Closing Market Report

The September 16, 2026, edition of the Closing Market Report, hosted by Todd Gleason from Illinois Public Media and University of Illinois Extension, covers current commodity markets, agricultural farm management, energy infrastructure, and global weather patterns. The broadcast begins with a commodity market recap featuring Greg Johnson of Total Grain Marketing, who discusses grain and livestock price action, market volatility tied to rumors concerning Chinese President Xi Jinping, CONAB’s Brazilian crop projections, and strong spec fund positions amid the early U.S. harvest. Gleason then previews a farmdoc report and upcoming webinar by Gary Schnitkey and Nick Paulson analyzing Illinois county cash rent trends for 2026 and projections into 2027. Transitioning to rural infrastructure, Stephanie Hoff reports on how electric cooperatives are managing the surge in electricity demand from large-scale data centers, featuring insights from NRECA CEO Jim Matheson on permitting hurdles and grid reliability. Finally, meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather, Inc. provides a global crop weather update, reviewing drought conditions in the Southern Plains, wet field conditions slowing harvest across portions of the Corn Belt, historically dry waterways impacting grain transport in France and Europe, and early-season planting rainfall across South America.

02:38 Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, TotalGrainMarketing.com
11:10 farmdoc Updates Illinois Cash Rents by County Map
12:52 Data Centers and Electirc Cooperatives
16:10 Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, WorldWeather.cc