January 7, 2026

Kansas’ winter wheat crop kicked off 2026 with solid ratings. The USDA says 60% of the crop is in good to excellent shape, 13% more than this time last year. That’s despite more than a third of the state having substandard soil moisture levels following a generally dry month in much of the central and […] The post Kansas winter wheat rating above a year ago appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The 2026 Indiana legislative session is officially underway. Ryan Hoff, INFB’s senior director of government relations, says property tax reform and supporting local communities remain two of the top priorities for Indiana Farm Bureau members in 2026. “We want to make sure that there is tax fairness for folks living in unincorporated areas and that […] The post Indiana Farm Bureau members outline 2026 policy priorities with state legislators appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig has announced plans to introduce the Iowa Farm Act during the 2026 state legislative session. He tells Brownfield the comprehensive package is similar to a federal farm bill. “We think it’s right that in a state like Iowa where agriculture is such an important driver of our economy and society, […] The post Naig announces Iowa Farm Act appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

The prospect of low commodity prices and high input costs has farmers like Mark Mueller considering crop fertility changes. The eastern Iowa corn and soybean grower says he recently purchased anhydrous ammonia for spring application. “As far as changing my practices, I’ve decided not to put all of my nitrogen on as anhydrous ammonia in […] The post Iowa farmer adjusts nitrogen strategy amid high input costs appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Snow during the early part of December didn’t have much of an impact on ag in Iowa. The USDA says that while most of Iowa saw measurable snowfall last month, except for the southeastern district, precipitation was below normal. Farmers were able to move grain without many issues and livestock conditions are called good, with […] The post Soil moisture a concern for Iowa appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Indiana was cool and dry during much of December. The USDA says the average statewide temperature for Indiana was a couple of degrees below normal, while precipitation fell more than an inch below most years. That pulled soil moisture levels lower, even as temperatures warmed up in the back half of the month, melting snow […] The post Cool, dry end to 2025 for Indiana appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

Illinois’ winter wheat crop started 2026 in worse condition than 2025. The USDA says 64% of the crop is rated good to excellent, a decline of 5% on the year, partially due to the lower-than-a-year-ago soil moisture levels across the state. 33% of the crop is in fair condition, up 5%, and 3% is poor-to-very-poor, […] The post Illinois winter wheat rating lower than last year appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story

December was dry and mild for most of Arkansas. The USDA says more than half of the state has adequate to surplus soil moisture, but levels are well below a year ago. 15 counties ended 2025 under a burn ban because of the dry weather, which is also impacting winter forage growth. The USDA’s weekly […] The post Arkansas soil moisture levels below a year ago appeared first on Brownfield Ag News. View Full Story