Michelle Rook

National Reporter

Michelle Rook is a national agricultural reporter and market analyst for Farm Journal’s AgDay and U.S. Farm Report, and she is the host of Markets Now. With expertise in commodity markets, grain trading, and agricultural journalism, she delivers daily market updates and analysis to farmers nationwide. She earned the NAFB Farm Broadcaster of the Year award and the prestigious Doan Excellence in Reporting Award.

Latest Stories

Market Analysis

Hopes For China Deal Fuel Grain Market Rally: Will Trump’s Beef Plan Top Cattle?

Oliver Sloup, Blue Line Futures, says corn, soybeans and wheat all saw technical buying this week after bouncing off key support on the charts. The key is can the markets build on it next week?

October 17, 2025 03:51 PM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Cattle Crash on Trump’s Plan to Lower Beef Prices: Row Crops Rally

Joe Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the funds were liquidating long positions on the open Friday after President Donald Trump said the administration was working on a plan to lower beef prices. Some of it was triggered by algorithm trades that key their formulas off headlines.

October 17, 2025 10:13 AM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Soybeans Rally on Better China News, Brazil Basis: Grains See Short Covering

Kevin Duling of KD Investors says soybeans saw some short covering and technical buying but got a fundamental push from rising Brazilian basis levels.

October 16, 2025 03:46 PM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Soybeans Rally on China Tariff Delay Talk: Corn Up a Third Day

Sam Swanson with The Money Farm says soybeans are seeing short covering as U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said the possibility of extending a pause of import duties on Chinese goods for longer than three months exists if China halts its plan for strict new export controls on rare-earth elements.

October 16, 2025 09:57 AM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Corn Bounces, While Soybeans Fade Crush and China News

Chip Nellinger, Blue Reef Agri-Marketing, says corn futures closed higher on technical buying and short covering after holding chart support and the spreads even tightened.

October 15, 2025 04:56 PM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Corn and Soybeans Bounce Early on China News: Cattle Finally Pause

Brady Huck with Advance Trading says corn and soybeans have been holding support and holding up well amid harvest pressure and the China trade woes.

October 15, 2025 11:59 AM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Wheat Leads Corn Higher: Soybeans Fade on China Concerns, Record Brazil Crop

Vince Boddicker with Farmers Trading Company says corn saw some short covering and spillover buying from the rally in the wheat market. However, soybeans ended off lows with the rally in feed grains but still saw pressure on lingering China trade woes.

October 14, 2025 03:41 PM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Soybeans Firm as China Tensions Ease but Corn Falls: Cattle Make New Highs

Mike Zuzolo with Global Commodity Analytics says soybean futures closed slightly higher on Monday as trade tensions with China seemed to ease over the weekend. However, he says the soybean market doesn’t totally trust that a deal is going to take place.

October 13, 2025 04:58 PM

Michelle Rook

Market Analysis

Cattle Hit Record Highs but is a Top Close? Soybeans Try to Recover as China Tensions Ease

Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says November feeder cattle futures were up over $20 last week and have led the rally on strong cash, tight supplies and the continued cases of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico keeping the border shut.

October 13, 2025 09:52 AM

Michelle Rook

Markets

Will Corn and Soybeans Retest the Early Harvest Lows?

Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group, says the trade news was a game changer for the market. After calling an early low in corn and soybeans, he says Friday’s news and trade action has changed his opinion and he has turned bearish.

October 10, 2025 04:45 PM

Michelle Rook