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Cerro Gordo County, IA

Sale barns near Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. The closest mapped barn is Tama IA in Tama, IA, about 84 miles away. Recent sale prices are not loaded yet. Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Tama IA 5-wt steers $418per cwt

Cerro Gordo County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Cerro Gordo County, IA with no drought. Rain has run 84% of normal over the last 30 days (below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain) and Friday carries the week's highest rain chance at 89% (high 58°). FSA has not added Cerro Gordo County to its 2026 LFP list, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Tama IA, 84 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 84% of normal
  • Last 60 days 125% of normal
  • Last 90 days not read yet

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 48°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 52°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 7–14 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 40°, 0% rain, wind 9–20 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 43°, 12% rain, wind 10–22 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 55°, low 36°, 10% rain, wind 2–12 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain Showers, high 58°, low 46°, 89% rain, wind 3–14 mph
  7. Saturday Rain Showers, high 56°, low 32°, 79% rain, wind 13–17 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Cerro Gordo County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Cerro Gordo County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Cerro Gordo County grew about 1,713 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 136% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,259 pounds per acre. That was the 5th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,807 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 745.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Cerro Gordo County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag

Neither Cerro Gordo County nor any county touching it is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Tama IA 84 miSep 14$418
Denison IA 130 miNov 12$410
Sigourney IA 132 miNov 2$421
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Tama IA 84 mi

Tama, IA
Sale of Sep 14, 2026 old
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb163442.27$1,990
Heifers 500-599 lb137390.88$2,150
Heifers 600-699 lb23336.75$2,190
Heifers 700-799 lb12293.17$2,200
Steers 400-499 lb76468.23$2,110
Steers 500-599 lb367418.48$2,300
Steers 600-699 lb117367.12$2,390
Steers 700-799 lb14335.06$2,510

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Denison IA 130 mi

Denison, IA
Sale of Nov 12, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb35396.90$1,790
Heifers 500-599 lb98352.12$1,940
Heifers 600-699 lb108363.21$2,360
Heifers 700-799 lb36296.00$2,220
Steers 400-499 lb12430.83$1,940
Steers 500-599 lb90410.35$2,260
Steers 600-699 lb232387.93$2,520
Steers 700-799 lb72363.75$2,730

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Sigourney IA 132 mi

Sigourney, IA
Sale of Nov 2, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb117426.99$1,920
Heifers 500-599 lb133370.76$2,040
Heifers 600-699 lb10360.22$2,340
Heifers 700-799 lb40339.00$2,540
Steers 400-499 lb72487.65$2,190
Steers 500-599 lb243421.17$2,320
Steers 600-699 lb51368.73$2,400
Steers 700-799 lb34339.00$2,540

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

8 more within 200 mi: Russell IA (145 mi), Dunlap IA (147 mi), Bloomfield IA (166 mi), Lamoni IA (173 mi), Worthing SD (178 mi), Unionville MO (180 mi), Green City MO (195 mi), West Point (196 mi).

Text me Cerro Gordo County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Tama Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Tama, IA 84 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Sep 14, 2026
  2. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 130 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  3. Keoco Auction Company LLC (feeder cattle) Sigourney, IA 132 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  4. Russell Livestock Market (feeder cattle) Russell, IA 145 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 147 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Iowa

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Cerro Gordo County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Cerro Gordo County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Cerro Gordo County was in no drought, and the worst part was no drought on 0% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Cerro Gordo County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Iowa; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near Cerro Gordo County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Tama IA (84 mi), last report Sep 14, 2026; Denison IA (130 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Sigourney IA (132 mi), last report Nov 2, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.