Grain Farmers of Ontario

US and the World It has been a solidly good spring in the American Midwest with no major planting issues. On June 29th USDA estimated 67% of the US corn crop was good to excellent while soybeans we’re rated at 65% good to excellent. June 30th always represents a benchmark for grain markets with the release of the June 30th acreage report. Acreage is important and in past years the June 30th...

US and the World It is that time of year again when we’re in the homestretch hurtling toward most critical crop development time of the year. Often times, seasonality tells us that some of the best prices for new crop are had in mid-June and early July. This is the time when the crop can go through difficult times during the growing season. However, so far things look pretty good. US corn pl...

US and the World Planters are rolling across the Great North American corn belt. It is that time of year when the rubber meets the road with regard to all the plans put in place over the last few months. As of May, the 10th 57% of corn was planted in the US and 49% of intended soybean acreage was in the ground. So we’re off to a very good start. However, as every farmer knows there’s l...

US and the World It is that time of year again when planters are rolling across the Great North American corn belt. As always, there are variations on this theme depending on the weather. Some producers are going well, some are delayed by rain, and some haven’t even started yet. However, as we look into 2026, we have a world awash in grain but at the same time deeply troubled by geopolitical...

US and the World The calendar date has changed and with that so has the psychology. Where we have been musing about old crop stocks for several weeks and months now, April 2026 will be the month where planters will really start to roll both in corn and soybeans. The March 31st USDA Prospective plantings report always serves as a benchmark for the new crop year ahead of us. Sometimes, this report c...

US and the World In mid-March it is that time of year when planters are either rolling in the southern regions of the American corn belt or are being adjusted for the planting season that is almost upon us. It has been an eventful winter to say the least with prices advancing especially in the last few weeks with war breaking out in the Middle East between the United States, Israel, and Iran. War...

US and the World Winter is still with us but if you look really hard you might see signs of spring. It is the time of year which can be quiet on farms across the greater North American corn belt. However, as the days go by their surely will be more warmth coming over the land with visions of planters heading out into the field. At the same time in South America, harvest and planting are in full sw...

Written by Philip Shaw BSc(Agr.)MSc. Email: philip@philipshaw.ca Social Media X @Agridome US and the World January always represents a pivotal time in grain markets as well as farms across the Great North American corn belt. There is always a recalibration but much of it usually has to do with the January USDA report which represents the final numbers on the crop put to bed last year. Future sprea...

US and the World The changeover in the calendar year always represents a shifting of the gears in our grain marketing outlook. At least in North America it seems that way with winter settling in with most of the crops in the bin. At the same time in South America, it is the middle of their summer. This means that all of the marketing factors with regard to crop weather are weighing into the price...

US and the World It is that time of year when farmers reach the proverbial finish line, of getting that crop in the bin. The harvest of 2025 has been abundant, and it is also taking place in a very timely fashion with very good weather across the North American corn belt. At the same time there’s been a bit of a dearth of market information as the US government shutdown has meant very little...