts of the state, offering localized relief but not eliminating longer-term water concerns.

Midwest

• Region: Heavy rainfall became the major agricultural story from eastern Iowa through southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and portions of Indiana and Ohio. Some locations received several inches during the week, improving soil moisture but delaying harvest and raising concerns about field access and grain quality where rainfall was heaviest.
• Iowa: Corn and soybean harvest was underway before heavy rain slowed fieldwork across central and eastern areas. Iowa also remains the nation’s largest hog-producing state, with 24.7 million hogs and pigs reported September 1 as the national herd declined from last year.
• Missouri: Northern Missouri benefited from rainfall while southern areas remained much hotter and drier. Corn and soybean harvest is expanding, but pasture conditions remain uneven, and livestock producers continue assessing fall forage.
• Illinois: Corn and soybean harvest advanced before heavy rainfall interrupted fieldwork, particularly in northern portions of the state. Grain movement is increasing, and producers are watching basis and drying costs as harvest volume builds.
• Indiana: Harvest continues across corn and soybeans, though heavy rain affected northern areas. Livestock, poultry, and grain farms are also absorbing sharply higher diesel costs during fall hauling and fieldwork.
• Ohio: Rain improved moisture but temporarily slowed harvest in some areas. Corn and soybeans continue moving toward maturity while livestock and dairy farms focus on forage quality and winter feed inventories.

Delta & South

• Region: Heat and limited rainfall remained dominant across much of the Delta and Southeast, accelerating crop harvest but further stressing pasture and livestock. Rice harvest is well ahead of its normal national pace, while cotton condition remains substantially weaker than a year ago and peanut harvest is beginning.
• Arkansas: Rice harvest is moving rapidly, and soybean and cotton harvest are expanding. Persistent heat has helped fieldwork but continues to challenge pasture, livestock and remaining late-season crops.
• Louisiana: Rice, soybeans and cotton continue moving through harvest under generally favorable field conditions. Pasture and cattle operations remain more vulnerable where rainfall has been limited.
• Mississippi: Cotton and soybean harvest are accelerating as producers take advantage of dry weather. Heat and limited moisture remain concerns for pasture and fall forage establishment.
• Tennessee: Corn and soybean harvest are running ahead of normal, helped by dry conditions across much of the state. The same weather has increased stress on pasture and hay supplies, particularly in western and central areas.
• Kentucky: Corn and soybean harvest continue to advance, with dry weather supporting field access. Livestock producers remain focused on pasture condition and winter forage after prolonged late-summer heat.
• Alabama: Cotton, peanut and row-crop harvest are increasing while cattle producers continue managing heat-stressed pasture. Dry weather has helped machinery stay in fields but has limited late forage recovery.
• Georgia: Cotton and peanut harvest are becoming the major field activities while drought pressure remains significant in some areas. August milk production was 7% above a year earlier, one of the stronger increases among major dairy states.
• Florida: Peanut harvest is underway while livestock and specialty-crop producers manage highly variable rainfall. August milk production increased 6.8% from last year despite continued heat and production challenges.
• North Carolina: Corn harvest is well advanced, with soybeans, cotton and peanuts following. The state also remains one of the nation’s largest hog producers, making feed costs and pork-market conditions especially important after USDA reported a smaller national hog inventory.
• South Carolina: Cotton and peanut harvest continue while drought and heat have reduced pasture quality in several areas. Livestock producers are watching hay inventories closely ahead of fall and winter.
• Virginia: Corn harvest and soybean maturity continue while cattle, poultry and dairy operations prepare winter feed inventories. Forage conditions remain highly dependent on local rainfall after an uneven summer.
• West Virginia: Hay, cattle and diversified farms benefited from rainfall in parts of the state, although conditions remain variable. Producers are shifting from summer forage management toward winter feed planning.

West & Southwest

• Region: Agriculture across the West remains focused on harvest, irrigation and water availability. Monsoon moisture brought localized relief to Arizona and New Mexico, while California and much of the Far West stayed comparatively dry and cool.
• California: Nut, grape, vegetable and other specialty-crop harvests remain active, with cooler weather easing some heat pressure. Water supplies, irrigation expense and labor remain central management issues heading into fall.
• Arizona: Cotton and livestock producers received localized monsoon moisture, improving range conditions in some areas. Heat remains a concern, and irrigation demand continues for late-season crops.
• New Mexico: Recent rainfall improved portions of central and eastern New Mexico, offering some rangeland recovery. Cattle producers are also watching the gradual return of Mexican feeder cattle through border crossings under enhanced New World screwworm inspections.
• Nevada: Hay and livestock producers are shifting toward winter feeding plans as the growing season winds down. Irrigation supplies and stored forage remain key concerns in drier areas.
• Utah: Hay harvest and livestock movement continue while producers assess winter feed and range supplies. Recent moisture improved some locations, though long-term water management remains important.

Northwest & Northern Rockies

• Region: Grain logistics are a major story in the Pacific Northwest. USDA reports 705,917 metric tons of corn were inspected for export from regional terminals during the week ending September 17, an all-time record for that particular week, while rail grain carloads ran 16% above a year earlier.
• Washington: Grain terminals are handling strong corn exports to Japan and South Korea while wheat planting moves forward. Apple harvest is active, and hop growers are entering the post-harvest period with national hop stocks down 9% from a year ago.
• Oregon: Specialty crops, grass seed and tree-fruit harvest continue while livestock operations prepare winter forage. August milk production increased 7.7% from last year, while hop inventories remain part of the broader supply picture for Northwest growers.
• Idaho: Potato harvest is accelerating alongside grain and forage work. Dairy remains a major demand center for feed, while high diesel and freight costs are adding expense during peak fall movement.
• Montana: Small-grain harvest is wrapping up, and livestock producers are moving toward fall grazing and winter feed planning. Rain improved portions of the state, including some areas that had been dry through summer.
• Wyoming: Cattle and hay remain the primary focus as producers move livestock from summer ranges. Moisture improved some western and central areas, but hay supplies and winter feeding costs remain key considerations.

Northeast

• Region: Fall harvest continues across dairy, orchard, vegetable and field-crop operations. Heavy rain affected parts of the northern Atlantic Coast earlier in the period, while other areas remained relatively dry as corn silage and grain harvest progressed.
• New York: Dairy farms remain focused on corn silage, forage quality and feed inventories. Apple and vegetable harvest are also active as producers move deeper into fall.
• Pennsylvania: Corn silage and grain harvest continue while soybean maturity advances. Dairy producers are balancing forage quality, feed needs and higher transportation costs.
• Maryland: Early corn harvest reports have generally been stronger than some growers feared after prolonged summer dryness, with fields in parts of the region running 180 to 220 bushels per acre. Later-maturing corn will determine whether that trend holds.
• Delaware: Corn and soybean harvest continue alongside poultry and vegetable production. Dry periods have helped fieldwork, while feed costs and grain movement remain important for the poultry sector.
• New Jersey: Vegetable, nursery and fruit harvest remain active while field-crop growers move into corn and soybean harvest. Producers are also preparing fall ground and cover crops.
• Connecticut: Heavy rainfall affected portions of the state during the previous week. Dairy, orchard and vegetable farms continue fall harvest while monitoring field access and forage quality.
• Massachusetts: Cranberry and apple harvest are increasing while dairy and diversified farms finish forage work. Fall moisture will influence pasture conditions before dormancy.
• Rhode Island: Vegetable and nursery producers continue seasonal harvest and marketing. Livestock operations are assessing stored feed before winter.
• Vermont: Dairy producers are finishing corn silage and other forage work. Milk production and feed quality remain central concerns heading into the colder season.
• New Hampshire: Apple, vegetable and forage harvest continue while dairy and livestock farms prepare winter feed. Recent cooler weather is pushing operations toward the end of the growing season.
• Maine: Potato harvest remains the major field activity, alongside dairy and livestock production. Producers are focused on storage conditions, transportation and winter feed inventories.

Upper Midwest & Great Lakes

• Region: Heavy rain was the dominant development across parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, improving moisture but slowing harvest. Dairy production remains strong nationally, supported more by herd expansion than increased milk per cow, while Midwest diesel averaged $6.68 per gallon during the latest week.
• Minnesota: Heavy rainfall slowed some corn and soybean harvest while improving moisture supplies. Dairy, sugarbeet and livestock operations continue fall work, and August milk production increased from a year earlier.
• Wisconsin: Heavy rain interrupted corn silage and grain harvest in several areas. Dairy farms remain focused on forage quality, feed inventories and hauling costs as winter approaches.
• Michigan: Corn and soybean harvest is beginning, while dry beans, sugarbeets, and specialty crops remain active. Dairy farms continue forage work, with producers monitoring feed quality after variable summer weather.

Alaska, Hawaii & U.S. Territories

• Alaska: Significant rainfall reached several areas during the latest reporting period as livestock, hay and small-grain producers move toward winter. Feed storage and protecting animals and equipment from colder weather are becoming the primary management concerns.
• Hawaii: Tropical crops and livestock continue under generally stable conditions, with rainfall strongest on windward areas. Feed, fertilizer, and transportation costs remain persistent challenges for island agriculture.
• Puerto Rico: Tropical crop and livestock production continues under variable rainfall. Feed, fertilizer, energy, and transportation costs remain major challenges because of the island’s dependence on imported agricultural inputs.
• U.S. Virgin Islands: Livestock and specialty-crop operations remain highly dependent on rainfall and imported feed. Water storage and forage availability continue to shape production decisions.
• Guam: Tropical agriculture remains centered on local fruit, vegetable, and livestock production. Imported feed and transportation costs remain significant constraints.
• American Samoa: Local food production continues across tropical crops and small livestock operations. Shipping expenses and limited input availability remain persistent challenges.
• Northern Mariana Islands: Producers continue small-scale tropical crop and livestock production while managing high input and transportation costs. Local food production remains important for reducing dependence on imported supplies.