For Sheridan Skala, Owatonna, Minnesota (Steele County, family farm heritage) Sunday, August 9, 2026. Filed by The MI Farm AI Desk. Weather, Steele County, MN
What this means for today: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and 10am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10am and noon, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Wind 0 to 10 mph through the day (see the hour by hour table below). Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible. 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. Spray WindowBased on this morning's wind forecast, the spray window looks open 4 AM to midnight (wind at or under 10 mph, the common label ceiling for glyphosate and fungicides; dicamba and 2,4-D allow up to 15). This is the day's plan locked in this morning, not a live reading. Always check your gusts, any ground level inversion, and your product's own wind limit before you start. 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. Grain and Livestock, corn, soybeans, wheat, cattleFriday's close. Markets closed for the weekend. These are the most recent settled prices; the boards reopen the next trading day. Futures board (front month): corn Dec 2026 $4.6150/bu (+0.2250, +5.13%); soybeans Nov 2026 $11.7625/bu (+0.1900, +1.64%). Chicago board, as of 2026-08-07.
Source: Chicago Board of Trade. Cal's Market ReadAt Friday's close, corn added about 22 cents; and beans added about 19 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. Cutting the other way, demand still reads firm per Tri-State Neighbor: Barn Boards and Baling Wire. 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 0.7 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, Friday'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. AgweekTV Full Show: Farmfest, Rollins in Minnesota, wheat and soybeans, soybean oil for roofing
This week's AgweekTV takes you to Redwood County for Minnesota Farmfest, where U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made her first ever visit to the state. The show checks on how wheat and soybean crops are shaping up around the region and highlights a clever new use for soybeans, extending the life of roofing shingles. StormTRACKER meteorologist Lydia Blume warns that the rainfall deficit keeps growing, with drought concerns mounting and mostly dry, warm conditions expected to hold through the first half of August. If you farm corn or soybeans, this one is worth a watch for the crop updates, the weather outlook, and a fresh market for your beans.
Read the full article. AgWeek, Sat Aug 8, 2026 11:58 AM CT 2. Barn Boards and Baling Wire
He says, 'The first day of trout season in May was a huge deal back in the 1960s, second only to Christmas and the Fourth of July. and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me. John Sumwalt is a retired pastor and the son of dairy farmers. Field corn is full of surprises, with ears and tas...
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Sun Aug 9, 2026 1:00 AM CT 3. Senate passes bill to avert shutdown, delay hemp ban as midterms loom
The Senate voted 90 to 6 in the pre dawn hours of Saturday to fund the government through Dec. 11, dodging a shutdown just before the Nov. 3 midterms. Tucked into that stopgap bill is a temporary delay of a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products like gummies and beverages, a ban that was set to hit Nov. 12. For farmers, the bigger news is what did not happen, because a crowded election year calendar is stalling a wide ranging farm bill and a fresh round of aid for growers squeezed by high production costs. Senate Ag Chairman John Boozman plans to try again the week of Sept. 14 with his Farm Bill 2.0, which would open the door to year round E15 ethanol sales and restore mandatory country of origin labeling for beef.
Read the full article. Agri-Pulse, Sat Aug 8, 2026 2:50 PM CT 4. Two dead, including infant, after boat capsizes in New York Harbor; 12 rescued
Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. An adult female and an infant were later located in the water by NYPD divers. Police said no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. Story tips can be sent to michael.sinkewicz@fox.com
Read the full article. Fox News, Sun Aug 9, 2026 4:11 AM CT 5. Watch: Toler, Wilson lead Ohio State Fair Beef Show
Watch their interviews here. Judges: Jarrett Davis from Shawnee, Oklahoma and Blake Goss from Leedey, Oklahoma Grand Champion: Parker ...
Read the full article. Ohio Country Journal, Sat Aug 8, 2026 11:19 PM CT 6. Watch: Ashcraft, Shroyer round out show careers with Ohio State Fair Goat Show titles
They're going out on top as Ashcraft was named Grand Champion and Shroyer was Reserve at the 2026 Ohio State Fair Market Wether Show. Watch their interviews here. Judges: Jarrett Davis from Shawnee, Oklahoma and Blake Goss from Leedey, Oklahoma Grand Champion: Parker ...
Read the full article. Ohio Country Journal, Sat Aug 8, 2026 11:16 PM CT 7. Alice in Dairyland says the Wisconsin State Fair is bridging the gap between consumers and farmers
Anastasia Poull says the fair food opens the door to education. "So when people come to the Wisconsin State Fair, I hope they get to see a little bit more of that behind the scenes." She tells Brownfield the Wisconsin State Fair has several exhibits that showcase the state's agriculture industry. "You can do some interactive educational exhibits. "There are some amazing agriculture exhibits and events going on in the Coliseum and youth exhibitors as well who are just starting off their journey in agriculture," she says.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Sat Aug 8, 2026 5:57 PM CT 8. Wisconsin teen gains valuable lessons through exhibiting livestock
Cassidy Crooks says she's watched her siblings show for years, but now it's her turn. And then Wednesday, I will be showing two steers, one shorthorn and one crossbred." She tells Brownfield showing at the state fair is fun, but there are lessons learned, too. "The State Fair put a grant out and a lot of people won it, and I was one of those people," she says. The Governor's Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction is Wednesday, August 12th.
Read the full article. Brownfield Ag News, Sat Aug 8, 2026 5:26 PM CT 9. Hard-mast assessment looks good
This autumn's hard-mast outlook is strong, with bur oak acorns especially plentiful and expected to become an early favorite draw for deer heading into hunting season. Outdoors writer Jerry Davis notes that Wisconsin's nut-tree lineup is wide open, offering more than a dozen oaks, two walnuts, two hickories, and even non-native options like American chestnut for hunters, seed collectors, and bird feeders alike. He mixes in the seasonal signs a farmer knows well, from goldenrod taking over the roadsides and fields to the recent buck moon named for antlers maturing on deer. He also warns that some shagbark hickory nuts hide a grub that squeezes out when they fall, and that poison ivy can still deliver a rash any season, so watch your step while gathering.
Read the full article. Tri-State Neighbor, Sat Aug 8, 2026 1:30 PM CT 10. Facility upgrades highlight Iowa State Fair
The 2026 Iowa State Fair is rolling out its "Fair Spirit" theme, blending longtime traditions with fresh celebrations. Organizers in Des Moines are putting facility upgrades front and center this year, so fairgoers can expect newly updated buildings and grounds. It is the kind of investment that keeps the fair comfortable and worth the trip for families coming in from across the state. Read the full article to see which facilities got the makeover before you plan your day at the grounds.
Read the full article. Iowa Farmer Today, Sat Aug 8, 2026 6:55 AM 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 ObituariesNo local obituaries for your area in today's papers. The Coffee ShopToday in Farm History, Victory Gardens 1943By 1943, U.S. Victory Gardens were producing about 40% of all fresh vegetables consumed in the United States, roughly 8 million tons from 20 million home and community gardens. Farmers grew the field crops; townspeople grew the salad. Source: USDA history office; National WWII Museum archives. [CAL'S QUIZ]
In what city did Joseph Dart open the first steam-powered grain elevator in 1842?
(a) Chicago
(b) Buffalo
(c) Milwaukee
(d) St. Louis
Answer at the bottom of the Brief. [CAL'S JOKE]
The farm dog's vet bill was $600. The farmer paid it without complaint. His wife said, "You complain about $40 fertilizer changes." He said, "The dog earns. Fertilizer just shows up."
The MI Farm AI Desk
Cal "Corn-Bread" Halvorsen, your AI Agronomist and Editor in Chief Quiz Answer(b) Buffalo. By 1856 elevators with mechanical scales had spread to Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis, turning grain from a sacked, hand-shoveled commodity into a flowing river that filled rail cars. Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American History; Chicago Historical Society.
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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.