USDA Crop Progress And Conditions Report.

Jul 02, 2012

As expected, continued hot, dry conditions over the past week in some key U.S. growing areas pushed corn and soybean condition ratings lower.

USDA reports As of Sunday, 48% of U.S. corn is in good to excellent condition, down 8% from last week and 21% below this time last year. 10 of the 18 major growing states are at or below the 50% mark, including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Crop development is ahead of average with 26% of corn silking, compared to 7% a year ago and the five year average of 12%.

For soybeans, 45% is rated good to excellent, 8% less than a week ago and 21% less than a year ago. Out of the 18 major U.S. soybean growing states, 11 are at or below 50%, including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. 26% of soybeans are blooming, compared to 7% last year and 12% on average.

Spring wheat also saw a decline in the condition rating with 71% called good to excellent, 6% lower than a week ago but 1% higher than a year ago. 73% of spring wheat has headed, compared to 12% last year and 35% on average.

69% of the U.S. winter wheat crop has been harvested, compared to 49% a year ago and 43% on average.

25% of U.S. pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, down 9% on the week and 26% less than this time last year. Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri are all at 0% and only 1% of Ohio is called good to excellent.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.