Pro Farmer Crop Tour

Boots in the field, before the market moves.

Every August, more than 100 Pro Farmer scouts sample 2,000+ corn and soybean fields across seven states — an independent, disciplined read on the size of the U.S. crop, weeks before harvest.

A Pro Farmer Crop Tour scout sampling in the middle of a soybean field, seen from the air
33rd year
of Tour scouting since 1993
7 states
IL, IN, IA, MN, NE, OH & SD
2,000+
corn & soybean fields sampled
August 17–20, 2026

Nightly Meeting Schedule

Register to Attend
Eastern Tour
Aug 17 — Noblesville, IN
Embassy Suites Noblesville Indianapolis Conference Center · this stop runs one hour later
Aug 18 — Bloomington, IL
DoubleTree by Hilton, 10 Brickyard Drive
Aug 19 — Riverside, IA
Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, 3184 Hwy 22
Aug 20 — Rochester, MN
Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE
Western Tour
Aug 17 — Grand Island, NE
Riverside Golf Club, 2820 Riverside Drive
Aug 18 — Nebraska City, NE
Lied Lodge, 2700 Sylvan Road
Aug 19 — Spencer, IA
Clay County Fair and Events Center, 800 West 18th Street
Aug 20 — Rochester, MN
Mayo Civic Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE
Agenda for each nightly meeting
5:00–6:30
Registration & cocktail hour with sponsors
6:30–7:00
Dinner
7:00–8:00
Onsite program
8:00–8:15
Nightly broadcast online
8:15–8:30
In-person wrap-up & Q&A

All times CST. The Noblesville, IN meeting takes place one hour later than the times listed.

Latest Crop Tour News

Over the past 30 years of Pro Farmer Crop Tour, John Phipps has noted the reliably repetitive criticism of almost every aspect by farmers, media, and others. He addresses those critics in John’s World.
How do you pass the 28-hours of drive time on Pro Farmer Crop Tour? Just ask our scouts! Check out a few of our favorite #PFTour22 tweets, and cast your own vote.
What prompted Pro Farmer to drop its national corn yield estimate below 170 bu. per acre? The story seemed to be just how much damage the heat and drought did to the crop this year, even since August 1st.
In a relatively short time, corn and soybean prices have both gained $1 per bushel. This creates a decision-making opportunity.
Tune in at 1:30 p.m. central/2:30 p.m. eastern for the live broadcast of Pro Farmer’s national corn and soybean crop estimates.

Where Crop Tour Scouts

Map of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouting region and Eastern and Western routes

The seven Crop Tour states account for roughly 70% of the nation's corn and soybean production. Two legs cover the region on consistent routes so the data lines up year over year.

Eastern leg

Begins in western Ohio, then works across Indiana, Illinois, eastern Iowa and into southern Minnesota, concluding in Rochester on Thursday night.

Western leg

Begins in southern South Dakota, then crosses eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and into southern Minnesota, concluding in Rochester on Thursday night.

Tour states

Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Minnesota · Nebraska · Ohio · South Dakota

Get News Daily
Get Market Alerts
Get News & Markets App