Farmer sentiment improved for the second consecutive month in May, reaching its highest level since May 2021. The sentiment boost was driven by a more optimistic outlook on U.S. agricultural exports and a less negative view of how tariffs will impact farm income in 2025.
Read more
A policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says land values in the Seventh District were up slightly from a year ago in the first quarter of 2025.
Read more
In 2024, total economic costs per acre for growing corn in Illinois averaged between $1,154 in the southern section and $1,251 in central areas with high-rated soils. Soybean costs ranged from $863 to $931 per acre.
Read more
The American Farm Bureau Federation is seeking entrepreneurs to apply for the 2026 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The overall winner of the competition will receive $100,000 in startup funds, the runner-up will be awarded $25,000 and two additional business owners who advance to the final four round will receive $10,000.
Read more
The USDA released its eighth Crop Progress Report of the 2025 growing season on May 5. Here’s a look at the most recent corn, soy, wheat, and oat numbers.
Read more
The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI), which covers 10 regional states across 200 rural communities, reports that in April, the overall index fell below growth neutral 50.0 for the 19th time in the past 20 months.
Read more
Farmer sentiment improved in April as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed 8 points to a reading of 148. Somewhat surprisingly, this month’s improvement in farmer sentiment occurred despite ongoing trade disputes with many of U.S. agriculture’s largest trading partners, including Mexico, Canada and China.
Read more
Farmer sentiment declined in March as concerns over agricultural trade and farm policy weighed on producers’ outlook for the future
Read more
Attendees from across North America, including many Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (FEMA) member companies, gathered to explore the latest advancements and connect with industry leaders at Commodity Classic.
Read more
For the 17th time in the past 18 months, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) sank below the 50.0 reading in February, according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Read more
Farmer sentiment remained strong at the start of the new year, rising modestly from December to January. Farmers reported an improvement in current conditions on their farms due in part to increases in crop prices from early December to mid-January.
Read more
Despite another one-year extension of the farm bill, and $20.8 billion in farm disaster relief, the farm (grain) economic outlook remained weak for the first half of 2025.
Read more
Farmer sentiment drifted lower in December as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 9 points to 136. Although the barometer weakened somewhat in December compared to November, producers still retained much of their post-election optimism about the future.
Read more
Farmer sentiment jumped again in November as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed 30 points to 145. Both the Current Conditions and Future Expectations indices increased in November, with the biggest improvement taking place in future expectations.
Read more
For the first time since July 2023, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) rose above growth neutral, according to the November survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Read more
As Congress enters the post-election, lame duck session, it is becoming increasingly clear that a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill is likely.
Read more
October provided a surprising pre-election bounce in farmer sentiment as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index climbed to 115, 27 points higher than in September.
Read more
The latest deadline for the farm bill passed unceremoniously at midnight on Sept. 30, without a push from lawmakers to pass a new farm bill or an extension.
Read more
Hurricane Helene has caused significant agricultural and property damage across the southern U.S., halting chicken processing plants, damaging flocks, and devastating pecan trees and cotton crops.
Read more
The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer recorded its lowest readings since March 2016 in September.
Read more
The Rural Mainstreet Index plummeted to its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic and fell below growth neutral for the 13th straight month.
Read more
In a sharp turnaround from July, farmer sentiment nose-dived in August. The August Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 13 points. Weakening farm income prospects weighed on farmer sentiment as the outlook for a bountiful fall harvest were more than offset by declining crop prices.
Read more
A Senate Appropriates Committee met to discuss the passage of the Farm Bill and the importance in providing a safety net for farmers through reference prices.
Read more
The already-slim chances of Farm Bill reauthorization in 2024 are waning in the summer heat, facing a legislative calendar almost out of days.
Read more
For an 11th straight month, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) sank below growth neutral, according to the July survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Read more
Farmer sentiment drifted lower in June as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading of 105 was three points lower than a month earlier.
Read more
A new Farm Journal poll conducted on behalf of Invest in Our Land across 10 leading agricultural states shows that American farmers and ranchers overwhelmingly believe conservation funding has an important role to play in building their operations’ resilience to increasingly extreme weather and addressing the effects of climate change.
Read more
After stockpiling crops for much of this season due to low prices, many farmers in the world’s largest corn-producing nation continue to shun buyers despite few signs that prices will improve.
Read more
As of June 9, nearly all corn in the top 18 corn-growing states has emerged, with minimal drought conditions affecting most states. Texas is the sole state experiencing extreme drought.
Read more
USDA released its 10th Crop Progress report of the 2024 growing season on June 3. Here’s a look at the most recent corn, soy, wheat, and oat numbers.
Read more
Fifty-three percent of the nation’s top ag retailers said the 2024 growing season rates between a five and seven on their 10-point scale.
Read more
U.S. corn and soybean planting both remain ahead of average. That’s despite last week’s heavy rainfall in some areas, including flooding, severe storms, and the loss of human life, with most forecasts showing a good near-term planting window for much of the region this week.
Read more
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture completed its markup of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (Farm Bill) on May 24, 2024, passing the proposed legislation 33-21
Read more
Farmer sentiment recovered somewhat in May following a sharp drop-off in April. The May reading of the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer came in at 108, up 9 points compared to April.
Read more
Republicans moved their long-awaited new farm bill through the U.S. House Agriculture Committee last week, despite opposition from most Democrats.
Read more
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee Friday released the draft bill text of the long-awaited $1.5 trillion farm bill, which is likely to face opposition in the Senate from Democrats due to disagreements over federal anti-hunger programs and climate change requirements.
Read more
The USDA released its eighth Crop Progress Report of the 2024 growing season. Here’s a look at the most recent corn, soy, wheat, and oat numbers.
Read more
Farmer sentiment declined sharply in April, as indicated by the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, which fell 15 points from March to a reading of 99.
Read more
The Treasury Department will allow U.S.-made ethanol and other biofuels to qualify for a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Read more
U.S. soybean exports to China are set to decline further in 2024 as Argentina and Brazil increase their share in the world’s largest soybean market.
Read more
House Ag Chair Thompson is ramping up to release the House farm bill draft ahead of the planned May 23 markup.
Read more
For an eighth straight month, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) sank below growth neutral, according to the April survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Read more
Farmer sentiment improved modestly in March with the rise primarily attributable to producers expecting financial conditions on their farms to improve in the year ahead. The improvement in farmers’ financial outlook was buttressed by an improved interest outlook with nearly half of this month’s respondents saying they expect interest rates to decline over the next 12 months.
Read more
Here’s a look at drought conditions across the top 18 corn growing states as of the end of February 2024.
Read more
U.S. farmland declined by nearly 20 million acres between 2017 and 2022. As of 2022, there were 880.1 million acres of land dedicated to farming, compared to 900.1 million in 2017.
Read more
The U.S. trade dispute with Mexico over genetically modified corn is expected to be resolved by the end of this year.
Read more
Farmers can expect the largest recorded year-to-year dollar drop in net farm income in 2024.
Read more
For a sixth straight month, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) sank below growth neutral, according to the February survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy.
Read more
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture has chosen five issues to serve as the organization’s primary policy focus for 2024. They include the 2024 Farm Bill, food safety, labor reform, pesticide regulation and PFAS.
Read more
For the second month in a row, farmer sentiment improved as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer climbed five points to reach an index value of 115 which left the index 12 percent higher than a year earlier
Read more