Wisdom for Winter

January 2026

Darcy Pralle, Crop Insurance Specialist

We hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. It’s crazy to think another year has flown by. To help start 2026 on the right foot, we wanted to share some news and updates for producers. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact the Crop Insurance Team at Ag Partners. 

First on our to-do list is the SDRP Stage 2 program at FSA. This is a shallow loss program for disaster events in 2023 and 2024. These payments will be hit-and-miss in our area, plus the FSA offices may not mail out the applications. So, it wouldn’t hurt to stop by FSA and double-check if you qualify for an SDRP Stage 2 payment this Winter. While you are at the FSA office, it would be a good opportunity to update acres or maps if you have any fields that need to be changed. The UDSA “Bridge” payments are also supposed to roll out in February 2026, but at the time of this article, the exact payment rates aren’t known. Early estimates suggest around $40/ac for Corn and $20/ac for Soybeans, but these amounts are subject to change. 

Switching gears back to Crop Insurance, we should see some nice improvements to the program for 2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in 2025, gave more subsidy support to several Multi-Peril Insurance Policies. This will help producers save some money on their current coverage and provide an avenue to increase coverage going into 2026. The team at Ag Partners is ready to guide you through all the new Crop Insurance changes before the March 15th deadline. If you are searching for some fresh advice or a new Crop Insurance Agency, don’t hesitate to call Jim Ward at 785-741-1652 or Darcy Pralle at 785-268-0634. 

Best wishes in 2026! 

Ag Partners OnePay Update – Jim Ward, Director of Crop Insurance & Loans 

Now is the best time to fully take advantage of our OnePay loan program. There are several options available that utilize great interest rates for fertilizer, seed, and chemicals. Some seed and chemical brands have their own interest rates as well.  Here is a quick breakdown of options available. 

SEED

• Bayer and Brevant seed is 2.99% fixed interest to the end of June. On July 1st, it changes to 7.99% fixed. 

• Any other seed purchased through Ag Partners is 3.99% until the end of June. On July 1st, it changes to 7.99% fixed 

Chemical

• BASF purchased before 03/15/2026 will be 0% fixed; From 03/16/2026, it will be 4.99 fixed through 11/30/2026 

• Syngenta purchased before 03/15/2026 will be 0% fixed until 11/30/2026 

• Syngenta purchased after 03/16/2026 will be 3.99 fixed through 08/31/2026, then 7.49 variable 

• FMC is 0% through August 31 if 1 brand of at least $10,000 in value is purchased, then 7.49 variable 

• FMC is 0% through November 30 if 2 brands of at least $10,000 in value are purchased, then 7.49 variable 

Fertilizer

• 3.99% until the end of June. On July 1st, it changes to 7.99% fixed. 

For more information, please contact your Agronomy Account Manager or call Jim Ward at 785-741-1652. 

Consistency is Key

October 2025

Darcy Pralle, Crop Insurance Specialist

The 2025 crop year is coming to a close as combines roll through corn and soybeans. Initial corn yields don’t look as high as 2024, but most yields will still be good if you had a comprehensive fungicide program. If not, you might be a bit disappointed, as our area was hit with heavy disease pressure this Summer. Soybeans are just getting started but appear to be average to above average in a lot of areas as well. Total rainfall wasn’t off the charts, but the overall consistency of rainfall this growing season was impressive. Yes, there were some small dry spells, but our random rain patterns seemed to deliver on a timely basis. Shoot, with these latest rains, we all might be mowing our yards till Thanksgiving because the grass won’t stop growing!   

Of course, the major complaint this year was about the grain markets. There is no magic fix to markets, but if you purchased a Revenue Protection policy from your Crop Insurance Agent, you might trigger an indemnity this year with just the drop in grain prices. So, it’s a good idea to keep accurate tickets and bin records in case you need to file a claim. Also, report your bushels to your Agent as soon as you wrap up harvest because there are deadlines in December to turn in claims. 

Likewise, don’t forget to turn in any Wheat acres you drill this Fall to the FSA Office and notify your Agent. The other deadline later this year is the Rainfall Insurance (aka “PRF” Insurance) for 2026. Even with this year’s rainy Spring and Summer months, most 2025 PRF policies had already triggered over the Winter and put producers ahead of the 8-ball in 2025. So overall, PRF Insurance looks like a good deal again as we head into 2026. 

To end on a high note, the cattle markets were sky-high again this year. These are the type of cattle markets you tell your grandkids about and are right up there with the $8 corn stories. We would love to see the cattle stay high forever, but we all know it’s going to crash one of these days. If you are concerned about setting a floor while prices are high, we have Livestock Risk Protection to help you out. This subsidized Insurance policy is like a Put Option with some nicer benefits. When cattle prices finally plummet, we don’t want any of our producers left holding the bag. All it takes is a call to the Ag Partners Insurance team, and Darcy Pralle or Jim Ward would be happy to answer any questions. 

We wish you a safe and bountiful Harvest season!