Soy Food Crop Update

Week 1:

Central Indiana Update: 

Most farmers have gotten off to a strong start to harvest 2025 in central Indiana. With a great looking 10 day forecast ahead, most acres across Indiana could be harvested by mid-October.  

After a hurricane fueled rainy week to close September, farmers look to have a very favorable window to start October.  

Update provided by Grant Fausset, PenceAg 

October 4, 2024 

Northern Michigan 

• Northern Michigan is roughly 80% completed.  
• Southern/ Central Michigan is just getting going.  
• The weather was very dry during the tail end of the growing year here. Beans are drier than usual, with a bit smaller seed size as well.  
• Yields were average.  

Report provided by Chaise Wilson, Star of the West Milling Company 

October 4, 2024 

Week 2:

Central Indiana Update:

Harvest has arrived for some in Central Indiana. Those who had an early planting window or planted short season maturities have taken advantage of this dry spell to get started in those early fields. Late summer rains have been extremely spotty across much of Indiana. Many areas across the region have seen only 2-4 inches of rain throughout July and August, most of which came from only a handful storms. As combines begin to roll, we'll begin to see if this hot dry spell had any significant impacts on yield.

Report provided by Grant Fausset, PenceAg

September 9, 2024

Week 3:

Southern Wisconsin/Southern Illinois Update:  

Soybean development has advanced significantly since last month, with most plants now exhibiting a full canopy. Despite heavy rainfall this season, diseases have been kept under control without any major issues. Agronomically, most of the crops are in the R6 growth stage, with some at R7. August's rains have been critical for supporting the last phase of soybean development. Farmers remain optimistic for this year's harvest, expecting average or better yields. While current soil moisture is adequate, additional rainfall later on is crucial for pod development. The weather outlook for the next 6 to 10 days looks promising for the soybeans to finish their growth cycle.   

Report provided by Cameron Hilgenberg, DeLong Company 

August 25, 2024 

Week 2:

Central Indiana: 

Most of Central Indiana remained hot and dry to close out July. Luckily most fields had already completed pollination, but there are still a lot of bushels to be made yet this summer.  

After a wet start to the summer, the end of July and into the beginning of august have turned exceptionally dry. Though soil moisture maps show the majority of Indiana in the adequate category, getting late summer rains will be crucial to yields seen this fall 

August 12, 2024 

Wisconsin:  

The crop is looking very well. The moisture has been sufficient, which has allowed the chemical to work better which will reduce the foreign material compared to last year. Some were planted later which poses the risk to a late frost but as we look today the yield prospects look very promising.  

Report submitted by Jon Miller, Wheaton Grain, jon@wheatongrain.com 

August 9, 2024 

Week 1:

Southeastern Indiana 

Despite a few challenges getting his soybean crop planted, Mike Koehne says conditions have been favorable and the crop looks good. Koehne grows food-grade, clear hilum soybeans in the southeastern part of Indiana, where local farms just received an inch of rain. As of August 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 68% of the U.S. Soy crop is in good to excellent condition. 

 Watch Koehne’s latest video here: video

-- Report provided by Mike Koehne, a U.S. Soy farmer from Greensburg, Indiana, and USSEC Board Director 

Week 3:

Central Indiana Update: 

Crops are off to the races in central Indiana. So far, we’ve broadly avoided disease and pest pressure, which has led to some exceptionally good-looking crops. 

After an abnormally hot and dry end to June which included multiple several days stretches over 90°, the beginning of July brought a much-needed break in the heat that also brought several rain fronts with it. Most of central Indiana has seen an excess of 4” of rain through the first 2 weeks in July.  

July 17, 2024

Week 2:

Wisconsin Update:

At this stage, crops in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois are doing well, despite some of the difficulties that growers have dealt with in the past month.  Our agronomists have not seen disease or pest activity so far. The rainfall in July so far has varied from 2” – 4”. There is a range of growth stages in the fields, from R1 to R3 across our draw area. Some early maturity groups in central IL have begun podding, according to growers. The weather forecast for the next 6-10 days indicates slightly cooler and drier than-normal conditions. USDA reports 60% of soybeans in Wisconsin are in good to excellent condition, and 30% are fair. Soybean blooming is at 22%, ahead of last year by 2 days. Soil moisture is high, with topsoil moisture being 54% adequate and 46% surplus.  USDA reports Illinois 66% of soybeans are in good to excellent condition. As we progress in the soybean growth stages, we are entering the critical period of mid-July through Aug, when the soybeans will need timely rains to help determine crop yield.    

Report submitted by Cameron Hilgenberg, The DeLong Company 

July 12, 2024 

Week 1:

North Dakota Update 

Planting in the upper Great Plains went very well until the middle of May.  From the middle of May until now, planting has been difficult due to significant rainfall.  There were some pre-planted acres of soybeans, but the majority of the region was planted into difficult conditions.  Many soybeans were planted into the middle of June so full maturity prior to frost in the fall is a concern.  Despite the difficult planting conditions the crop conditions are good.  Some stands are less than perfect, and nearly everyone has some drown out areas of their fields, but now that we have very good soil moisture all we need is some heat to kickstart the development. 

The weather has been consistently cool and wet since the middle of May.  Most areas in the Upper Great Plains have adequate or surplus moisture.  The forecast is for warmer temperatures which is exactly what the farmers are hoping for to dry up some wet areas and help the soybeans catch up to where they should be from a maturity standpoint.   

July 2, 2024 

Week 3:

Central Indiana Update: 

Crops are off to the races in central Indiana. So far, we’ve broadly avoided disease and pest pressure, which has led to some exceptionally good-looking crops. 

After an abnormally hot and dry end to June which included multiple several days stretches over 90°, the beginning of July brought a much-needed break in the heat that also brought several rain fronts with it. Most of central Indiana has seen an excess of 4” of rain through the first 2 weeks in July.  

July 17, 2024

Week 2:

Wisconsin Update:

At this stage, crops in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois are doing well, despite some of the difficulties that growers have dealt with in the past month.  Our agronomists have not seen disease or pest activity so far. The rainfall in July so far has varied from 2” – 4”. There is a range of growth stages in the fields, from R1 to R3 across our draw area. Some early maturity groups in central IL have begun podding, according to growers. The weather forecast for the next 6-10 days indicates slightly cooler and drier than-normal conditions. USDA reports 60% of soybeans in Wisconsin are in good to excellent condition, and 30% are fair. Soybean blooming is at 22%, ahead of last year by 2 days. Soil moisture is high, with topsoil moisture being 54% adequate and 46% surplus.  USDA reports Illinois 66% of soybeans are in good to excellent condition. As we progress in the soybean growth stages, we are entering the critical period of mid-July through Aug, when the soybeans will need timely rains to help determine crop yield.    

Report submitted by Cameron Hilgenberg, The DeLong Company 

July 12, 2024 

Week 1:

North Dakota Update 

Planting in the upper Great Plains went very well until the middle of May.  From the middle of May until now, planting has been difficult due to significant rainfall.  There were some pre-planted acres of soybeans, but the majority of the region was planted into difficult conditions.  Many soybeans were planted into the middle of June so full maturity prior to frost in the fall is a concern.  Despite the difficult planting conditions the crop conditions are good.  Some stands are less than perfect, and nearly everyone has some drown out areas of their fields, but now that we have very good soil moisture all we need is some heat to kickstart the development. 

The weather has been consistently cool and wet since the middle of May.  Most areas in the Upper Great Plains have adequate or surplus moisture.  The forecast is for warmer temperatures which is exactly what the farmers are hoping for to dry up some wet areas and help the soybeans catch up to where they should be from a maturity standpoint.   

July 2, 2024 

Week 3

Wisconsin Update 

Soybeans in our region are fully planted and currently rated as 67% good to excellent condition. The soybean crop in our region is in early growth stages and does not require a lot of moisture, but we will soon enter critical growth stages that will affect quality and yield. Weather models predict rain in the next 3 days which would help areas that have been dry for some time. Overall, the soybean crop looks good at this point of the crop season. 

Report Provided by Cameron Hilgenberg--The DeLong Company  

June 18, 2024 

Week 1:

Southeastern Indiana: 

During the past 14 days, farmers here in our state (Indiana) made good progress planting soybeans, moving from 69% planted to 93%. We’ve received timely rains, which has us on hold at the moment, but we are ready to plant our next field, which will be to food-grade soybeans that will be loaded into containers and likely shipped to Japan and Taiwan for tofu and soymilk. You can watch my video here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7204158963259502592/

-- Report provided by Mike Koehne, a U.S. Soy farmer from Greensburg, Indiana, and USSEC Board Director 

Michigan Update: 

Planting progress here in Michigan has been slower than average because of persistent wet soil conditions, but the last 2 ½ weeks has caught us back up. Soybeans are about 90% planted, with most emerging or close to emergence.  We have had plenty of rainfall so far and warm temperatures which are helping us catch up and exceed the averages quickly.  

Currently, Michigan has had adequate moisture and warm temperatures to keep the crops moving along. The next 7-10 days is predicting a slight cooling off with average precipitation.  This should allow growers to finish up planting and get this crop off to an average start for the 2024 season. 

Wisconsin Update: 

• Had to replant some new seeding due to damage from cut worm (which is when worm will chew top emerged plant) 

• Crop in good condition and now 3-4" high 

• Slightly above average moisture but no damaged caused so far in this area 

Report provided by Jon Miller-Wheaton Grain Inc 

Week 3:

Central Indiana Update: 

Central Indiana has had a lot of the 2024 crop go into the ground over the last 10 days. When the weather finally broke near the start of May, the tractors fired up and have not had much rest since.  

 After most of Central Indiana saw a wet second half of April, rainfall since then has been increasingly spotty. With some farms getting several inches of rain in a single storm to others just miles away receiving sprinkles, location has played a key role in how many suitable field days farms have had in this area.  

May 9, 2024 

SE North Dakota and West Central Minnesota Update: 

We are sitting in decent shape for moisture, some others got more than others and some farmers are little delayed but with some windy days and average to above average temperatures should help everyone get back on track. 

There are areas where all soybeans are done planting and in 7-10 days they will be finished. 

Report Provided by Travis Meyer--BRUSHVALE SEED, INC. 

May 13, 2024 

Southern Wisconsin/Southern Illinois Update:  

Planting last week was uneven, as early rains in the week postponed much of the early week planting with most farmers resuming later in the week. USDA (US Department of Agriculture) reports that Wisconsin has 37% of soybeans planted with 6% emergence. In Southern Wisconsin, I would estimate we have about 85% of soybeans planted and 75% of corn. Farmers used some early favorable weather periods and planted a significant amount before this past week of rain that hit the Midwest.   

Report Provided by Cameron Hilgenberg--The DeLong Company  

May 15, 2024 

Southern Wisconsin/Southern Illinois Update: 

The past two weeks have seen little fieldwork due to rain and snow, but this was helpful to replenish the soil moisture after a mild winter in Southern Wisconsin & Northern Illinois. The weather forecast for the next 10 days is promising. We expect a lot of fieldwork to happen, as well as soybeans being shipped to their growers, and acres planted in the coming weeks.    

 Report Provided by Cameron Hilgenberg--The DeLong Company 

April 11, 2024 

Central Indiana Update: 

 As we approach local planting insurance dates in Indiana, planters would likely be heading to the fields this week if field conditions allowed.  It will likely be full steam ahead for #Plant24 as soon as farmers are able.  

 After a very mild Indiana winter, the faucet turned on at the start of April. With many local areas receiving more than 3-4" of rain over the first week of April, some even saw a few flurries! Though farmers would love to be heading to the fields, these rains will help replenish soil moisture that we missed out on over the winter months.  

April 5, 2024 

Michigan Update: 

 Planting has not yet begun here in our region of Michigan. However, growers here are ambitiously looking at the 10-day forecast with thoughts of early plantings.  

  May snowstorms are not incredibly uncommon for Michigan, so even perfect weather in late March/ early April needs to be considered with some skepticism with agribusiness.  

April 1, 2024