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

AgDay’s Betsy Jibben talks with a father and son team of scouts on the 2017 Farm Journal Midwest Crop Tour.
Chris Hawthorn, USDA-NASS corn expert, addressed the August crop report during the Grand Island, Neb., round up of day one of the Farm Journal Pro Midwest Crop Tour.
A 55-mph drive by your cornfields won’t cut it if you want to avoid surprises at the end of the season. Lace up your scouting boots and get into each of your fields to estimate yield.
There’s little argument that Indiana corn farmers have been in a bit of a slump. The Hoosier State saw corn yields clock in at 150 bu. per acre in 2015, with the three-year average slightly above that at 155 bu. per acre. But is the state capable of higher yields in 2016?
Pam Fretwell with Farm Journal Radio discusses day three of the crop tour with Pro Farmer general manager and vice president Chuck Roth.

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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