Grain IQ

Grain prices are heading into harvest with an unusual amount of momentum, but DTN lead market analyst Rhett Montgomery says farmers should resist the temptation to wait for the perfect price.

Instead, he says producers should use the rally to evaluate profitability, manage risk and build a marketing plan that can withstand a volatile market.

Grain IQ is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association in cooperation and with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

Grain IQ is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association in cooperation and with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

A counterseasonal move is putting the grain market in an unusual position heading into harvest.

Corn is up about $1.50 from its June low, while soybeans have gained nearly $3 — moves that would have looked attractive earlier in the year and could change quickly if the market's current bullish catalysts fade.

On this episode of Grain IQ, Terrain grain and oilseed analyst Bree Baatz breaks down what is behind the rally and what producers can actually do with the opportunity.

Why did the market move? Sometimes the answer isn’t weather, China, tariffs or a headline out of Washington.

UNL economist Fabio Mattos says commodity markets may be creating much of their own volatility through the actions and reactions of the people trading them. His research suggests 70 to 80 percent of volatility may come from inside the market.

So… can some of those moves actually be more predictable than we think?

🫱🏼‍🫲🏼 Grain IQ is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

For twenty years, the math for U.S. grain storage was simple: for every extra bushel the American farmer grew, the industry built a bushel of space to hold it.

But according to University of Illinois economist Joe Janzen, that "bushel-for-bushel" trend has officially snapped.

In this episode of Grain IQ, Janzen noted that while U.S. grain production continues to climb in a "straight line," aggregate storage capacity has been flat since 2020.

Grain IQ is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

What happens when the world stops growing? In this episode of Grain IQ, Chad Moyer talks with Matt Clark and Don Close of Terrain about The Big Shrink, a new series examining how declining populations in major trade partners could reshape grain and livestock markets.

From fertility rates in China and Japan to potential shifts in U.S. crop choices and livestock expansion, this episode gives farmers a long-term perspective on the future of agriculture. Learn how domestic consumption, niche crops, and trade diversification may become key to sustaining success for generations to come.

Grain IQ is an original production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, supported by the Nebraska Soybean Board.

What does 2026 have in store for grain and livestock markets?

On this episode of Grain IQ, host Chad Moyer sits down with Matt Wiegand of FuturesOne and Ross Baldwin of AgMarket.Net for a wide-ranging market outlook recorded live at the Nebraska Ag Expo.

The conversation covers risk management fundamentals, grain and livestock market drivers, herd expansion signals, global trade impacts, processing capacity, and what producers should be watching as the industry moves into 2026.

Grain IQ is brought to you by the Nebraska Soybean Board.

The Pro Farmer Crop Tour is one of the most anticipated events of the year for farmers and the grain trade. Now in its 33rd year, the tour provides boots-on-the-ground insights into yield potential across the Corn Belt.

In this episode of Grain IQ, host Chad Moyer sits down with Chip Flory, leader of the western leg of the tour, to dig into what scouts are seeing in Nebraska and beyond. Flory explains how the tour’s routes have evolved, why Nebraska’s irrigated acres play such a unique role in yield estimates, and what makes the 2025 crop different from past years.

From disease pressure like southern rust and gray leaf spot, to the difference between irrigated and dryland yields, to the stories (and even meals) from the road — this episode gives you an inside look at how the Pro Farmer Crop Tour gathers data and why it matters to your marketing decisions.

Grain IQ is a production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

Harvest is here, and so are the tough grain marketing decisions. Prices are below break-even. Biofuel policy is uncertain. Global competition and interest rates add even more pressure.

In this episode of Grain IQ, host Chad Moyer talks with Bree Baatz, grain and oilseed analyst at Terrain, about what farmers must know right now to make smart marketing calls.

Bree shares insight on:

- Corn vs. soybeans: which to store this harvest

- Nebraska’s role in the crush and biofuel story

- Global signals from South America and China

- How basis and demand could shape marketing opportunities

Grain IQ is a production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.

Dive into a grain market outlook for 2025 with industry experts Darin Newsom of Barchart and Alan Brugler of Brugler Marketing and Management.

Recorded live at the 2024 Nebraska Ag Expo, this Grain IQ episode captures key insights from their panel discussion, Grain Markets – Now and Into 2025.

Hosted by Rural Radio Network’s Chad Moyer and supported by the Nebraska Soybean Board, this conversation tackles current market trends, strategies to navigate challenges, and practical advice for staying profitable.

Don’t miss the Q&A segment where audience questions drive actionable takeaways for farmers and agribusiness professionals.

Consistent randomness and investigative reporting are two themes that come from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour every August.

The tour has become an industry event that analysts, agronomists, farmers and more closely watch for real-time insights on crop conditions in seven states: Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

But what's the significance of the data to the markets? Is it accurate? And how should the data be used in grain marketing decisions?

Chip Flory with Pro Farmer leads the Western Leg of the tour each year. He said their team of scouts has the same route during the same week with the same calculation methods to gather realistic data about the crop year after year.

In addition to consistent randomness, Flory said the tour serves as an investigative report to level the playing field for farmers with access to data.

“There have been years when the crop tour has deviated significantly from what USDA has showed us,” he said.

Flory joins us to elaborate on the tour and its significance to grain marketing.

Grain IQ is a production of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, in cooperation and with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board.