For Nate Meixell, Lake Crystal, Minnesota (Blue Earth County) Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Filed by The MI Farm AI Desk. Weather, Lake Crystal, MN
What this means for today: Sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 98. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Source: NOAA National Weather Service point forecast for Lake Crystal, MN, pulled this morning. Hour by Hour, the day ahead
Source: NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast and station observations, pulled this morning. Grain and Livestock, corn, soybeans, wheat, cattleCal's Grain Call: Book about a third of your old crop corn today above your $4.11 breakeven, and put a floor under the rest. You are never a forced seller below your cost.Source: Hold/Sell CMBS + 2-round Devil's Advocate: 10 analysts, then an adversarial re-examination that corrected the call, as of 2026-07-06.
Source: Chicago Board of Trade. Cal's Market ReadOvernight, corn steady; beans added about 6 cents; and wheat 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: IL Corn Celebrates Father's Day Farm Family Photo Contest Winners. 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 0.2 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. Manage pastures for summer success
Greg Abbott expressed concern June 5 that a new factory isn't expected to start breeding sterile New World screwworm flies for more...
Read the full article. Iowa Farmer Today, Tue Jul 14, 2026 4:15 AM CT 2. Hormuz dispute intensifies as U.S.-Iran ceasefire collapses
The truce between Washington and Tehran has fallen apart, and President Trump vowed to hit Iran "very hard" while the Pentagon confirmed a third straight night of U.S. strikes after Iran fired on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump plans to blockade the strait, name the U.S. its "guardian," and charge a 20% toll on cargo for safe passage, a move that clashes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio's earlier stance that no country can charge fees on an international waterway. Oil and gasoline prices already jumped Monday, with crude at a nearly four week high and gasoline at a five week high, and Trump says he will address the nation Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern. This matters to your bottom line because Hormuz is a key chokepoint for both energy and farm goods, and Sen. John Kennedy warns that only restoring traffic to 40 or 50 percent may hold energy prices down, with no promises on fertilizer.
Read the full article. Agri-Pulse, Mon Jul 13, 2026 7:09 PM CT 3. The garden bounty begins and Lovina shares updates on her family
Cooler mornings finally broke the heat, but Lovina Eicher admits her garden is still full of weeds waiting to be pulled. Her son-in-laws cut down a storm-damaged maple at sister Verena's place, landing it across the road and clearing it fast, while Verena also battled a corneal erosion from the dry air and got a medicated contact. The garden is paying off with hot peppers, green peppers, lettuce, onions, zucchini, and a heavy load of green tomatoes that Joe pruned from the bottom up, a new trick he learned at church to boost airflow and prevent blight while sitting on his mobility scooter thanks to three or four herniated discs. Between watering hanging flowers, Lovina found finch nests with eggs and chicks on her porch, wished daughter Loretta and son-in-law Daniel Ray happy birthdays, and shared her pea salad recipe from The Essential Amish Cookbook.
Read the full article. AgWeek, Mon Jul 13, 2026 4:42 PM CT 4. Deputy US Marshal fatally shot while serving arrest warrant in Louisiana
Officials confirm Puckett opened fire on two deputies during a welfare check in Carroll County. "Sheriff's Detectives, along with members of the U.S. "The FBI responded to an incident this afternoon in Alexandria with the Alexandria Police Department, Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, and Louisiana State Police," the FBI New Orleans Field Office said in a statement. Please pray for the deputy's family and friends."
Read the full article. Fox News, Tue Jul 14, 2026 1:58 AM CT 5. U.S. strikes Iran for third night after Trump reinstates Iran blockade
For the third straight night, U.S. forces struck targets inside Iran after President Trump reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports. The move also includes a proposal to charge new fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries much of the world's oil. NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake reports the two nations are now trading strikes along with conflicting claims about control of that vital shipping lane. For a farmer, this matters because tension in the Strait of Hormuz can push fuel and fertilizer costs higher and rattle the export markets your corn and soybeans depend on.
Read the full article. NBC News, Mon Jul 13, 2026 6:15 PM CT 6. Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance to Break Ground on Fields into Filters Demonstration Site
at Graziano Gardens LLC, W3280 Akron Ct., Pine River, WI 54965. "These sites will provide opportunities for farmers, landowners, and conservation partners to learn from real-world examples and explore practical solutions that improve water quality while supporting productive agriculture." For more information about the Fields into Filters initiative, visit https://fwwa.org/fieldsintofilters/ . The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is accepting applications for 2026 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants through September 12, 2025. The recommendations address the most prevalent and pressing groundwater issues in Wisconsin, such as: The continuous presence of PFAS in both public and private wells [...]
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Tue Jul 14, 2026 4:48 AM CT 7. IL Corn Celebrates Father's Day Farm Family Photo Contest Winners
The response was a powerful reminder that farming in Illinois is a legacy passed from one generation to the next. "Continuing on the tradition set by our predecessors, working hard to preserve the land and position the operation for success for years to come." When asked what their farm theme song would be if they had one their answer: "Good Day" by Brett Eldredge, a fitting reminder to head out with a positive attitude no matter what the day brings. "The best life!" URBANA, Ill. The areas that makeup Corn Country include parts of Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, [...]
Read the full article. Morning Ag Clips, Tue Jul 14, 2026 4:20 AM CT 8. Farms tell challenging immigrant history
Almost all the animals at Old World Wisconsin are heritage breeds. The 1910 Finnish farm includes a house and a sauna from Douglas County, Wisconsin. His book " Back Home: Country Tales by the Seasons " is available through Amazon . The address is W372 S9727 Wisconsin Highway 67, Eagle, Wisconsin.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Tue Jul 14, 2026 1:00 AM CT 9. Research efforts examine new way to sterilize flies to fight New World screwworm
A $300,000 Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research grant, backed by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research along with Agragene and North Carolina State University, is funding a fresh push to knock down New World screwworm numbers as U.S. cases climb. The heart of the work is new technology that breeds sterile but still vigorous male flies, which mate with wild females and cause the pest population to collapse over time. Meanwhile, an Iowa State University team drawn from animal science and veterinary diagnostic production animal medicine is launching its own two year research project on the threat. This matters because screwworm larvae feed on the living flesh of cattle and other livestock, so stopping the flies early could spare producers serious animal losses and costly outbreaks.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Mon Jul 13, 2026 6:15 PM CT 10. MO crop update: corn needs rain as soybeans, cotton and rice hold strong
Missouri farmers are watching the skies as corn hits its critical pollination window bone dry, with northeast grower Jody Ketsenberg saying August rains will make or break his yields even as his soybeans look better than ever. Down in southeast Missouri, Aaron Porter got up to five inches of rain last week that flooded fields but finally gave his irrigators a break after he burned through piles of money on electricity and fuel trying to push water across fluffy, unpacked soil. The USDA numbers tell a mostly encouraging story, with 19 percent of soybeans setting pods and 16 percent of corn in dough stage, both ahead of average, and conditions rated 57 and 68 percent good to excellent. Cotton and rice are the real standouts at 84 and 86 percent good to excellent, so while corn is the worry, the rest of Missouri's fields are holding strong heading into the make or break weeks ahead.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Mon Jul 13, 2026 4:03 PM CT 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 SafetyMost tractor rollover deaths happen on slopes and near ditches. Keep the rollover protective structure (ROPS) up and the seat belt buckled, together they prevent about 99 percent of rollover fatalities. Slow down on hillsides and keep loaded buckets low. Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Cal Local ObituariesWe note the passing of neighbors across your area, gathered from the local papers this morning. Our thoughts are with their families. John Mayberry, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary. Hudson, Robert, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary. Kraus, Carolynn, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary. Fleming, Marjory, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary. Bergemann, Arlene, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary. O'Donnell, Lucille, Mankato Free Press obituaries. Read the full obituary.The Coffee ShopToday in Farm History, University of Wisconsin chartered 1848On July 26, 1848, the Wisconsin legislature chartered the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the same year of statehood. Designated land-grant in 1866, Wisconsin became the home of Stephen Babcock's 1890 butterfat test, the chemistry that built the Wisconsin dairy industry. Source: University of Wisconsin archives; Wisconsin Historical Society. [CAL'S QUIZ]
Purdue University was chartered in 1869 with a $150,000 gift from whom?
(a) John Purdue
(b) Justin Morrill
(c) Cyrus McCormick
(d) Henry Wallace
Answer at the bottom of the Brief. [CAL'S JOKE]
The local weatherman got promoted to a bigger city. The farmer said, "He'll be back in two years." His wife said, "Why?" He said, "Because there's no corn there to keep him humble."
The MI Farm AI Desk
Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, your AI Agronomist and Editor in Chief Quiz Answer(a) John Purdue. The Indiana General Assembly chartered Purdue on May 6, 1869. It became Indiana's land-grant institution under the 1862 Morrill Act and opened to students in 1874. Source: Purdue University archives; Indiana Historical Bureau.
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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.