True grit
Tennessee producers hang tough through a challenging 2025 growing season
By Mark Johnson
The 2025 growing season has tested the grit and determination of Tennessee farmers like few in recent memory. Flooded fields, late planting, and midsummer drought created serious challenges for producers across the state. Yet amid the setbacks, there are unmistakable signs of strength — better management practices, improving yields in certain areas, and cautious optimism that 2026 could bring a rebound.
According to final planted acreage figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and preliminary yield estimates from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), producers faced higher input costs and stubbornly low commodity prices in 2025. Even so, farmers continued to produce impressive volumes and maintained the stewardship and resilience that have long defined Tennessee agriculture and the state’s Co-op system. Corn Corn acreage expanded significantly in 2025, with NASS reporting 950,000 all-purpose acres planted, up sharply from 700,000 acres the previous year. Producers were encouraged by early market signals and the chance to capitalize on strong export prospects. But Mother Nature had other plans.
Heavy spring rains delayed planting in many counties, followed by heat and dryness during the critical tasseling stage. While some pockets of West Tennessee reported yields as low as 30 bushels per acre where flooding was particularly bad, the statewide yield average reflects the struggles in the general sense.
Seth McDaniel, sales agronomist for the Henderson and Decatur county territory of First Farmers Cooperative, says early corn planting got off to a good start, but problems showed up with a wet May.
“The rains kept us out of the field until June, and then after we finally got planted, another wave of rain would come through, and we would have to replant a good percentage of what we had just gotten planted,” McDaniel recalls. “It pushed that second planting back tremendously and the late corn suffered.”
NASS estimates a statewide average yield of 160 bushels per acre, for an estimated 132.8 million bushels produced on a reduced 830,000 harvested acres (reflecting significant abandonment/failure). UTIA economists project an average loss of around $160 per acre on corn, yet many producers have emphasized that the agronomic lessons learned this season will strengthen decision-making for 2026. Soybeans Soybean acreage maintained a strong presence in the rotation, with 1,750,000 all-purpose acres planted, slightly down from 1.82 million acres in 2024. The difference between the high NASS planted estimate and the lower figures usually associated with certified acres highlights the extensive planting that occurred statewide despite challenging conditions.
NASS pegs the state’s yield at 43 bushels per acre across the estimated 1.7 million harvested acres, totaling 73.1 million bushels. Though the challenging conditions prevented a record harvest, many growers who successfully navigated the planting window achieved solid stands and strong pod fill thanks to timely late-summer rains.
Profitability remains a challenge — UTIA estimates average losses of about $84 per acre — but new technology, improved seed treatments, and better water management practices are helping reduce risk and stabilize yields year over year.
Early corn plantings resulted in fair yields, but persistent May rains made later efforts to plant a hit-or-miss affair at best. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates a statewide average yield of 160 bushels per acres.
“The early planted soybeans that coincided with that first corn-planting window fared the best,” says McDaniel. “However, the later crop struggled the same as the corn did. There are obviously pockets that are better than others depending on the rainfall, but overall, it was a tough year.” Cotton Cotton farmers planted 260,000 all-purpose acres in 2025, which, while still a strong figure, reflects a slight year-over-year decline from the prior season's planted total. The weather delayed development in some areas, but the crop showed resilience in others.
USDA projects production at 400,000 bales on an estimated 220,000 harvested acres, with yields averaging approximately 872 pounds per acre. Despite the lower quantity, many gins are reporting strong fiber grades and staple lengths. Industry analysts believe the long-term trend toward higher-quality Tennessee cotton will continue to open niche market opportunities in 2026. Wheat Winter wheat acreage was planted at 345,000 all-purpose acres, a notable drop from the 385,000 acres planted the previous year. However, the crop once again served as a dependable stabilizer in the state’s mix.
With an estimated 300,000 acres harvested for grain, yields averaged 74 bushels per acre, producing 22.2 million bushels. By early spring, 68 percent of the crop rated good to excellent, and favorable harvest weather in June kept grain quality high. Wheat’s relatively low input costs and steady pricing gave many growers one of the few positive margins of the year. Hay and pasture The same rains that challenged row-crop planting fueled exceptional early-season pasture growth. Non-alfalfa hay yields averaged 2.3 tons per acre across 1.7 million acres, totaling about 3.91 million tons statewide. Livestock producers benefited from ample forage reserves, easing feed pressure going into winter.
East and Middle Tennessee producers, in particular, reported strong hay inventories — an encouraging development after several lean years. Silver linings? There’s no denying that 2025 has been an expensive year to farm in Tennessee. UTIA economists estimate total losses of roughly $360 million across the state’s four primary row crops, reflecting high production costs and softer prices. The dramatic changes in acreage, especially the surge in corn planting, underscore the intense economic pressure producers felt when making final planting decisions.
The agricultural challenges of 2025 have underscored the value of resilient genetics, advanced crop management, and adaptive marketing. Farmers who diversified rotations, used variable-rate fertilizer technology, or locked in early contracts generally fared better.
And the weather patterns that hurt yields in some areas may have left a silver lining: improved soil moisture heading into 2026. With many reservoirs and aquifers replenished, Tennessee begins the next planting season with stronger subsoil profiles than it has seen in years.
McDaniel stresses that producers should continue to use best management practices even through the down seasons.
“I always say that you can’t save your way to prosperity,” he points out. “In other words, when you’re in a depressed market and every dollar comes under scrutiny, don’t stop doing the things that have a positive return on investment. If it’s making money, it’s making money, regardless of the market.” Keeping the faith If there’s one theme emerging from the 2025 harvest, it’s perseverance. Despite another year of tight margins, Tennessee farmers continue to adapt, innovate, and look forward.
“American farmers, as a whole, are a very resilient group of folks,” says McDaniel. “It’s more than just a job — it’s the life they’ve grown up in — and farmers traditionally have a strong faith in the promise of next year. You’ve just got to send your prayers up, keep your hand to the plow, and trust that next year will be better.”
Though the challenging conditions prevented a record harvest, some soybean growers who successfully navigated the planting window achieved solid stands and
By Mark Johnson,
Contact mark@bigharvestcreative.com