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

As scouts entered fields in Indiana on Tuesday, the high expectations for the Eastern Corn Belt were reaffirmed. In the West, irrigated fields showed solid soybean counts, but signs of dryness were a noted concern.
Brent Judisch, western Tour consultant, shares some preliminary observations and route results from Nebraska.
As scouts set out on the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour Monday they got a soggy start, a good sign for soybeans in August. While Ohio did not disappoint, South Dakota showed scars from the drought with a mature crop.
“We are fast running out of gas,” says Jerry Gulke. “If we miss these rains, North Dakota and South Dakota probably deteriorates—North Dakota more so. I will be interested to see what Pro Farmer sees.”
Bruce Blythe shares some initial comments and results from his route through South Dakota.

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

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