Harvest 2025 has wrapped up on Drew DeSutter’s Knox County, Ill., farm, but the work is far from finished. Attention has shifted from yield maps to balance sheets. Like many farmers across the Midwest, DeSutter is now focused on marketing grain in an environment defined by volatile prices, stubbornly high input costs and uncertainty about what comes next.
That unknown is shaping decisions not only for the current crop year, but also for planting intentions in 2026 — at a time when farmers are closely watching Washington policy moves and global markets.
DeSutter says yield variability, particularly in corn, was a key harvest theme in 2025. While overall production was solid, uneven results across fields complicate profitability calculations and marketing strategies. However, many farmers saw record soybean yields, which might have tilted the balance sheets in favor of soybeans.
“I think the jury’s still out, and we’ll see what prices do from this point on,” he says. “But I think if you look at your input prices and the price of corn this fall, versus the price of beans, maybe beans were a little bit more profitable, but it’s just a tight margin environment in both corn [and] soybeans right now.”
White House Announces $12 Billion in One-Time Farm Relief
As farmers work through those margin calculations, a major announcement from the White House is shaping the broader conversation about farm income and risk management. On Dec. 8, President Donald Trump unveiled what the administration describes as one-time bridge payment relief to help farmers facing trade disruptions and rising production costs. The per-acre payment rates are expected to be announced the week of Dec. 22.
Many farmers acknowledge the relief payments could provide short-term stability when disbursed early next year, but others question whether the assistance addresses the deeper structural issues facing agriculture, including high fertilizer prices, rising interest rates and trade uncertainty.
“It definitely feels like that it’s the new norm,” DeSutter says about the current tight margin environment. “Agriculture is cyclical. When I got out of college it was pretty good, then you go through some years that are a little tougher and we seem to always bounce back.”
Still, he says the current downturn feels longer and more persistent than previous cycles.
“Heading into 2026, I think it’s going to be another tight year from a profitability standpoint,” he adds.
Corn Growers Focus on Domestic Demand
For corn farmers, the conversation increasingly centers on demand and how to create new outlets for a crop facing heavy supplies. Corn exports are currently at record levels, according to the latest USDA report, yet prices don’t reflect that monumental demand.
That concern is echoed by national corn grower leaders, who say price pressure is intensifying at the same time production costs remain elevated.
“There’s been a lot of talk lately about soybeans, but corn prices have been down about 10% since the beginning of 2025. It’s a pretty significant drop, especially when you consider how high input prices are,” says Lesly Weber McNitt, vice president of public policy for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
With USDA projecting more than 2 billion bushels of corn carryover, Weber McNitt says farmers are increasingly focused on how that grain will move.
“Export demand has been great, but that value isn’t there,” she says. “Even though our export volumes are record-setting this year, values are down about $1 billion year over year.”
That reality has sharpened NCGA’s focus on boosting domestic demand, particularly through expanded ethanol use.
Year-Round E15 Could Be What The Market is Searching For
One policy solution gaining renewed attention is year-round nationwide E15, which would allow gasoline blended with 15% ethanol to be sold throughout the year. The issue surfaces repeatedly during conversations with farmers and policymakers, including during the White House roundtable last week as the president rolled out the farmer bridge payments.
“Ethanol, you’re working for ethanol trying to get E15 year-round. I think we can have a lot of domestic product used here in the country, and we can keep America first, and you’re good at that, that is who you are,” said Iowa farmer Cordt Holub to the president.
“So E15 is a big deal?” Trump asked.
“E15 is a great deal year-round. Farmers would love you more than anything if we could continue to use domestic product, use the byproducts,” Holub added during the roundtable discussion.
Weber McNitt says it’s no secret E15 offers multiple benefits, extending beyond farm income alone, which is why it aligns strongly with the Trump administration’s agenda.
“It helps farmers. It helps achieve American energy dominance,” she says. “It helps tackle affordability because year-round E15 could help consumers pay about 25¢ less a gallon at the pump.”
Despite bipartisan support, Weber McNitt stresses that action ultimately rests with Congress.
Legislative Hurdles Remain
NCGA supports the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would permanently allow year-round E15 sales. While the bill has backing in both chambers, Weber McNitt says progress has stalled.
“Individual bills aren’t really moving, and there isn’t a lot of time left on the legislative calendar,” she says. “We need to find other bills that are likely to pass so that we can hitch a ride on them.”
Asked whether E15 could still be finalized in 2025, Weber McNitt says she remains cautiously optimistic.
“I would like to achieve it in 2025 still,” she says. “My hope is that we can get the E15 bill passed by the end of January.”
Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, shares that optimism.
“We think there are still decent odds we can get it passed here in 2025,” Cooper says. “This period between now and early 2026 is really our best shot at getting this legislation done.”
What E15 Could Mean for Corn Demand
According to NCGA data, growth in corn use for ethanol has largely stagnated since 2011. Weber McNitt says removing regulatory barriers to E15 could dramatically change that trajectory.
“For every 1% you raise the national fuel blending rate, you’d grind an additional 470 million or 490 million bushels of corn,” she says. “Once you scale up to that full 15%, we could be looking at additional demand of 2.4 billion bushels, which is just about what USDA is estimating we’ll have left over.”
She says demand growth would happen over time but the potential impact is significant for a sector searching for new outlets.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Back in Knox County, DeSutter says early signs suggest corn acres could remain strong again next year. Favorable harvest conditions allowed for extensive fall fieldwork, which could influence planting decisions.
Despite the financial pressure, DeSutter’s optimism remains intact. He says at some point agriculture will get back to profitability. Until then, he says incremental policy wins could make a meaningful difference.
“If you can get some small victories, whether it’s year-round E15 or less regulations, every dollar per acre helps when you’re in a tight margin environment,” he says.