The April WASDE dropped Thursday April 11th, keeping the momentum of data releases going as USDA looks to the season ahead. Overall, many questions remain, though updates on planting intentions and the March 28th grain stocks report suggest that anemic prices might be here to stay a little while longer. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the USDA’s three latest reports, and help us connect the dots to understand better where farmers’ heads may be as they prepare f...
Apr 16, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 190
The Census of Agriculture is a long standing USDA tradition, stretching all the way back to the department’s founding. A few weeks ago, the department revealed its latest iteration, updating the 2017 numbers with the latest figures that captured the impacts of trade wars, the global pandemic, and half a decade of extraordinary uncertainty. To help us tackle this huge trove of agricultural data, and put it in the context of how it’ll impact the department going forward, we’re joined today by DTN ...
Apr 02, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 189
March 19th, the official first day of spring of this 2024 leap year, was followed shortly by some of the wettest and most wintery weather many have seen since harvest. The waning El Nino pattern deserves some of the credit or the blame, as farmers worrying about drought balance the need for more soil moisture and the desire to get in the field. To help us sort out this unpredictable is DTN’s Team Lead for Ag Weather John Baranick, who takes us beat by beat through what to expect in the coming we...
Mar 26, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 188
2024’s National Ag Day is March 19th, with major events taking place in Washington DC and all around the country as farmers, their families, and ag industry members gather to celebrate their work. The day will kick off with a Presidential proclamation honoring the day, followed by words from the Secretary of Agriculture, the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and so much more. To bring us the latest updates from the event, we’re joined by DTN Progressive Farmer editor in chief Gre...
Mar 19, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 187
The 2024 Commodity Classic was held February 28th through March 2nd in balmy Houston, Texas, and participants flocked from around the country and the world to see the latest tech and hear news-making announcements from the Secretary of Agriculture, leaders in agribusiness, and national commodity groups. This year’s event drew the most attendees ever, with more than 11,000 farmers and members of the agricultural community in attendance. To bring us everything you might have missed, whether you at...
Mar 15, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 186
The 100th annual USDA Ag Outlook Forum took place February 15th and 16th, and the Department’s keystone event didn’t disappoint. Given current conditions and forecasts, analysts are expecting a record crop of corn, soybeans and wheat in 2024, which will further flesh out a global stocks figure that could continue to drive prices down. All of that, economists expect, could ead to the largest annual decline in farm incomes on record. Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to shar...
Mar 15, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 185
The March WASDE dropped Friday March 8th, and despite maintaining its status as a quieter report, a key announcement offered some support for soybeans, as other news of the week depressed wheat. DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the latest numbers, in particular some global figures, from USDA that provides updates to past soybean exports to China and maintains its discrepancy with Latin American figures on the potential for Brazilian crops. In addition to parsing the lat...
Mar 09, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 184
On February 7th, 2024, a federal judge ruled that the EPA had unlawfully approved dicamba for over the top use in cotton and soybeans, leading to a ban for three dicamba-based weed killers for 2024. What exactly that would mean for growers who had already bought and paid for seeds and chemistry for the new crop was unclear, until the EPA issued an order a week later that allows for limited sales and distribution of these products that are already out of the manufacturers possession– what’s known...
Mar 04, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 183
The smallest cattle herd in the history of USDA reporting is currently standing in the US as we speak, and the reduced stock extends from feeder and grass calves all the way to heifers and bred cattle. On top of that, tough winter weather at the start of the year has curbed slaughter weights, making a beef market that’s still hungry for product even hungrier. DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart joins us today to discuss all of these bullish headwinds and much more, as we dive into the most rece...
Feb 20, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 182
The February WASDE dropped Thursday, February 8th, and despite being a relatively quiet report, still sent waves through commodity markets as USDA diverges from Brazilian officials in its estimate of Brazilian crops. The result– some confusion about the global corn stocks and some hope that Latin American competition might not be too fierce in 2024. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to offer his insight on the latest figures, as well as how a shifting global weather forecast...
Feb 15, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Farmers for Soil Health is both a collaboration amongst farmer groups and a program hoping to motivate a big change in the US ag landscape. The group’s mission– to advance the use of soil health practices like cover crops to help improve farmer profitability, as born out of an agreement between the National Corn Growers and the Soy and Pork checkoffs. Recently, the group won an unprecedented $95 million USDA grant to tackle their goal of achieving 30 million acres in cover crops by 2030, a signi...
Jan 26, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Tech aficionados and leading brands from around the globe descended on Las Vegas January 9th through 12th to see and show off their latest tools and toys at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. Artificial intelligence and autonomous machines were just the beginning, as more than 25 categories were represented — everything from sustainability to cryptocurrency. DTN’s Dan Miller was at the show to cover the agriculture tools that were on display, from John Deere, Kubota, Bobcat, and more. He’ll sha...
Jan 20, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 179
The January WASDE dropped Friday, January 12th, offering further confirmation of 2023’s record corn crop and adding bearish pressure to the commodity markets overall as the US stock picture across the board looks healthier than many expected. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to offer his insight on not only the January WASDE, but also other key announcements from USDA, including the December 1st Grain Stocks report and the Winter Wheat Seedings update. We’ll dive deep into ...
Jan 13, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 178
Farmland news was hot in 2023 and promises to remain so in 2024, whether it’s about how much land is selling, how much it’s going for, or who’s buying it. The market has been driven by a number of unpredictable factors in recent years, everything from the pandemic to trade aid to investor interest and high commodity prices. But how long can the run-up last, and what can growers and land buyers expect in the aftermath? Today, we’re dropping in on DTN Editor-in-Chief Gregg Hillyer as he moderates ...
Jan 03, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 177
DTN’s 2023 Ag Summit, and the 2023 crop year is officially a wrap, and farmers across the country are looking forward to more than just 2024. The end of the year is, for many, a time to think about the generations past and those still to come, and it’s at time at DTN when we think about the young farmers and ranchers who are confidently leading the way into an uncertain future. In that vein, DTN’s Dan Miller joins us today to discuss, and introduce, America’s Best Young Farmers and Ranchers awar...
Dec 23, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 176
The 2023 DTN Ag Summit wrapped up in early December with DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick helping attendees look ahead to the 2024 crop season with an eye to weather in the US and around the world. After months of establishing a new El Nino pattern that’s edged towards a super El Nino event, the latest models are predicting that that effect may diminish mid-way through next year, sending weather into neutral territory or even into a La Nina by the summer. The good news is, John’s forecast take...
Dec 14, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Though the December WASDE dropped Friday, December 8th, the neutrality and general lack of changes in the report meant that DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman could focus more on his discussion at the 2023 DTN Ag Summit about the bigger picture in the markets and how it might drive markets in 2024 and beyond. Today, we’re dropping in on Todd’s market forecast to hear more about how he sees the lingering effects of the global pandemic, the fluid situation in China, and the growing competitiv...
Dec 14, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 174
From November 9th to the 15th, equipment manufacturers from around the world descended on Hanover, Germany to unveil new equipment and introduce farmers to their most advanced technologies at the annual Agritechnica Trade Show. Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Joel Reichenberger was there, visiting with some of the 3000+ vendors to stay abreast of announcements ranging from advanced combines to new electric and hybrid tractors. Today, we’ll check in with Joel about what he saw, with special atte...
Nov 29, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Fertilizer prices across the board are down off near all-time highs from this time last year, and providing less angst as the farm sector moves into the winter months. However, that doesn’t mean that uncertainty and risk are gone, as two global conflicts in key fertilizer exporting regions threaten to throttle supply if conditions change. This week, we’re joined by DTN editor and reporter Russ Quinn to dig into the current market conditions, and what’s likely to drive them going forward. We’ll e...
Nov 17, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 172
The November WASDE dropped Nov. 9, 2023, bringing with it the unexpected announcement of an expected record corn crop. After late season drought impacted much of the corn belt, this update came as a shock to market watchers, and helped contribute to a bearish outlook in the marketplace. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to offer his insight on what’s informing USDA’s evolving outlook, and what farmers should consider as 2023 yield estimates move towards that final January fi...
Nov 10, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 171
With harvest well underway and the end of the year looming, many farmers are starting to think about what equipment they might upgrade or purchase before 2024 arrives. And there is a lot to consider. From the increasing opportunity to acquire autonomous tools like grain carts to upgrades on tractors, combines, and implements, the world of farm equipment is advancing fast, and staying on top of the latest can feel like a fulltime job. Luckily, it literally is Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan ...
Nov 02, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 170
With harvest well in view for most farmers, plans for winter down time are also coming into focus. For years, DTN’s Ag Summit has been helping farmers prepare strategically for the uncertainties in the markets, weather and current events of the year to come, and this year is no exception. We’re talking to DTN’s Katie Dehlinger today about this year’s event, entitled “Fortifying Your Financial Foundation.” Katie will tell us all about how the speakers, panels and discussion opportunities will hon...
Oct 26, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 169
For nearly two years now, record high land sales have seemingly become a monthly or even weekly occurrence in the markets for agricultural acres — especially in the heart of the Corn Belt. As prices have continued to climb even as commodity prices cool and interest rates rise, many have started to question what factors are driving this white hot sector. And there are a lot of factors, from the classic indicators like location and soils to ones that are much newer, and less well understood. DTN’s...
Oct 19, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 168
The October WASDE dropped Thursday, October 12th, and it wasn’t certain that it would, given the threat of a government shutdown that was narrowly avoided in recent weeks. Chaos in Congress is just one of the breaking news stories causing anxiety throughout financial and commodity markets, especially after a renewed conflict in the Middle East thrust the geopolitical state of Central Asia and Eastern Europe back into the spotlight. Agricultural markets are not seeing outsized impacts for the new...
Oct 13, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 167
Cattle producers have been enjoying a generally positive year in the markets so far, and there’s hope for more good times ahead even as the seasons shift and growers begin the longer term work of rebuilding herds. But uncertainties remain — from the impacts of near-record high carcass weights to an uncertain winter weather outlook. DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart joins us today to discuss the current status of key cattle markets, from feeders and fat calves to boxed beef and bred cattle. We...
Oct 06, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 166
If Congress doesn’t act in the next couple of days to continue funding government agencies, by Sunday, October 1st, the federal government will be back in shutdown mode, and the consequences could be wide ranging. For the ag sector, worries about everything from FSA loan processing to passing a farm bill to what a downgrade in the US’s financial rating could mean are keeping many keen eyes trained on Capitol Hill as the cliff approaches. Here to help us unpack the current situation, and better u...
Sep 28, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 165
Since 2005, DTN Progressive Farmer has been selecting two farmers every year from across the country to participate in their annual View from the Cab Project. These farmers spend a full year getting to know DTN’s Pamela Smith as they work through weekly calls and check-ins, sharing their stories and their seasons with the broader farm community. The second 2023 farmers we’re checking in with are Chandra and Mike Langseth from the edge of the Red River Valley in Barney, North Dakota. They’ve been...
Sep 25, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 164
The September WASDE dropped Tuesday, September 12th, finding DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman on the road in Nebraska — talking with farmers about the disconnect between USDA’s prediction of a near-record corn crop and what growers see out in the fields. Going into the report, expectations were high that a reduction in yield estimates for US grains could bring some bullishness to the market, but with USDA’s update to planted acreage, the overall stocks picture ended up heading the other way. Todd...
Sep 13, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 163
As a sultry August turns to September and the weather world is riveted by hurricanes and tropical storms, farmers across the corn belt are continuing to deal with unexpectedly persistent hot and dry weather that’s sapping the last hope for a yield rebound. With harvest already queued up, attention is starting to shift to the further future — where an intensifying El Nino indicates that this winter could be very different from the last three. To help us prepare for the weeks and months ahead, DTN...
Sep 07, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 162
For farmland owners who aren’t interested in simply selling off heritage property to the highest bidder, exploring alternatives can be a daunting process — even when there is a clear farm family heir who’s interested in continuing the business. The good news is, there are multiple options for property holders who are committed to avoiding development and keeping their land in agriculture — and DTN’s Victoria Myers joins us today to explore exactly what some of the options look like. Today, we’re...
Aug 16, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 161
