This 4th of July program, hosted by Todd Gleason, explores the history of agricultural adaptation and innovation in the United States, drawing a parallel to the founding spirit of the Declaration of Independence. The broadcast features three historical segments detailing the evolution of primary row crops and soil management practices. It traces the genetic development of corn from early flint and dent crosses to modern commercial hybrids, emphasizing the narrowing of its genetic base. It also highlights the pioneering no-till farming experiments at University of Illinois Extension's Dixon Springs research farm, which revolutionized soil conservation by drastically reducing soil erosion in Southern Illinois. Finally, the program outlines the domestication of the soybean, its introduction to North America by sailors and agricultural explorers, and the critical importance of preserving its genetic diversity to protect future crops against pests and diseases.
00:00 July 4th | Independence, Agricultural Adaptation, and the Land 01:24 Declaration of Independence 05:59 A History of Corn with Forrest Troyer 16:03 No-Till Preserves Soils and Independence 19:40 A History of the Soybean with Ted Hymowitz
The July 2, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report highlights commodity settlements and a shift toward a weather-driven market. Analyst Matt Bennett and industry leaders discuss the agricultural risks of the USMCA entering an annual review process rather than an automatic renewal, while Representative Angie Craig connects rising farm bankruptcies to current trade policies and reduced food assistance. On the agronomic front, entomologist Nick Seiter advises producers to scout for corn leaf aphids during early reproductive crop stages, though he notes severe outbreaks are rare. Finally, meteorologist Mike Tannura forecasts near-term cooling for Illinois and outlines competing mid-July models that predict either a beneficial cool front or a persistent heat dome during the critical corn pollination window.
02:13 Ag Markets with Matt Bennett, AgMarket.net 07:06 WILLAg News Update for July 2, 2026 11:28 Corn Leaf Aphids – when to scout and what to expect 16:00 Ag Weather with Mike Tannura, T-storm Weather
The July 1, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report covers recent commodity market trends and global weather impacts. The episode opens with a daily market recap, noting gains in corn, soybeans, and wheat futures, alongside slight declines in livestock futures such as live cattle and lean hogs.
Greg Johnson of Total Grain Marketing analyzes the fallout from recent USDA reports, noting that despite bearish data on corn and soybean stocks and acreage, markets rallied due to traders taking profits on short positions. Looking ahead, Johnson emphasizes that upcoming rainfall in the Corn Belt is expected to benefit pollination, which will likely suppress weather-driven price rallies and keep producers reluctant to sell their grain at current low prices.
Meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather, Inc. details the North American weather outlook, forecasting cooler and wetter conditions for the U.S. Midwest in July. While this moisture is largely beneficial for the corn and soybean crops, excessive rainfall threatens production potential in parts of the lower Midwest and the Canadian prairies, though improved dry conditions in the U.S. High Plains are currently aiding the winter wheat harvest.
Lerner concludes with an update on severe heat and drought conditions affecting European agriculture, particularly in France. The region has received a fraction of its normal rainfall since March, and while mature winter crops like wheat and rapeseed were rushed to the finish line to avoid catastrophe, summer crops face significant yield losses if substantial precipitation does not arrive by late July.
02:34 Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, TGM 13:39 Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, World Weather, Inc
The June 30, 2026, broadcast of the Closing Market Report, hosted by Todd Gleason, provides a comprehensive look at agricultural markets, conservation practices, and weather forecasts. The program begins with Naomi Blohm of Total Farm Marketing analyzing the morning's USDA grain stocks and acreage reports, noting that while corn and soybean acreages aligned closely with expectations, a significant drop in winter wheat harvested acres due to drought offered some market support. The focus then shifts to a University of Illinois Extension conservation cropping initiative featuring a panel discussion with farmers Brent Fowler, Adam Dahmer, and Greg Thoren. They share their personal experiences overcoming familial skepticism, equipment limitations, and the necessary mindset shifts required to successfully adopt no-till practices and multi-species cover crops. Finally, returning meteorologist Ed Kieser delivers the agricultural weather outlook, forecasting intense heat across the Corn Belt leading into the holiday weekend, with scattered, "ridge-riding" thunderstorms expected along the edge of a high-pressure system before slightly cooler temperatures arrive the following week.
01:05 Ag Markets with Naomi Blohm, Total Farm Marketing 07:49 Cover Crop Conversations: cultural and mindset shifts 18:53 Ag Weather with Ed Kieser, Illinois Public Media
This broadcast of the Closing Market Report from June 29, 2026, hosted by Todd Gleason, provides a comprehensive overview of commodity markets, agricultural policy, industry data, and global weather patterns. The program begins with an assessment of the grain markets, noting a broad downward trend in corn, soybean, and wheat futures ahead of the upcoming USDA reports. Guest analyst Sue Martin shares regional crop insights from North Central Iowa, highlighting favorable crop appearances due to timely rains and structured planting rotations. She anticipates potential shifts in acres toward soybeans in the upcoming government data and outlines market expectations for a July low followed by a demand-driven rally tied to international trade developments with China.
The report transitions into federal regulatory updates, highlighting the USDA's finalization of a voluntary regenerative feedstock rule linked to low-carbon biofuel markets and the federal 45Z credit. The program also touches on a joint university study tracking rural concerns regarding the expansion of AI data centers, as well as new bipartisan legislation designed to train local extension agents to counter the spread of the New World screwworm pest. In livestock industry updates, recent USDA NASS figures are presented, showing a total US hog and pig inventory of 73.7 million head alongside steady weaning averages. This is followed by a discussion on legislative friction regarding California's Prop 12 standards and a Supreme Court decision affecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants, which may tighten labor supplies for food processors and meatpackers.
The final segment features an ag weather analysis with Mark Russo of EverStream Analytics, detailing an immediate heat wave and high humidity building across the Corn Belt and the Central and Eastern United States. Russo reports an increase in short-term environmental stress across multiple livestock sectors—including Plains beef cattle, Midwestern poultry and swine operations, and East Coast facilities—though high winds and projected ridge shifts are expected to offer regional relief and more normalized temperatures by the following week. Additionally, the forecast indicates a low threat of disruptive heat during domestic corn pollination throughout July, while contrasting these developments with an intensifying, multi-wave European heat wave breaking all-time temperature records in Germany and Poland and compounding summer crop deficits across Western and Eastern Europe.
01:22 Ag Markets with Sue Martin, Ag and Investment Services 08:31 WILLAg News for June 29, 2026 11:52 Considering Pork Industry News 15:08 Ag Weather with Mark Russo, EverStream Analytics
The June 26, 2026, broadcast of the Closing Market Report, hosted by Todd Gleason from the Land Grant University in Urbana-Champaign, features expert analysis on agricultural commodities and weather forecasting. In the markets segment, Mike Zuzolo of GlobalCommResearch highlights the potential market impact of the upcoming USDA crop acreage and grain stocks reports. Zuzolo notes that commodity prices are currently driven more by macroeconomic factors—such as a strong US dollar, currency devaluations in Russia and Japan, and crude oil trends—than by agricultural supply-and-demand fundamentals. He cautions that unless these fundamental reports shift investor focus and establish market lows by early July, producers will need to adopt more defensive market strategies.
During the weather segment, Eric Snodgrass of Nutrien Ag Solutions reviews a highly active June characterized by heavy rainfall and a record number of tornadoes across Illinois, which effectively eliminated local drought conditions but heightened the risk of crop disease. Looking ahead, Snodgrass forecasts a significant heat wave persisting through mid-July, caused by a stationary atmospheric wave that will keep both daytime and overnight temperatures high. Fortunately, excessive soil moisture will help mitigate heat stress on local crops by generating hyper-local, cooling thunderstorms, though Snodgrass warns that the stationary ridge poses a severe, immediate drought risk for states situated closer to its epicenter, such as Missouri and Kansas.
01:34 Ag Markets with Mike Zuzlo, GlobalCommResearch 10:53 Ag Weather with Eric Snodgrass, NutrienAgSolutions
The June 25, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report, hosted by Todd Gleason, provides a comprehensive overview of agricultural markets, national news, and weather forecasts. Market analyst Matt Bennet of AgMarket.net discusses the day's surprising market rally, attributing the upward movement in corn, soybeans, and wheat primarily to short covering by funds ahead of the volatile June 30th acreage and stocks reports. In agricultural news, a major development out of Washington, D.C., reveals that provisions for year-round E15 sales and billions in economic farm aid have been included in a national security supplemental request. The program also features a call for volunteers for the University of Illinois's regional corn rootworm trapping network and a historical segment by Rod Bain commemorating a century of USDA Radio broadcasting. Finally, meteorologist Mike Tannura of T-storm Weather details the current wet and cool conditions across the Central U.S., warning of an impending major weather pattern change that is expected to bring a sustained and potentially damaging heat wave to the Corn Belt by early July.
02:44 Ag Markets with Matt Bennett, AgMarket .net 09:10 Year Round E15 and Economic Aid for Farmers 11:11 U of IL Looking for Rootworm Trap Volunteers 12:24 A Century of USDA Radio 17:04 Ag Weather with Mike Tannura, T-storm Weather
The June 24, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report covers current commodity market trends, agricultural weed management research, and global weather impacts on crop production. Greg Johnson of Total Grain Marketing notes that commodity markets are experiencing a typical seasonal lull, driven heavily by investment funds liquidating over three billion bushels in long positions. This massive sell-off has depressed prices for corn, soybeans, and wheat, causing farmer selling to dry up as the industry waits for upcoming USDA reports and crucial pollination weather. Shifting to agronomy, Corteva’s Jeff Bode and University of Illinois Crop Scientist Aaron Hager detail the findings from the campus Weed Science Field Day. Their focus centers on evaluating residual herbicides and active ingredients to manage resistant weed species, notably revisiting applications like Metribuzin to combat metabolic triazine resistance in waterhemp. Finally, meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather, Inc. details severe global weather disruptions, highlighting a record-breaking, crop-damaging heat wave in France and a significant rainfall deficit in India that threatens a national drought. Domestically, Lerner forecasts a high-pressure ridge building across the Midwest, which is expected to introduce heat and a concerning dry bias to the western Corn Belt, specifically targeting South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
01:02 Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, Total Grain Marketing 07:05 The Land Grant Weed Science Mission 07:19 Jeff Bode, Corteva Technical Agronomist 10:07 Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Crop Scientist 13:46 Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, World Weather, Inc.
The June 23, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report focuses on dairy production, trade policy, agronomic profitability, energy markets, and regional weather outlooks. Host Todd Gleason opens the program with Naomi Blohm of Total Farm Marketing to analyze the dairy sector and international trade. Blohm notes that the latest milk production report indicates a bearish trend, with May production rising 2.3% year-over-year, driving Class III milk prices below $16 despite robust domestic demand. The discussion transitions to the upcoming mandatory USMCA evaluation on July 1, highlighting market uncertainty regarding the United States' position, contrasted against efforts by Canada and Mexico to strengthen bilateral maritime trade routes.
On crop production and management, the program highlights a multi-year data review presented by University of Illinois Extension agricultural economist Gary Schnitkey. The 11-year study reveals that increasing nitrogen application rates above the Maximum Return To Nitrogen (MRTN) baseline or adding extra tillage passes occasionally boosts yields but consistently fails to improve overall net profitability due to elevated input costs. Additionally, Extension weed scientist Aaron Hager previews the university's upcoming annual Weed Science Field Day, detailing its self-guided tour format designed for farmers and commercial applicators.
In the agricultural energy segment, Kansas State University Extension economist Dan O'Brien reports stable domestic ethanol production, operating at approximately 89.3% of plant capacity across 201 active facilities. Plant profit margins remain steady between 11 and 15 cents per gallon, with eastern corn belt ethanol plants currently paying the highest cash corn prices in the nation. Turning to regional crop conditions, O'Brien characterizes the 2026 Kansas wheat harvest as exceptionally poor, citing near-record-low harvested-to-planted acreage ratios caused by severe storm and derecho damage.
00:42 Ag Markets with Naomi Blohm, Total Farm Marketing 07:42 High N-Rates and More Tillage Do Not Pay 10:54 USMCA Review Begins July 1 with an Uncertain Future 14:44 Ag Energies with Dan O'Brien, Kansas State Extension 19:58 Ag Weather with Don Day, Day Weather
The June 22, 2026, Closing Market Report highlights a sharp contrast in global weather patterns and their developing impacts on crop conditions. In the United States, the Corn Belt and Southern growing regions are currently maintaining highly favorable soil moisture levels, setting a strong baseline for development. However, recent heavy rainfall and consecutive weeks of flooding in parts of the Midwest are expected to result in a 1% to 3% downgrade in the upcoming crop conditions report. In stark contrast, Europe is enduring a severe, record-setting heatwave with below-normal rainfall, raising significant moisture stress concerns for summer crops like corn and sunflowers, particularly in France. Meanwhile, South American harvests in Brazil are progressing smoothly with only minor, localized disruptions.
Market attention is increasingly shifting toward the upcoming USDA grain stocks and acreage reports. Driven by rapid spring planting speeds and broader financial pressures, agricultural economists project a potential increase in both corn and soybean acres, as farmers frequently favor these traditional crops during tight financial periods. This shifting landscape is further framed by long-term structural changes in Southern U.S. agriculture, which has suffered a disproportionate loss of 32 million harvested acres over the past century. This massive historical decline has led analysts to question whether federal safety nets that heavily favor cotton, peanuts, and rice are inadvertently stifling regional innovation and crop diversification.
In livestock and international trade, domestic beef demand continues to outpace expectations and remains robust, even with ongoing headline concerns regarding screwworm in Mexican cattle herds. On the geopolitical stage, Vice President J.D. Vance announced a proposed structural agreement regarding Iran, where any potential unfreezing of Iranian financial assets would require joint U.S. and Qatari oversight and be strictly earmarked for the purchase of American soy, corn, and wheat. While these geopolitical headlines introduce short-term volatility, market experts emphasize that traders must focus on strong domestic crop usage, robust export paces, and baseline supply and demand fundamentals to accurately navigate the marketplace.
00:00 The About Southern Agriculture Edition 02:02 Ag Markets with Curt Kimmel, AgMarket.net 07:35 V.P. Vance mentions a possible Corn, Soy, Wheat Deal with Iran 09:42 The Evolving US Southern Crop Problem 12:14 Commodity Markets Discussion with Chad Hart 17:50 Ag Weather with Mark Russo, Ever Stream Analytics
