DELMARVA — Severe weather is the top story for Delmarva farmers Thursday evening, with a Flood Watch in effect through midnight and Flash Flood Warnings issued across the region. The National Weather Service out of Mount Holly is urging residents to avoid flooded roadways. Farmers with equipment or livestock in low-lying areas near streams or drainage ditches are advised to take immediate action.
Conservation
A Kent County, Maryland farm family has placed 29 acres west of Chestertown into permanent conservation protection. Lee and Joyce Davis worked with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy to secure the easement, funded through Maryland’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. The property includes working farmland, woodland, and grassland buffers protecting the East Fork of Langford Creek. The parcel connects directly to the Davis family’s 300-acre Bell Rose Farm, which is already under conservation easement. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy now holds more than 14,713 conserved acres in Kent County.
Markets
Cattle futures closed sharply lower Thursday. August live cattle settled at $235.25, down $2.37. August feeder cattle dropped $5.90, settling at $356.15. At Laurel Grain Company in Laurel, Delaware, September corn is trading at $4.77 per bushel and November soybeans are at $11.32.
University of Missouri Extension economist Ben Brown says China demand and biofuels policy are combining to brighten profit potential for the 2026 soybean crop.
Forecast
Thursday night’s forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms to continue, with lows near 72°F. Friday brings patchy fog early, followed by a chance of storms returning, with highs near 91°F.
This article is based on the Delmarva Farm Report Update Evening Edition, July 9, 2026. Hosted by Tom Bradley.
