Iowa's 2025 corn and soybean harvest is moving swiftly toward completion, helped along by unseasonably warm weather and minimal precipitation. Despite the favorable pace, many farmers are reporting reduced corn yields, attributed largely to disease pressure like Southern corn rust, which forced crops to mature faster than expected.

"Harvest came early this year, but the disease pressure really capped our top-end yields," said Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union and a grower of organic corn and beans in Polk County. His experience mirrors reports from growers statewide who are moving through acres quickly but seeing lower returns on corn than they had hoped.

On the soybean side, yields have been much stronger, with many farmers seeing better-than-expected performance. However, market conditions remain precarious, especially for non-organic producers. "For every bushel we're producing, we're anticipating we're losing money," Lehman said, pointing to prices well below production costs and deep frustration with ongoing trade instability.

The lack of recent USDA crop progress data-due to the current government shutdown-has left many producers relying on anecdotal reports and past harvest trends. In 2024, for example, Iowa had already harvested 68% of its corn and 91% of its soybeans by mid-October. According to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, the state appears to be "on pace this year and maybe even a little ahead of schedule."

Still, weather remains a key concern. While isolated showers delivered up to an inch of rain in some areas last week, many fields remain drier than preferred going into winter. State climatologist Justin Glisan noted that Iowa saw an average of just 0.55 inch of rain last week, with average temperatures more than 10 degrees above normal, particularly in southern regions. Forecasts suggest slightly cooler weather ahead, but still warmer than seasonal averages.

Beyond the fields, tensions over U.S.-China agricultural trade loom large. China, the world's top soybean buyer, has yet to purchase U.S. soybeans this year, leaving producers without one of their most critical export markets. Lehman warned that chaotic trade policies are undermining long-term relationships. "A bailout can't fix the damage that's being done. Customers we lose today might not come back tomorrow-or ever," he said.

While President Trump has suggested aid for affected farmers-potentially from the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation and tariff revenue-many in the ag sector view it as a stopgap, not a sustainable solution. "It's a small bandage on a large wound," Lehman noted.

As Iowa's harvest nears its final stretch, the conversation has shifted from weather and yields to survival and strategy. With uncertain trade dynamics, rising input costs, and thinning margins, farmers are looking beyond this season's numbers. They're demanding clear, reliable farm policy, fair trade access, and support structures that prioritize long-term resilience over short-term political fixes.