Crops Look Good Across the Midwest and Great Plains. But Farmers Still Face Tough Economy

By Joe Schulz

On the cusp of fall, Zac Soltvedt was optimistic about the crop, as he looked over a plot of corn on his family farm in Seymour, Wisconsin.

“It's still nice and green yet — we haven't seen any fungus come in through here at all on this plot,” he said. “We're expecting a pretty good yield out of it.”

He says 2025 has been an “overall favorable weather year.” And he isn’t the only farmer expecting a good harvest.

Corn production nationally is expected to be 13% higher than last year, with Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and six other states expected to see record yields, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s September forecast.