After spending the winter months in the doldrums, corn and soybean futures prices have rallied sharply this spring. The price of new-crop corn futures popped up nearly 13 percent between April 1 and June 1. The rally for new-crop soybean futures was even stronger, gaining 16 percent during that three-month period.

That futures price rally, which translated to stronger prices at local elevators, certainly brightened attitudes in Iowa farm ...