All segments return to the black for August in the U.S., while Canada ekes out small gains according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). (Progressive Fertilizer)

Domestic inventory of ethanol was again drawn down, falling to a 14-week low through Sept. 10, though demand dropped to an over four-month low and production held higher, the Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday, Sept. 15. (DTN)

Hurricane Ida struck the heart of the U.S. fertilizer industry, and now Storm Nicholas threatens even more damage in the Gulf of Mexico, potentially driving up the cost to produce food. (Bloomberg)

One percent of this year’s crop had been harvested as of Sunday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Illinois Crop Progress and Condition report. The five-year average for corn harvest by this point of the season is 3 percent. (Alton Telegraph)  

Many farmers are struggling with mental health, especially within the last year. Recently, the Illinois Department of Agriculture expanded stress-related mental health services to all Illinois counties. (WICS/WRSP)

Farms across the Midwest are struggling to hire domestic employees. In Illinois, the number of foreign agricultural workers has increased more than 250 percent in the past five years. (The Counter)