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September 3, 2026 -- Another hot and humid day today, but the heat and humidity will also work to enhance rain and thunderstorm potential this afternoon...

Permanent pastureland in Ohio will receive a lower Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) beginning with the 2026 reappraisal cycle following an update announced by the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Under the change, qualifying permanent pastureland will be valued at the minimum woodland CAUV value of $230 per acre. The adjustment recognizes that pastureland used for livestock grazing and not included in crop rotations carries different production characteristics and conversion costs than cropland.

The revised valuation will be implemented as counties enter their scheduled reappraisal cycle. In 2026, the change will apply to qualifying land in the 41 counties undergoing reappraisal.

The Ohio Department of Taxation’s 2026 CAUV update also shows values trending downward in those 41 counties. On average, values are approximately 5% lower than during the previous reappraisal cycle, driven largely by higher input costs included in the CAUV formula.

CAUV values represent only one component of a landowner’s property tax bill.… Continue reading

Farmers continued harvesting winter wheat while monitoring developing corn and soybean crops. Crop progress remained near historical averages, and generally adequate soil moisture supported mostly good-to-excellent conditions across major commodities. USDA reports there were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 6.

Corn silking has reached 5%, ahead of last weeks 1%, but trailing just behind the 6% 5-year average. Ohio corn condition was rated 55% good to excellent, with 49% good and 6% excellent.

Soybean blooming reached 14%, ahead of 3% last week, and was behind the 16% 5-year average. Soybean pod setting has reached 1%, just behind the 2% average. Ohio soybean condition was rated 54% good to excellent, with 49% good and 5% excellent.

Winter wheat was 44% harvested, which is behind the 46% five-year average. Ohio wheat condition was rated 70% good to excellent, with 66% good and 4% excellent.

Oats were 81% headed, ahead of the 66% last week, but behind the average of 88%.… Continue reading

June 26, 2026 -- A strong storm complex exited the central plains into southern IA and northern MO overnight and is streaking through IL to start today. Rains push into Indiana by midday, and by mid afternoon we can see rains in west and southwestern parts of Ohio...

Applications are open for the 2026 Growing Tomorrow Grant, a program offering up to $100,000 to support innovative agricultural business ideas and projects led by Ohio’s next generation of farmers and entrepreneurs. 

Created through the vision and generosity of former Ohio Farm Bureau Trustee Mike Boyert, and his wife, Patti, the grant helps create opportunities for early-stage agricultural businesses to move forward by addressing financial and startup hurdles.

Available to any Ohio Farm Bureau young farmer or entrepreneur member, the funding is available for efforts focused on agricultural education, environmental stewardship, rural economic opportunities and solutions that strengthen local communities. 

“Ohio Farm Bureau and our foundation have long been focused on creating opportunities for our young agricultural professionals, and as agriculture faces a long list of challenges, the grant helps these young leaders use their skills to address these challenges and generate a deeper understanding of farming to our consumers and communities,” said Kelly Burns, Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation executive director.… Continue reading

Farmers across the state have been busy this past week. The USDA Crop Progress Report released May 18 showed about half of Ohio’s corn and soybean crops have been planted.

The report detailed that 52% of Ohio’s corn is planted, well above the five-year average of 40%. That is up from 37% recorded in the May 11 report. Corn emerged was reported at 27%.

Soybeans were reported at 46% planted, ahead of the five-year average of 35%. The report released May 11 detailed only 34% of the crop planted. Soybeans emerged were recorded at 24%.

Winter wheat was reported 60% headed, with 68% rated good to excellent.

Read the full report here.… Continue reading

Seed Consultants announced via social media on May 7 that they are changing to the Hoegemeyer® brand. Corteva Agriscience is unifying its regionally focused seed brands, including Seed Consultants, under the Hoegemeyer® brand name for the 2027 planting season.

The post went on to say: “Customers can expect a continued commitment to local products built for their growing conditions, backed with personalized support through our local seed dealer network.”

Hoegemeyer® was previously named the regional seed brand of the Western Corn Belt for Corteva Agriscience in 2018. Hoegemeyer was founded in 1937 by H. Chris Hoegemeyer and his son Leonard C., in Hooper, Nebraska. Learn more at www.hoegemeyer.com.

… Continue reading

By Jon Scheve

As this chart shows, May corn has traded in a tight 30-cent range since last June. Prices are now about 20 cents above pre-war levels. While $4.50 has been acting as a magnet for prices, the question now is whether the surging wheat prices can push corn into a new trading range.

The May contract enters the delivery period today, which will make July the new lead month for traders. July corn has usually been in a tighter 20-cent range than May. The question is: will prices return to that range, or are they going to move into a higher range?

Beans

November beans are at the top of what has been a very range-bound market between $11.40 and $11.70 since mid-February.

Looking Forward

President Trump is scheduled to meet with President Xi of China in mid-May, and both sides have incentives to reach a deal. This suggests downside risk in corn and soybeans may be limited, but it doesn’t guarantee a rally.… Continue reading

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

Some people rank this report day as one of the top three for the entire year.

There were a few key takeaways. Soybean acres were less than expected. Corn acres were above expected. Corn stocks are less than expected.

One point to remember today: Rarely are both corn and soybean acres or grain stocks bullish or bearish.

U.S. acres will be the most-watched feature today. Keep in mind that farmer surveys were a part of the process to determine acres. However, those surveys were collected before the U.S.-Iran conflict began.

USDA today released two reports: U.S. Prospective Plantings and U..S Quarterly Grain Stocks as of March 1.

Following the noon USDA report release, corn is up 2 cents, soybeans are up 12 cents, and wheat is up 8 cents. Just before the report was released, corn was down 3 cents, soybeans down 1 cent, and wheat up 9 cents.… Continue reading

A proposed merger between Mercer Landmark, Centerra Cooperative, and Sunrise Cooperative will not move forward after members at two of the three cooperatives voted against the proposal.

In a video update released March 16, Sunrise Cooperative CEO George Secor said Sunrise members approved the merger, but members at Mercer Landmark and Centerra Cooperative did not.

“First, I’d like to say thanks to all the stockholders and employees. We approved the merger with Centerra and Mercer Landmark. Unfortunately, neither one of them had enough votes to pass, so we will not be going through a merger,” Secor shared in the update.

A release from Centerra Cooperative confirmed the vote outcome: “We’d like to thank all voting members for your participation in the recent vote regarding the proposed merger with Sunrise Cooperative and Mercer Landmark. Less than 60% of the votes cast by Centerra members were in favor of this merger; therefore, Centerra will not be merging with these two cooperatives.”… Continue reading

Late Wednesday night, the House Committee on Agriculture voted 34-17 to advance a new farm bill following nearly three days of markup. The legislation was approved by all Republican members of the committee along with seven Democrats.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., released a statement after the committee approved the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

“Today, my colleagues at the House Committee on Agriculture stepped up for farm country and passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 out of committee,” Thompson said. “I am proud of this bill, as well as the work that’s been done to improve it during the last two days.”

“After a markup that lasted over 20 hours, the legislation reflects the will of the committee, and it is filled with bipartisan provisions that will move the needle for farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans across the country,” he said.… Continue reading

On Feb. 13, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., released the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the preliminary text for a new farm bill — the first full reauthorization since 2018.

Thompson called the legislation “long overdue.”

“This bill provides modern policies for modern challenges and is shaped by years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans,” Thompson said. “The farm bill affects our entire country, regardless of whether you live on a farm, and I look forward to seeing my colleagues in Congress work together to get this critical legislation across the finish line.”

The proposal would provide a five-year reauthorization of commodity, conservation, credit, rural development and crop insurance programs. Lawmakers have referred to the measure as “Farm Bill 2.0,” noting that it revisits several issues not fully addressed in last year’s reconciliation package, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act.… Continue reading

The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) convened farmer leaders from across the state at the Ohio Statehouse for its annual Legislative Day, bringing grower voices directly to lawmakers to advocate for policies critical to Ohio’s soybean industry.

Throughout the day, OSA leaders met with legislators to discuss pending legislation and priority policy issues for soybean producers.

OSA President Bennett Musselman emphasized the significance of the event, stating, “This is one of the most important things we can do as members of an advocacy organization like OSA. We need lawmakers to understand how policy impacts our farm operations and there is no better voice than our own.”

The day included conversations about pending legislation including OSA-supported House Bill 575, which proposes several improvements to the Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV) program. The bill aims to reduce administrative burdens for farmers by eliminating annual renewal forms, requiring counties to offer online applications, providing notification to recipients when valuations change, and simplifying the process for farms operating across multiple counties.… Continue reading

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA

With the extreme drought conditions in northwest Ohio, several fields of wheat planted in late September and early October have yet to emerge. What does this mean for the crop? Laura Lindsey, Ph.D., OSU Extension soybean and small grain specialist says that not all hope is lost, and there is still the potential for an acceptable stand and yield.

“It is extremely unfortunate having these dry conditions in northwest Ohio,” Lindsey said.  “At Ohio State, we have done a lot of planting date research in northwest Ohio. Granted, it is not the same as when it is too dry, but it is similar in the sense that germination and emergence are later than what we would expect.”

Over the last four growing seasons, Lindsey and her team have been re-evaluating wheat planting dates with dates ranging from September 13 through November 10.

“When we planted in northwest Ohio the first week of November, there is a yield penalty compared to a more timely planting around that Hessian fly-free date, but it is not quite as large as what someone would think,” Lindsey said.… Continue reading

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a new plan to support America’s cattle producers. The document, titled “USDA Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry: Strengthening Ranches, Rebuilding Capacity, and Lowering Costs for Consumers,” was released Oct. 22.

“America’s food supply chain is a national security priority for the Trump Administration. We are committed to ensuring the American people have an affordable source of protein and that America’s ranchers have a strong economic environment where they can continue to operate for generations to come,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “At USDA we are protecting our beef industry and incentivizing new ranchers to take up the noble vocation of ranching. Today, USDA will immediately expedite deregulatory reforms, boost processing capacity, including getting more locally raised beef into schools, and working across the government to fix longstanding common-sense barriers for ranchers like outdated grazing restrictions.”

The plan focuses on three pillars:

• Protecting and improving the business of ranching
• Expanding processing, consumer transparency and market access
• Building demand alongside domestic supply

Within the plan, the USDA outlines several initiatives for each pillar, including creating a grazing plan with the Department of the Interior to expand grazing on federal lands, hosting regional listening sessions for ranchers, promoting country-of-origin labels on beef products and supporting school systems in purchasing local beef, and more.… Continue reading

The Ohio Soybean Association released a statement Sept. 25 expressing concern in the Trump administration’s decision to supply aid to Argentina following a move by the Argentine government to export more soybeans to China.

The association issued the following statement:

“Earlier this week, the Argentine government announced it would waive taxes on its soybean exports, resulting in a purchase of 35 vessels of soybeans by China. Yesterday, the U.S. government announced it will extend a $20 billion aid package to the Argentine government and potentially make a purchase of the country’s foreign bonds. The timing of this news is particularly troubling as farmers begin to harvest a crop that may have nowhere to go. In response, Ohio Soybean Association President and Williams County soybean farmer Rusty Goebel issued the following statement:

‘It’s hard for Ohio soybean famers to swallow that just a day after Argentina maneuvered to supplant our market share in China, the Trump Administration announced it will send taxpayer money to Argentina to prop up its failing economy.… Continue reading

The 2025 Farm Science Review has come to a close, and what a memorable week it was. Highlights included Monday’s vendor luncheon, Tuesday’s kickoff breakfast, and the Ice Cream Social celebrating Dale Minyo’s upcoming retirement. On Wednesday, AgRevolution surprised Dale with a cake during his remote broadcast, adding to the festivities.

Throughout the show, our team was on the ground — from the Gwynne Conservation Area to the demonstration fields — capturing interviews, covering events, and sharing the stories of exhibitors and attendees. Visitors even had fun trying out their best Dale Minyo impressions.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s Farm Science Review. We’re grateful to have shared it with you!

… Continue reading