For Sheridan Skala, Owatonna, Minnesota (Steele County, family farm heritage) Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Filed by The MI Farm AI Desk.
Weather, Steele County, MN
What this means for today: Areas of fog before 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Wind 0 to 7 mph through the day (see the hour by hour table below). Source: NOAA National Weather Service via the MI Farm AI weather layer for Steele County, MN, 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 6 mph. Rain WindowWe could not get a reading right on your field this morning. The nearest weather station (Owatonna MN, about 4 miles northeast) recorded no rain in the past 24 hours. Your own ground may differ, so check your gauge. 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 208,000 bu corn at $5.07/bu via Crystal Valley, Owatonna (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 slipped about 20 cents; and beans slipped about 5 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 Morning Ag Clips: US Corn Ending Stocks Up 35% From Last Year, Soybean Ending Stocks Down 3%. Honest truth, the tape does not hand us one clean reason today, so take this as our best read, not gospel. Stocks are steady going into the open, S&P futures close to flat. A calm Wall Street is what your banker likes to see, it keeps the rate and input-cost backdrop behind your operating note quiet for another day. 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. US Corn Ending Stocks Up 35% From Last Year, Soybean Ending Stocks Down 3%
1. USDA has released its Grain Stocks report for September 2026, showing that old crop corn stocks have increased by 35% from the previous year. 2. The report also indicates that soybean ending stocks have decreased by 3% and all wheat stocks have decreased by 13%. 3. Durum wheat stocks have decreased by 13%, with on-farm stocks down by 15% and off-farm stocks down by 6%. 4. The Grain Stocks report is based on surveys conducted in the first two weeks of September, and includes revisions to previous season's production for corn and soybeans.
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Wed Sep 30, 2026 5:39 PM CT 2. 2026 Great New York State Fair by the Numbers: Fun Facts, Fair Feats, and Unforgettable Memories!
In 2026, The Great New York State Fair attracted nearly a million visitors and highlighted the importance of agriculture and community. Visitors explored sustainable farming practices and innovative technology while enjoying a variety of food options. Agriculture remains the heart of the fair. Highlights include record-breaking concert attendance, cultural performances and interactive experiences. It's just 47 weeks until The Great New York State Fair opens its gates in 2027 for another year of unforgettable moments.
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Wed Sep 30, 2026 5:18 PM CT 3. USDA report bearish for corn, supportive for beans, neutral for wheat
Summary: The USDA's latest report showed a bearish outlook for corn production due to wet conditions and limited harvest activity in the Midwest. Meanwhile, wheat was deemed neutral, while soybeans received some support from the same wet conditions. Corn futures were impacted negatively by these factors, while wheat futures remained unchanged and soybean futures saw a slight rise in value. These findings highlight the importance of weather conditions on crop production and market demand for various grains. Farmers should keep an eye on this information to make informed decisions about their planting and harvest strategies.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Wed Sep 30, 2026 4:43 PM CT 4. Attorneys spar in court over forced-labor tariffs
In court, judges questioned the legality of the US Trade Representative (USTR) imposing forced-labor tariffs on 86 countries. The judges repeatedly asked why USTR ignored a requirement in the Forced Labor Tariffs Act to deem the imposition of tariffs unreasonable for developing countries. Pratik Shah, representing the plaintiffs, argued that USTR should have made an economic development determination before imposing the tariffs.
Read the full article. Agri-Pulse, Wed Sep 30, 2026 4:32 PM CT 5. China's weakening soybean demand dims prospects for US cargoes after tariff snub
Beijing/Singapore, Sept. 30: China's soybean demand is likely to decline due to weak animal feed demand and negative crush margins. This leaves little room for US cargoes as they were excluded from proposed tariff relief after last week's Washington summit. Despite a trade deal between the two countries in May, private crushers have taken only South American shipments. Brazilian soybeans are currently being harvested and are quoted at par with US cargoes, excluding the tariffs. Crushers in China's main processing hub of Rizhao are making a loss of 33.54 yuan processing a ton of soybeans on Tuesday. Import demand has weakened due to high inventories and anticipation of soft fourth-quarter feed demand. Soybean inventories at Chinese crushing plants reached 7.96 million tons in the week of September 25, the highest in at least 15 years. The USDA is providing $1 billion under the Regenerative Pilot Program.
Read the full article. AgWeek, Wed Sep 30, 2026 4:06 PM CT 6. USDA details reorganization progress as legal challenge continues
The USDA's Deputy Secretary, Stephen Vaden, has announced significant progress in implementing their department-wide reorganization since its announcement this summer. The agency is hiring new employees in hubs across the country to better serve farmers. However, a legal challenge by federal employee unions in federal court in California has temporarily paused some employee relocations while considering a request for a preliminary injunction. USDA's reorganization efforts are on hold through the end of this week, and if the judge moves forward with an injunction, the USDA could take it to an appellate court. Ultimately, decisions about department management rest with the agriculture secretary and the president.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Wed Sep 30, 2026 3:53 PM CT 7. Passengers describe stopping pilot's alleged attempt to crash Israel-bound flight
MI Farm AI: Breaking news, 170 safe after alleged attempt to crash Israel-bound flight; passengers and crew prevented disaster. Attacker arrested in Saudi Arabia.
Read the full article. PBS NewsHour, Wed Sep 30, 2026 5:55 PM CT 8. Cattle market settles, hogs bull spreading
The live cattle market has finally closed the gap from 218.02 to 216.75 after a drop in price shortly after the open, with a low of 216.10. The market settled at 217.22, below all moving averages. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service conducted an investigation into the sudden drop in price, but found no evidence of any wrongdoing or manipulation. The USDA also issued a statement saying that the market will continue to be closely monitored for any potential irregularities.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Wed Sep 30, 2026 4:45 PM CT 9. Fuel Tax Holiday passage brings relief for Ohio farmers
Mike DeWine for his signature. For Ohio's agricultural community, where fall field operations, harvest transport, and heavy machinery operations require heavy diesel and fuel use, the savings are expected to be substantial. At the same time, agriculture faces a generational set of economic challenges, and farmers need long-term solutions that address the broader pressures driving up production costs." To ensure the temporary pause does not derail critical transportation infrastructure, the legislature allocated $725 million from the state's General Revenue Fund. This will help farmers, but it will also help families across Ohio who feel that same pressure every time they fill up." Because the legislation includes an emergency clause, the tax suspension takes effect immediately upon the governor's signature, bypassing the standard 90-day waiting period for new state laws.
Read the full article. Ohio Country Journal, Wed Sep 30, 2026 4:01 PM CT 10. Heavy rains delay northwest Missouri harvest, threaten grain quality
Heavy rains in northwest Missouri are delaying the harvest and affecting grain quality, according to an agronomist at CropWise Consulting. Constant heavy rains have caused kernels to sprout in the ears and soybean pods to shatter. Farmers are likely to face challenges harvesting a high-quality crop once they can access their fields. The yield checks performed earlier were better than average, but the situation is likely to change with continued rainfall. This represents an unprecedented fall harvest challenge for the agronomist.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Wed Sep 30, 2026 3:54 PM CT Around the WorldThe world news moving your markets this morning, the same read from Cal's desk that runs on your dashboard. USDA Grain Stocks Report September 2026: Corn, Wheat, Soybean Inventories, News and StatisticsSummary: USDA releases Grain Stocks report for September 2026, covering inventories held as of September 1, 2026. Corn stocks increased by 35%, soybean stocks decreased by 3%, wheat stocks decreased by 14%, and barley stocks decreased by 13%. Oats stocks increased by 5% and grain sorghum stocks decreased by 13%, while sunflower stocks increased by 45%. Revisions to acreage, yield, and production for the 2025 crop were made as part of a thorough review of the balance sheets. The report was approved on September 30, 2026 and signed by Secretary of Agriculture Designate Brooke Appleton and Agricultural Statistics Board Chairperson Lance Honig. An interactive table based on the Store Companies dataset for this report is available. IndexBox (via world wire). Read the full story.Local ObituariesNo local obituaries for your area in today's papers. 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, Spanish-American War farm boom 1898The Spanish-American War (April-August 1898) pushed U.S. wheat exports to wartime Europe up sharply, and Midwest farm income with them. The brief boom helped pay off the prairie farm debt left by the 1893-1896 depression. Source: USDA Economic Research Service historical farm income series. [CAL'S QUIZ]
Before the Massey-Harris No. 5 combine arrived in the Midwest in 1924, a typical threshing crew was how many men?
(a) 2 to 5 men
(b) 10 to 25 men
(c) 50 to 75 men
(d) 100 or more men
Answer at the bottom of the Brief. [CAL'S JOKE]
The farmer drove his mother-in-law to town in his pickup. She said, "This is bumpy." He said, "This is honest. The road is bumpy. The pickup is honest about it." She said, "Marketing is wasted on you."
The MI Farm AI Desk
Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, your AI Agronomist and Editor in Chief Quiz Answer(b) 10 to 25 men, sharing meals at every farm for a week. The combine ended the harvest crew and changed rural social life forever. Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American History agricultural collection.
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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.