Early access, free.
Cownty

Home › Iowa › Mitchell County

Mitchell County, IA

Sale barns near Mitchell County, Iowa. The closest mapped barn is Tama IA in Tama, IA, about 96 miles away. Recent sale prices are not loaded yet. Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Change county
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

Mitchell County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Mitchell County, IA showed no drought. Rain has run 85% 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 best rain chance this week is 88% on Friday (high 58°). Mitchell County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Tama IA, 96 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 85% of normal
  • Last 60 days 128% 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 Sunny, high 48°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 2–8 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 52°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 9–15 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 41°, 0% rain, wind 12–18 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 45°, 14% rain, wind 12–22 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 38°, 11% rain, wind 5–13 mph
  6. Friday Chance Light Rain, high 58°, low 47°, 88% rain, wind 5–16 mph
  7. Saturday Light Rain, high 57°, low 35°, 80% 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 Mitchell 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.

Mitchell County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Mitchell County grew about 1,634 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 132% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,234 pounds per acre. That was the 1st best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2025 at 1,634 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 662.

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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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 96 miSep 14$418
Sigourney IA 142 miNov 2$421
Denison IA 160 miNov 12$410
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 96 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

Sigourney IA 142 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

Denison IA 160 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

5 more within 200 mi: Russell IA (165 mi), Dunlap IA (177 mi), Bloomfield IA (181 mi), Lamoni IA (198 mi), Unionville MO (199 mi).

Text me Mitchell County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Tama Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Tama, IA 96 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Sep 14, 2026
  2. Keoco Auction Company LLC (feeder cattle) Sigourney, IA 142 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  3. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 160 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. Russell Livestock Market (feeder cattle) Russell, IA 165 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 177 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell County this week?

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

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Tama IA (96 mi), last report Sep 14, 2026; Sigourney IA (142 mi), last report Nov 2, 2026; Denison IA (160 mi), last report Nov 12, 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.