Farm Business - General

Soybean Farmers Detail ‘Sustainable Practices’ That Can Pay Off

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:57:17 GMT

Cover crops were nearly scratched off Laurie and Jim Isley’s list of practices on their Michigan farm a few years ago. The reason? Production costs were adding roughly $35 an acre to their budget, which was already stretched beyond thin.

“Things were really limited for us, so we looked at that practice really, really hard,” says Laurie, who farms with her husband near Palmyra, Mich. “We can absolutely be environmentally sustainable, but the bottom line is we’re not going to stay in business unless we are profitable.”

The use of cover crops is back on firmer economic ground now, she adds, thanks to cost-share programs such as Farmers for Soil Health (FSH), which help make soil health investments possible for income-strapped growers.

Making Cover Crops Cash-Flow

The biggest hurdle for cover crops has always been the upfront cost versus the delayed gratification of better soil structure. The Farmers for Soil Health initiative is currently bridging that gap for growers in 20 states. Isley says the program offers up to $35 per acre in cost-share, plus technical assistance.

For many farmers, the frustration with government or industry programs often lies in the “fine print.” Isley highlights two specific features of the FSH program that make it a more useful tool for many row-crop growers:

The “No Look Back” Policy: Unlike many programs that only reward “new” adopters, FSH is open to almost any grower. “You are eligible for this program whether you are planting cover crops for the very first time, or whether you’ve been planting them for 10, 15 or 20 years,” Isley says.
Short-Term Commitment: “It’s a one-year contract, but you can re-enroll in it year-after-year (with up to 2,000 acres per operation) through the length of time Farmers for Soil Health continues,” Isley notes.

Beyond the dollars, the program addresses the “how-to” hurdle. Each state has designated advisers to help with cover crop species selection, seeding methods (including the use of drones), and termination timing.

“It isn’t just, ‘Go forth and find cover crops,’” Isley says. “Sometimes you just need some expert help in order to get started on something. Even if you say, ‘I’m only going to do 100 acres this year,’ that’s still 100 acres you’re going to get that $35 an acre on to get started.”

High-Oleic Soybeans: A Revenue-Side Opportunity

While cost-shares help manage expenses, Matthew Chapman is looking at the other side of the ledger: revenue. For his east-central Indiana farm, high-oleic soybean contracts have been a game-changer.

“This project’s really been a home run for the whole soybean industry,” Chapman notes. He says that backed by checkoff investments and partnerships with industry giants like Bayer, Corteva, and Beck’s, the specialty beans have already delivered over $400 million in total returns to U.S. farmers.

Chapman started off growing high-oleic soybeans on 20% of his acreage and eventually scaled to 100%. The premiums — ranging in his area from $0.75 to $1.25 per bushel last year — were a huge boost to his bottom line. But he says they have some requirements that farmers need to consider.

“Oftentimes you’re going to need to store this crop, depending on how far away your purchaser is,” he notes. “Your weed program and your plan need to start in the fall. There’s just a lot to consider ahead of time.”

The market is also evolving. High-oleic oil is prized by restaurants for its long fry life and trans-fat-free profile, and new markets are emerging. Chapman notes that his 2026 crop is destined for dairy feed — the beans will be roasted, cracked and fed whole.

United Soybean Board (USB) projections suggest that by 2027, about half of the U.S. high-oleic soybean crop could be headed to the dairy sector. Industrial uses are also gaining traction in asphalt, bioplastics and fire-resistant hydraulic oil, especially in sensitive environments like mining or near waterways.

Navigating The Carbon And Fuel Frontier

While the federal process for carbon intensity (CI) modeling is still unfolding, farmers see opportunity in markets tied to carbon scores and renewable fuels.

USB is currently funding research to ensure farmers aren’t left behind as these markets mature. One surprising finding from Iowa State University: simply planting earlier can reduce nitrous oxide emissions, a major contributor to CI scores.

“That really costs us nothing to do,” Isley says. By documenting this “free” practice change, farmers can potentially lower their CI scores and increase the value of their grain in renewable fuel markets.

However, participation requires data. Chapman emphasizes that farmers need to be the masters of their own information.

“Whenever you’re selling the data off your farm, which is what this is, it starts with knowing what we have,” he says. “It’s hard to sell something unless you know what you’ve got when you start off.”

In southeast Kansas, farmer Charles Atkinson sees this playing out in the biodiesel and renewable diesel sectors. He believes that using the product on the farm is the best way to support the market.

“It’s a product that we’ve developed, that we’ve raised, and it should be No. 1 on our priority list to use it,” Atkinson says.

The “Plan A Through F” Mindset Is Needed

Beneath all the programs and markets, the three growers say long-term profitability still depends on flexibility: having enough tools and plans on the shelf to adjust to whatever the season and markets throw at them.

The need for flexibility shows up in day-to-day decision-making. Atkinson describes his operation, based near Great Bend, as one that constantly shifts among no-till, cover crops, chemistry options and even occasional tillage, depending on the year’s weather, pests and markets.

“It seems like we have plan A, B, C, D, E and F, and depending on what gets thrown at us and what Mother Nature gives us, we have to figure out what plan to run,” he says. “Last year, I had a beautiful plan together. It was all going to work. And I think we were down to plan D before we got finished up.”

Chapman takes a similar view. He says farmers like having “a lot of tools in the toolbox,” even ones they rarely use.

“As the world’s always changing, we want to be proactive and we want to do stuff that we can voluntarily do on our farm,” he says. “Move towards that goal of leaving the farm better than you found it, and hope the day never comes that something’s your only option.”

Isley says programs such as Farmers for Soil Health, along with EQIP, CSP and state or watershed initiatives, help move more growers toward that toolbox mentality by reducing risk.

In her view, profitable sustainability isn’t about any single practice, but about using the right mix of programs, premiums and practices to fit each farm.

“I think we often are hesitant to look for help, because we want to be self-reliant,” she says. “But sometimes it really makes a difference if we look for technical assistance and for those resources that are out there and available to us.”

Isley, Chapman, and Atkinson shared their perspectives in a webinar, “How Sustainable Production and Economic Viability Can Coexist,” on Thursday. The program was hosted by Agri-Pulse in partnership with the United Soybean Board.

The Only Thing That Lasts: How Ted Turner’s 2 Million Acres Redefined Land Ownership

Thu, 07 May 2026 17:58:49 GMT

Ted Turner’s rise to the top of the Land Report 100 marked a transformative era of American land ownership. Once the largest private landowner in the U.S., Ted Turner had many titles, business accomplishments and accolades as well.

With his death on May 6, 2026, the discussion of his legacy began. And undoubtedly his impressive 2 million acres is the driving force with a “save everything” philosophy toward land stewardship.

“If you visit any of Ted Turner’s properties, there’s a bumper sticker available that reads, “Save Everything,” says Eric O’Keefe editor of The Land Report. “That was his approach, as far as being a landowner. He was a conservationist, first and foremost.”

Turner built a revolutionary business empire—taking father’s billboard company to building a global media powerhouse, pioneering 24-hour news with CNN and acquiring the MGM film library. His business success fueled his land purchases as he reinvested those profits into large tracts of land across the country, and notably in the western states.

“He was one of the original, in this generation, of corporate magnates who plowed their profits into land, O’Keefe says. He adds Turner was friends with the current No. 1 largest landowner John Malone, who he “gave the land bug to.” And it was Turner’s investments that inspired others including Bill Gates.

Turner’s acquisitions gained momentum in the 1990s, making his the first No. 1 largest landowner when The Land Report started its first ranked list in 2007. In the 2025 Land Report list, Turner was the fourth largest with 2 million acres located in Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia and more.

“He looked around corners in ways that few of us can really comprehend. He was buying the greatest ranches in the American West, and these phenomenal quail plantations decades before anyone else,” he says.

O’Keefe says a hallmark of Turner’s land buying was not only in its accumulation but how he enhanced it with conservation efforts.

“I love that Gone with the Wind quote, and of course, Ted acquired the MGM Library and, owned Gone with the Wind. And the quote is, ‘land, it’s the only thing that lasts.’ And at the end of the day, that was, to him, in my opinion the most powerful element of his legacy.”

Farmland Value Check: Midwest Class A Ground Sees Pullback, Water Security Redefines California’s Market

Mon, 04 May 2026 03:08:15 GMT

New data assembled by Realtors Land Institute (RLI), the National Association of Realtors Research Group and Acres, highlights fundamental trends driving the land market today. But this year’s Land Market Survey, which was augmented by research conducted by Acres, unveils two trends in farmland regarding quality and productivity ratings as well as other trends important in the business management of farmland.

First, Overall Land Trends

In addressing widespread concerns about a potential U.S. recession, Dr. Lawrence Yun Chief Economist and SVP of Research, National Association of Realtors emphasized that, despite recent oil price shocks and persistently low consumer sentiment, the U.S. economy is not on the brink of recession.

The survey details multiple industries and sectors in land use and values, and for 2025, In terms of price growth, the ranch category led with a 2.2% increase in dollars per acre, outperforming other land types. Industrial and recreational land also saw solid gains of 1.9% each, while other categories experienced moderate increases. Notably, Commercial Real Estate Data Analyst, Oleh Sorokin anticipates that while land sales will strengthen in 2026, the pace of price growth is expected to slow, with projected increases in the ranch category dropping to 0.9% per acre.

How Are Farmland Values Performing Differently?

The presenters highlight the energy price correlation as Farmland values and operational balance sheets are heavily tied to energy prices, as oil and gas drive both fuel costs and fertilizer prices.

“Tariffs are one that it’s kind of dwarfed now by the energy situation, but tariffs were a pretty big impact last year,” says Aaron Shew, chief technology officer at Acres.

With fuel input prices and fertilizer input prices highly driven by energy prices, those effects are being monitored closely both in terms of price hikes but also duration of elevated prices.

He continues, “Some of the energy challenges that we’re undergoing with the war in Iran and the blockade, Straits of Hormuz, I think that has the potential, maybe less in the broader real estate market, but for farmland specifically, that could have a pretty large impact, depending on how it resolves, how quickly that happens.”

What Are The High Interest Trends?

Shew’s research reveals two eye-catching farmland value takeaways.

1. Midwest Market “Pullback": Class A farmland in the Midwest is seeing a “mature” pullback of about 10% from the 2021–2022 peaks, while Class B ground remains slightly more resilient.

(Acres.com)

First Shew notes, 2021 and 2022 saw 1.5x to 2x the average number of land transactions. The highest value per acres sales during that time earned a lot of attention. What he refers to as “hype.”

“Particularly in Iowa and Illinois, where farmers were buying farms for $25,000 or $30,000 per acre. you have these outlier transactions. It’s very, very few, but they catch a lot of attention and that kind of pushes some land values up.”

He says that raised expectations that Class A—or the highest rated productivity ground—had reached a new plateau in values and wouldn’t go down.

But Shew notes, as of 2025, there’s been a 10% pullback from those ’21 and ’22 peaks. And that’s on the highest rated ground in terms of productivity.

Class B ground values have been more resilient.

2. In California, Water is Half Your Land’s Value

Looking at the data, Shew says in California, water security drives the value, particularly for permanent crops. Tier 1 districts with multiple water sources maintain high values, while “white space” (areas without district water) is seeing significant distress and land fallowing.

“A lot of people are already talking about water regulations, how water security plays a role, and, permanent crops have been under duress for close to three years now,” Shew says. “So that’s not new, but we’ve quantified the impacts regionally, and across ag districts, and by permanent crop type.”

The crops showing this trend in spades: almonds and pistachios.

“For Tier 1 districts, for almonds, you’re looking at $30,000 plus an acre. And then you go to Tier 2 districts, and you’ll see it around a little over $20,000 an acre. Outside of districts, it’s called white space and you’re actually at $13,000 per acre, which is almond ground being sold as bare ground—rip and replace.”

(Acres.com)

He says Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will mean that 500,000 to 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland will have to be fallowed or pulled out by 2040.

“So that’s about 10% of the farmland in California’s Central Valley, most of it in San Joaquin,” so we’re seeing some initial phases of that as we’ve seen tens of thousands of permanent crops come out in the past few years,” Shew says.

He adds, “Water regulatory bodies have put more pressure on farming in California. It’s just going to create a harsher environment for how water gets distributed and allocated.”

Resilience via Government Assistance

Programs such as the Farmers Bridge Assistance are preventing forced land sales by supporting farm operations, which keeps land values stable despite two years of challenging economics. He says we are reaching the tipping point in year three.

“Farm operations can be poor for a year or two and you’re not really going to see it show up in land values,” he says. “But we’re on a third year of this, and we’ve got other challenges that are fairly unprecedent at the same time, so there’s a lot to watch.”

“If you have to declare bankruptcy on your farm, 80% of most farm balance sheets is land, so that’s the large asset that’s going to get sold by the bank,” Shew says. “Government policies to provide support, The Farmers Bridge Assistance is the most recent one that probably plays the largest role, and it just helps farmers get to the end of ‘26, where hopefully balance sheets are in a good place.”

He’s also watching how the provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill come to bear this fall and at year end.

“Reference prices for, rice, in particular, is one that comes to mind. Those will take place and hopefully create some stability, but you have got to get to the end of the year.”

Transaction Volume Stabilization

Nationwide transaction volumes have returned to pre-pandemic (2018–2020) levels, though California is seeing an uptick in volume due to “distress sales” from owners who can no longer float the costs.

“The low interest rates ‘21 to 23, roughly created a great time for folks to invest in land. They wanted to deploy capital, and land is the definition of a real asset,” he says. “You had that boom, and then, of course, as rates went up in ’23 and ’24 and values stabilized at much higher levels, it turned off that capital allocation.”

(Acres.com)

National farmland transaction volumes in 2024 and 2025—transaction count, acreage turnover, and overall volume of dollars—is approximately the same as 2018 and 2020.

“Q4 of ‘21 and Q1 of ‘22, we saw three times the typical amount that would turn over,” he says. “So in Q4 of 2021, we saw 10 billion in farmland in one quarter—high volume and high values.”

While 2021 was the big, from a year-over-year standpoint, that began to fall back, by 20%, then 30%. He says the flattening from 2024 to 2025 is a bright spot to show overall stability.

“We’re not going to continue to see less transactions or lower sales volumes. We’re seeing that stabilize at a more consistent level alongside where interest rates are,” he says. “And presumably, if we see interest rates decrease, we will see that pick back up, and start what may be another cycle.”

You can download the full Market Values Report here.

New Data: Is U.S. Agriculture Facing a Typical Cycle or a ‘Geopolitical Reset’?

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:56:51 GMT

The latest Farm Journal Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows a bit more pessimism from respondents on the current state of the ag economy as well as how the present compares to one year ago.

Farm Journal regularly reaches out to a vetted list of 80 ag economists from across the industry. Providing directional insights, 10 of the 16 economists who responded to the April survey believe the ag economy is in a worse state than it was a year ago. Slightly fewer than half expect conditions to be “somewhat better” in 12 months, while one-third still anticipate further decline.

“I just haven’t really changed my level of pessimism regarding this year. This is going to be a tough year. There’s no doubt about it,” says Michael Langemeier with Purdue University.

The conflict in Iran weighs heavy on economists’ minds; high fertilizer prices and high energy costs dominate concerns. This overshadows the previous looming concerns of the trade fragility and export deficit. The previously announced government payments are in the rearview mirror.

Wes Davis from Meridian Agribusiness Advisors agrees that profit margins squeezed by high input costs are the top concern.

“When we talk about the more pessimistic view of the ag economy, fertilizer prices driven by the outbreak of war in Iran is certainly top of mind,” he says.

But Davis says there have been some positive tailwinds for commodity prices over the past few months, and there’s ‘no slowdown’ in demand for animal proteins.

“Those tailwinds continue to be present,” he says.

A Fundamental “Structural Shift”

Three-quarters of the economists believe U.S. agriculture is undergoing a permanent structural shift rather than a typical cyclical phase. They cite increased competition from Brazil, changing trade policies and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence as factors reshaping the industry for the long term.

(Farm Journal Survey, April 2026)

“I’m thinking of this one as the geopolitical and input reset,” Davis says. “What I mean by that is, where things go and how we interact with the global ag economy when this cycle or when this shift is over will be different. The way that farmers get their agrichemicals, their fertilizers, their vitamins/trace minerals for feed, their tractors will all be different.”

Davis brings up the farm bill as another example. He questions whether the structural shift in policy is moving away from supporting “commercial farm preservation” and more toward “rural economic development.” This distinction could change the long-term framing of ag policy.

While Davis’ perspective is in the majority, Langemeier offers a counterpoint. He says this today reminds him a lot of the 2014 to 2019 period when there were about six years in a row of relatively low crop margins.

“I know there are a lot of changes going on, and certainly we’re worried about the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture compared to Brazil, particularly for soybeans,” he says. “As one example, I think the AI developments actually could be positive, and so I don’t necessarily see why that would necessarily mean a structural shift that would be negative.”

Geopolitical Impacts on Input Costs

The conflict in Iran and broader Persian Gulf instability are identified as primary drivers of agriculture’s economic health. Economists are specifically concerned about how these tensions are “pinching margins” by driving up the costs of energy and fertilizer while commodity prices remain relatively low.

“The negative impact of the Iran conflict has been increased fertilizer and energy prices. I did some crop budget calculations: If you hadn’t bought your fertilizer and most of your fuel is yet to be purchased prior to the Iran conflict that’s a pretty large effect on corn break-even price. I calculate it to be 25 cents a bushel. And when your break-even price is already at $5, which is way above what the futures price adjusted for basis is this fall, that’s certainly not helping matters,” he says.

It’s not just fertilizer and fuel. It’s other input categories in row crop agriculture and livestock production as well.

Noting input prices are 15% to 20% higher than pre-COVID levels, Davis points out that prices for active ingredients have gone up 20% to 30% since the conflict in Iran started.

“This continues to exacerbate that question around how long are we going to continue to see input prices increasing?” Davis says. “The other things that are less talked about but are starting to show up in pricing data are things like low inclusion additives for livestock feeds, so things like vitamins and trace minerals are starting to show up in pricing increases as well as they are being disrupted in trade flow and a slowdown of exports from China.”

Langemeier adds to the question around input pricing increases, saying it’s unknown if the uncertainty and elevated costs will go into 2027.

Strategic Deferment of Capital Expenses

To manage tight margins, farmers are expected to prioritize paying down debt over investing in land, equipment/technology, capital improvements and labor. Machinery and equipment purchases are the top items likely to be reduced or deferred in 2026, with half of economists also warning that cuts to fertilizer and crop protection could start impacting yields.

(Farm Journal Survey, April 2026)

“The number one thing as always is farmers want to be paying down debt,” Davis says. “Equipment is going to continue to be in a trough, and my expectation is that tractor sales year over year are still going to be 10 to 15% lower this year versus last year.”

He also foresees a continued transition to generic crop chemicals for the next two years.

Davis makes a distinction regarding which farms could survive this pinch on profitability. He describes a “tale of two economies” where disciplined farms with high liquidity can still find financing to grow, while those who grew aggressively at the peak of the cycle are facing a “pullback” from lenders. This adds a layer of nuance to the “commercial viability” discussion.

Langemeier provides a sobering warning about how farmers are managing the third year of low margins. He notes a trend of farmers starting to borrow against their land (non-current debt) to cover operating expenses — a pattern seen during the 2014 to 2019 downturn. He emphasizes the urgent need for “contingency planning” and a “Plan B” for debt repayment this fall.

“Usually, farms will try to cover their owner withdrawals and repay debt before they even think about making down payments on machinery. Capital expenditures always get squeezed when cash flow is tight. That’s just the way it works. We’re in one of those situations where capital expenditures are just going to be lower, primarily machinery and buildings,” Langemeier says.

Farm Business In 2026: Relationship First, Digital Convenience Second

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:48:22 GMT

Based on the 2026 State of the Farm data, farmers aren’t looking to replace their advisers with algorithms; instead, they want digital tools that remove the friction from the business side of their operation. The State of the Farm Report is prepared by Bushel with the goal of illuminating trends in three things:

Farmer tech use
Payment trends
Supply chain

The most recent survey had 1358 respondents, and here are some of the key takeaways for farmers and agribusiness.

Killing The Trope of The Technology Adverse Farmer

The survey has been conducted since 2018, first by FarmLogs, which was acquired by Bushel. As Julia Eberhart explains, the overall takeaway of the survey from every year has been farmers are not resistant to technology adoption.

“Year after year, we’ve tracked the same data point—farmers’ willingness to adopt tech. And overwhelmingly the data shows farmers are willing to adopt. But we still have this stereotype that agribusiness says farmers won’t use it. And we see across all age groups, we see a willingness to try new technologies,” she says.

Eberhart points to key tenets to pull out from the results in how farmers prefer to do business.

“It’s valuable to both agribusiness and farmers,” she says.

Artificial Intelligence Has Arrived

While in early days of adoption, the survey proves farmer use of AI has broken through with 14% of respondents say they use AI tools on the farm today.

“20% of who said yes, had more than 5,000 acres,” Eberhart says explaining that perhaps larger scale operations are adopting the technology at an earlier pace. Adoption of AI is highest for respondents under 60 years old.

Using AI is an indicator for tech-savvy farmers as 70% of AI users from the study are also “willing to experiment with new technologies,” compared to 42% of the other respondents.

And 11% of respondents say they are unsure, which Eberhart could be a reflection of farmers acknowledging how AI is embedded in much of the software they use but they don’t directly engage with the AI.

What Does This Mean for Ag Service Providers?

Per the State of the Farm, technology enhances but does not replace relationships, interactions, and payments/transactions.

“It’s about how to make doing business easy,” Eberhart says.

She says to win the farmer’s business in 2026, ag retailers must empower their agronomists with tools to build loyalty, offer a mobile or web platform so farmers can easily review prices and quotes on their own time, and provide flexible, integrated financing options alongside traditional check payments.

The Differentiator Lies in the Relationship

In 2025, when Bushel asked “If the price is equal, what is the primary reason you purchase inputs from one retailer over another?”, 52.3% pointed to the “Relationship with staff & overall customer service.” In 2026, that number jumped up 8% to nearly 60%.

If you’re assuming younger farmers only want to interact through screens, the data shows the opposite–85% of farmers under 40 cite the relationship with the staff and overall customer service as their primary reason for choosing a retailer—the highest of any demographic.

Another demographic-driven trend is farms over 2,000 acres show a higher preference for text messaging and digital business. However, farms less than 500 acres show a preference to handle business in person.

In-Person Trust Bridged with Digital Convenience

“Farmers are more willing to share data than they themselves recognize,” Eberhart says. “Year after year, data sharing is rooted in who provides value, what relationship they are having, and who is providing easier ways to be sharing it.”

Farmers are most likely to share data when applying for a loan, with their bankers and accountants, as well as crop insurance providers.

“Those three are by far they are getting the most data sharing for good reason,” Eberhart says.

When it comes to input purchasing and service orders with ag retail, there is a nuanced shift. Farmers still highly value talking to their agronomist, but they want the actual transaction process to be much easier.

Digital Quoting

The end goal of “frictionless business” includes the final checkout. The Bushel research points out while the preference for how a farmer submits their order has remained relatively stable year-over-year, their expectations for what happens before the order has changed.

“Farmers are increasingly adopting digital tools to manage their broader operation, and they are bringing those consumer-level expectations to their retailer,” Eberhart says.

As such, farmers are seeking:

Customized quotes
Product availability transparency
Price comparison tools

And much of that product information available when convenient to them on a portal or a digital storefront.

Support Traditional Payments While Expanding Financing

Eberhart says the State of the Farm has shown how 80% of agribusiness and farmer transaction is done by paper check.

“Over the years, we’ve seen steady growth of digital tools, and reliance on checks being reduced by 1% to 2% every year,” she says.

She says this emphasizes to meet farmers where they are at while simultaneously making it easier for staff to have simplified processes.

Two other financial trends have been in retail supplied financing and farmer credit card use—illustrating how farmers are seeking flexible payment options and new financing or credit programs.

In 2022, over 20% of farmers said they used a credit card to pay for their crop inputs, which fell to 8% in 2024, and then most recently in 2026 2.6% of farmers said they used credit cards.

At the same time, ag retailer financing products have doubled their use since 2022—going from 4.5% to 9%. And 17.3% of farmers said in 2026 they were using operating lines of credits for input purchases.

Key to Business in 2026

Per the Bushel report, the winning formula for ag service providers in 2026 and beyond is clear: Use digital tools to handle the paperwork so your team has more time to handle the handshake.

Farmers Emphasize Demand, Not Payments, Is The ‘Bridge To Better Times' For Agriculture

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:26:14 GMT

Two Midwest farmers are pinning their hopes for the future on stronger demand for corn and soybeans — especially the latter — as they navigate tight margins, high input costs, and an uncertain price outlook.

Northern Illinois farmer Steve Pitstick and south-central Iowa farmer Dennis Bogaards say they have exhausted most cost-cutting options for this season. They believe future profitability now rests on whether demand for both crops — particularly from domestic soybean crush and fuel markets — expands enough to support higher prices.

One silver lining currently, Pitstick says, is his relatively strong position on fertilizer heading into the 2026 planting season.

“We will do pretty much the dry spread program we always do,” he says. “We cut the rates a little bit on the phosphates just because of price. We booked our 32% in September, something we traditionally do. We have all the nitrogen bought, so I feel good about 2026 from that aspect.”

While he believes additional fertilizer is available, he notes it will likely be priced at a premium.

“I believe I can get more if I need it. I may not like the price, but I can get more,” he told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory during the weekly Farmer Forum segment.

Little To No Expansion On The Horizon

As the season begins, both farmers emphasize that the coming years will have farmers focusing on survival and strategic adjustments rather than acreage expansion.

One adjustment Bogaards is making is front-loading some of his nitrogen needs this season while leaving a portion open in case prices break.

“We booked anhydrous early on for this year, back in early fall, and got an OK price,” Bogaards says. “I have a little bit of sidedress that we do. We book about half of that, and I sit open on the rest of it. I’ll wait and see where it goes.”

Bogaards remains committed to sidedressing as long as product is available and prices do not continue ratcheting up. “If I can get it, I’ll put it on, unless it is a crazy, crazy price,” he says.

Like many U.S. growers, both Bogaards and Pitstick say there is virtually no room left to cut fertilizer use without risking yields.

“There is no place to cut back. We are being as efficient as we can be,” Pitstick says.

Bogaards agrees, noting that nitrogen is not the place to skimp. “Maybe a year or so, you can cut back on the P and K a little bit, but you do not want to get caught in three or four years of that.”

He also remains reluctant to drop fungicides. “Fungicides really pay off,” he says. “In the past, we did not use them, but the last few years they really paid, and I would hate to not spray them.”

Uncertainty About The 2027 Crop Mix

While the 2026 crop is largely “business as usual,” both farmers told Flory that 2027 brings real uncertainty—especially regarding nitrogen supplies. Pitstick is concerned about how global demand could impact costs for U.S. producers.

“I am worried about the price of the nitrogen,” he says. “It may not be an issue in the United States from a supply standpoint, but the rest of the world… could export our product because of opportunity cost, and that drives the price up. It is a total wait and see.”

Flory underscored how global trade flows directly shape what American farmers pay, noting that some fertilizer shipments originally destined for the U.S. were recently rerouted.

“Some boats are diverted from the U.S. to other countries,” Flory says. “If you want your share, you have to beat the next guy in line with the price.”

If nitrogen prices soar while corn prices stagnate, Pitstick says his rotation could shift. “That might change how we do things in 2027. We may have to go to more soybeans,” he says.

Bogaards also expects to alter his corn–soybean mix, given the potential demand from domestic crush and renewable fuels.

“In the past, we were probably 60% to 65% corn,” he says. “We have been backing off of that. I still do a little bit of corn-on-corn, but I might try to go to a 50–50 rotation.”

Flory believes this shift could help rebalance supplies and improve price prospects. “If we can pull some acres away from corn and get this thing rebalanced, maybe that is our bridge to a better time,” Flory says. “Our bridge to a better time is more demand across the board and crops competing for acres — not another payment.”

Bogaards says the shifting economics are already evident. “A couple of years ago, people said soybeans are a drag on our financial statements. It looks like almost the opposite right now.”

Even so, Bogaards is cautious about making long-term decisions based on short-term signals. “I can change acres right now, but by next fall, it might be the worst decision. I think you have to go with your rotation and stick with it.”

Pitstick links his long-term outlook to fuel sector growth, noting that both corn and soybeans increasingly function as energy crops.

“Some of the most profitable years of my career were when we had high fuel prices because we were also a fuel crop,” he says. “I have some optimism that these high fuel prices will cause some demand and increase our crop prices.”

For now, both farmers say their immediate job is to manage through 2026 while keeping their options open. With high costs for fertilizer, fuel, and machinery, they see expanded demand as the only realistic path forward.

“It is just survival at this point,” Bogaards says. “We just have to make sure we can survive and keep plugging through it.”

You can listen to the complete discussion between Bogaards, Pitstick and Flory on AgriTalk at the link below:

Corteva Unveils Executive Team Lineup For Its Two-Way Company Split

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:58:35 GMT

Corteva Inc. has reached a pivotal milestone in its corporate restructuring, announcing the executive leadership teams that will guide its transition into two independent, publicly traded entities.

The separation, which will result in the formation of New Corteva and SpinCo, is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2026.

New Corteva: A Focus on Crop Protection

Luther “Luke” Kissam has been appointed as the future chief executive officer of New Corteva, the entity that will retain the company’s crop protection portfolio. Kissam is scheduled to join the firm on June 1 as CEO.

Corteva’s Greg Page says the company board of directors selected Kissam following a global search, citing his ability to drive growth through innovation. Page notes that Kissam’s history of leading public companies and delivering market-focused solutions will benefit farmers and shareholders alike, according to a company press release.

Kissam brings a background in both agriculture and specialty chemicals to the new role. He previously served as the chairman and CEO of Albemarle Corporation and held legal and executive positions at Monsanto and Merisant Company.

Joining Kissam at New Corteva in key leadership roles will be:

Jeff Rudolph, chief financial officer
Brook Cunningham, chief commercial officer
Ralph Ford, chief integrated operations officer
Reza Rasoulpour, chief technology officer
Jim Alcombright, chief digital and information officer

SpinCo: Advancing Seed and Genetics

The second entity, provisionally named SpinCo, will operate as a standalone seed and genetics company. This business will focus on elite germplasm and cutting-edge biotechnologies, including gene editing and molecular breeding for row crops.

Current Corteva CEO Chuck Magro will transition to the role of SpinCo CEO at the time of formal separation. Magro says SpinCo’s success will be built on technological investments that allow farmers to increase yields in row crops and potentially new markets.

Along with Magro, the leadership team for SpinCo will include:

David Johnson, chief financial officer
Judd O’Connor, chief commercial and operations officer
Sam Eathington, chief technology officer
Audrey Grimm, chief people officer
Brian Lutz, chief digital and information officer
Jennifer Johnson, chief legal officer

The New Ag Economy: Why This Downturn is a Structural Shift, Not Just a Cycle

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:22:19 GMT

What You Need to Know:

Structural Evolution: This downturn is a permanent market shift, not just a temporary cycle.
Friend-Shoring: Trade is moving toward geopolitical allies to ensure supply chain resilience.
Aggressive Cost-Cutting: Farmers are doubling generic input use and delaying machinery purchases to protect margins.
Financial Resilience: Better management and working capital make today far more stable than the 1980s.
Premium Protein Demand: GLP-1 medications are driving consumers toward smaller, higher-quality meat portions

As the industry enters the third year of this downturn, farmers and agribusinesses are questioning if a recovery is on the two-year horizon. While cyclical behavior is normal, two economists suggest the structural evolution within crop protection, machinery, technology, livestock and other individual sectors is creating a different kind of staying power for those who survive the recovery.

The Evolution of the Cycle

When characterizing the current economic cycle in agriculture, historical patterns provide a necessary baseline, yet the present landscape is defined by unique pressures. Typical agricultural cycles consist of roughly six years of expansion followed by four years of decline. Currently, the market is navigating a “corrective period,” returning to long-run averages.

The drivers of growth are typically demand shocks — export surges, fuel demand or policy shifts such as the Renewable Fuel Standard. However, Wes Davis, ag economist at Meridian Ag Advisors, notes the current environment is an intersection of traditional contraction and sector-specific evolution.

“What I think we’re experiencing right now is that typical cycle behavior where we see growth in some business firms, and then some contraction and pullback to adjust to the cycle going back to more of the long-run average,” Davis explains. “I think we’re also seeing evolution of individual sectors within the market where there’s adjustments happening because of the industry itself.”

In other words, this isn’t just a cycle — it’s also a structural shift.

Change Fatigue and Modern Volatility

Farmers aren’t strangers to volatility, but global trade disruptions, policy shifts and rising competition, especially from Brazil, are layering uncertainty onto already volatile markets.
Farmers are grappling with “change fatigue,” a byproduct of the high velocity of information and extreme price swings that dwarf the relative stability of the early 2000s.

“When I go talk to any industry group right now, the phrase that I hear is ‘change fatigue’, and I feel that. Every couple minutes, something shifts,” says Trey Malone, Purdue University ag econ professor. “But to be clear, it’s not that the farm economy isn’t used to volatility, it’s just the uncertainty and the volatility now is, like, ‘hold my beer relative’ to the old volatility.”

Malone attributes this to layers of uncertainty created by global trade and policy. The rise of Brazilian production, coinciding with the disruption of U.S.-China trade relations, has created a permanent state of flux. This sentiment is reflected in the Purdue Ag Economy Barometer, which shares a higher correlation with the Small Business Index (.5) than with actual commodity prices. This suggests farmers view themselves primarily as small business owners facing broad economic pressures rather than just price-takers.

“We don’t see very strong correlations even with lagged soybean prices and corn prices,” Malone notes. “The world is more complicated than just looking at what happened in the market yesterday and gauging how farmers feel.”

Global Competitiveness and the Trade Reallocation

A primary concern for U.S. producers is their position as low-cost providers. While the U.S. maintains an infrastructure advantage that lowers the cost of getting products to export ports, Brazil continues to close the gap.

“It’s a fair question farmers ask a lot: Are we actually the ones who are the low-cost producers, and do we still have a place in the global market if Brazil continues to lower the cost of production and transport their grain to export terminals?” Davis asks.

However, Davis points out that global trade hasn’t shut off; it has reallocated. Only three global regions — North America, Latin America and parts of Southeastern Europe/Central Asia — are net exporters. The rest of the world remains net importers.

“While our trade has kind of shifted around ... that shift has really reallocated stuff in different places. Those calories and products end up going somewhere. It’s just a question of where,” he says.

The Shift to “Friend-Shoring” and Resilient Supply Chains

The industry is moving from “just-in-time” (hyper-lean) procurement to “just-in-case” (inventory-heavy) strategies, a lesson reinforced by the pandemic. This shift is accompanied by “friend-shoring,” where the U.S. prioritizes trade with geopolitical allies.

“We’ve gone from offshoring to onshoring to nearshoring to friendshoring,” Malone explains. “We’ve got a paper that’ll be coming out ... where we document friend-shoring in ag and food supply chains. Over the last 10 years, there’s been a shift where we mostly in the U.S. trade with other people who vote like us in the WTO. That’s kind of one way to measure friends.”

This resilience is also visible in crop protection. In 2019, 80% of active ingredients were sourced from China. Today, that is closer to 60%, with manufacturing shifting to India and domestic sites. Davis calls these “geopolitically resilient” supply chains.

The Rise of Generics and Decision Paralysis

The economic downturn is fundamentally changing the business model for input providers. Farmers are aggressively cutting costs, leading to a massive surge in generic usage.

“The latest survey I saw shows about 60% of farmers use generics today. That was about 30% to 40% just 5 years ago,” Davis says. This forces companies to pivot from differentiation to operational volume.

In the machinery sector, high costs and economic uncertainty have led to “decision paralysis.” Farmers are extending the life of their equipment, treating machinery replacement as the most controllable variable in managing annual ROI. Davis notes the U.S. ag equipment cycle is currently 15 to 20 percentage points lower than typical low points, driven by this hesitation. Furthermore, there is significant skepticism toward subscription-based technology models.

“Farmers don’t terribly love this idea, and I think the other interesting thought here is I’m not sure that retailers like selling them either,” Malone adds.

AI: The “Undergraduate Intern”

While artificial intelligence (AI) is a major talking point, its current role in agriculture is more supportive than transformative. Malone views AI as a “highly capable undergraduate intern” — useful for processing information but incapable of replacing the trust and risk management provided by human advisors.

“I don’t think you need to be replacing your agronomist. I think your mediocre agronomist just got OK,” Malone says, noting while LLMs can pass CCA exams, they cannot manage the risk of a wrong decision. “The risk management value proposition of an in-person Claude, or whoever, is probably going to win out because there’s still a risk.”

Currently, the adoption gap is wide: While 75% of agribusiness managers see potential in AI, only 4% have implemented it, according to a Purdue University survey in 2025.

Livestock and the GLP-1 Impact

The livestock sector is facing a unique demand shift driven by weight-loss medications (GLP-1s). This is leading to “premiumization.” As consumers eat smaller portions, they are opting for higher-quality cuts.

“The explosion in demand for protein is just shocking,” Malone says. “What GLP-1s do to that calorie count is they are all shifting toward premium cuts. You don’t care how much it costs because you’re only going to have seven bites of it. But you’re going to have a steak. That premiumization is going to really, really take off in the next 10 years.”

Conversely, the hype surrounding “fake meat” has largely faded, proving to be more of an investor-led phenomenon than a market-driven one.

Financial Stability: Not the 1980s

Despite the downturn, the financial health of the American farmer remains more stable than during the crisis of the 1980s. Currently, 10% to 12% of farmers are in a “tight” financial position , compared to 20% to 30% in the 80s.

“We do have a completely different, more professional ag workforce than we did back then,” Malone says. “The farm policy we have right now does not necessarily match what we need for the future, but all of these things make me think we’re in a much more stable position.”

Farmers have built-in “shock absorbers,” Davis adds, including off-farm income and working capital built up during the expansion years. However, in his research Davis has seen how alternative financing is becoming a major tool for the 50% of farmers who use it — either to manage stress or, for larger operations, to leverage relationships with retailers.

Strategic Reassessment: Winning at the Bottom

The experts agree the “bottom of the cycle” is the time for professionalization and upskilling. Surviving — and thriving — will require sharper management. It is an opportunity to reassess farm transitions and management disciplines, such as financial management, accounting and planning, which become critical in tight margins.

“Farmers are going to have to get smarter and get more creative with how they manage,” Malone says. “This is a good opportunity to take a step back and think about what the strategy needs to be moving forward.”

Davis emphasizes relationships are solidified during these periods: “Farmers are going to remember the folks who were around when they were in the bottom of the cycle, and who were there to support them. The best farmers will continue to get better ... I get excited about what we can look like as we come out of this cycle.”

So Is This Ag Cycle Different?

These experts say yes as every cycle presents its own unique reshaping of future opportunities.

To download the full report on why this ag cycle is different and what it means for your operation, click here .

Tick Safety Guide: Preventing Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Lyme Disease

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:49:28 GMT

Increasing reports of alpha-gal syndrome, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-related illnesses are a critical reminder why preparation is important before spending time outside in spring and summer, says University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff.

Ticks are the most important vectors of disease in domestic and wild animals throughout the world, and are second only to mosquitoes in transmitting disease in humans. As temperatures rise and people begin camping, fishing and farming, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the health dangers posed by ticks, she explains.

What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)?

Bites from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) or the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called deer ticks) can trigger AGS. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals. After eating mammalian meat, people who become allergic to alpha-gal may experience an hours-long delay in symptoms, which include hives, swelling of lips, face, tongue or throat, stomach pain and nausea, reports the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill . It can also cause restricted breathing and death.

deer_tick-Mizzou.jpg

(University of Missouri)

AGS diagnosis involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, allergy testing and symptom tracking.

Best Practices for Tick Prevention on the Farm

Although Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, there is currently no cure for AGS. Because of this, tick prevention is the best defense. Here are three tips for tick prevention

Dress to defend.
Ticks frequently attach to the lower legs of people and then crawl upward before embedding themselves in the skin to feed. They thrive in the humid, cool layer at the soil’s surface and often locate hosts using an ambush strategy known as “questing.”
The right choice of clothing can help you prevent you from picking up ticks, Althoff says. Choose light-colored garments. Tuck your shirt into your pants, and tuck your pants into your socks.

“This is where duct tape comes in handy,” she says. Duct tape the bottom of the pant legs closed to prevent ticks from getting to your skin.
Use DEET.
Always apply DEET-based insect repellent when visiting wooded areas or working on farms, says MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. Apply DEET only as directed to exposed skin or clothing. Avoid eyes, mouth, injured skin and children’s hands. Be careful not to inhale the product, and do not use it around food, she cautions. Wash treated skin and clothing thoroughly once you’re back indoors.
Search and destroy.
When you come inside after spending time in the outdoors, perform a full-body tick check. Look inside and behind the ears, along the hairline, the back of the neck, armpits, groin, legs, behind the knees and even between toes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering within two hours of being outdoors. If you find a tick, remove it with sturdy tweezers.

How to Safely Remove a Tick

Removing a tick can be challenging, but do not wait to go to a healthcare provider. Grasp the tick at the front of its body, as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. Avoid squeezing the rear of the tick, as this can cause it to expel gut contents into your skin, increasing the risk of infection. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, iodine or soap and water.

If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, see your doctor.
Contrary to popular belief, CDC warns not to use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or other substances to try and make the tick detach from the skin. This may agitate the tick and force infected fluid from the tick into the skin.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Avoid Tick Testing

People who have removed a tick may wonder if they should have it tested to see if it is infected. CDC says testing is not recommended, even though some commercial groups offer it.

“Laboratories that conduct tick testing are not required to have the high standards of quality control used by clinical diagnostic laboratories,” CDC shares on its website. “Results of tick testing should not be used for treatment decisions. Positive results showing that the tick contains a disease-causing organism do not necessarily mean that you have been infected.”

If you have been infected, CDC says you will probably develop symptoms before results of the tick test are available.

If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Learn more here.

Read More:
Researchers Close in on Alpha-Gal Syndrome Meat Allergy Mystery Linked to Ticks

Grain Dust Explosions Declined in 2025, but Fatalities and Injuries Saw a Sharp Increase

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:40:17 GMT

According to Purdue University’s nationwide report, there’s a concerning trend where the total number of grain dust explosions decreased in 2025, but the severity of those incidents—measured by injuries and fatalities—increased significantly.

There were seven grain dust explosions reported in the U.S. in 2025, a slight decrease from the nine reported in 2024.

However, despite fewer incidents, the human toll was higher. The 2025 explosions resulted in four fatalities and 10 injuries, compared to zero fatalities and two injuries in 2024.

Facility Types: The incidents occurred across a variety of operations, including:

Two grain elevators
One farm-operated grain elevator
One seed processing facility
One feed mill
One flour mill
One biofuel plant

The explosions were concentrated in the Midwest and South, with Texas and Ohio reporting two incidents each, and Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska each reporting one.

Grain dust was the most common fuel source noted from incidents in 2025 having caused five explosions. The primary ignition sources identified also included smoldering grain, equipment maintenance work, and overheated bearings.

As such Purdue’s Kingsly Ambrose emphasizes the critical need for:

Minimizing dust accumulation to prevent secondary explosions
Performing preventive maintenance on equipment (especially bearings) before peak handling
Properly aerating stored grain to prevent smoldering, which can act as an ignition source

The Purdue group has been collecting data related to grain dust explosions in the U.S. since 2012, and the initiative is supported by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

The Shrinking Slice: Farmers Receive Less Than 6 Cents of Every Food Dollar

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:30:42 GMT

For the past two years, USDA has estimated farmers and ranchers received less than 6 cents of every food dollar. In 2023, that was 5.9 cents, and using the latest data from 2024, it’s 5.8 cents.

“Our oldest data point right now is 2007 [USDA updated the data series] and that’s 14.7 cents per dollar, and now we’re down all the way to 11.8 cents per dollar,” says Faith Parum, economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “So we’ve really seen that decline year after year. It reflects how much of the value of things in the grocery store or when you go out to eat is going to other parts of the supply chain and not necessarily to farmers and ranchers.”

Livestock vs. Crops: A Widening Gap

The aggregate decline masks a widening gap between sectors. While the overall farmer share is down, livestock and crop producers are seeing divergent trends:

Crop Farmers: Share dropped from 2.9 cents to 2.5 cents (a 2.5% year-over-year decrease).
Livestock Producers: Share increased from 3 cents to 3.3 cents.

“Overall, the farmer share is down. But we have those two markets really at odds,” Parum says. “We’ve seen that tale of two farm economies where our livestock producers maybe have seen a little bit of better days than they had had in the past, while our row crop farmers and our specialty crop farmers are really facing strong headwinds in the market.”

Effect at the Farm Gate

As highlighted by USDA, farm finances are quickly strained when farmers/ranchers are capturing a small percentage of the food dollar and even modest swings in commodity prices and/or input prices take place.

Parum adds, “when we talk about the health of our farms and the health of future generations on the farm, and being economically viable and sustainable and being able to keep their operations open, the trends we’re seeing right now are really hard for those farmers. Our ranchers are seeing a little bit of better days right now with high beef prices, but that’s not going to last forever, and with production expenses continuing to increase, we’re really going to see that that question come up of, what is sustainable if, if these dollars we’re spending in the grocery store aren’t making it back to our farmers.”

Where Does the Money Get Distributed?

The key takeaway: farmers produce the raw commodities that make food production, however, the price is clearly more determined by what happens after the products first leave the farm.

The USDA Food Dollar Series tracks how each dollar is spent by consumers and then divides it across the industries contributing to the value in the supply chain, such as farming, food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retail and food service. As noted by the USDA, with each step in the process, the additional services, labor, transportation and infrastructure add value and increase costs to the final food product.

USDA’s Economic Research Service Food Dollar Series shows in 2024, farmers received 11.8 cents of every dollar spent on domestically produced food, the remaining 88.2 cents of the food dollar went toward the ‘marketing bill’, which includes costs associated with food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retailing and food service. Over time, this shift illustrates how an increasing share of food spending is driven by services and supply chain activities rather than farm production itself.

Groceries Leave the Most on The Table For Farmers

Farmers’ share of consumer food spending varies widely depending on the type of food purchased. For example, the farm share of the food-at-home dollar was 18.5 cents in 2024, up slightly from 18.4 cents in 2023. But even in this category it means only than one-fifth of what consumers spend on groceries goes back to farmers.

As you may expect, products with minimal processing, require less of the value to be retained in that part of the food system, and therefore return a larger share of the food dollar to producers.

“The highest commodity that gets the most of that food dollar is fresh eggs,” Parum notes. “That’s just because there’s limited labor to process that food.”

Examples include:

Fresh Eggs: 69.1 cents (+6% from 2023)
Beef: 52.2 cents (+4.8%)
Fresh Milk: 50.8 cents (+5.6%)
Pork: 23.7 cents (+7.2%)
Poultry (+3.1%)
Fish (+2.8%)
Tree nuts and peanuts (-1.7%)
Fresh fruits and vegetables (unchanged)
Bakery Products: 4.8 cents (-9.4%)
Soft Drinks/Bottled Water: 1.3 cents (-7.1%)

Finding More Pennies Per Bushel: The Digital Transformation of Grain Origination

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:57:14 GMT

The software powering the back office is empowering grain businesses to originate grain more efficiently and for farmers to find better margin.

With any job, part of it is science and part of it is art. Grain origination is no different. But with today’s tight to negative margins, professionals in the space are finding a threefold series of benefits:

Incremental efficiencies and improved accuracy
Confirmation of institutional knowledge
Unveiling of otherwise undiscovered opportunities

The Move from Spreadsheets to Systems

Ali Piper, part of the FS Grain team with 18 elevators across northern Illinois, says 10 years ago, the 10 grain originators on her team were entering purchases on a SharePoint form, entering hedges in a separate platform and having a customer service rep manually enter the contract into their ERP. Added up, it was a manual and tedious process with many revisions as contracts were priced, rolled, split, and more.

“Then, at the end of the day, they’d have to manually mark them that they’d been entered for the end-of-the-day balance process,” she says.

Kaylee Heap, lead of IT for Growmark’s retail grain units, said while the process had already begun in other segments of the retail business—agronomy, energy, etc—grain had a unique set of demands for the technology to bring value to the business. She’s leading her team to to standardize software partners with a unified “Grain Stack” of software solutions across all Growmark Grain groups.

“We vetted a curated list of software vendors, some we were already using, and then ultimately ended up with a product suite to implement across our grain companies,” she says. “It spans commodity management, hedging, offer management, accounting, CRM, the customer app, and more.”

Heap says when working with the individual grain companies on the project it became obvious everyone acknowledged there was room for improvement.

“Our job is to solve some really complex problems in a systematic way that historically, we’ve been relying on spreadsheets for. Working in spreadsheets is limiting because the only person who knew how to use the spreadsheet was the person who made it. And now, we have a more seamless experience to the grain buyer, who is now able to enhance their relationship when interacting with their customers or prospects because of the information available to them,” Heap says.

The Power of Live Data

Contango is an example of one of those partners taking complex, manual processes and improving the business procedures and improving the work of staff. On top of that, it’s discovering otherwise opaque opportunities for the business, which Piper say is the shining star for how the intentional use of technology has elevated their business.

The manual process compounded by the multiple markets they sell grain into is a complex puzzle which in this case was improved with tech.

“We’ve got a couple of terminals, we load trains, we load containers, we sell into the Illinois River market, multiple ethanol markets, and a couple of soybean processors,” Piper says. “Contango scrapes all of those bids, gives us a heat map and a bid calculation of what’s the best bid based on where a farmer is sitting—and it’s all live.”

Piper’s team did an A-B test to compare the old way to doing business with using Contango, a software aiming to fast-track how a team gets insights about cash markets, customers, and prospects. The tech-enabled team secured a two-cent-per-bushel lower buy basis than the control group.

“The grain industry is an industry of so much volume and very slim margins. With all of the nuances, potential time delays, all of those half cents add up,” Piper says.

She says software, like Contango, has helped the team build call lists for the day, know when to send text messages, and discover new customers. Contango uses Farm Journal data to help build out its farmer records along with other data layers.

“There’s no looking back now,” Piper says. The processes have been streamlined, and the outcomes have been improved. There’s no need for a clipboard of 50 bid sheets you thumb through all day long.”

Cultivating a Modern Workforce: How Ag Operations Can Become ‘Employers of Choice’

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:35:07 GMT

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — In today’s highly competitive ag labor market, attracting and retaining talent has never been more challenging. At the recent Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Annual Conference, Teresa McQueen, corporate counsel for Western Growers Association, shared best practices for reducing turnover, elevating company culture and becoming an employer of choice.

McQueen defines an “employer of choice” as an organization that can say, “People choose to work here, choose to stay here and would recommend us because our day-to-day experiences match our promises.”

To understand the full value of being an employer of choice, it’s important to look at how the ag workplace has evolved. For one, McQueen says increased competition for a limited pool of reliable workers has created less tolerance for uncertainty.

“Historically, farms and ranches have operated on a more informal system, and that worked great when workers stayed around for years ... and those operational, procedural things — your company culture — were passed down informally, because ‘It’s just the way that we do things here,’ which was great when people stayed around for years and before things got really complicated,” she says. “It just doesn’t work in a modern workforce. In a modern workforce, uncertainty in employees creates turnover.”

The system of informality, in which employers rely on their employees to communicate expectations and policies, results in both uncertainty and informal decisions becoming expectations, McQueen says. “And that’s how your operations kind of get away from you.”

Another major morale killer rooted in the old way is the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset, McQueen says.

“It’s frustrating and demoralizing for employees, and it would be frustrating for all of you,” she says. “I’m sure if you came up with a great idea, an innovative way to do something, and you were told repeatedly, ‘Wow, this is a really great idea, but we’ve always done it this way,’” that mindset sends a message to employees that there’s no room for collaboration or inspiration.

Clarity, Consistency and Trust: The Path to Employer of Choice

Clarity in your purpose, consistency in your practices, trust and stability are a competitive advantage and the principal goals in becoming an employer of choice, McQueen says.

“When you have trust with your employees, they feel the work environment is stable,” she says.

Being an employer of choice is not only about being a place where people want to work but also a place employees refer others to work as well, says McQueen, who adds that reputations — good and bad — spread quickly among crews and communities. A bad reputation can fuel turnover and erode employer trust rapidly.

McQueen sees many benefits to being an employer of trust from low turnover to “fewer no-shows at critical moments in your operations.” Higher quality and consistency and “things being done right the first time, not the third time” also result in a stronger pipeline.

“Your operations already run on consistency from equipment maintenance, feeding routines, harvest timing, safety procedures — consistency with people management is exactly the same thing,” McQueen says.

At the recent Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Annual Conference, Teresa McQueen, corporate counsel for Western Growers Association, shared best practices for reducing turnover, elevating company culture and becoming an employer of choice.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Successful Supervision

Supervisor consistency is critical. Every supervisor across locations and crews needs to coach, and not push, with consistency, says McQueen. All employees must be treated the same and with respect whether they are domestic or H-2A workers.

“Make sure that you’re training your supervisors because they’re the key for a lot of us,” says McQueen, adding that people don’t leave companies; they leave bad managers.

“Supervisors are also key when it comes to risk,” says McQueen, so be sure to have a system and train supervisors to listen for the “red-flag issues.”

McQueen also advises employers to limit who can terminate or send workers home and to ensure supervisors understand they are not responsible for making big decisions like whether harassment or discrimination has occurred. Their role is to assure the employee that they will take the matter to the appropriate decision-maker immediately, says McQueen, who emphasizes that critical situations must be addressed in a timely manner.

“Because if a supervisor thinks that those particular types of decisions, which are huge risk factors for an employer, if they feel that’s within their power, you are going to have inconsistency because they’re using their personal judgment, which isn’t always what you want,” she says. “You want those decisions made from an organizational standpoint. How will we as an organization want to manage this risk?”

The bottom line is consistency every time, says McQueen.

“You want to make sure that everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to do, and they’re doing it the same way each and every time,” she says. “Consistency leads to making fewer mistakes and creating a safe work environment.”

Define Your Employee Value Proposition: The Promise You Can Keep

1. We start on time, and you know your schedule.
2. We explain pay clearly and fix issues fast.
3. We promote crew leaders from within and train you to get there.
4. Our housing/transport rules are clear, consistent and respectful.

Documentation is another critical component of consistency.

“Recordkeeping is huge,” she says. “It legally protects you. It also builds trust operationally with your employees. It’s one of the ways that you build trust, because you’re documenting things. You know what’s being done consistently, and you can show what’s being done consistently.”

Consistency with pay practice — another big risk zone — is also key. Whether it’s piece rate, minimum wage or overtime, this is one of the places you want to make sure you’re doing it correctly and you’re in compliance with state and federal laws, she says.

Ensure simple, consistent timekeeping is being used by every person who’s responsible, she says, and create a one-page pay policy sheet in English and whatever the second-most predominant language is among the crew.

Employers of choice offer:

Consistent pay practices.
Compliant hiring practices.
A safe working environment.
Rapid response to issues involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation.

Why They Stay Interviews

Retention is decided in the first seven days on the job, says McQueen. While many employers conduct exit interviews with employees when they decide to leave, far fewer conduct “stay interviews” with engaged employees in the company. These interviews can provide insights into what’s working and where improvements can be made that can aid with retention of new employees.

She recommends conducting 10-minute, five-question stay interviews once per season.

Stay interview questions:

What’s working well?
What’s making your job harder than it needs to be?
What would cause you to leave?
How is your supervisor doing?
What’s one change you would make this week?

What’s Ahead for the Team

Ask yourself this, says McQueen: If an employee left this week, what would they say about your organization? What would they say about you as an employer? What are they telling other people?

“Are you developing [employees] so they can see a path [forward] at a place they want to stay, which is going to aid you in retention, referrals and returns?” McQueen asks.

On the path to becoming an employer of choice, McQueen’s advice is to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the thought that everything needs to be tackled at once, and instead, pick one thing to improve each season.

“Take small steps to create practices that are easily repeatable, and they become the thing that you do; they become your culture,” she says.

McQueen’s 90-Day Employer of Choice Plan

Weeks 1-2 — Quick compliance and process audit (pay, timekeeping, hiring, safety)
Weeks 3-4 — Train supervisors on consistency, retaliation awareness, documentation
Weeks 5-6 — Launch first seven-days onboarding checklist and buddy system (who new employees can go to for help)
Weeks 7-8 — Publish an employee value proposition and a “How Pay Works Here” one-pager with translations
Weeks 9-10 — Start a scorecard and run stay interviews for your highest-risk crews

FBN Report: Tariffs Drive "Fragile Stabilization" in 2026 Crop Protection Market

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:52:48 GMT

The crop protection market—from a pricing standpoint—has shifted from a time of extreme volatility of recent years to what’s characterized by fragile stabilization. That’s one takeaway from FBN 2026 USA Ag Chem Price Transparency Report, which also notes how tariffs have driven the floor of prices higher.

The Impact of Tariffs on 2026 Inputs

Farmers should prepare for a 4% to 6% increase in overall chemical budgets. While the wild price swings of the post-pandemic era have settled, secondary costs like labor, fuel, transportation and tariffs are pushing retail prices upward.

“As the tariffs were implemented throughout 2025, the effects were felt in different ways in different times,” says John Appel, VP of Category Management at FBN. “A big reason for that was that product inventory had to be driven down in the channel before it was felt very broadly. And I think we did see that going into 2026 now, prices are definitely up versus the same time period in 2025, and that’s largely because tariffs have become structurally part of the cost for the farmer at this point.”

Trade duties and anti-dumping penalties—particularly on imports from China and India—are the primary drivers of price spikes for 2026. Key active ingredients (AIs) most affected include 2,4-D, S-Metolachlor, Clethodim, Dicamba, and Glufosinate.

Details on The Data Sources

FBN sources its data for this report on ag chemical invoices submitted by farmers, and this year’s report included 1,372 prices from 122 insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and adjuvants purchased June 1, 2025, and January 18, 2026 across 31 states. Participants are often incentivized with Amazon gift cards. Fifteen crop protection products had price variances of at least 25% from the lowest price to the highest price.

“Really the value is in the data. It depends on the year and the amount of participation we get, but we try to get a big enough pool where we can make a robust analysis,” Appel says. “The spread being a little bit tighter in 2026 was due to the tariff volatility. In 2025, you had at some points in the year pre-tariff prices that were being invoiced, at some points in the year post-tariff prices that were being invoiced, and so you see a very large spread in that case. And we don’t have that to the same extent this year as that.”

This is about 1,000 invoices lower than the 2024 data that was based on 2,400 invoices from 33 states. The company has done its price report for almost 10 years.

“FBN was founded based on a Moneyball approach. Crop protection prices information was really asymmetric, and so price transparency was launched in 2017 as a way to even the playing field, so to speak. We capture that data, and we anonymize it, and aggregate it, and analyze it at a top-line level. And so that allows us to share back with our farmer members what’s happening on a product-by-product basis in the market and really arm them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions,” Appel says.

Price Variability

The report advises moving away from “just-in-time” purchasing. Instead, it suggests buying in the fall to hedge against mid-season tariff changes and logistical bottlenecks in global shipping, which are projected to be a bigger risk in 2026 than manufacturing capacity.

“As the procurement window gets tight with overseas suppliers, with global markets, this is the time that that’s really felt, and we know that prices move about 10 points on average from pre-season to in-season, so that’s quite a bit. Now, will it be 10 points on every product all the time? Probably not, but in general, buying in the fall, buying early, even now, pre-season, where you can, makes a lot of sense,” Appel says.

On a national scale:

Clethodim 2E showed the highest variability with a 144% difference between the lowest and highest prices ($28.85 vs. $70.49).
Generic glufosinate followed with a 130% spread.

The FBN report shows persistent price variability, and farmers in neighboring states can pay a 50% price difference on the same products.

Generics vs. Branded: Where to Save

From the report, there is a push toward generic alternatives. For example, the report claims farmers could save 30% by switching to generic 2,4-D options or 11% on glyphosate compared to branded Roundup PowerMAX 3.

This data may not fully capture the complex “net-net” pricing traditional retailers offer through bundled seed-and-chemical rebate programs, which can significantly lower the effective cost for farmers who stay within a single manufacturer’s ecosystem.

Related Article: FBN Spins Out Its Crop Protection Business, Focuses on Marketplace and Technology

USDA Forecasts Significant Drop in U.S. Ag Trade Deficit as Exports Rise

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:24:45 GMT

USDA now projects the U.S. agricultural trade deficit will narrow to $29B in FY2026 , down from about $50B a year ago. Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the trade team isn’t done yet.

(Data: USDA)

“Our goal is to get back to surplus, but going from $50 billion (forecasted) to $29 billion in one year shows tremendous progress, 43% down over this time last year, and we’re continuing to make good progress on seeing that drop even further,” Lindberg says.

Exports rising

Three areas with notable increases in exports by year-end of 2025 include:

Dairy exports up 15%
Ethanol exports up 11%
Corn exports up 29%

Simply put, the U.S. ag trade balance is export value minus import value. Lindberg says the export side of the equation is where his team can make the most impact.

“We’ve seen great opportunities as our producers can take new advantage of some of these trade deals the president has put in place. So, the stat that I love to say right now is over half the world’s population and over half the world’s GDP have come to some kind of a trade agreement with the president in his first year in office. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of dollars that can be buying U.S. products.”

In recent decades, the U.S. maintained a positive trade balance up until 2020 when the surpluses were much smaller or became deficits.

How USDA says it will push exports

To build back trade, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ team is sticking to a three-point plan:

Get better trade agreements.
Build willing buyer and willing seller relationships.
Hold trading partners accountable.

“Our team and our friends over at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office have done a tremendous job opening up market access with our dealmaker-in-chief, President Donald J. Trump. Our team at USDA plays an outsized role in getting our farmers and ranchers out there to sell their products. I refer to it as building buyer-seller relationships. And so we’re aggressively approaching that this year, with getting our farmers and ranchers and our agribusinesses on the ground in these countries where they have market access today that they didn’t have yesterday,” he says.

Trade missions: 2026 schedule and priorities

To continue to build trade relations and boost exports, Lindberg points to the traditional USDA agribusiness trade missions ( of which there are six scheduled in 2026 ), and the rapid response trade missions called TRUMP missions (Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers).

“We really do have a robust, aggressive schedule this year to make sure we’re quickly getting into these markets that the president has unlocked,” he says. “We need market access. We need to be able to compete on a fair and level playing field to export our products around the world.”

Domestic angle: imports, tariffs, and “level playing field”

As for the domestic demand of ag products, and potentially reducing the value of agricultural imports, Lindberg says farmers should also have a level playing field stateside.

“Our farmers and ranchers now have a better playing field, both overseas, where we’re taking down trade barriers, but also here domestically, through the President’s aggressive use of tariffs and the way in which he has restructured the opportunities that exist domestically for our farmers. And we’re seeing that in the trade data, where on a dollar-for-dollar basis, we’re going to be importing a significant amount less this year than we did even last year. And what that does is it means more Americans, more of their dollars are going towards food that is produced, consumed, slaughtered, raised, processed, right here in the United States of America, and I think that’s a win as well.”

The next agribusiness trade mission is to the Philippines.

Bayer Proposes Class Settlement Deal in Monsanto’s Roundup Litigation

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:09:59 GMT

Announced today, Bayer’s subsidiary Monsanto has reached a class settlement deal —pending court approval—to reach the company’s goal of containing glyphosate litigation.

The deal includes $7.25 billion over 21 years for current and future glyphosate cases.

Almost two years ago, then-new CEO Bill Anderson said it was his goal to have the legal liabilities “under control” by 2026, which had weighed on Bayer. Company leaders said the settlement provides the greatest possible closure for the Roundup litigation by addressing all present and potential claims of non-Hodgkin-lymphoma (NHL) allegedly due to Roundup exposure.

In his statement today, Anderson said the company is “choosing speed and containment over a lengthy battle in the courts.”

“Today’s announcement does not take away from the truth, a truth that scientists and regulators around the planet continue to uphold: that glyphosate is a safe and essential tool for farmers in the U.S. and around the world,” Anderson said.

He continued, “This settlement comes at a cost, even beyond its direct monetary price. It has cost employees their jobs. It’s diverted funding away from new medicines and new seeds and towards litigation, an industry that costs the average U.S. household more than four thousand dollars every year. So, while this settlement is necessary for the company today, we maintain our significant objections to the broken tort system that makes it necessary.”

The settlement is filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The class includes people who allege Roundup exposure before Feb. 17, 2026 and who already have NHL or are diagnosed within 16 years after final court approval.

“With more than 40,000 Roundup personal injury non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma claims already in court or under tolling agreements, new filings arriving daily, a pending Supreme Court petition that could restrict plaintiffs’ recovery rights, and crowded dockets offering limited trial dates, Motley Rice began negotiating with other proposed class counsel to reach a settlement with Monsanto,” said Motley Rice co-founder and settlement negotiator, Joseph F. Rice. “I believe this $7.25 billion proposed national class settlement reached in Missouri state court is the best path forward to finally bring the Roundup® litigation to a closing chapter. Based on the hard work of class counsel and Monsanto’s counsel, both occupational and residential exposures will be covered, the rights of future claimants have been uniquely protected, and payments should begin in 2026.”

Six years ago, Bayer proposed a class settlement which did not move forward. That proposal was limited to four years of funding and future litigation beyond those four years required an expert science panel for determination of qualifications.

Beyond the class proposal, Bayer says it has reached separate confidential agreements to settle certain other Roundup cases.

Today’s news comes one month after the Supreme Court agreed to hear one of the cases , referred to as a the Durnell case, which calls into question federal preemption of pesticide labels.

U.S. Soybeans at a Crossroads: Navigating China Trade and Brazil’s Rise

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:27:14 GMT

Deglobalization is nothing new in agriculture — the U.S. has been losing export share for decades. As rapid expansion and modernization continue around the world, the ag industry is navigating new pressures and opportunities to remain competitive. Experts who work directly in global trade say American farmers need to recognize what’s changing and what it could mean for their operations.

China Trade Framework Details

U.S. farmers were excited when President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi struck a trade truce and framework in South Korea on Oct. 30, especially the 12 MMT of soybean purchases . However, the lack of clarity on if the commitments were for the calendar year or the marketing year left the market in disarray.

At the 2026 Top Producer Summit, Jiang Lyu, minister for economic and commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., confirmed the 12 MMT is for the current marketing year.

“You do hear those numbers from President Trump, Secretary Bessent and others,” Lyu says. “All I can share with you is that China is pretty sincere in terms of having a relationship that is anchored on mutual respect, reciprocity and, most importantly, mutual benefit. We believe stability in this trade relationship, including in the ag trade, is very important, and we hope this mutually beneficial relationship will continue.”

To date, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says China has purchased 12 MMT, but the purchases have only been made by Sinograin and Cofco, which are government entities. The 13% reciprocal tariffs China still has on U.S. soybeans makes it unfeasible for private crushers to buy and is 10% higher than the tariffs on Brazilian soybeans. The question remains, when will China eliminate that tariff?

Lyu says he’s not sure on the timing, but that China would like to advance discussions between the two countries to the point that tariff could be eliminated. There is hope that can happen when the two leaders meet in April.

“This is, to borrow your word, a trade truce,” said Lyu. “So the truce has a time of one year. We would like this one year to be extended and preferably into eternity.”

Opportunities to Expand China Trade

The Chinese market is ripe for expanding trade, according to Lyu, through new areas of U.S. and China agricultural cooperation. He cites platforms, such as the China International Import Expo, will bring new opportunities for U.S. agriculture.

The China-U.S. economic and trade relations benefit both sides when they cooperate, adds the minister, but harm both when they are confrontational. However, he says the Chinese market has broad prospects and large capacity, and bilateral trade meets mutual needs.

China to Buy 8 MMT More Soybeans?

Meanwhile, President Trump posted via social media on Feb. 3 that China had agreed to buy another 8 MMT of old-crop soybeans from the U.S. Why would China purchase from the U.S. when Brazil’s soybeans are over $1 cheaper than U.S. soybeans?

While this doesn’t make economic sense, Susan Stroud with No Bull Ag says these political goodwill purchases are being made by government entities to put in their reserve. Lyu says the relationship needs to be stabilized before moving forward.

“China and the U.S. need to reposition their relationship overall so that we have a bigger-picture arrangement in which China is no longer considered as a rival competitor to an extent, not a rival or enemy of the United States,” Lyu says. “There are so many things happening here that also hamper China’s interest, such as Chinese exports into this country or the Chinese investment into this country, so we would like this relationship to be totally benign.”

Under the latest trade framework, China is also expected to buy 25 MMT of U.S. soybeans for the following three years.

“If you consider the potential for 25 million metric ton per year in three subsequent years that’s still well below the five-year average,” Stroud says. “China has yet to confirm any of these amounts that have been touted by Washington.”

There’s still the lingering question about what happens after that? The U.S. is already a secondary supplier of soybeans to China behind Brazil.

Brazil Primary Supplier of Soybeans to China

Brazil is producing over 6.5 billion bushels of soybeans annually, and Stroud says their rapid conversion of pastureland into soybean production has reshaped global flows.

“A 5% average increase in soy area annually has taken them from an emerging market to a global powerhouse in the blink of an eye,” she explains.

Brazil first outexported the U.S. in 2012. Today, exports more than double the U.S. program. Since the last trade war, Stroud says Brazil has added 30 million acres of soybeans, which is a harvested area larger than the top four U.S. soybean states combined in 2025.

“In the past 25 years, Brazil has accounted for half of all of soybean global area expansion,” Stroud says. “When you have a tremendous growth in production, naturally, you’re getting rid of it via export.”

Stroud says Brazil is actively making infrastructure improvements from farm to port to not only accommodate its expanding production but also improve efficiency. China actively has a hand in this as Brazil is their number one supplier of soybeans. On average, 50% of Brazil’s total soy demand is exported to China compared with one in four bushels of U.S. soybean demand.

Brazil Has Room to Expand Soybean Acres

Brazil has the potential to expand acreage by converting an available 70 million acres of degraded pasture to cropland. Aaron Edwards with Santos Springs LLC says Brazil’s growth is far from over.

“For every acre of row-crop land, there’s two acres of degraded pasture,” Edwards says. “Without any deforestation, a significant amount of that land could become row crops.”

Agronomically, he says, with a few tons of lime, phosphorus and minimum tillage, in two or three crops these fields could be producing on par with Midwestern “I” states.

“Every acre you bring into soybean production, about one-third also become double-crop corn or double-cropped cotton acres,” Edwards adds. “Brazil expansion is a bear.”

Then there’s the potential of improvements via irrigation. He’s hearing estimates of 10 million acres going under pivot within the next decade.

“It’s a tropical climate, so one acre of irrigation is three crops a year, depending on the mix, or seven crops in two years,” Edwards explains. “That right there is 30 million acres equivalent of production.”

Currently, they have less than 15% on-farm storage and that leaves potential for better margin management on the table.

“Basis swings on soybeans are $2 to $3,” Edwards says. “Margins can increase just by putting in on-farm storage and managing basis.”

It takes a massive amount of capital investment to drive acreage and yield growth, he adds, but it creates long-term supply pressure in global oilseeds.

The Brazil “Paradox:” Expansion Amid Bankruptcies

The paradox, Edwards says, is how does Brazil rapidly expand amid bankruptcies, but he thinks the two can coexist.

“The primary economic incentive isn’t operating margins — it’s land appreciation from converting pasture to cropland,” he says.

He thinks cash flows and aggressive expansion increase supply and lower prices, making periodic financial stress inevitable.

“The land appreciation of developing these lands is what’s causing the expansion, causing the bankruptcies and putting soybeans on the market at such a cheap price,” Edwards explains. “However, the microeconomic incentives of expansion are there as long as there’s land appreciation.”

Rethinking Global Competition in Soybeans

The U.S. still has structural advantages such as infrastructure and logistics, plus capital, strong risk management and supportive policy, according to Edwards.

“The U.S. is still the best place to do business, and at the end of the day, you run a business,” he adds. “We have better logistics, better capital markets, better infrastructure, better risk management tools and more supportive policy. Those are the things that allow you to run a successful business.”

With that said, Edwards says farmers might have to rethink global competition. This includes who produces the most soybeans, and who delivers the cheapest export supply? Where can farmers sustainably build profitable enterprises? He says leadership in volume doesn’t always equal leadership in farm profitability.

U.S. Needs to Pivot to Domestic Demand

The U.S. is already expanding crush a projected 30% in the next few years to process bean oil to meet the growing demand for low-carbon fuels. Stroud says that might be one of the best options for the U.S. to find more domestic demand and decrease its dependence on China and exports.

“Right now, we’re about 50% of the way there in the buildout,” Stroud says. “This marketing year, we are adding 115 million bushels of annual crush capacity. Compare that with typical exports to China in the 1-billion-bushel range and there’s really no comparison. But, we are moving the needle.”

She cautions this growth is policy dependent, but the U.S. is also exporting more soybean meal than ever before.

Argentina Viewpoint

Lee Trimmer with Green Shoots LLC has spent the last 25 years working in Argentina.

“We have great soils, we’re close to the ports and we can create crops at a better price than other places,” he says. “Honestly, it comes down to who can do it cheaper.”

However, there is a paradigm shift happening with Brazil becoming the largest exporter. As farmers, he says, they have had to reinvent their business model.

Trimmer says Argentina is also one of the most complex and unforgiving places to be a farmer. His plan was to buy machinery, build a storage facility, stay away from livestock, and try to start buying land. However, the business he built in Argentina was the exact opposite.

He says the key to staying competitive has been to find great mentors. He is also involved in a peer group in Argentina known as CREA in which farmers open up their farms to bring valuable experiences to other farmers. They talk about what works or doesn’t work on their farms and provide other advice.

“I think a lot of it has to come down to farmer savvy, education, getting to know your peers, finding niches and getting ideas from other producers,” Trimmer says.

He told farmers at Top Producer Summit they can’t do anything about trade wars with China or Brazil increasing exports every year. But they can look to their own farms and make changes that open up new opportunities.

“I encourage farmers to put time and money into educating themselves, not just on producing more bushels. Dig down deeper to make your farm and legacy resilient for the future,” he says.

Tight Margins, Tough Choices: How Row Crop Farmers Can Weather Today’s Financial Squeeze

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:16:40 GMT

Row crop farmers across the U.S. are facing a financial environment that leaves little room for error. Rising production costs, persistently high interest rates and commodity prices that have failed to keep pace are combining to pressure margins at nearly every level of the operation.

From the ag lending perspective, Alan Hoskins, president and national sales director at American Farm Mortgage and Financial Services, says the current cycle is forcing producers to rethink not just their numbers, but how they approach decision-making altogether.

During the 2026 Top Producer Summit, Hoskins says both farmers and ag lenders need to remember there’s a clear differentiation between profit and cash flow. And he says when it comes to cash flow, that’s something farmers should be looking at on a monthly basis.

“There are definitely a fair number of challenges out there,” Hoskins says. “When you look at 2026, the numbers don’t have the appearance of being better than what we saw in 2025.”

Input Costs Lead the Pain

Among the many pressures facing producers, Hoskins says higher input costs remain the most immediate and widespread challenge.

“Over the past few months, the increase in input costs is a significant driver in what we’re seeing across agriculture,” he says. “Commodity prices being where they are certainly contributes to that as well.”

Hoskins notes that while producers are keenly aware of rising costs, marketing decisions can sometimes compound the problem. In volatile markets, hesitation to price grain can leave margins exposed.

“There are times where there’s a little bit of inertia on the part of producers to take advantage of sales opportunities when they present themselves,” he says. “There’s always the hope that the margin will improve, but that’s exactly where a written marketing plan becomes extremely valuable.”

A marketing plan, Hoskins says, helps remove emotion from pricing decisions and provides structure during uncertain times.

Where Farmers Still Have Levers to Pull

Despite the headwinds, Hoskins believes producers still have meaningful opportunities to manage costs — particularly by scrutinizing inputs more closely.

“Looking at fertility levels across different farms and making sure you’re applying the proper amounts of fertilizer is one place to start,” he says. “Every field doesn’t necessarily need the same approach.”

He also encourages producers to evaluate field operations carefully, weighing whether a tillage pass truly adds value compared to alternative chemical applications.

“These are the kinds of decisions that, taken individually, may not seem significant. But collectively, they can have a real impact on the bottom line,” Hoskins says.

Insurance is another area he believes deserves renewed attention.

“With the increases we’ve seen in equipment values and real estate values, it makes sense to revisit property and casualty insurance,” he says. “There may be opportunities to adjust coverage levels and capture some savings without increasing risk.”

Financial Stress Is Real, And It’s Growing

From a lender’s vantage point, Hoskins says the financial strain facing row-crop producers is increasingly visible. While not every farmer lost money in 2025, many operations ended the year with thinner working capital and less flexibility.

“Were there producers who made it through 2025 without losing money? Yes, but they were more the exception than the rule,” Hoskins says.

Looking ahead, he doesn’t expect conditions to ease quickly. That makes proactive planning and communication critical.

“When challenges exist, don’t try to solve them on your own,” Hoskins says. “Use the resources available to you: your lender, your accountant, your advisers.”

He cautions against reacting too aggressively in ways that could harm long-term viability.

“The goal is to weather this cycle,” he says. “It’s not to cut the meat completely off the bone and compromise your ability to operate when conditions do improve.”

Adjustment to Higher Interest Rates

Higher interest rates remain a sticking point for many producers, particularly those accustomed to historically low borrowing costs. Hoskins says perspective is important.

“While rates are much higher than what we’ve been used to over the last 25 years, if you look historically, they’re not that far out of line with the last 40 or 50 years,” he says.

The bigger challenge, he adds, may be mental rather than mathematical.

“We were in a very low-rate environment for a long time,” Hoskins says. “Adjusting to today’s rates requires a shift in expectations.”

To adapt, he advises producers to closely examine their borrowing structure across operating loans, equipment financing and real estate debt.

“If you’ve got debt that’s been out there for 12 or 18 months, there may be opportunities to restructure,” he says.

He also encourages producers to take advantage of low- or zero-percent financing options on inputs when available and to maintain open communication with lenders.

“Your interest rate is a product of your risk profile,” Hoskins says. “Having honest conversations with your lender helps you understand where you stand and what options you have.”

Are More Farmers Exiting?

With margins compressed and financing tighter, Hoskins says some producers are choosing to exit the business, but for different reasons.

“There are producers looking at 2026 and even 2027 and saying, ‘I don’t see things improving materially,’” he says. “They don’t want to see any more working capital erosion or equity erosion, so they’re making that decision on their own.”

At the same time, Hoskins acknowledges others may not have a choice.

“There will be producers who are unable to obtain the funding they need to go another year,” he says. “In those cases, the decision to step away isn’t voluntary.”

Still, he does not expect a widespread collapse.

“I wouldn’t characterize this as something that’s going to be across the board,” Hoskins says. “But with the challenges we’re facing, we will see examples of both.”

Mindset Matters As Much As Math

While financial statements tell part of the story, Hoskins believes mindset plays an equally important role in determining how producers navigate difficult cycles.

“The key truly has nothing to do with numbers,” he says. “It has everything to do with mindset.”

Hoskins encourages producers to define clear goals, not just for the coming year, but over a longer horizon.

“What are your one-year goals? Your three-year goals? Your five-year goals?” he asks. “Having that longer-term perspective changes how you view short-term challenges.”

He believes producers who approach decisions with a clear sense of priorities tend to make more measured, sustainable choices.

“When you understand your priorities as people first and foremost, you start looking at the financials differently,” Hoskins says. “That ultimately leads to better decisions.”

USDA Numbers Confirm the Reality

USDA issued its first net farm income forecast for 2026 just last week, but the bigger surprise was the fact the agency revised its net farm income forecast for 2025, showing sharper declines than earlier estimates. Hoskins says those revisions align with what they are seeing on the lending side.

“It doesn’t surprise me that USDA lowered 2025 farm income,” he says. “As more data becomes available, it gives a clearer picture of where reality really lies.”

While the outlook remains challenging, Hoskins stresses agriculture has endured difficult cycles before.

“We’re not going to lose all of America’s farmers and ranchers,” he says. “But we do have challenges within this industry that need to be addressed.”

For producers willing to plan ahead, stay disciplined and lean on trusted advisers, Hoskins believes there is still a path forward, even in one of the tightest margin environments in recent memory.

One Big Beautiful Bill Might Force Farmers to Rethink Farm Business Structures

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:02:09 GMT

At a time when farm income is under growing pressure, the One Big Beautiful Bill is reshaping the farm safety net in ways that go well beyond bigger checks or better crop insurance coverage. According to Farm CPA Paul Neiffer, the legislation could quietly push producers toward fundamental changes in how their farm businesses are structured, decisions that could have long-term implications for taxes, payments, and succession planning.

While the bill was signed into law in July of 2025, there’s still guidance that needs to be set before farmers can make vital decisions. And some of the most favorable changes- like to crop insurance coverage- won’t go into effect until late this year.

While much of the early conversation around the bill has focused on higher reference prices and stronger crop insurance subsidies, during the 2026 Top Producer Summit, Neiffer told attendees the real impact may not be fully understood yet, and farmers should be paying close attention.

“This bill changes the rules we’ve all been operating under for the last 20 years,” Neiffer says. “And when the rules change, the structure of the farm suddenly matters a lot more than it used to.”

Financial Stress Is Already Building in Farm Country

The bill arrives against a backdrop of tightening farm finances. USDA’s updated net farm income forecast showed a sharper-than-expected decline for 2025 , with early projections for 2026 offering little comfort, particularly for row-crop producers, a trend doesn’t surprise Neiffer.

“It peaked out in 2022, and it’s definitely been going down ever since,” he explains. “If you’re a row-crop farmer, 2026 is probably going to look a lot like 2025 unless something changes on the price side.”

While government payments will help stabilize income, Neiffer is blunt about what would happen without them.

“Without ARC, PLC, the FSA payments, the SDRP top-ups, without all of that, most row crop farmers would absolutely be struggling right now,” he says.

Payments tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill are expected to start flowing in October, providing a critical backstop during a period when margins remain thin and balance sheets are tightening across large parts of the country.

Crop Insurance: One of the Bill’s Biggest Wins

Neiffer gives the crop insurance provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill high marks , calling them one of the clearest positives for producers.

“I’d give it a B-plus to A-minus,” says Neiffer.

Why such a high grade? The bill boosts premium subsidies across most revenue protection levels:

Coverage levels from 55% to 75% receive a 5 percentage-point increase in premium subsidies.
80% and 85% coverage levels see a 3 percentage-point increase.
Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) now extends up to 90% coverage, and farmers can now pair ARC with SCO, something previously prohibited.
SCO subsidies jump from 65% to 80%, making higher coverage far more affordable.

For many producers, especially wheat growers, these changes significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs while expanding protection.

Beginning farmers also receive a major boost. Previously limited to a 10% premium subsidy bump for five years, the bill expands the benefit to 10 years, with even higher subsidies in the early years.

“For young farmers, it can now make financial sense to farm on their own instead of with their parents,” Neiffer said. “From a family standpoint, they’re actually going to make more money.”

Prevent Plant Still a Pain Point

Not everything is a win. One of the main reasons Neiffer doesn’t give the crop insurance changes a straight A is because of changes to prevent plant, something that remains a concern, especially in high-risk regions like Arkansas and the Dakotas.

Under previous rules, farmers could buy up an additional 10% of coverage. That was later reduced to 5%, and Neiffer says USDA’s Risk Management Agency is still discussing cutting or eliminating that option entirely.

“That extra 5% really matters when you’ve got too much water,” he said.

While not enough to outweigh the bill’s positives, the issue drags down what could otherwise be a near-perfect crop insurance package.

Beginning Farmers See Expanded Incentives

The bill also significantly expands benefits for beginning farmers, extending premium subsidy incentives from five years to ten , while also increasing the subsidy percentages in the early years.

“Before, they got a 10% bump, but only for five years,” Neiffer says. “Now it’s 15% in years one and two, 13% in year three, 11% in year four, and 10% all the way through year ten.”

That change, he says, could alter how farm families bring the next generation into the operation.

“For a lot of young farmers, it may actually make more sense financially to farm on their own instead of farming with their parents,” Neiffer says. “If they’re part of the parents’ operation, they may or may not qualify for those premium subsidies. On their own, they do.”

From a purely financial standpoint, Neiffer says some families could generate more income overall by restructuring how younger operators enter the business.

Prevent Plant Remains a Lingering Concern

Despite the positives, not every provision landed well with producers. Prevent plant coverage remains a contentious issue, particularly in regions prone to excess moisture.

“Under the old rules, you could buy up an extra 10% of prevent plant coverage,” Neiffer adds. “That got cut to 5%, and now RMA is still talking about cutting or eliminating that extra 5% altogether.”

For producers in places like Arkansas and the Dakotas, that reduction matters.

“When you’ve got too much water, that extra coverage helps mitigate a really bad situation,” he says. “Losing it would hurt.”

Even so, Neiffer says the overall crop insurance package remains strong.

“That’s really the only thing dragging it down just a little bit,” he said.

ARC and PLC Changes Offer Ongoing Protection

Beyond insurance, Neiffer points to ARC and PLC changes as one of the most important income stabilizers in the bill, especially because they are designed to work over time, not just in a single marketing year.

“The increase in reference prices and effective reference prices isn’t a one-shot deal,” he says. “It happens this year, it happens next year, and it keeps happening as long as prices stay depressed.”

The bill also includes what Neiffer describes as an “automatic put” built into ARC and PLC, designed to cushion farmers during prolonged periods of weak prices.

“That’s going to help smooth out income over multiple years, and right now, that’s exactly what farmers need,” says Neiffer.

The Structural Shift Farmers May Not Be Ready For

The most overlooked part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, and potentially what may be the most consequential part of the legislation, is how it changes payment limits tied to farm business structure.

Under old rules, LLCs and S corporations were often limited to a single payment cap. The new law shifts that framework, allowing multiple payment limits based on the number of equal owners , depending on how the operation is structured.

That opens the door to significant restructuring. According to Neiffer:

General partnerships may move to LLCs for liability protection and expanded payment eligibility.
C corporations, which remain stuck with a single payment limit, may convert to S corporations.
Some farms are already making the switch.

“I’ve talked to several farmers already that either have switched or will be switching,” Neiffer says. “And it’s completely because of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Still, he urges caution. USDA guidance on how these new rules will be applied has not yet been released.

“Before I tell anyone to change their structure, we need that guidance,” Neiffer says. “Otherwise, you risk unintended consequences that wipe out the benefit.”

A Note of Caution on Taxes and Spending

Neiffer also warns producers not to let tax provisions drive equipment purchases or expansion decisions.

“There are a lot of good tax provisions in this bill,” he said. “But farmers tend to get hooked on them.”

He points specifically to bonus depreciation as an area of concern.

“They go out and buy something just because they can deduct it,” he says. “If they finance it with debt, they don’t always think about what happens the next year, or the year after that, or the year after that.”

The result, he says, can be financial strain that lasts long after the tax benefit fades.

Guidance Still Needed Before Big Decisions

Despite the potential advantages of restructuring, Neiffer urges farmers to have patience. USDA guidance on how the new payment limit rules will be applied has not yet been released.

“Before I’m telling anybody to change their structure, we really need that guidance,” he says. “I worry about the law of unintended consequences, where we think the rule is going to work one way, and then something else kicks in and negates the benefit.”

Farmers were expecting clarity by the end of 2025. That hasn’t happened yet.

“We’re already almost to March,” Neiffer says. “But we should have it any day now.”

When it arrives, Neiffer believes it could prompt some of the most significant farm business decisions producers have faced in years , driven not just by markets, but by policy.

44 Million Acres: The New Frontier of Farm Consolidation and Growth

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:46:42 GMT

At the 2026 Top Producer Summit , Farm Journal Intelligence unveiled new farmland insights derived from predictive modeling and deep-data analysis. The research focused on the shifting landscape of land acquisition, identifying which operations are at risk of consolidation, who is positioned for growth and where the most significant opportunities lie.

Here are the six primary findings for farm businesses:

1. Scale Does Not Immune Operations from Consolidation.

(Farm Journal)

While smaller operations face the highest risk — with 58% of small farms “at risk” for sale or acquisition before 2030 — size is not a complete safeguard. Research shows the risk of consolidation or ownership transfer never drops below 27%, even for the largest operations. Furthermore, crop diversity made minimal impact on these odds; the likelihood of transition remains constant whether a farm produces one crop or more than 11.

2. Geography Trumps Diversification.

(Farm Journal)

Regional location is increasingly becoming a primary driver of financial success, often outweighing the benefits of operational diversification. As regional market divides grow, farmers and ranchers are finding that local market conditions and individual circumstances dictate their trajectory more. State-level or even county-level effects are more indicative of their situation than national trends.

3. The 44-Million-Acre Transition.

(Farm Journal)

Nearly 15% of American cropland is projected to change hands within the next three years, driven by generational transfers, continued consolidation and economic pressures. Farm Journal data identifies the Midwest as the epicenter of this shift, with roughly 12 million acres likely to transition. Nationwide, that total reaches a staggering 44 million acres.

4. Mapping the “Sweet Spot” for Expansion.

(Farm Journal)

By plotting cost per cropland acre against the volume of land likely to transition, clear opportunities for expansion emerge. For producers looking to grow their footprint, the most viable opportunities are currently concentrated in Kansas, Texas, North Dakota, Missouri, and Oklahoma, according to this research.

5. Integrity Is the Top Currency in Rental Markets.

(Farm Journal)

When more than 400 landowners were surveyed about tenant selection, integrity ranked as the most critical factor. Interestingly, age was reported as the least important factor. For producers looking to secure rented ground, a reputation for character and experience outweighs both seniority and youth.

6. The “Willingness” Factor in Technology.

(Farm Journal)

Producers most inclined to expand share a common trait: a higher comfort level and rate of adoption with technology. Crucially, this is not necessarily tied to technical skill or existing expertise, but rather to mindset and action. The most growth-oriented producers are defined by their willingness to try new technologies rather than their current mastery of them.

Download the Full Report

Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Ag Shipping Impacts in Proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 03:53:52 GMT

Early in February, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., sent a letter to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs urging a “rigorous and comprehensive review” of the potential merger between Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). Johnson said 47 House members joined the letter. Here’s a link to the letter dated Feb. 4, 2026.

Johnson said the merger could directly affect agriculture’s ability to move grain to domestic and export markets.

“I want to make sure they take a really good look at this. I’m not saying I’m opposed. What I am saying is this is clearly going to have an impact on how agriculture gets crops to market, particularly to the coast,” he told AgriTalk host Chip Flory.

He said he’s hearing concerns from South Dakota constituents and agricultural stakeholders, noting that agriculture is among the nation’s largest rail shipping customers.

“It’s hard to overstate the impact of rail to agriculture, and the STB is supposed to make sure that this is good for customers and good for the public interest,” Johnson said.

The proposed UP-NS combination would be the largest rail merger ever to come before the STB. It would also be the first considered under the agency’s newer merger review rules and amid heightened scrutiny of market concentration.

“I am pretty distrustful of high degrees of market concentration,” Johnson said. “When you remove a major player from the market… we want to make sure there’s still robust competition.”

The companies’ initial STB application was recently rejected without prejudice, meaning UP and NS can revise and refile, because it was deemed incomplete. The companies have until Feb. 17 to file a letter stating their intent to reapply. Until then, the STB and industry stakeholders are awaiting an updated application.

Bridge Payments And Big Yields Will Tilt 2026 To Corn

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:35:20 GMT

In a year when U.S. farmers might wonder if they should finally blink on corn, Scott Irwin is predicting many won’t. The University of Illinois agricultural economist believes growers will lean into growing corn once again.

“I think my overall bottom line is we’re probably going to end up with more corn acres than we were thinking a few months ago,” he says.

That will likely be the case, he notes, even though the 2026 soybean-to-corn price ratio slightly favors soybeans and enterprise crop budgets indicate soybeans will be more profitable than corn.

He offers two reasons why corn acres will likely rule again this season. For one, farmers “just prefer” growing corn over soybeans. Second, and a greater factor, are recent bridge program payments, which are likely to shape farmer behavior.

“Recent bridge program payments basically have backfilled a lot of corn losses, and there’s a lot of expectation that a third round will be coming,” Irwin says.

That perspective is shared by Ben Brown, an economist with FAPRI (Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute).

“Some of the per-acre planted rates that we’ve seen with ECAP and now the farmer bridge assistance payments, those are tied to planted acres and corn’s had the higher payment rate relative to soybeans and some of the other competing crops as well,” Brown reports. “I also look at some of the changes on the crop insurance side, the increased subsidy rates up to 80% for the supplemental coverage option, the enhanced coverage option.”

Those backstops matter, Brown adds, because they support farmers’ willingness to stick with a crop that might feel a bit risky on a cash-flow basis.

Will Farmers Plant 100 Million Acres Of Corn In 2026?

In 2025, growers’ preference for corn showed up in a dramatic way with U.S. farmers planting 98.8 million acres, based on USDA’s Crop Production 2025 Summary released in January 2026 .

“That number is still kind of hard to fathom,” Irwin says. “And if you add prevented plant acreage, you get over 100 [million] corn acres.”

While he doesn’t expect a repeat of that staggering figure, he doesn’t foresee a huge drop in the final planted acreage number, either.

“I think we’re going to plant at least 95– to 96-million acres of corn,” he says.

In addition, he anticipates soybeans will “be up from a really low level,” the 81.2 million acres farmers planted last year.

“I could see soybeans going up a couple million acres, and corn coming down a couple million, but that’s still going to leave a lot more corn acres for 2026,” he predicts.

Few To No New Crop Production Opportunities

For Midwest row-crop growers looking for alternatives beyond corn and soybeans, Irwin doesn’t see any practical large-scale opportunities, especially in Midwest states like Illinois.

“There’s really not any large-scale move here in Illinois, for example. There could be some marginal increase in wheat–soybean double-cropping if the economic returns were positive, but wheat prices are in the tank, too,” Irwin says.

“So there really isn’t any good option other than basically to continue what you’ve been doing, and try to cut costs as much as you can and hope for more bridge payment programs,” he adds.

Corn Yield Trend Line Is Moving Higher

On a more positive note, Irwin says 2025’s crop performance should put to rest the idea that U.S. corn trend yields have stalled.

“A lot of people argued that we weren’t going to go above a 180-bushel average for a long time. Well, we just blew through that, didn’t we, with the 186.5 bushels in 2025.”

Looking ahead, he pegs the 2026 corn yield trend in a similar range.

“You’re looking at a trend yield projection for 2026 probably around 185 or 186 bushels. It won’t be long before we’ll have actual yields well above 190 for the U.S. That’s coming,” he says. “Corn yield just keeps chugging along, adding about 2 bushels a year to yields on average.”

Irwin’s message overall is that the acreage mix probably won’t be radically rearranged this season. Corn will still dominate the map, while soybeans will rebuild modestly.

The real battle ahead, he adds, may be less about what gets planted—and more about how farmers get profitable in a market trying to absorb another big crop.

What the Treasury’s Announcement on 45Z Tax Credits Means to Farmers

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:56:55 GMT

On Feb. 3, the Treasury Department confirmed farmers will have a seat at the table to benefit from 45Z tax credits with its release of a 170-page document stating its proposed rule.

“They made a bunch of clarifications for the biofuel producers today — who qualifies, what qualifies, how to calculate and how to register,” says Mitchell Hora, an Iowa farmer and founder of Continuum Ag. “It says farmers are going to a have a seat at the table, too, which is what we’ve been advocating for this whole time.”

There have been questions over the past nearly four years since 45Z was first proposed as a biofuel producer tax credit based on carbon intensity of feedstocks. It’s had iterations through the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, and now the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

As written in the proposed rule, biofuels feedstocks would be limited to be sourced from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“Clearly, the Treasury has been very concerned about foreign feedstock, especially foreign used coconut oil and palm oil,” Hora says.

For farmers, three big questions remain.

1. What’s the model used to calculate carbon intensity?

Before today’s announcement, there were two competing models, one from the Department of Energy (known as GREET) and one from USDA announced last January. Today, the Treasury confirmed it’ll be a model from USDA, though it’s a new version now called 45Z FD-CIC.

“It’s going to be something different altogether, which is a combo of the two,“ Hora says. “We don’t know all the details yet, but we know they are going to utilize the language from USDA regarding verification, traceability and audits.”

Hora expects the model to use ag practices in its calculations, including cover crops, reduced tillage, fertilizer efficiency, manure and yield.

As for when the final USDA-driven 45Z FD-CIC will be released, Hora says ‘hopefully soon.’

2. Which chain of custody methodology will be used?

Hora is advocating for book and claim, which he says is more straightforward and would allow a farmer to sell their crop based on the carbon intensity (CI) score of a field, avoiding identity preservation or blending. The alternative is mass balance.

“The big thing that we want to see happen in the USDA rules is that the farmer data should be accounted for via a book and claim,” he says.

3. How much is this worth to the farmer?

Hora says today’s announcement clarifies a lot of the rule for the biofuels producer, which is the recipient of the tax credit. How much of that value will be shared with the farmer is still unknown.

“We’ve shown that farmers could contribute an average CI reduction of 18 CI points, which could translate to pretty substantial value, upwards of close to a dollar a bushel,” he says. “That’s to the ethanol plant, though. The biofuel producer gets the money. A farmer would get a portion of that, and we don’t know how the pie is going to be split, but the total pie that the farmers could contribute to, under the current models, the math ends up being $1.08 per bushel.”

While today’s announcement doesn’t mean money will start moving, Hora says we’re closer than ever to having opportunities for farmers.

Moving Forward With What is Known

Hora says while those questions have yet to be answered, he knows record keeping is paramount to seize on the opportunity. As such, he’s encouraging farmers to get their field-level data in order, including as applied maps, receipts, shape files, aerial imagery, etc.

“At least we got clarity today that this thing is going to happen. [There’s] still a process ahead, but farmers have a seat at the table. It’s a huge day for American ag,” Hora says.

Industry groups reacted in support of the Treasury’s proposed rule.

“Treasury’s proposal is a definite step in the right direction and will allow corn growers to transition into and supply the aviation sector,” Ohio farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower says in a news release. “Being able to fuel commercial planes with fuel derived from corn would be important to the long-term economic viability of farming. After today we are one step closer to that possibility.”

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) sent a joint release emphasizing how the 45Z rule should be in conjunction with a final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blend target announcement.

“Updating federal biofuel policies to prioritize soy-based fuels is a key ASA priority, and we applaud Treasury for this action which will help build domestic markets for U.S. soybeans,” says Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer. “While Treasury’s work to update tax guidance is critical, ASA strongly urges the administration to immediately finalize RFS blending targets that complement the work of Treasury and Congress, by setting robust biofuel volumes and implementing new policies that will prioritize the utilization of U.S. soybeans in production.”

“These policies work hand in hand,” says Devin Mogler, NOPA president and CEO. “Treasury’s updated 45Z guidance is an important step forward, but it must be reinforced by finalizing the RFS as proposed. A strong RFS that includes the import RIN reduction mechanism is critical to putting American farmers and rural manufacturing first and providing the certainty our industry needs to continue to invest and grow so we can crush more soybeans right here in the U.S.”

Inside Nutrien’s Business Mandate: Commit To the Customer, Deliver Efficiency

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:07:00 GMT

Nutrien is applying an updated strategy with its internal structure to improve supply reliability, speed up decision-making, and consistently deliver products and technologies.

To help lead the effort, the company has named Chris Reynolds as executive vice president, global sales. Reynolds has 22 years of experience working at Nutrien and its legacy companies, and in his new role he’ll be unifying operations from both wholesale and retail sides of the business.

“With this organizational change, we’ve got a total sales team that I’ll be leading focused on the customer, and then behind me is a supply and logistics distribution team focused on getting that product to that customer base,” Reynolds says. “In a way, it’s realizing the vision that we originally had in 2018 when we formed Nutrien with the reliability that scale can bring.”

In total, Nutrien has more than 1,900 locations in seven countries today—in North America their retail location count is 1,200. Reynolds says this strategy will provide the necessary balance is being the world’s largest potash producer and third largest nitrogen fertilizer producer while also being reliant on the very relationship-driven business provided by its on the ground retail teams directly with farmers.

“It’s a game changer, and I just think it just provides the reliability and surety that growers need in this uncertain world,” Reynolds says. “We’ve seen plenty of those (supply chain issues) in the last couple of years, whether naturally made through weather events, or policy, or whatever it is. We’ve built a system that is going to be robust enough to absorb some of those challenges, and our aim is to get that product there on that acre exactly when that grower needs it.”

He ways with 28 million tons of nitrogen, phosphate and potash derivative products produced by Nutrien, evaluating its full chain from supply to field was important to strike the balance of efficiency to run lean and redundancy to know contingencies are necessary at times.

“It’s unmatched in the industry. The scale is unmatched. It’s something we’re proud of, and it’s something that, when we do have supply chain challenges, we can pivot to alternatives so that our customers don’t feel that disruption in the supply chain. And so that’s really what we’re talking about here,” he says.

Timing For The New Strategy

The new organization is being rolled out now, and Reynolds expects retailers and customers will start to see and experience changes this spring, while benefits to the businesses will come to fruition by the second half of the year.

“Where we’re bringing together our two channels to market– the retail channel, which is Nutrien Ag Solutions, as we know that today, and then the wholesale fertilizer channel that I’ve been leading up until this point– under single leadership, to really get coordinated in terms of how we go to market,” Reynold says.

He emphasizes the 4,000 agronomy crop consultants serving Nutrien’s 500,000 farmer customers are key to the company success.

“If anything’s going to change, it’s going to be an improvement in our service level for both of those channels, and what I mean by that is better coordination of our logistics, of our distribution network, and so it’s really enhancing some of that back office logistics and efficiencies to provide a better level of service to, all of our customers.”

He adds, “The needs of the growers are changing. Every single dollar needs to be very carefully thought about and directed to where it’s going to create the most value for the grower. And that’s what our crop consultants are absolutely laser-focused on. If we’re not changing and getting better, we’re standing still, and at that point, we’re starting to fall behind.”

Reynolds new role comes after Jeff Tarsi retired as Executive Vice President and President of Global Retail at the end of 2025, but he’s remaining on an advisory role capacity in 2026. Rob Clayton, who was senior vice president of North American retail for Nutrien Ag Solutions, is no longer with the company.

When asked if the unification of wholesale and retail will lead to a reduction in force, Reynolds says streamlining and finding efficiency are important, but not at the sake of having the resources directed to where they have the most value for growers.

“The customer base at the grower level is changing and quite often those enterprises are getting bigger, the cost of making the wrong decision is getting bigger as well–the risk is higher,” he says. “As a leading ag input solution provider, we have to change as well. We have to be sure we’ve got the attributes that they’re looking for from an ag input supplier to service what they need. We’ve got to pivot and be flexible and nimble enough to service those needs as well.”

As its proprietary input brand for crop nutrition, seed treatments, adjuvants, crop protection and biologicals, the Loveland product range is another focus for Nutrien’s growth and continued improvement in operations. This coming year, Loveland will introduce 25 products under its brand.

“The evolution of ag is changing. There’s not more arable land being created in North America. We have to extract even more yield potential and production from every acre, and I think Nutrien’s in the best position to do that,” Reynolds says.

Farmer Financials: From a Yellow Light to a Check Engine Warning

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:40:50 GMT

In 2025, the average size of loans for farmer operating expenses reached a record high (30% higher than last year) and pushed up lending volumes, according to the National Survey of Terms of Lending to Farmers. As noted by Federal Reserve of Kansas City Economist, Ty Kreitman, demand for farm loans has risen with tighter working capital, elevated production costs and higher cattle prices.

What is the outlook for on-farm finances?

USDA did not issue a farm income forecast in December, due to the government shutdown. With a pending update coming at the beginning of February, Meridian Agribusiness Advisors and Ag Access partnered on a farmer-facing survey to provide insights.

“There’s a group of farmers that are doing okay now, and I think that’s something for us to celebrate in the farm economy that farmers are being resilient through this period and finding opportunities, but there are others in our community that need help right now,” says Wes Davis Meridian economist. “It may look like if you’re looking at a traffic light it would be a yellow light. But, I would describe it more as a check engine light.”

Davis says from the recent survey, he can pull forward a divergence between those farm businesses focused on row crops and livestock.

Whereas 56% of livestock farmers in their survey said their working capital situation was very strong or somewhat strong, only 43% of crop farmers said the same.

About that same range for both groups say working capital is tight or very tight.

“There is that group of farmers, 10% to 15% of them, that are challenged with working capital,” Davis says. “They are questioning if they can stay in business this year.”

Mike Mostransky of Ag Access shares the survey had national representation but about 70% of respondents were from the Midwest.

For 2026, the survey sponsors say profitability expectations are factoring into two developments:

A change in behaviors for operating expenditures
Further erosion of working capital

“Farmers who are in challenging times look for help from their input providers, their financial service providers and other,” Davis says. “Farmers are asking them questions like: ‘How can I adjust what I’m doing without compromising my yield and my financial outcomes?’ And they’re looking for a thought partner that can help them with that.”

For row crop respondents, the top actions to preserve operating expenses were listed to be: switching to generics, reducing field passes, reducing or delaying fertilizer rates, and changing crop rotation.

“There’s a position right now that they don’t know what they don’t know, and they’re not about to take the risk.” Mostransky says. “It’s clear farmers are more focused on machinery repair rather than replacement. And they are saying things like, ‘give me your best price the first time, because you won’t get a second or third time.’”

Meanwhile, livestock farmers are more likely to be positioned to see opportunities with expenditures such as herd expansion, investing in genetics, low-inclusion feed additives and animal health products.

Click here for the latest report from the Federal Reserve of Kansas City.

In The Bull's-Eye For USDA: Foreign-Owned Land, Breaking Up Anti-Competitive Practices and More

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:18:36 GMT

USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden outlined a list of priority topics for the agency in 2026 during a recent webinar hosted by the National Ag Law Center. Vaden leads the department’s operations and implements policies that support America’s food and farm systems.

Included in his remarks:

Antitrust and Competition. Vaden says antitrust laws exist for a reason: when an industry gets too concentrated, certain actions undermine free enterprise.

“There are signs that that may be happening in American agriculture. That’s why President Trump has signed at least two executive orders asking USDA to work with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate these antitrust concerns,” he says.

He shares three examples — two in farm equipment and one in crop inputs.

“This administration thinks farmers should be able to repair their own equipment, and the industry’s efforts to prevent them from doing so are illegal,” he says. “That’s why this administration’s Federal Trade Commission is currently suing John Deere and some of the fellow equipment manufacturers to stand up for American farmers’ rights to repair their own equipment and to not to have to suffer under a system where, when their equipment breaks down in the field, they have to call a John Deere dealer, for example, and wait for them to send out someone to fix a simple issue that the farmer can repair him or herself — costing them time, productivity and money.”

He also says the administration is looking into how manufacturers distribute and sell their equipment. Specifically, the geography assignment and trade territories of dealers are being questioned in light of any price differences.

“If you should happen to pick any other dealer than the one they designate as your local dealer, they’ll charge you more for the same piece of equipment — the exact same piece equipment. There’s a financial penalty, which is prohibitive to you exercising choice over which dealer you use to buy your equipment — eliminating the ability to compete on the basis of price,” Vaden says.

He adds the exclusive use of OEM parts at the dealership adds costs to farmers.

“So, all of these three things, when added together, limiting your choice of where you can buy, and then when you have purchased a piece of equipment, preventing you from repairing it, and preventing you from using anybody else’s other than their own parts, give them more pricing power and allow them to drive up the cost of not only purchasing the equipment, but of ownership and operating the equipment — all which goes directly to their bottom line,” Vaden says.

John Deere provided Farm Journal with the following statement from Deanna Kovar, President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division for Production & Precision Agriculture:

“For nearly 190 years, John Deere has been committed to providing best-in-class support for farmers and ranchers, and we know just how important our network of more than 1,600 Agriculture & Turf dealer locations supported by more than 50,000 dealer employees across the U.S. are to that commitment. Importantly, because dealer trade areas are not exclusive, our customers can choose to work with any John Deere Agriculture & Turf dealer in the U.S. and John Deere does not penalize customers or dealers for doing business outside of a dealer’s assigned area of responsibility.

At the same time, we wholeheartedly agree that farmers should be able to repair their own equipment, and that’s why John Deere offers an industry-leading self-repair tool like John Deere Operations Center PRO Service. Our approach is simple - whether you want to work with your trusted John Deere dealer, a local service provider, or do the work yourself, we empower you to choose how your equipment is maintained, diagnosed, and repaired. For more on our commitment, customers are encouraged to visit www.JohnDeere.com/RunItYourWay.”

Vaden directed his farm input comments to the fertilizer sector.

“The duopoly that is Mosaic and Nutrien and their successful efforts over the past several years to constrain fertilizer supply in this country and drive up the costs that farmers are paying,” he says. “This administration is going to do everything it can to ensure that farmers have the fertilizer they need, at a price that they can pay, and a price it allows food to be purchased at the price the consumer can pay.”

He says a new company, BHP, will enter the mining sector for potash in Saskatchewan, Canada, with a $13 billion investment in a mine that should be operational by mid-2027, with exports coming into the U.S.

“We’re not going allow these two companies to do anything to undermine this or any other new market participant that wants to come in, provide new fertilizer supply and break up the cute little game that Mosaic and Nutrien have been playing for the last several years,” Vaden says.

Farm Journal reached out to Mosaic and Nutrien for comment, but they did not respond.

In a previous role, Vaden served on the U.S. Court for International Trade and oversaw the case regarding countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate.

Foreign Land Ownership. USDA recently unveiled a new online portal to report foreign-owned agricultural land transactions. Vaden previewed this new tool as a modernized way to help USDA enforce regulations that have been on the books since 1978.

“AFITA, the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, has required any time a foreign person comes in possession of farmland here in the United States, they are required to register with USDA. Now in all honesty, over the past nearly 50 years, that statute has probably been ignored more often than it has been followed,” Vaden says.

Biofuels Policy. “We need a proper biofuels policy to open up domestic demand. The Secretary has endorsed E-15,” Vaden says. “We need Congress to pass that. That’s going to instantly result in at least 50% more corn usage for ethanol, meaning millions of more bushels will need to be purchased from American farmers to meet that increased biofuel demand.”

Vaden credits EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and his team for their RVO rule, which sets ‘aggressive’ targets.

“The targets that they have set are aggressive. Some of the most aggressive that have ever been set,” Vaden says. “But what’s equally critical is that, for the first time, the EPA is proposing to make those targeted numbers — which make the headlines, real. Because they’re proposing, for the first time ever, to reallocate volumes that have been waived through the small refinery waiver exemption.”

He adds: “For the first time ever, that top line number — which gets so much attention as to how many gallons of biofuels we need to blend — it’ll be true. And that’s saying something. That will make a difference.”

Pesticide Regulation. Late last week, it was announced the Supreme Court would take up the Durnell case, which is related to Roundup litigation.

“I’m glad the Supreme Court saw that. I’m glad that they took the Solicitor General’s suggestion that they hear this case. And I hope they’ll listen very carefully to what Solicitor General Sauer and his team have to say as this case is briefed and argued. Because this really could make the difference in between whether America is able to retain its status as the innovation leader in agriculture or whether we potentially have a threat to lose that crown because we’re going to let juries second guess PhD experts who’ve spent decades at this work,” Vaden says.

In favor of federal preemption, Vaden goes on to detail the years of paperwork, approval and regulatory steps EPA regulates every commercially available chemical under.

“We have the EPA relying on decades and decades of scientific study, which shows the label they have approved is sufficient to tell farmers how to use the product without harming themselves or the environment, or anyone else,” Vaden says. “And we have that being second-guessed by juries located in jurisdictions specially selected by trial lawyers who know where there is a jury pool that is more than willing to engage in jackpot justice, listen to them weave their tale and then write incredibly large numbers down on the verdict floor. And those two things cannot coexist in a world where the statute is clear that it is EPA that regulates these chemicals.”

USDA Reorganization. Vaden says the agency is being transparent, thoughtful and strategic in its announced reorganization.

“We have a footprint in D.C. that calling it ‘underused’ is diplomatic. The south building can seat 7,500 employees. On its busiest day — we require everyone to come into the office — that building hasn’t reached 40% occupancy,” he says. “As a business manager or managing tax payer money, it makes no sense to keep up facilities that are largely empty.”

Vaden says it’s time to make the department footprint match its needs. Regular updates are being posted to USDA.gov/reorg, but the under secretary says implementation is going on right now with forthcoming announcements on locations for its new hub model.

“I signed a memorandum, USDA can start to enter into leases. They are already government owned or leased. But they are newer, tech adept and ready for us to move into,” he says. “This is at no additional cost to the taxpayer, but at less cost, because they don’t have the $2.2 billion in backlog maintenance. As we go forward this year, you’ll see leases, you’ll see notices to employees who we request to move to the hub. And taking into account employees have kids in school, the move will take place after the end of this school year. So they are able to move during the summer and are settled before the school year begins.”

Farm Alarm: 8,000-acre Grower Considers Cuts, Doubts Midwest Corn-Soybean Monolith

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:48:16 GMT

Time to pull the handbrake. In November 2025, Ron Robbins placed 8,000 acres of farmland on the scales, spurred by two successive years of financial strain. He dropped grading categories atop his corn and soybean acres for a tale-of-the-tape judgement. Keep, improve, or cull.

“Call it a crossroads or breaking point, but traditional row crop farms are in serious trouble, and I believe the agriculture industry has gotten complacent,” Robbins says. “If you don’t step back now and take a detailed look at your acres, it could be a terribly costly mistake that I might call blind ambition.”

Nailing Numbers
In 2025, Robbins’ end-of-year crop inventory value was $1.3 million less than his end-of-year value in 2023. “We had good yields and good prices in 2023. We had decent yields and horrible prices in 2024. We had terribly challenging weather, horrible yields, and horrible prices in 2025.”

“The crop math is extremely difficult, and then who’s to say things will get better, stay the same, or get worse? After this past season in 2025, I wasn’t going to put my head in the sand and hope. It was time for a hard look at each farm, each field, our process, and how we can improve going into 2026 and beyond.”

“We now have a concrete framework to justify cutting acres if needed,” Robbins says. “It’s preparation regardless of what happens next year.”

(Photo by Robbins Grain & North Dairy Harbor)

A skip from the east end of Lake Ontario, Robbins Grain & North Dairy Harbor is tucked in the relative flats of the Lake Plain region in Jefferson County, New York. The overall operation includes 1,600 dairy cows, trucking, ag tourism, and 8,000 acres of corn silage, corn grain, soybeans, wheat, and hay.

Scattered across a 20-mile radius from his main headquarters, Robbins’ field sizes are small, averaging 40-50 acres, and soil diversity is extremely diverse, ranging from well-drained loamy limestone to heavy clay. Despite diminutive size, it’s not unusual for a single field to contain four distinct soil types—contributing to a complicated management dance.

“We’ve got feed hitting blacktop. We’ve got manure hitting blacktop. We’ve got labor hitting blacktop. It’s expensive, period, and the tiniest factors are big deals,” says Robbins. “Spread manure; plant crops; and harvest hay, all at the same time. You better have the numbers nailed down.”

As he speaks, in January 2026, unharvested 2025 corn remains in many New York State fields. “Because of very late planting last spring and a very dry summer, there’s 15-20% of grain corn acres still standing that basically never fully matured”. It speaks to the crucial need to be timely at planting. Just one more reason we’ve implemented a grading scale. Fortunately, ours was all harvested timely.”

Time to call balls and strikes.

Adios to Guesswork
In November 2025, Robbins and his team gathered around an HQ table and shared a nine-course meal of farm data.

He placed acreage into four five-year-average planting date categories, alongside five-year-average yields: early, mid-early, mid-late and late. “We began considering each piece based on fertility, distance, and whether issues could be fixed with tile, lime, manure, or something else.”

First, Robbins noted 1,000 acres of top-drawer, highest-yielding ground—the earliest fields planted year-in and year-out, regardless of weather, between April 25 to May 5.

Scattered across a 20-mile radius from his main headquarters, Robbins’ field sizes are small, averaging 40-50 acres.

(Photo by Robbins Grain & North Dairy Harbor)

Second, he tagged 1,500 mid-early acres—accessible for planting and manure spreading in most years, May 5 to May 15.

Third, he identified 1,500 mid-late corn and soybean acres that generally are planted between May 15 and May 25, along with 1,500 acres of hay ground that must be harvested for hay silage in this same time frame.

Fourth, the late bunch, i.e., all acres planted after May 25, typically poorly-drained and the furthest away from the main farm. “These are acres we will focus on for improvements where possible, and if not possible, we’ll seed them to a grass hay crop for heifer forage or consider dropping the land.”

The result?

He’ll fallow 400 acres in 2026, designating it for improvements, including pushing back brush rows and tree lines, tile drainage, ditch cleaning, heavy manure applications, and planting fall ryegrass or wheat or triticale.

Additionally, of approximately 4,700 total corn and soybean acres, he’ll shift 500 (heavy clay soil) from soybeans to corn. “We are trying to figure out why our heavy clay soils struggle to produce decent soybean yields, but seem to produce strong corn yields each year.”

“We now have a plan in place and we can match corn variety to acres better than ever. I don’t want my employees guessing about anything. We’ve got seed varieties designated for each category. For example, it’ll be 98-day to 102-day corn in the early category. If we get to May 5 and those acres aren’t planted, we move 94-day to 98-day corn. Again, no guessing.”

“Putting our acreage in these classifications is our first move, and we’ll make tighter adjustments as we go along,” Robbins continues. “One thing we won’t do is increase our acres because we’re maxed out. Maybe there’s nothing worse than taking on land you can’t manage properly. However, we now have a concrete framework to justify cutting acres if needed. It’s preparation regardless of what happens next year.”

(For more on producers considering acreage cuts, see: Farmland Shock: Georgia Grower Drops 3,000 Acres, Warns of Unplanted Ground in 2026 )

“We’re categorizing acres according to data,” Robbins adds. “All farms have tons of data, and so much of it goes unused, but right now row crop profitability is beyond tough, and we’re done with leaving our data untouched. The details are what matter. Who’s to say this downturn in the row crop economy won’t continue?”

Translated: Robbins is acting now in case the row crop rut becomes agriculture’s new normal.

Through a Glass Darkly
Good, bad, and ugly, fourth-generation Robbins doesn’t mince words.

“I’m very worried about the future of row crop agriculture, particularly out in the Midwest. For guys married to corn and soybeans, without diversity otherwise, that means all your eggs are in one basket. For the past several decades, the blueprint on many of those operations has been a focus on growth and getting bigger, but that may have meant losing sight of the true picture. Bigger is only better if timeliness and profitability make sense.”

“Call it a crossroads or breaking point, but traditional row crop farms are in serious trouble, and I believe the agriculture industry has gotten complacent,” Robbins says.

(Photo by Robbins Grain & North Dairy Harbor)

“Growth should mean a lot of things besides buying equipment or adding land,” Robbins notes. “It should equally mean adding a side business, increasing efficiency, improving profitability and, maybe most importantly, learning from mistakes by keeping your head up and looking at what’s coming or how things are changing.”

“Personally, I believe row crops are at a fork in the road,” Robbins concludes. “Every single farmer out there has a different management situation on their land, but my encouragement is to step back, take a hard look, analyze your acres in a systematic way like you’ve never done before, and determine what is best for long-term profitability, no matter how difficult the choices. Assume nothing, because the future of farming is very tough to see right now.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Farmland Shock: Georgia Grower Drops 3,000 Acres, Warns of Unplanted Ground in 2026

Sticky Fingers: USDA Fraudster Steals $200M in Stunning Scam

Government Threatens Seizure of 85-Year-Old’s Entire Farm for Irrigating Wrong Field

Frontier Justice: Cowboy Posse Corners Deer Poacher in Buck-Wild Bust

Water Witch Keeps Dowsing Tradition Alive on Nebraska Farmland

Family Farm Wins Historic Case After Feds Violate Constitution and Ruin Business

County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Surface Transportation Board Rejects Rail Merger App Because It’s ‘Incomplete’

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:43:09 GMT

On Friday afternoon, the Surface Transportation Board announced it came to a unanimous decision to reject the merger application filed by Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS) because it was incomplete.
By law the board said they must reject the application, which was filed on December 19, and this is done without prejudice—so the applicants can refile an application with the necessary fixes.

From the STB announcement: “Today’s decision is based solely on the incompleteness of the December 19 application and should not be read as an indication of how the Board might ultimately assess any future revised application.”

So what was missing?

Per the board’s decision, the application did not include:

its impact analyses required by 49 C.F.R. § 1180.7(b), specifically inconsistent claims in the application about how the merged railroads would experience growth by diverting traffic from trucks and other rail carriers.
the entire merger agreement required by 49 C.F.R. § 1180.6(a)(7)(ii) with certain documents missing or incomplete.

There are two other business transactions included in the application which have subsequently been rejected.

The acquisition for control of the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway Company was pending the NS/UP transaction, so its related application is rejected.
The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis control application was described as a “minor” transaction, but the Board concludes that that proposed transaction should be classified as a “significant” transaction. It’s therefore rejected.

What are the next steps?

NS/UP have until Feb. 17, 2026 to file a letter informing the board and the public if they’ll be submitting a revised application. The revised application must be submitted by June 22, 2026.

What is the industry reaction?

The full decision is available online with details and letters submitted by other railroads pointing out omissions or questions about the information supplied in the original application.

In a press release, the American Chemistry Council said:

“A transaction of this magnitude must not be rushed. We appreciate the Board’s deliberate, data driven approach and its firm commitment to the STB’s modern merger standards, which make clear that any major rail consolidation just enhance competition—not diminish it. That is the only acceptable bar.
“American industry cannot afford another mega-merger that leaves customers with fewer choices, higher prices, and declining service. ACC remains committed to working with regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders to ensure that any proposed merger serves the public interest as the law demands and protects the nation’s supply chain, economy, and manufacturing competitiveness.”

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Use DEET.

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Avoid Tick Testing

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USDA Forecasts Significant Drop in U.S. Ag Trade Deficit as Exports Rise

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