McLean County Farm Bureau

FarmDoc Daily

• 2025 Illinois Farm Earnings Improve but Remain Below Recent Averages
  Based on records from 1,927 Illinois FBFM farms, average returns to farm operators’ labor and management increased in every region of Illinois in 2025 compared with 2024. However, returns remained below the five-year average. Although yields and costs were similar to the previous year, earnings improved because commodity prices exceeded beginning-of-year inventory values and farmers […]
• Under Pressure: The Size and Timing of the Harvest Low in Corn Basis
  US corn harvest-time corn basis bottoms in mid-October, coinciding with the peak of harvest activity. Average basis at the harvest-time low is about 11 cents below late-November levels. State-level lows average 16 cents, deepest in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois, and more loosely track local harvest progress. Avoiding sales at the harvest will realize gains on […]
• The 2027 Margin Coverage Option (MCO) Decision
  The Margin Coverage Option (MCO) is an area-based crop insurance endorsement that provides protection against operating margin shortfalls, which can be driven by revenue decreases, cost increases or a combination…