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Dakota County, NE

Cattle prices near Dakota County, Nebraska. The closest sale barn with a recent report is West Point in West Point, NE, about 39 miles away. On Nov 2, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $432.85 per hundredweight on 78 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Dakota County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 2 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county West Point 5-wt steers $433▲ $8 since last sale

Dakota County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Dakota County, NE with no drought; 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 42% four weeks earlier. Rain has run 137% of normal over the last 30 days (above normal) and 106% over 90 days, so the past month has been wetter than the season so far; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain) and the best rain chance this week is 86% on Friday (high 61°). Dakota County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 2 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is West Point, 39 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 137% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 106% of normal

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 Sunny, high 50°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 54°, low 40°, 0% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 55°, low 45°, 0% rain, wind 15–20 mph
  4. Wednesday Partly Sunny, high 61°, low 40°, 11% rain, wind 10–25 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 53°, low 40°, 16% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  6. Friday Light Rain Likely, high 61°, low 44°, 86% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  7. Saturday Light Rain Likely, high 51°, low 32°, 62% rain, wind 10–20 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 Dakota 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.

Dakota County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Dakota County grew about 2,108 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 135% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,558 pounds per acre. That was the 1st best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2025 at 2,108 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,041.

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 Dakota 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 IRS list

Dakota County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, 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)

Where it is, with barns within 200 mi

Dots are sale barns USDA reports on. Tap one for its latest prices.

Who owns this land? Open the county property map

Grass grown on rangeland and pasture

Grass grown in 2025: 2,108 lb per acre, well above normal (135% of the 1991-2020 average of 1,558).

How to read this

Each bar is one year's grass (darker = perennial grasses, lighter = annuals). The dashed line is the 1991-2020 average. A county average with cropland excluded, not your pasture.

How we got this

Satellite estimate of new above-ground growth of grasses and forbs for the year (annual + perennial, lb/acre), averaged over the county's grassland, pasture and shrubland (10% of the county in USDA's 2025 cropland map; farm fields are left out because the estimate isn't valid there, and the same 2025 map is used for every year). About about 120 m (RAP overview). Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform biomass v3 (data, Jones et al. 2021, CC0) and USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer.

Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform, 2025 season. Fetched Nov 13, 2026.

Text me Dakota County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. West Point Livestock (feeder cattle) West Point, NE 39 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  2. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 62 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026
  3. Sioux Falls Regional Livestock Inc. Worthing, SD 66 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  4. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 67 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  5. Ericson Livestock Market Ericson, NE 116 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 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

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Dakota County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Dakota County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 2 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Dakota County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Dakota 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 Dakota County?

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

What sale barns are near Dakota County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: West Point (39 mi), last report Nov 2, 2026; Dunlap IA (62 mi), last report Nov 6, 2026; Worthing SD (66 mi), last report Nov 9, 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.