For Nate Meixell, Lake Crystal, Minnesota (Blue Earth County) Thursday, September 17, 2026. Filed by The MI Farm AI Desk.
Weather, Blue Earth County, MN
What this means for today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Wind 3 to 11 mph through the day (see the hour by hour table below). Source: NOAA National Weather Service via the MI Farm AI weather layer for Blue Earth County, MN, pulled this morning. Hour by Hour, the day ahead
Source: NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast and station observations, pulled this morning. Rain Window We could not get a reading right on your field this morning. The nearest weather station (Mankato MN, about 11 miles northeast) recorded 0.15 inches in the past 24 hours. Your own ground may differ, so check your gauge. Corn Today
Cash bid, your nearby buyers (best net after haul first)
Cash bid is each buyer's own posted local price (the local cash plus basis). Ranked best net after haul first (net is the cash bid minus the cost to truck it there). Patronage is money a co-op pays back on the bushels you deliver, often a few cents a bushel.
Local cash bids, as of 2026-09-16.
Grain and Livestock, corn, soybeans, wheat, cattleCal's Grain Call: Price a portion of 140,000 bu corn at $5.20/bu via POET Lake Crystal (a recommendation, see the factors).Corn: Grain in the bin is 2025 old crop corn; in September it prices on the old crop September board. Soybeans: Grain in the bin is 2025 old crop soybean; in September it prices on the old crop September board. Your whole farm money: about $1,076,066 net across your farm at today's board price. This is your complete-budget whole-farm net from the one farm-total writer, not the field boxes added up.
Source: CME livestock futures. Cal's Market ReadOvernight, corn slipped about 1 cents; and beans added about 4 cents. Recent trend, over the last 5 sessions, corn has firmed and beans have firmed. That is the backdrop your cash bid is moving against. Here is our read on why grain moved the way it did overnight. The honest answer is there is no single clean driver, so we point to two likely ones. First, USDA export sales for the week ending September 10th showed corn and soybean sales falling, which leans on prices. Second, traders are sitting on their hands ahead of Friday's Cattle on Feed report, keeping corn heavy while beans found a little buying. Stocks point higher into the open, S&P futures up about 0.5 percent. A firmer tape eases the borrowing and input-cost mood your lender watches, though it does not move your cash bid by itself. Cal Wall Street, yesterday's close
WHY IT MATTERS FOR YOUR FIELDS Decision DeliveredYour decisions for today and the week ahead:
What to Watch Today
From Cal's News DeskThe 10 stories that moved across the wires since yesterday's Brief, sourced, dated, and verifiable. Each one carries Cal's review, the same one the news page shows, with a link to read it straight from the source. 1. Watch live from the Agweek 360 Building at Big Iron: KCBS Pitmaster Secrets
BBQ expert Kevin LaRocque of Kevlar BBQ takes the stage at noon in the Agweek 360 Building to share pitmaster tricks built for the backyard griller. The demonstration is part of the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show, which runs September 15 to 17 and features Agweek panels across all three days. You can catch the talk live online, and the full schedule is posted at agweek.com/bigiron2026. It is a good chance to pick up grilling tips and see what else the show has lined up before it wraps.
Read the full article. AgWeek, Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:45 AM CT 2. Preparing Grain Storages for Harvest
With corn harvest coming, Penn State Extension urges the golden rule of grain storage, start clean to stay clean, because beetles and moth caterpillars are nearly impossible to stop once they settle into your bins. The key is sanitation, sweep out every bit of old grain, scrub walls and floors, seal cracks, and clean up spilled grain, weeds, and grass around the outside of the structure, plus your harvest equipment. For extra protection you can spray cleaned bins with a residual insecticide at least two to three weeks before filling and mix in grain protectants for long-term storage, though open corn cribs stay tricky since fumigation is not possible. Handle these pesticides with care, following all label directions and keeping them away from children, pets, livestock, and water, because a little prevention now saves you a costly infested crop later.
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:32 AM CT 3. Jon Kyl, 3-term Arizona senator, dies at 84
Arizona Republican Jon Kyl, who spent more than 25 years in Congress, has died at 84 from complications of a neurological disease, his family said Thursday. Kyl served in the House from 1987 to 1995 and in the Senate from 1995 to 2013, where he rose to minority whip, then briefly returned in 2018 when Gov. Doug Ducey appointed him to fill the late John McCain's seat. Between his Senate terms he worked as a lobbyist, helping steer Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination and also advocating for young immigrants after the DACA program was ended. He was married to his wife Caryll for more than 50 years, and Ducey remembered him as a mentor and friend who gave the state nearly three decades of principled, thoughtful leadership.
Read the full article. The Hill, Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:24 AM CT 4. Canada poised to become European Union's first 'associate member'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stood before the European Parliament in France and made a bold pitch, wanting Canada to become the very first "associate member" of the European Union. This unprecedented move comes as ties between Canada, western Europe, and the United States have grown noticeably strained in recent months. NBC News correspondent Matt Bodner breaks down what such an alliance would mean and the benefits Canada hopes to gain from tightening its bonds across the Atlantic. For anyone watching global trade shift, this could reshape how one of America's biggest neighbors does business, so the full report is worth your time.
Read the full article. NBC News, Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:53 AM CT 5. Florida Republican breaks with Trump on immigration in campaign ad: Latino voters 'feel betrayed'
Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican first elected in 2020, is breaking sharply with President Trump in a new South Florida campaign ad, telling him the Hispanic voters who helped him win in 2024 now feel betrayed. She defended her stance after immigration agents detained Luis Galeano, an exiled Venezuelan journalist whose U.S. asylum case has been pending for seven years, insisting political exiles should not be treated like criminals. Salazar is pushing her bipartisan Dignity Act, which would let undocumented migrants who arrived before 2021 without criminal records gain legal status, but not citizenship, by paying $7,000 in restitution plus back taxes. Her tighter reelection fight against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez, in a Miami district with one of the nation's highest foreign born populations, has already been downgraded by forecasters from solidly to likely Republican, showing how immigration is splitting the party.
Read the full article. The Hill, Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:39 AM CT 6. Midday cash livestock markets
Cattle trade stayed sluggish midweek with just a few Northern deals, though fresh bids have appeared at $224 live in the South and $342 to $350 dressed in the North, and buyers may wait on Friday's Cattle on Feed report before making moves. Boxed beef slipped hard at midday, with Choice down $3.68 to $372.13 and Select off $2.30 to $352.27, while Nebraska's Bassett auction told a different story as steers ran $4 higher and heifers jumped $11 higher on good demand. On the hog side, major direct prices went unreported on confidentiality, but the market keeps fighting to gain ground as processors hold the leverage, even with the USDA reporting a strong week for export sales. Midwest butcher hogs dropped $2 to $60, yet pork values climbed $1.93 to $88.28 on sharply higher picnics, butts, and bellies, a mixed picture worth watching as demand questions linger.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Thu Sep 17, 2026 12:06 PM CT 7. Could there be another drop in cattle placements?
Cattle industry watchers are bracing for the USDA Cattle on Feed report, with University of Kentucky economist Kenny Burdine saying August placements may show another sharp drop like last month's surprise. Burdine notes that limited cattle imports from Mexico through Douglas, Arizona will not be enough to move the needle. Jackie Moore, owner of Missouri's Joplin Regional Stockyards, one of the nation's largest sale barns, agrees placements will fall, adding that many calves ended up shipped to Canada instead. Pre report estimates peg placements down more than 3 percent, marketings down nearly 4 percent, and all Cattle on Feed up nearly 2 percent, numbers that hint at tighter supplies ahead for anyone watching the beef market.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Thu Sep 17, 2026 12:03 PM CT 8. Rachael Weiland named new CEO of South Dakota Trade
South Dakota Trade has picked Rachael Weiland as its new CEO, filling the seat left by Luke Lindberg, who moved up to Under Secretary of U.S. Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Weiland, a South Dakota State and University of South Dakota graduate, previously ran business engagement for the group before a stint as a marketing manager at VRC Metal Systems, and she takes over from interim leader Joe Fiala. The stakes are big for row crop country, since South Dakota shipped $6.7 billion in products worldwide in 2024, including $4.6 billion in ag goods led by soybeans, corn, and feed grains, with Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, and South Korea as top buyers. For an Iowa farmer watching export markets, this leadership change matters because South Dakota Trade runs trade missions, the STEP grant program, and the Midwest Agricultural Export Summit that help open foreign doors for Midwest crops.
Read the full article. AgWeek, Thu Sep 17, 2026 10:12 AM CT 9. Two State FFA Degrees earned within Gibbon FFA Chapter
Two members of the Gibbon FFA Chapter have earned their State FFA Degrees, a top honor that reflects the group's growing momentum heading into the 2026 to 2027 school year. Members are diving back into their Supervised Agricultural Experiences, prepping for contests, and pushing toward their next degree along the way. Longtime supporter Mike Crosley praised one standout achiever, saying he was light years ahead of other people and that he is trying to follow that same example. It matters because these young Nebraska ag students are building the skills and work ethic that keep farming and rural communities strong for the next generation.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:16 AM CT 10. 421 Youth Participant in 29th Annual All-American Dairy Show Showmanship Contest
A record field of 421 young people turned out at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg to test their skills in the 29th annual All-American Dairy Show Youth Showmanship Contest, held Sunday, Sept. 13. The competitors split into 102 juniors, 170 intermediates and 149 seniors, all leading their dairy cattle before the judges as part of a bigger show running through Sept. 16. Dozens of farm families and sponsors, from JoBo Holstein Farm to Village View Guernseys, backed the young exhibitors, showing how much the dairy community invests in its next generation. It is a reminder that youth livestock contests keep farm kids sharp and connected to agriculture, the same way our own county fairs build tomorrow's producers here in Iowa.
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:15 AM CT Around the WorldThe world news moving your markets this morning, the same read from Cal's desk that runs on your dashboard. Beef, pork export sales rise, while corn, soybeans fallFor the week ending September 10th, American meat sales climbed as net beef sales jumped 65 percent to 14,200 tons, led by South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, while net pork sales rose 10 percent to 30,100 tons with Mexico and Japan buying the most. On the grain side the news was softer, since high U.S. prices compared to other exporters pushed most crop sales below the prior week. Corn sales came in at 40.4 million bushels with Mexico taking the bulk, but unknown buyers canceled on 316,200 tons, leaving marketing year corn exports at 685 million bushels versus 938.3 million a year ago. Soybeans were the bright spot at 62.5 million bushels, with China grabbing 875,300 tons, and year to date bean exports of 758.1 million bushels are running well ahead of last year's 375.1 million. Wheat sales bounced 68 percent to 12 million bushels on buying from the Philippines and Mexico, though soybean meal hit a marketing year low and soybean oil actually saw a small net reduction. The next USDA supply and demand update lands October 9th, so these numbers give a good read on where your corn and bean markets are heading into fall. Brownfield Ag News (United States). Read the full story.Black Sea wheat exports from Ukraine and Russia have halvedGrain traders are watching the Black Sea closely because wheat shipments from Russia and Ukraine have been cut in half compared to last year. For the July through September stretch, the two countries combined moved only about 8 million tonnes, the weakest start to a marketing season since 2010/11. Russia accounted for 5.4 million tonnes, a drop of 53 percent from a year ago, while Ukraine sent out just 2.6 million tonnes, down 45 percent. The figures come from analytics firm SovEcon, as reported by Bloomberg on September 16, 2026. Andriy Sizov, who leads SovEcon, warns that while many buyers expect exports to bounce back quickly, there is still no clear plan to get shipping fully back to normal. For a corn and soybean farmer, tighter global wheat supplies can ripple through grain prices and demand, so this is a story worth following in full. logos-pres.md (via world wire). Read the full story.Local ObituariesWe note the passing of neighbors across your area, gathered from the local papers this morning. Our thoughts are with their families. Earl WhiteMankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.Bull, James "Jim"Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.May, JeanMankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.Gerald CainMankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.SHAW, Darlene Sep 19, 1937, Sep 10, 2026Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.Probach, JoanMankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.Cal's ReceiptCal's Receipt is the running ledger of every call this desk made for your farm, what was at stake, whether you followed it, and what it actually saved (or cost). Append-only, and every dollar cites its source. You will find it on your farm Dashboard, on the Farm Services desk. Open the Dashboard from the button at the bottom of this Brief. Today in Farm SafetyDuring planting and harvest, fatigue is a real hazard, long days slow reaction time the same way alcohol does. Take a real break every few hours, eat, and stop when your judgment starts slipping. The crop will wait; a tired mistake near moving equipment will not. Source: National Ag Safety Database; Marshfield Clinic agricultural medicine. Cal The Coffee ShopToday in Farm History, Robert Bakewell breeding adopted 1936Robert Bakewell's 1700s English livestock-improvement methods, line breeding, performance recording, and progeny testing, were formally adopted by the U.S. dairy industry in the 1936 Dairy Herd Improvement program. Average U.S. cow milk yield in 1936 was 4,300 lb per year; today it is over 24,000 lb. Source: USDA NASS dairy historical series. [CAL'S QUIZ]
Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well in 1859 in which Pennsylvania town?
(a) Pittsburgh
(b) Erie
(c) Titusville
(d) Scranton
Answer at the bottom of the Brief. [CAL'S JOKE]
The farmer side-dressed at 5 AM. The neighbor across the road watched from his porch. The farmer told his wife, "He's keeping score." She said, "Of what?" He said, "Of when he should start. He always waits to see if I survive."
The MI Farm AI Desk
Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, your AI Agronomist and Editor in Chief Quiz Answer(c) Titusville. Drake's August 27, 1859 well launched the petroleum age. Cheap kerosene replaced whale oil in farm lanterns by 1870, and gasoline became viable tractor fuel by 1892. Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
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The MI Farm Brief is the independent daily farm intelligence brief that earns zero when you buy inputs. Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen is the editorial persona of the MI Farm AI desk, the AI-orchestrated production team that produces this Brief every working morning. The Monthly Receipt is signed by the Founder, MI Farm AI. Honest. Independent. Loyal. Transparent. The HILT Covenant.
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The independent farm intelligence brief that earns zero when you buy inputs.
Signed by Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, Editor in Chief, The MI Farm AI Desk.
Signed by Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, Editor in Chief, The MI Farm AI Desk.