Another Record Year For Corn Industry Unlikely, But USDA Predicting Production Will Still Be High

 

The U.S. corn industry may see strong, but not record setting, production according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports released today. With increased domestic demand offset by lower export forecasts, corn use is projected to see high, but not record, levels at 14.3 billion total bushels in 2017/18.

 

This report, the first forecasting overall U.S. corn supply and demand for the next marketing year, projected ethanol use to increase 50 million bushels from the previous year due, in part, to increased fuel consumption and decreased use of sorghum as a feedstock. Projected feed and residual use is 75 million bushels lower than the previous year as ethanol co-products continue to play an important role in livestock feed markets. In addition, USDA is projecting U.S. corn exports to decrease by 350 million bushels next year due to strong competition from Argentinian and Brazilian suppliers.

 

At the same time, U.S. corn farmers could produce the third-largest corn crop on record if projections hold. This comes as yield estimates forecast a national average of 170.7 bushels per acre, also the third-highest corn yield in U.S. records.

 

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.