In the last decade, farmland prices have shifted under the pressure of farm policy, a global pandemic, a changing interest rate regime, and a broader market anxious for safe investments. The picture of US farmland today is mixed, with some record sales still hitting inboxes even as many properties go unsold at auction. These mixed signals have left some producers wondering– what’s going on with the farmland markets? Today, we’re joined by DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger, who's been foll...
Nov 26, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 220
With the 2024 election firmly in the rearview mirror, President Elect Donald Trump has been dominating headlines with cabinet picks and more recent announcements about proposed tariffs. Farmers and ag industry stakeholders are now waiting to see what happens next on a variety of critical agricultural priorities, from labor to trade to potential pesticide regulation changes. Luckily, we’re joined today by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who’s been keeping an eye on the wide range of issues th...
Nov 26, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 219
The November WASDE dropped Friday November 8th, including updates to both corn and soybean production for 2024, bringing both crops down from their predicted record levels. Though many expected to see this update from USDA now that more than 90% of harvest is complete, the picture was complicated further down the balance sheet, leading to some mixed results in the market. This week, we’re introducing DTN’s new Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery, who joins us today for his first WASDE breakdown. He’ll...
Nov 12, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 218
Just in time for the 2024 Election, DTN’s Pulse of Rural America Poll is hot off the press with a fascinating trove of information about how farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans are thinking about not only this election and the decision ahead of them, but also how they feel about the farm economy, their biggest challenges and issues, and what the future might look like. Today we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who’s been reviewing the poll results and ground truthing them with...
Oct 29, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 217
USDA will begin requiring electronic ID tags for some types of cattle that are moved across state lines after November 5th, including dairy animals and intact beef animals and bison. The department’s rules carve out a few exceptions, so producers who believe they might be affected should be taking notice. Today, DTN Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico brings us the latest on what those exceptions are, who is affected by these new regulations, and how producers can take steps to ensure they’...
Oct 22, 2024•16 min•Season 1Ep. 216
The October WASDE dropped Friday October 11th, and though it largely held pat on USDA updates from both the September report and from the end of month stock updates, there was still news to be made as South America’s crop comes into clearer focus and tensions across the country and around the globe continue to escalate. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today for one last WASDE breakdown, talking us through trade expectations and market reactions since the report came out, and how...
Oct 15, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 215
In the aftermath of an August crash in the cattle markets, producers across the country are kicking themselves over the missed opportunity to lock in sales at record prices. But since the dog days of summer, markets are looking up, and prices have regained much of their lost value in the weeks since. DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart joins us today to talk us through the last eight weeks, pointing out key features of the feeder and cash cattle markets as she encourages hesitant producers to i...
Oct 10, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 214
The evolution of the drone has been a relatively quick one, and though this technology probably has a long way to go to reach its full potential, innovative growers are already putting these tools to work, especially using drone sprayers in tricky fields. To growers in unusual geographies in particular, drones, and the servicers and custom operators who supply them, are no longer an interesting novelty, they’re an essential part of yearly field work. Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Joel Reichen...
Oct 07, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 213
DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman is coming to the end of a long career in the agricultural markets. His voice will be dearly missed here on the podcast, around the newsroom, and across the country by the farmers and ag industry leaders who’ve depended on his even-handed insights for the better part of four decades. But before he rides off into the sunset, we sat down with Todd for one last episode to hear about the career he’s had, what he’s learned, and what he sees for the future of ag ...
Sep 26, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 212
The 2024 election cycle is in the home stretch, and though a lot of attention is being taken up by the Presidential race — when it comes to agricultural policy, the results of senate and house races are likely to be even more impactful. The farm community has been waiting for years for the passage of the next Farm Bill, but that legislation is currently on the sidelines as Congress aims to avert a government shutdown after September 30th. As November approaches, we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Edi...
Sep 18, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 211
The September WASDE dropped Thursday September 12th, and though it didn’t too much to stir markets, it provided another data point as potentially record crops are in the final stretch before harvest. USDA’s latest report was informed by in-field data which added a new on-the-ground perspective, but there’s still plenty of time for weather-related disruptions, especially with storms like Francine reminding the industry that hurricane season is not over. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joi...
Sep 13, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 210
The trend towards fewer, bigger seed companies is nothing new in US agriculture, and is not even unique to the seed industry. But as a handful of major players have bought up more and more independent seed companies, especially since the 1990s, it’s left farmers and industry analysts alike wondering what the impact is, and will be, on grower selection, price, and innovation overall. Today, DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins takes a closer look at the consolidation trend in the seed industry, especia...
Sep 06, 2024•20 min•Season 1Ep. 209
The 2024 crop season got off to a wet start that changed up planting decisions and led to a significantly larger soybean planting than analysts were expecting. Since the Spring however, moisture and temperatures across the midwest have proven to be generally ideal, though a severe storm here and there did intermittently disrupt some growing seasons. Now as we’re on the precipice of Harvest 2024, DTN’s Ag Meteorologist John Baranick joins us to breakdown both how his in-season predictions have fa...
Aug 28, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 208
DTN’s Digital Yield Tour is back again this year, and after years of building industry-leading tools, it’s powered exclusively by DTN proprietary models and data. Today, we’re joined by DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger who takes us beat by beat through yield estimates and on the ground condition reports for nine states, from the Eastern Corn belt to Nebraska, Missouri to Minnesota. She guides us through the regions where DTN’s data diverges from the latest USDA reports, shares the storie...
Aug 19, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 207
The August WASDE dropped Monday August 12th, bringing with it the surprising news of an expected record soybean crop on the horizon for US growers. This update was fueled by fresh yield forecast numbers, but even more so by USDAs contention that one million acres of additional soybean acres were planted than previously thought, driven in part by wet weather during the planting season forcing a shift from corn to beans. DTN’s Lead Market Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to help us understand t...
Aug 13, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Advocating for agriculture wherever you are is something that farmers and those in agribusiness have been encouraged to do for years now. But being a voice for the industry, for a sector, even for just one farm can be a huge undertaking. The work can be purposeful and fun, but it can also be emotionally difficult and time-consuming. Through the ups and downs, however, many, many voices continue to tell agriculture’s stories, and today, DTN is celebrating those individuals and organizations who d...
Jul 31, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 205
2024 marks the 20 year anniversary of the View from the Cab column at DTN, which follows two farmers from different parts of the country over the course of an annual growing season. Today the tradition is carried on by DTN Crops Technology Editor Pamela Smith, who for the last seven years has been talking to growers week in and week out on everything from production decisions and technology adoption to family dynamics and their vision for the future. Today, Pamela joins us for a behind the scene...
Jul 25, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 204
Delays on EPA announcement of Renewable Fuel Standard volumes have become old hat for ag industry watchers, but adding in the looming election and a recent Supreme Court decision, the hurdles for regulators to get 2026 volumes published are mounting. But even as anxious corn and soybean growers watch, and some advocates prepare to sue, hope springs from ongoing conversations about the potential for US growers to participate in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, market in the future. To help ...
Jul 18, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 203
The July WASDE dropped Friday July 10th, bringing the ongoing crop season into sharper focus as USDA continued to refine its acreage and production estimates. The June 28th reports from the department left the corn market in bearish state, estimating higher planted acres and higher stocks than expected, but the WASDE adjustments offered some relief, even as soybean numbers remained steady. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to help us digest these latest figures, and put them...
Jul 18, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 202
What was supposed to be the 2023 Farm Bill has officially become the 2024 Farm Bill, and after the events of recent weeks, looks poised to become the 2025 Farm Bill. With the dog days of summer upon us, an already unproductive Congress turns the majority of its attention to the campaign trail, leaving the outlook for farm and rural legislation looking decidedly bleak. As the national election approaches, we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who brings us insights on what we’re lik...
Jul 05, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 201
DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins calls Soybean Cyst Nematode the Rodney Dangerfield of soybean pests — it doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves. While estimates put annual damage from SCN in the $1.5 billion dollar range, it still rarely earns a spot among soybean grower’s top concerns. Many growers trust the “SCN Resistant” label on their soybean seeds to provide the protection they need against these tricky critters, but there might be less to that promise than you might think. Today, we’re...
Jun 27, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 200
The DTN Ag Summit Series event "Navigating the Cattle Markets Ups and Downs" is a wrap, but for those who missed the industry leading data and analysis, we’ve got you covered. This week on the podcast we’re dropping in on the keynote presentation from DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart, who tackled the latest numbers, broke down forecasts, and answered audience questions to boot. ShayLe’s presentation will dig into the drought monitor and the outlook for grass in 2024, and offer insight on how...
Jun 18, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 199
The June WASDE dropped Wednesday June 12th, leaving markets unmoved despite expectations that USDA might recognize the weather that’s kept US farmers out of the field in many regions. With plenty more season still ahead, and a few more opportunities for the department to bring down the current record yield estimate for the 2024 crop, analysts and growers alike will turn back to weather forecasts and other news to get a better picture of what might be ahead. To help us make sense of this report, ...
Jun 13, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 198
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. Today, we’re sitting down with Quint Pottinger, a farmer from Bourbon Country in Kentucky who’s been growing an unconventional row crop operation alongs...
Jun 07, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Farm shops are a critical piece of infrastructure on virtually all farm operations, and building one that fits the diverse and ever-changing needs of a given ag business, and the family that operates, can be a challenging endeavor. Many spend years dreaming out floor plans on the backs of napkins in the coffee shop, visiting the shops of neighbors far and wide, and planning for all the many uses the building will need to fulfill now and into the future. Alongside many of these farmers, Progressi...
May 31, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 196
American wheat watchers descended on Kansas from May 14th to May 16th this year to participate in the Wheat Quality Council’s 2024 crop tour. The three day scouting trip took dozens on an arc across the state, from Manhattan, Colby, Wichita, and countless road-side stops in between. In the end, analysts recorded a predicted yield in the state that, though a bit short of spectacular, will likely be much better than the crop fared in 2023. Luckily for us, DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins was on the ...
May 24, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Rural and farm communities have made big strides in recent years in discussing mental health issues and solutions. And not a moment too soon — between challenging commodity markets, extreme weather conditions, a global pandemic, and intensifying social and cultural situation, the amount of stress, pressure, and challenge that farmers and rural residents face continues to climb. Today, Content Manager Anthony Greder joins us this week to discuss the work DTN Progressive Farmer is doing to highlig...
May 22, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 194
The May WASDE dropped Friday May 10th, bringing with it a bullish mood for corn and wheat markets that was strong enough to even offset some pessimism in the soybean arena. With US planting conditions taking a turn for the wet and disagreeable weather rearing its head in Latin America, the USDA’s initial outlook for a record crop seems to be fading already. DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the USDA’s latest numbers for both old and new crop grain stocks, with an...
May 17, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Reports earlier this month that dairy cattle have become infected with the strain of High-Path Avian Influenza, or HPAI, that has been affecting wild and domestic bird populations for more than two years rocked cattle markets and brought an air of pessimism to a beef sector that seemed to defy doubt. But with a recent report from USDA offering more hope that supplies are still limited and demand remains strong, it seems just as likely now that the unstoppable bullishness might well be back. DTN ...
Apr 26, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Finding space on a farm for a family member to return can be a tough challenge. More and more, returnees are looking to build adjacent businesses to earn their keep, exploring everything from direct to market meats to u-pick operations. Growing these enterprises can be a great way to build confidence and develop the skills that will help them take over the farm, and in many cases, they can also be highly lucrative. Today, we’re joined by DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger to hear about thr...
Apr 17, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 191
