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

Iowa’s corn yield estimate dropped by about five bu. per acre compared to 2019, soybean pods per 3X3 square barely squeaked ahead of 2019 by 40 pods.
More weeds, less yield. Simple math. “We could have had more beans out there if we’d had better control of weeds,” Chip Flory says.
What Crop Tour years cling tightest to Chip Flory’s memory? Good, bad and unforgettable, Flory knows there is a meticulous method to the madness of Crop Tour.
The Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour gets underway today, with four long-time scouts weighing in on what they expect to see in their own fields.
Chip Flory has a tight grip on agriculture’s tape measure. When an army of 150 scouts from 12 countries marches across U.S. farmland with ropes and smartphones, Flory knows there is a meticulous method to the madness.

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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