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👉 What’s Happening: Despite tight credit and shaky economic signals, farmland values across the Midwest continue to hold firm. In Q1 2025, Minnesota land values rose 3%, with even sharper gains in the Dakotas. That’s according to new data from the Chicago Fed and Farm Progress.
✅ Why It Matters: Even in a high-interest-rate climate, soil that’s managed well is holding its value—and in some cases, gaining ground.
👉 Your Move: Treat your soil like your most valuable asset and it will keep giving back. Litter-based fertility, cover crops, and reduced passes don’t just grow this year’s yield—they protect your land’s long-term value.
OTHER STORIES
Big Foundations Are Backing Soil—Even if the Feds Aren’t
👉 What’s Happening: With over $1 billion in USDA funding cuts freezing sustainability programs, the private sector is stepping in. The Rockefeller Foundation’s new TransCap Initiative aims to fund regenerative ag across the Midwest—focusing on soil health, carbon tracking, and input efficiency.
✅ Why It Matters: This isn’t political. It’s financial. The folks with capital are following the biology, and the ROI.
👉 Your Move: If you’re already using sustainable practices—keep tabs on this. You likely have a head start on eligibility for these new private-sector dollars. Get in touch with sales to help you organize your records to unlock new revenue streams when they’re available.
Rockefeller Foundation
✅ Why It Matters (to You): Strip-till is proving to be a practical middle ground between full-width tillage and no-till. For farmers using poultry litter, it amplifies the value of every ton by placing nutrients exactly where roots will need them in spring. The result? Lower synthetic fertilizer needs, more consistent emergence, and better ROI when margins are tight.
✅ WHY IT MATTERS: With input prices up and margins tight, fine-tuning fertilizer plans can protect profitability.
JULY: The heat’s on, storms are lurking, and your crops are sweating.
🌾 Fall Weed Strategy: Burndown windows are just about closed. Post-frost applications are less effective; evaluate weed pressure now and plan spring residuals accordingly.
CBOT NUMBERS
CORN
DEC ’25: 4.40 ⅜ | MAR ’26: 4.48 0
Summary: Corn futures strengthened this week—Dec. and March contracts posting solid gains. Improved export demand and tightening global supply helped support the market.
Outlook: Basis remains the key profit driver. If your local bids are holding firm, this is a smart window to lock in margins on a portion of 2025 production. Charts look steady, but don’t assume a post-holiday rally.
SOYBEANS
JAN ’26: 10.87 ⅛ | MAR ’26: 10.98 ⅛
Summary: Soybeans slipped across contracts, reflecting ongoing weakness in export demand and no major shifts in USDA projections. Brazil’s planting delays haven’t created enough concern to lift prices yet.
Outlook: With limited upside and global demand still soft, now’s the time to manage risk rather than hope for a rally. If your basis is strong, consider scaling in sales.
WHEAT
DEC ’25: 5.36 ⅛ | MAR ’26: 5.34 ¼
Summary: Wheat stayed essentially flat, with heavy global stocks continuing to cap any upward momentum. Weather concerns abroad haven’t been strong enough to move the market.
Outlook: If storage costs are rising and your basis is reasonable, this may be your cleanest exit before January pressure sets in.
Source: AgWeb Futures (as of Dec 9, 2025)
EVENTS
Minnesota Organic Conference
Jan 9–10, 2026 | 📍River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN
A cornerstone winter event for organic, regenerative, and transitioning growers. Sessions include fertility strategies with compost and litter, soil biology, market outlooks, and systems for reducing synthetic inputs.
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Ag Expo 2026 (MN Corn & Soybean Growers)
Jan 28–29, 2026 | 📍Mayo Clinic Event Center, Mankato, MN
One of Minnesota’s premier winter agriculture events, featuring market outlooks, policy discussions, agronomy sessions, and a full exhibitor floor covering fertility, equipment, and soil-health technologies.
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Small Grains Winter Workshop Series (UMN Extension)
Jan–Feb 2026 | 📍Multiple Locations Across Minnesota (Rochester Feb 18)
A winter workshop series focused on wheat, oats, barley, and integrated rotations. Expect updates on disease management, fertility planning, winter survival, and the economics of adding small grains to corn/soy rotations.
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Ground Work—A Soil Health Event Series
Feb 12, 2026 | 📍Stewartville, MN
Join Return for our inaugural soil health gathering. We'll be hosting Mitchell Hora, and other local producers to explore the bottom line on soil health. Learn more about the role of poultry litters as part of an ongoing soil-building, margin-growing system.
Strip Till Makes Dollars and Sense
Feb 18–19, 2026 | 📍Lamberton & Lake Benton, MN
A two-day, two-location workshop series focused on the economics and management of strip-till systems. Sessions cover soil-health impacts, input savings, nutrient placement, and yield/ROI comparisons — with farmer case studies and technical guidance. Hosted by the Minnesota Soil Health Coalition.
More Info
Let’s Talk Soil, Live.
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