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Hancock County, IA

Sale barns near Hancock County, Iowa. The closest mapped barn is Tama IA in Tama, IA, about 97 miles away. Recent sale prices are not loaded yet. Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Hancock County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Hancock County, IA showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map. Rain has run 90% of normal over the last 30 days (near normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain) and the NWS forecast peaks at a 90% rain chance on Friday (high 59°). FSA has not added Hancock County to its 2026 LFP list, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Tama IA, 97 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 90% of normal
  • Last 60 days 112% 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 49°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 3–9 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 53°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 9–16 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 41°, 0% rain, wind 13–22 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 42°, 15% rain, wind 12–25 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 54°, low 37°, 15% rain, wind 3–12 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain Showers, high 59°, low 46°, 90% rain, wind 5–17 mph
  7. Saturday Rain Showers, high 56°, low 32°, 78% rain, wind 15–21 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 Hancock 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.

Hancock County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Hancock County grew about 1,754 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 155% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,130 pounds per acre. That was the 4th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,907 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 484.

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 Hancock 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 Hancock 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)

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: 1,754 lb per acre, well above normal (155% of the 1991-2020 average of 1,130).

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 (7% 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.

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Tama Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Tama, IA 97 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Sep 14, 2026
  2. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 110 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  3. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 127 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026
  4. Keoco Auction Company LLC (feeder cattle) Sigourney, IA 144 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  5. Russell Livestock Market (feeder cattle) Russell, IA 147 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Hancock 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 Hancock County this week?

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

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Tama IA (97 mi), last report Sep 14, 2026; Denison IA (110 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Dunlap IA (127 mi), last report Nov 6, 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.