February is finally over, so we now have the crop insurance prices set, with base averages of $4.66 for December corn futures and $11.55 for November soybeans. The price averages are down 21 percent from last year for corn and down 16 percent for soybeans. With protection levels determined and insurance signup deadlines coming up on March 15th, this is a period that marks a shift of the focus toward spring and the new growing season ahead. Still, the influences surrounding last year's crops are not set to disappear any time soon. There was renewed attention on crop size over the last several days after the USDA just released the 2023 yield results broken down by county. Here are some of the highlights: County corn yields were recorded in a range from 46.9 bushels per acre in Elbert County, Colorado to 248.4 for the average of several counties in Washington state. Dawson County, Nebraska was near the top with a corn yield of 234.5, ahead of Clinton County, Indiana at 234.4, Stark County, Illinois at 234.1, and Boone County, Iowa at 226.5 bushels per acre. McLean County, in central Illinois, was the top grower of corn again this year, contributing…
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