BushelQ

BushelQ We help farmers protect margins, not chase prices.

Our consulting firm provides Dynamic Risk Management (DRM) tools and advisory services that adjust to market conditions, production realities, and individual farm goals.

10/21/2026

BushelQ | One Market Held Steady. The Other Slipped—What It Means on the Farm
October 21, 2026

At 12:49 p.m. Central, December 2026 corn was $4.6225 per bushel, up ¼¢, while November 2026 soybeans were $12.4450, down 3¾¢. These are delayed intraday futures—not final settlements or local cash bids.

Corn found support from today’s EIA report: U.S. ethanol plants produced 1.055 million barrels per day last week, up 17,000 from the prior week. That matters because ethanol is a major source of corn demand. Stronger grind can help absorb harvest supplies, although one weekly increase does not establish a lasting demand trend.

Soybeans remained under pressure as harvest adds physical bushels and South American supplies compete for export business. Recent Chinese buying is constructive, but futures are signaling that demand news has not yet outweighed available supply and competitive offers.

For your farm, flat futures do not mean your cash bid is unchanged—basis and delivery needs still matter. A 3¾¢ soybean decline changes the gross value of 10,000 unpriced bushels by $375 before any basis movement. Compare today’s actual bid with your break-even, then weigh possible carry against storage, interest and quality costs.

Watch next: weekly export sales and whether ethanol production stays firm.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions.

10/20/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 20, 2026

December 2026 corn: $4.6225/bu, down 4¾¢.
November 2026 soybeans: $12.4850/bu, down 5¢.
Delayed intraday quotes at 12:42–12:43 p.m. Central versus Monday’s settlement—not final closing prices.

Why harvest matters: USDA’s latest update showed 44% of corn and 64% of soybeans harvested as of October 18. Both remain behind their five-year averages, but substantial progress means more grain is available to buyers. Market reporting points to harvest supplies and favorable fieldwork weather as headwinds for prices. A harvest running behind normal does not automatically mean buyers are short of grain everywhere.

Why good export news is not enough by itself: USDA announced a 612,000-metric-ton soybean sale to China today, yet beans were lower in the midday snapshot. New business helps the demand outlook, but an order is not the same as a shipment, and the market is also weighing incoming supplies.

For your operation: With basis unchanged, a 5¢ soybean decline reduces the gross value of 10,000 unpriced bushels by $500. Check your actual cash bid and delivery window; local basis may offset or add to the futures move.

Watch next: Follow whether export commitments become shipments and whether faster local harvest deliveries change buyers’ bids. Compare any potential storage return with interest, handling and quality costs.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions

10/19/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 19, 2026

December 2026 corn: $4.6650/bu, down 7¾¢.
November 2026 soybeans: $12.5275/bu, down 8½¢.
Delayed intraday prices at 1:13 p.m. Central versus Friday’s settlement—not final closing prices.

Corn: Today’s export inspections fell to about 672,000 metric tons, roughly half the previous week’s volume. That is a weaker weekly signal for grain moving overseas while harvest adds supply. One slow week does not establish a lasting demand problem, but sustained shipments matter if buyers are going to absorb available bushels.

Soybeans: The export picture was stronger. Inspections reached about 2 million metric tons, up from 1.11 million the week before, with China the largest destination. Yet beans were still lower, alongside soybean meal and oil. Strong shipments help use up supply, but they do not guarantee a higher futures price or prove what caused the day’s decline.

For your farm: With basis unchanged, the quoted corn decline takes $775 off the gross value of 10,000 unpriced bushels. Local basis can cushion or deepen that move, so compare your actual delivered bid after freight and quality charges—not just the board.

Watch next: This afternoon’s Crop Progress update will show harvest advancement. Faster deliveries can pressure nearby basis where receiving capacity fills; the outcome depends on your local buyer’s needs.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions

10/16/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 16, 2026

December 2026 corn: $4.7425/bu, down 3¾¢.
November 2026 soybeans: $12.6125/bu, down 1¾¢.
Settlement-marked readings from a delayed feed updated at 1:33 p.m. Central, compared with Thursday.

Corn: Better export sales did not lift prices today. Weekly sales reached roughly 44.2 million bushels for the week ending October 8. Meanwhile, wheat weakened and market reports highlighted larger competing corn supplies overseas. For growers, more export business helps use up U.S. corn, but buyers can still compare our grain with other origins. Demand needs to improve enough to change that overall balance.

Soybeans: Today’s new export announcements included 558,000 metric tons to China and 236,000 to unknown destinations. Those are separate from the older weekly report, which showed 574,900 tons sold through October 8. Fresh purchases are encouraging, but beans still closed slightly lower. An announced sale is a commitment—not grain already loaded and shipped.

For your farm: Futures are only part of the cash bid. A buyer needing nearby deliveries may offer stronger basis even on a lower futures day; another may not. Compare net bids after freight and quality charges before assuming the board tells the whole story.

Watch next: Track whether fresh sales become shipments and whether local buyers need grain as harvest advances. Any potential gain from waiting must cover storage, interest and quality risk.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions

10/15/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 15, 2026

December 2026 corn: $4.7800/bu, down 2¾¢.
November 2026 soybeans: $12.6300/bu, down 14¼¢.
Settlement-marked prices from a delayed feed updated at 1:39 p.m. Central, versus Wednesday’s settlement.

Corn: Harvest supplies remain a challenge for prices, but demand is not standing still. Today’s EIA report showed ethanol production rose to 1.065 million barrels per day last week, from 1.053 million. More ethanol output generally means more corn being processed. That helps absorb supply, but corn still finished lower—one improving demand measure does not outweigh the entire supply picture.

Soybeans: Beans and soybean meal both finished lower, while soybean oil edged higher. We cannot pin the decline on one verified catalyst. For farmers, the important distinction is that export buying announcements do not guarantee an immediate improvement in the price offered for your crop.

What this means: With local basis unchanged, a 14¼¢ soybean futures decline translates into $1,425 less gross value on 10,000 unpriced bushels. Your actual cash bid also depends on the buyer’s local needs.

Watch next: Friday’s holiday-delayed export sales report will help show whether overseas buyers are adding business. Compare nearby and deferred cash bids after storage, interest and handling costs—not just the higher headline price.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions

10/14/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 14, 2026

December 2026 corn: $4.7950/bu, down 3¼¢.
November 2026 soybeans: $12.7525/bu, down 8½¢.
Delayed intraday snapshot at 11:14 a.m. Central—not final closing prices.

Why harvest matters: USDA’s latest update put corn harvest at 33% complete and soybean harvest at 46% as of October 11. Both remain behind their five-year averages, but more grain is moving off the farm. That increases available supply. Where deliveries exceed buyers’ immediate needs, local basis can weaken even if futures stabilize.

Why beans can fall despite good news: USDA announced a 470,000-metric-ton soybean sale to China today. That is future export business, not grain already shipped. It helps the demand outlook, but it does not guarantee higher prices. Soybean meal and oil were also lower in the same market snapshot, adding another headwind for the soybean complex.

For your operation: With basis unchanged, the quoted futures declines would reduce a cash bid by the same cents per bushel. Your local bid may behave differently, so compare actual delivery offers after freight and drying charges. A higher deferred bid needs to cover the cost of holding grain before it improves your return.

Watch next: Follow whether announced export sales become shipments and how harvest deliveries affect nearby buyers’ bids.

Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions

10/13/2026

BushelQ | What Today’s Markets Mean for Your Farm
October 13, 2026

December corn: $4.8275/bu, down ¼¢.
November soybeans: $12.8375/bu, down 4¢.
Settlement-marked readings from a delayed feed checked at 2:37 p.m. Central.

Why the crop estimate matters: USDA raised its corn crop estimate last Friday. More expected bushels mean buyers have more potential supply available, which can limit the urgency to raise prices. That does not mean every local cash bid will fall—your elevator’s basis also reflects nearby demand and delivery needs.

Why exports matter: Grain shipped overseas removes bushels from the domestic supply. Corn export inspections are running 5.3% ahead of last year, and soybean inspections are 26.6% ahead. That provides demand to help absorb harvest supplies, but strong shipments alone do not guarantee a rally.

What to watch: This afternoon’s harvest update will show how quickly crops are coming out of the field. Heavy local deliveries can pressure basis when buyers and storage facilities fill up. Slower deliveries can change that balance.

For your operation: Watch the actual cash bid against your break-even, not just the futures headline. If you’re considering storing grain, the potential improvement in your later cash price needs to cover storage, interest and quality risk. Today’s small futures changes do not settle that decision—your local bid and costs do.

Happy Labor Day to all! As we get closer to harvest make sure to take time today to do something fun for YOU! Markets wi...
09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day to all!

As we get closer to harvest make sure to take time today to do something fun for YOU!

Markets will open hard Tuesday morning - make sure to follow our page to stay up-to-date on market movements!

08/18/2026

🌽 Markets Started Strong… So Why Did the Rally Fade?

Grain markets came into Tuesday with some momentum. Corn pushed near **three-month highs**, soybeans rallied, and wheat was firmer as the trade reacted to several bullish headlines.

So what was driving the early strength?

📉 Crop conditions slipped. USDA lowered its corn condition rating, giving the market another reason to question just how big this crop will ultimately be.

🌽 Crop Tour raised some eyebrows. Early Pro Farmer Crop Tour results showed corn yield potential below last year in Ohio and considerably weaker in South Dakota. After USDA recently lowered its national corn yield estimate to **180.7 bu./acre**, the market is paying close attention to whether field observations support additional reductions.

🇨🇳 China showed up for U.S. soybeans. USDA announced another sale of 136,000 metric tons of soybeans to China, helping give the soybean complex a strong start.

But the market struggled to hold those gains as the session progressed.

After the recent run higher, the market is beginning to ask a different question:

How much bullish news is already priced in?

We still have the potential for a very large U.S. corn crop. USDA's lower yield estimate was bullish, but increased harvested acreage still leaves projected production around 16 billion bushels. That makes it difficult for the market to sustain rallies on yield concerns alone.

We're also seeing a market that has moved quickly. When prices push into new short-term highs, farmer selling, commercial hedging and profit-taking can create resistance — especially when the next major bullish catalyst isn't immediately available.

🚜 What does this mean for the farm?

Days like today are a good reminder that a bullish story doesn't automatically mean continuously higher prices.

For producers with a large percentage of new crop still unpriced, the recent rally has improved the marketing opportunity compared with where we were just a few weeks ago.

That doesn't necessarily mean selling everything.

It means knowing your numbers.

If the market gives you a price that protects an acceptable margin, consider using strength to incrementally reduce risk rather than waiting for the absolute top.

At the same time, producers who believe yields will continue declining can maintain upside exposure on remaining bushels instead of committing the entire crop at once.

The next few weeks will tell us a lot. Crop Tour results, harvest expectations, export demand and actual yield reports will determine whether this rally has another leg higher — or whether we've simply moved into a new trading range.

Good marketing isn't about predicting the top. It's about making profitable decisions when the market gives you the opportunity.

— BushelQ
Helping Producers Make Better Business Decisions.

08/17/2026

Monday Midday Market Update 📊:

Beans🫘:Today we are seeing green across the board - China is making more serious inquiries on beans and releasing 130 MMT of government stocks to auction off. Making room for more US bean purchases which is bleeding off into the corn market.

Wheat🌾: remains bullish for now as Ukraine and Russia cannot seem to find common ground - however, that kind of premium isn’t something to bank on. As a tweet, Facebook post, etc. Can lead to that premium falling off the board rather quickly.

Corn🌽: remains firmer - technicals seem to point more towards a forced buy higher, but with the recent derecho in Indiana and heavy rain falls we get back into another weather premium game.

Make sure to like our page to stay up-to-date on the Ag world and make better decisions!

- BushelQ

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