The May WASDE dropped Thursday, May 12th, with USDA offering a first look at what might be ahead in the new crop season that’s just starting to unfold. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to unpack the department's updates to production estimates for corn and stocks predictions for wheat, and we'll also take a closer look at what all this might mean for a shifting demand landscape. The global weather picture, from the rain delaying planting, to drought in the plains and in South America will be in focus...
May 14, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 100
From state-level adoption of low carbon fuel standards to companies like FedEx and Amazon making emission-reduction commitments to global conflicts putting petroleum-based fuel supplies in doubt, just about everything seems to be trending in favor of biodiesel at the moment. And soybean crush rates reflect that enthusiasm, with crush levels at historic highs and promising to go even higher as many new plants come online in the coming months. To discuss what all of this means for producers, we’re...
May 06, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 99
It’s been a long winter for cattle producers in the Western United States, as a historic drought has continued and hard choices have had to be made about herd size. Though some precipitation has come, the overall conditions remain dry, and as supply dwindles, producers see signs that later in the year, prices will likely climb… if they have cattle left to sell. Today we’ll catch up with DTN Livestock Analyst Shayle Stewart, to learn more about the latest news and put all of these issues in a wid...
Apr 21, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 98
The April WASDE dropped Friday, April 8th, with USDA wrapping up its look at the 2021 crop as it turns its attention to the 2022 season with the March 31st Prospective Planting report. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to unpack the latest stock estimates for the major grains, including some surprising adjustments on soybeans due to changes in China, and the increasing role India might play in global wheat. We’ll discuss the drought in Brazil and its long term implications, hear an update on the effec...
Apr 11, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 97
As Plant22 gets underway across the country– farmers are battling high winds, wet soils, cold temperatures and drought. As we look ahead to what looks to be a hot dry year, not only in the US but also in other key growing regions, weather promises to play a major role in operations and in informing the market in the year to come. DTN’s Team Lead for Ag Weather John Baranick joins us today to provide an overview of what we might expect to see in the year ahead, from the lingering winter weather i...
Apr 08, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 96
High commodity prices have been the name of the game for months now, and though 2022 promises to be a profitable year for producers, the dramatic rise in the price of inputs is already complicating the picture, and effecting farmer confidence, and thus decision-making, as they report prospective planting and as they look beyond this season. Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to unpack this complicated story, discussing everything from the pressures weighing on fertilizer pr...
Apr 04, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 95
The day after Spring begins, the American farm sector has, for years, been celebrating National Ag Day. To commemorate the official announcement every March by the secretary of Agriculture, ag industry leaders flock to DC to talk with lawmakers and whip up support for the sector ahead of another season. But the global pandemic put the in-person version of these festivities on hold for many years, and a plan originally scheduled to take place in 2019 was put off. This year, it has come to fruitio...
Mar 25, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 94
The results of the National Wheat Yield contest are in, and the winners represent those producers who were able to roll with the punches during one of the toughest years in living memory. There were definitely surprises; from winners in unusual wheat geographies to unexpectedly good protein levels, but the common thread around intensive management was clear. DTN staff reporter Emily Unglesbee joins us today to discuss more of the details around these top farmers, and to dig in on conditions, mar...
Mar 18, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 93
The March WASDE dropped Wednesday, March 9th, with USDA offering updated figures on Ukraine wheat and corn supplies, given the state of the ongoing conflict in the region. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to unpack the latest news out of Eastern Europe and South America, and to discuss how roiled markets are thinking about basis, among other indicators, as prices for all the major grains reach highs not seen in years. We’ll discuss the energy crunch and what that could mean for ethanol and biodiesel ...
Mar 11, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 92
We welcome DTN’s Todd Hultman’s on a special edition of Field Posts this week to discuss what we know, and the many things we don’t as the Russia-Ukraine War continues to escalate. As fighting continues and civilians and civilian infrastructure seem to be increasingly targeted for attacks, ag market watchers the world over wait and watch for news not only on the fate of the Ukrainian people, but also on the vast collateral damage the conflict is likely to wreak on a growing region of global impo...
Mar 02, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Drones and other autonomous aircraft have been a niche technology with a big following for years in American agriculture– but they’ve been plagued by the problem that too often, they’re too advanced or expensive a tool for what actually needs doing. That’s starting to change rapidly according to Senior Editor for The Progressive Farmer Joel Reichenberger, who’s reporting this month on how farmers are using drone technology to do valuable work on their farms, and logging a meaningful return on in...
Feb 24, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 30
As farmers look to a future determined more and more by changing climates and limited resources, technology– and the companies that create it– promises to help progressive producers to stay ahead of the curve. This week, in the first part of our two part technology deep dive, we’ll hear from Progressive Farmer Crops Editor Matt Wilde. He’ll give us the download on autonomous equipment that is, after years of hype, making its way into fields in a big way this season. We’ll hear about how farmers ...
Feb 18, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 89
The February WASDE dropped Wednesday, February 9th, with USDA bringing the attention back to the drought in South America, even if their estimate struck traders as shy of the mark. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack the rest of a relatively quiet report and to discuss how possible conflict in Eastern Europe, among other factors, might be playing into market moves. We’ll discuss the details of growing ethanol and crush demand, dig into supply chain issues at the US-Canadian border, and w...
Feb 10, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Though the intensity of discussions and debate within the cattle industry have waned slightly due to more favorable prices; pending lawsuits and proposed regulations have kept disputes over price fixing and market distortions top of mind for many producers and lawmakers alike. As organizations like the American Farm Bureau meet for their annual meetings, some surprising dissent surfaced. DTN Ag Policy editor Chris Clayton was there to track this story, and in the meantime has been following a br...
Feb 09, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Dicamba has been at the center of pesticide controversy for years, and though EPA says they don’t expect to be able to make changes before the 2022 season, a recent EPA analysis might have changed the stakes in a pending lawsuit that could cause some mid-season disruptions. On top of that, EPA also announced in January a new strategy for complying with the Endangered Species Act, which is already riling the ag and environmental communities over county-level restrictions of some pesticides. DTN s...
Jan 28, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Big things are happening in the world of farm equipment, whether we’re looking back at the recently released 2021 sales figures, or looking ahead to some big announcements arriving about electric and autonomous machines. Today, we’re talking with Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller, who is fresh off the 2022 consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, where John Deere made waves with the unveiling of their autonomous tractor. He’ll talk about what he saw, and what he’s hearing from farmers i...
Jan 21, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 85
The January WASDE dropped Wednesday, January 12th, putting the focus back on the global crop after affirming that the 2021 harvest in the US turned out mostly as expected. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack the latest on global stocks, and to discuss how he’s monitoring news about inflation, high fertilizer prices, supply chains, and COVID-19 as we move into the first quarter of the new year. We’ll discuss domestic and international demand shifts, the possible regional pressures on plan...
Jan 14, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 84
DTN Progressive Farmer’s 2022 Class of best farmers and ranchers was announced in Chicago at the DTN Ag Summit in December, and attendees got to learn all about the young leaders who are moving American agriculture forward. This week, you’ll get to meet them too. We’re closing out the year with a celebration of the enthusiastic thoughtfulness of these young families, who are running revolutionary grain, beef, and dairy operations all over the country. You’ll learn who they are, what they farm, a...
Dec 22, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 83
A record number of Americans have left their jobs over the last 18 months, and the high demand for workers as the economy transitions out of a pandemic have sent wages soaring. For farmers, this has meant having to get creative and savvy about finding, recruiting, and retaining top performers in order to keep their businesses operating. This week, we’re joined by Lori Culler, DTN farm business advisor and the founder of AgHires, an online job board and recruiting firm dedicated to the agricultur...
Dec 21, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 82
The December WASDE dropped Thursday, December 9th, confirming many expectations about minimal changes to the US crop for corn and soybeans while introducing a bit of the unexpected for wheat. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack just a few updated update figures, and to discuss what other factors he’ll be following most closely as markets switch their focus to other regions during the US’s quiet season. We’ll discuss driving demand and soybean crush, the unusual price bump in cotton, how ...
Dec 14, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 80
DTN has been tracking farmer sentiments about the present and future of ag markets since 2010 through a tri-annual survey, which becomes the Ag Confidence Index. The latest numbers have arrived, and the verdict is clear. Though things are looking good in many parts of the country today, the future looks much more uncertain. This week, we’re joined by DTN Editor-in-Chief Greg Horstmeier, who will take us beat by beat through the latest Agriculture Confidence Index numbers, and break down the conc...
Dec 07, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Fertilizer prices have been on a long climb over the course of 2021, and in the last few weeks have reached some truly jaw dropping heights as retailers struggle to even place orders for the chemical that farmers plan to use for the year ahead. This week, we’re joined by DTN editor and reporter Russ Quinn to dig into what’s driving these price spikes, from a myriad of supply chain disruptions to higher commodity prices, to global inflation. We’ll also discuss how farmers and experts are thinking...
Nov 24, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Just a few weeks ago, a record-setting price of $26,000 per acre was paid for a stretch of Iowa farmland, representing the latest in what seems like an unstoppable upward trend in sales. There doesn’t seem to be any ceiling for this market, and today, DTN’s Victoria Myers joins us to discuss her recent story about America’s new Land Rush. She’ll walk us through the current trends in the market, who’s driving it, and how individuals and organizations within ag and without are responding. Then, Vi...
Nov 19, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 78
The November WASDE dropped Tuesday, November 9th, creating some short term confusion as traders moved on lower soybean ending stock numbers before measuring their response in light of weak export figures. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack the updated figures in a report, which is likely to be the last major adjustment to the 2021 yield numbers before the January WASDE. We’ll discuss the China trade watch, domestic demand for corn and soybeans, weather outlooks, and how changes across U...
Nov 11, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 77
The farm equipment market is as tight as ever, with new and used equipment in extremely high demand after a year of good commodity prices and supply chain disruptions that have left manufacturers scrambling for commodity inputs to make everything from tires to computer chips. Today, we’ll talk with Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller about the latest in what to expect in the months ahead in the equipment market, and how to prepare for a year when it might not be possible to get needed pa...
Nov 05, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 76
The weather is turning colder, and the minds of farmers are turning towards the year ahead, as strategy planning gets well underway. DTN’s Ag Summit is helping to put farmers into that strategic mindset, with sessions on markets, weather, global trade, changing tax regimes and the effects of Coronavirus. DTN’s Katie Dehlinger stops by today with updates on what to expect from the event this year in Chicago, from a master class on ag markets all the way to a dueling pianos bash to celebrate the b...
Oct 29, 2021•34 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Earlier this year, meat giant JBS was forced to pay millions in ransom when a cybersecurity breach left data critical to their operation vulnerable to online criminals. Since then, other organizations, from cooperatives to pipelines, have also been attacked, and with more and more of agriculture’s critical information being stored online, anxiety is growing. Today, DTN’s Victoria Myers joins us to discuss her ongoing series on Cybersecurity in the ag sector, walking us through the hacks we’ve se...
Oct 20, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 74
The October WASDE dropped Tuesday, October 12th. This report was expected to be a market mover, as USDA was expected to make some significant adjustments in the aftermath of the September 30th Grain Stocks report, and this months’ report was their first opportunity to correct the record. DTN Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack the updated figures in a report that turned out to be one of the more bearish we’ve seen in 2021. We’ll talk more about the changes to stocks and demand estimates, how g...
Oct 15, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 73
The September 30th Quarterly Stocks report wasn’t expected to cause much of a stir, but bigger than expected updates to soybean totals surprised markets and analysts alike. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us today to unpack USDA’s updates and discuss how these updated figures fit into the overall picture as the 2021 season inches closer to the close. We’ll talk more about what new stock levels mean for adjacent markets like ethanol and crush, how exports might come into play, and what might be on the h...
Oct 06, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Whether farmers and ranchers are dealing with severe drought in the Northern Plains and Western states or too much wetness in the Eastern Corn Belt, weather is wearing on the hay market and leading to a challenging price situation. This week, we’re joined by DTN editor and reporter Russ Quinn to dig into the regional variations in the hay market, where prices and availability have been throughout the season, and what might change in the coming months. We’ll also talk about pressures beyond feed ...
Oct 01, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 71
