Illinois 2025 Harvest Chaos & 2026 Ag Hope
Jim Anderson, left, of North-And Company, a Galva-based crop insurance and commodities brokerage firm, and Lance Tarochione, a technical agronomist with DEKALB and Asgrow under Bayer Cropscience. (WGIL)
On this episode of Galesburg In Focus, host Chris Postin is joined by Jim Anderson and Mitch Clodfelter of North-And. Co., along with Lance Tarochione of DEKALB & ASGROW. They recap the 2025 harvest — a season of extremes with wind events, down corn, and record-dry conditions that caused massive yield variability even within the same county.
Despite challenges like disease and low moisture (some corn and soybeans drying in the field to 10-11%), overall yields were resilient thanks to modern genetics and practices. The discussion highlights that strong yields didn’t guarantee profits — proactive marketing made the difference, with the best opportunities occurring nearly two years earlier. Emotional drivers like hope, fear, and greed were called out as risks to profitability.
Looking to 2026, the experts share lessons learned (e.g., harvest earlier in dry years, have orders ready for rallies), the impact of Trump tariffs (shifting acreage from beans to corn in 2025, potential reversal in 2026), and why they remain confident in agriculture: global food demand, advancing technology, and the resolve of American farmers. They also touch on farm consolidation (big family farms growing, not corporatization) and land prices as an investment.
Listen to the full episode for detailed insights on marketing discipline, crop performance, trade dynamics, and the enduring future of farming in Knox and Warren counties and beyond.
Jim Anderson, left, of North-And Company, a Galva-based crop insurance and commodities brokerage firm, and Lance Tarochione, a technical agronomist with DEKALB and Asgrow under Bayer Cropscience. (WGIL)