Harvest Your Independence Tour
Sponsored by Wyffels Hybrids
Profitability is on the line in 2026 as U.S. farmers roll into harvest. With uncertainty around commodity prices, tariffs, trade, and input costs, this fall is one to watch. Earlier this year, Farm Journal tracked planting progress through the “Plant Your Independence Tour.” Now, we’re back on the road for the “Harvest Your Independence Tour,” following 6 Midwestern growers and stopping at a different farm each week. From planter to combine, farm finances hinge on every pass — and in 2026, every load counts.
Newell, Iowa farmer Matt McCarthy contends the late rains helped more than they hurt and it’s evident in his yield results on soybeans, which are running neck and neck with last year’s record.
A hot, sunny August accelerated maturity, while timely rain around pollination helped protect some yield potential. But as harvest is now on pause, early results show extreme variability across fields and planting dates.
After a growing season with multiple windstorms, tornadoes and 15" to 20" more rain than normal, Cody White in Maroa, Illinois is seeing corn bushels 25-30 bushels lower than last year.
Corn harvest is just getting started for Rod Parkinson in Wataga, Ill., but early indications show fungicides kept disease pressure down and yields are holding steady.
It’s not disease hurting the Illinois corn and soybean crop this year. It’s dryness and drought. Ashland, Ill., farmer Brent Johnson says just two weeks into harvest, the dry finish to summer is eating into both his corn and soybean yields.