For Mark Matuska, Milford, Iowa (Dickinson County) Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Filed by The MI Farm AI Desk.
Weather, Dickinson County, IA
What this means for today: Cloudy, with a high near 74. Wind 0 to 9 mph through the day (see the hour by hour table below). Source: NOAA National Weather Service via the MI Farm AI weather layer for Dickinson County, IA, pulled this morning. Hour by Hour, the day ahead
Source: NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast and station observations, pulled this morning. Wind this morning at your nearest weather station was about 12 mph. Rain WindowWe could not get a reading right on your field this morning. The nearest weather station (Estherville IA, about 16 miles northwest) recorded 0.26 inches in the past 24 hours. Your own ground may differ, so check your gauge. Rain expected at your field: Next 24 hours: 0.00 inches expected Next 48 hours: 0.09 inches expected Next 72 hours: 0.15 inches expected Source: NOAA National Weather Service forecast and NOAA radar rainfall estimates, pulled this morning. Futures board reference (not your cash)
The board is a labeled futures reference, not your cash bid. Your cash and net after haul are below. Corn Today (Dec 2026 board)
Cash bid, your nearby buyers, ranked by net after haul, best first
Cash bid is each buyer's own posted local price (the local cash plus basis). Ranked by net after haul, best first (ties break to the shorter haul, then higher cash). 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 2026-09-30.
Soybeans Today (Nov 2026 board)
Cash bid, your nearby buyers, ranked by net after haul, best first
Cash bid is each buyer's own posted local price (the local cash plus basis). Ranked by net after haul, best first (ties break to the shorter haul, then higher cash). 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 2026-09-30.
Grain and Livestock, corn, soybeans, wheat, cattleCal's Grain Call: Price a portion of 69,700 bu corn at $5.11/bu via NEW Cooperative, Milford (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: The growing 2026 crop is new crop soybean; it prices on the November board.
Source: CME livestock futures. Cal's Market ReadOvernight, corn added about 3 cents; and beans added about 9 cents. Recent trend, over the last 5 sessions, corn has eased and beans have eased. That is the backdrop your cash bid is moving against. Here is our read on why. Cutting the other way, demand still reads firm per USDA Farm Service Agency: USDA Designates Pipestone, Rock, and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota as Natural Disaster Areas. Honest truth, the tape does not hand us one clean reason today, so take this as our best read, not gospel. Stocks point higher into the open, S&P futures up about 0.3 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 9 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. An apple (or pear) a day
Sheri Poore, a former Tri-State Neighbor editor and now living in Sioux Falls, encourages South Dakota road trip travelers to include stops at local apple orchards for both pleasure and health benefits. Meanwhile, Kalven Winkler of rural Curlew, Iowa, has been tending chickens since childhood. Direct communication with someone about suicidal thoughts can provide hope and prevent unimaginable suffering, according to a Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. The article is powered by BLOX Content Management System from bloxdigital.com.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:15 AM CT 2. Building Resilience on the Farm: Financial, Family, and Personal Support
Tuesday, October 27, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, the CCE Albany County office in Voorheesville, NY will host a FREE presentation on building resilience on the farm. This event is open to all farmers and farm families. John Thurgood and Jan Kirshenbaum from NY FarmNet will provide an overview of their resources, including financial consulting, estate planning, personal well-being, and behavioral health support. They will also discuss how farmers can access assistance when facing challenges that affect their farm, family, or personal lives. Register at
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:59 AM CT 3. Speakers to Share Next-Level Transition Planning Insight at November Workshop
1. Dairy farmers are invited to a workshop on November 12 in Lancaster County, Pa. to learn about next-level transition planning. 2. The day-long event, hosted by Penn State Extension and the Center for Dairy Excellence, covers everything from communication and family dynamics to legal and accounting considerations. 3. Speakers include Mike McGrann, a Managing Director at BBH Center for Family Business, Jennifer Wetzel, a lawyer specializing in agriculture, and Mike Peachey, a CPA and partner with Acuity Advisors and CPAs. 4. Registration is $40 for the first family member to attend and $10 for each additional family member. Entire dairy farm families are encouraged to attend the event.
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:52 AM CT 4. Daybreak Sept. 30: Tariff case to be argued in ITC
Today, the International Court of Trade will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging President Trump's Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative undertook a sweeping investigation to ensure the administration had no breaks in its tariff agenda. The case, brought by the Liberty Justice Center, argues that the executive branch cannot disregard the limits Congress imposed on Section 301. Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria is considering a request from federal employee unions to temporarily block USDA's reorganization effort. In his opinion piece published in the Houston Chronicle yesterday, Bob Stallman strongly criticized GOP candidate Ken Paxton for his lack of moral fitness and failure to oppose policies harming farmers and ranchers.
Read the full article. Agri-Pulse, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:18 AM CT 5. Israel-bound flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia after 'violent incident' between pilots
The diversion occurred after a "violent incident" between two pilots on board the Flydubai flight, according to multiple outlets, including CNN. The details of the incident are still under investigation, but according to the Jerusalem Post, the additional flight crew and several passengers helped land the plane after the incident.
Read the full article. Washington Examiner, Wed Sep 30, 2026 7:11 AM CT 6. Ken Griffin Announces Record $3B Donation to Carnegie Mellon
MI Farm AI: Ken Griffin announces record $3B donation to Carnegie Mellon. The billionaire hedge fund manager's gift is aimed at revolutionizing higher education and equipping students for the future economy. Stephanie Gosk of NBC talks to Griffin and university president Farnam Jahanian about their ambitious plans. The article discusses a $3 billion donation made by Ken Griffin, a hedge fund manager and philanthropist, to Carnegie Mellon University. This is the largest individual donation ever made to a university, and it comes with ambitious goals to transform higher education. Griffin and university president Farnam Jahanian sit down with NBC's Stephanie Gosk to discuss their plans for preparing students for the rapidly changing economy. The article does not provide any specific details about how the donation will be used or what changes Carnegie Mellon University plans to make.
Read the full article. NBC News, Wed Sep 30, 2026 7:43 AM CT 7. Newsom bars ICE from using shock gloves, other 'Orwellian' tactics in California
Summary: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) recently signed a law banning the use of electric shock gloves by law enforcement in the state. This is part of his ongoing opposition to "Orwellian immigration tactics" promoted by the Trump administration. The ban, effective next year and lasting through 2030, applies to all local, state, and federal law enforcement officers operating in California.
Read the full article. The Hill, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:04 AM CT 8. USDA Designates Pipestone, Rock, and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota as Natural Disaster Areas
The USDA has designated Pipestone, Rock, and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota as natural disaster areas due to extreme weather conditions that caused crop damage and loss. This designation makes farmers in these counties eligible for emergency assistance programs such as Emergency Farm Loans, Marketing Assistance Loans, and Disaster Recovery programs. The USDA has also established a supplemental disaster relief program for 2023/2024 to provide additional support to farmers affected by the natural disasters. This news is important for farmers in these counties as it can help them access the resources they need to recover from the damages and continue their operations.
Read the full article. USDA Farm Service Agency, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:00 AM CT 9. South Dakota governor's response to diesel prices may not help producers, ag leader says
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seth Tupper for questions: info@southdakotasearchlight.com . Most seed put into the ground in the Midwest is treated, but the jury is still out as to the most effective use of chemical and biological add...
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Wed Sep 30, 2026 8:08 AM CT Local ObituariesWe note the passing of neighbors across your area, gathered from the local papers this morning. Our thoughts are with their families. Carol Leone (Adams) RiessenDickinson County News obituaries. Read the full obituary.Rose-Marie 'Ro' Doty JacksonDickinson County News obituaries. Read the full obituary.Mark ElliottDickinson County News obituaries. Read the full obituary.Ginger OsterholtDickinson County News obituaries. Read the full obituary.Dan TryonDickinson County News obituaries. Read the full obituary.William 'Bill' SchugDickinson County News 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 SafetyBefore you reach into any jammed combine, baler, or chopper, shut the engine off and take the key. Idling power can re-engage in a heartbeat, header and pickup injuries happen when someone clears a plug with the machine still live. Engine off, key in your pocket, then clear it. Source: National Ag Safety Database; ROPS and PTO safety, OSHA. Cal The Coffee ShopToday in Farm History, Wright brothers first flight 1903On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew the first powered aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The first commercial agricultural aviation flight (crop dusting for catalpa sphinx moths in Ohio) followed on August 3, 1921, the start of "ag aviation" still flying over your beans today. Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum; National Agricultural Aviation Association history. [CAL'S QUIZ]
How heavy was the butter sculpture at Iowa's pavilion at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition?
(a) 130 pounds
(b) 1,300 pounds
(c) 13,000 pounds
(d) 130,000 pounds
Answer at the bottom of the Brief. [CAL'S JOKE]
A dairy bull stared at a farmer for two minutes. The farmer didn't move. After two minutes the bull walked away. The farmer told his wife, "He decided he had better things to do." She said, "Lucky for both of you."
The MI Farm AI Desk
Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, your AI Agronomist and Editor in Chief Quiz Answer(b) 1,300 pounds. The Chicago fair (May 1-October 30, 1893) was the first national showcase of Midwest farm productivity. Over 27 million people attended, more than 40% of the entire U.S. population at the time. Source: Chicago Historical Society; Smithsonian Institution.
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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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Signed by Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, Editor in Chief, The MI Farm AI Desk.