Closing Market Report

The June 19 Closing Market Report provides a historical overview of the legislative and military milestones that culminated in the abolition of slavery in the United States. The broadcast begins by outlining the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, which established Land Grant Universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities to expand equitable access to public education. It then details the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which strategically shifted the Civil War's primary objective toward ending slavery and authorized the enlistment of Black soldiers, a directive subsequently formalized by General Order 143 to create the U.S. Colored Troops. As the conflict concluded with the Confederate...

A blowing dust warning was issued Monday afternoon in rural Champaign County. Strong southerly winds combined with weakening storms kicked up thick plumes of blowing dust from the fields across central Illinois. 

The national weather service reported that there was near zero visibility reported on at least three interstate highways in Illinois.

Although dust storms are common in Illinois, they can often be dangerous. Last year, Illinois experienced a dust storm early in the growing season. A blowing dust advisory was issued for parts of the Chicago area with wind gusts as high as 35 miles p...

This segment of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast, featured on the Closing Market Report, examines the agronomic impact of the soil microbiome through an interview with Waypoint Analytical's Dr. Lizzie French. The soil microbiome consists of microscopic organisms—including bacteria, fungi, and nematodes—that cycle nutrients, process crop residues, and build soil structure. 

Waypoint Analytical measures this biological activity using DNA analysis to identify the specific functional capabilities of these microbes, such as their ability to fix nitrogen or solubilize phosphorus. French asserts that implementing conservation practices, including cover crops, reduced tillage, and tile drainage management, provi...

- Ag Markets with Mike Zuzolo, GlobalCommResearch.com
- Ag Weather with Eric Snodgrass, NutrienAgSolutions.com

- Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, TotalGrainMarketing.com
- Consolidation in the Fertilizer Industry, farmdocDaily.illinois.edu
- Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, WorldWeather.cc

In this special Memorial Day edition of the Closing Market Report, host Todd Gleason guides listeners through an auditory journey honoring fallen service members and highlighting historical preservation. The broadcast opens by tracing the origins of Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, and emphasizing the National Moment of Remembrance. It then shifts to Ypres, Belgium, to explore the moving nightly "Last Post" ceremony at the Menin Gate, which has commemorated World War I casualties since 1929. Finally, the program returns to the United States to showcase the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator and Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, detailing the...

- Ag Markets with Mike Zuzolo, GlobalCommResearch.com
- Ag Weather with Eric Snodgrass, NutrienAgSolutions.com

- Ag Markets with Matt Bennett
- WILLAg News Update | USDA, USB, Women, and SNAP
- Applied Research Results from the University of Illinois
- Ag Weather with Mike Tannura

- Ag Markets with Matt Bennett, @AgMarket_Net
- US House Passes Farm Bill Legislation
- Illinois Farm Financials Reviewed
- Ag Weather with Mike Tannura, @TstormWeather

This April 30, 2026, Closing Market Report covers updates on agricultural markets, farm legislation, farm financials, and global weather. Analyst Matt Bennett noted that heavy rains have paused Midwest farming activities, while severe, persistent drought in the western plains has likely caused irreversible damage to the hard red winter wheat crop. 

On the legislative front, Jonathan Coppess reported that the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a...

- Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, TGM
- Kansas Hard Red Winter Wheat Abandonment
- Ethanol, Carbon Markets, and Corn Prices
- Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, @worldwx

- Naomi Blohm, TotalFarmMarketing.com
- RFS Rule's Impact on BioMass Based Diesel RINs
- Don Day, DayWeather.com

- Curt Kimmel, AgMarket.net
- Middle East Ceasefire Fails to Ease Fertilizer Price Surge
- farmdoc Webinar on Controlling Costs 11am Thursday
- Chad Hart, Iowa State University
- Mark Russo, EverStream.ai