OMAHA, N.E.(KELO)- Our regional farm economy is at its strongest level in nearly three years.

Creighton University’s monthly Rural Mainstreet Index turned in a strong performance this month.

Crop input expenses remain high…but CEO Gary Brandt of Cooperative Producers, Inc. in Hastings, Nebraska says lagging grain prices are an even bigger concern.

South Dakota’s reading was even stronger than the rest of the region, despite a 50% drop in the exports of farm goods and livestock during the first quarter of the year.