Solid Gains for US Corn, Soybean Harvest

Oct 10, 2023

American producers took advantage of generally good Midwest weather to make solid progress in the fields this past week.

Delayed from Monday due to a federal holiday, the USDA crop progress report Tuesday showed the national soybean harvest at 43% complete as of Sunday. That is an advance of 20 points from the previous week and 6 points ahead of the five-year average. The corn harvest moved almost as fast, gaining 19 points on the week to 42% complete as of Sunday, 3 points ahead of the average.

Last year at this time, 41% of the US soybean crop and 29% of the corn crop was in the bin.

The Illinois soybean harvest made particularly big strides this past week, advancing 25 points to reach 44% complete as of Sunday, well ahead of 28% last year and 36% on average. The corn harvest in the state jumped 20 points to 42% done, 3 points ahead of average.

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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.