Unscripted podcast with Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths

Southern Farmers Face ‘Brutal’ Losses as Rice and Cotton Lead Commodity Collapse

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:08:38 GMT

Arkansas farmer Nathan Reed says the financial pressure facing farmers in the South this year is unlike anything he has seen in his career — and it is hitting rice and cotton producers especially hard.

After several years of elevated input costs combined with an extended stretch of weak commodity prices, Reed says many Southern operations are now reaching a breaking point. While farmers across the country are feeling margin pressure, he says producers in the Delta face a uniquely severe financial squeeze that leaves little room for error.

“We are in a very difficult situation in the South, in Arkansas,” Reed says. “I grow five crops: cotton, corn, soybeans and rice, with wheat and milo every once in a while. My corn and soybeans don’t pencil out, but the losses are nowhere near what the rice and cotton losses are. It is just brutal, the losses that we’re sustaining.”

Reed says the scale of the losses is hard to overstate, particularly for rice and cotton.

“Rice and cotton right now are by far the biggest losers in commodities,” he says. “It’s just staggering losses per acre.”

Southern Farms Face Unique Financial Exposure

Reed says the financial stress facing Southern farmers goes beyond commodity prices alone. Structural differences in how farms operate in the region create a very different risk profile than what many Midwest producers face.

“Being in the South, we farm improved land, and we’re mostly irrigated,” Reed explains. “Compared to the Midwest, I would say we [have] farm larger operations, but we’ve been forced toward that just to maintain the same standard of living.”

That expansion, he says, has not necessarily improved profitability — and in many cases, it has increased exposure.

“We’ve been forced to expand quite a bit, but we don’t have as workable of an insurance program,” Reed says. “Because we’re always going to make 80% of a crop through irrigation and land improvements, we can’t really rely on insurance. We’re always going to make the crop.”

That reality, Reed says, leaves Southern producers vulnerable when prices collapse.

“We can have some pretty severe losses without any real way to recoup those losses,” he says. “That’s the risk we live with.”

Rice and Cotton Losses Deepen

USDA was expected to roll out the exact Farmer Bridge Program payment rates this week, but the agency says that will now happen before the end of next week with payments expected to roll out early next year. Ahead of USDA’s official release, early estimates point to cotton and rice seeing the biggest payment rates , and that’s understandably so considering cotton and rice are experiencing the steepest losses this year.

As price pressure intensifies, Reed says earlier loss projections are quickly becoming outdated, particularly for rice.

According to University of Arkansas projections released earlier this fall, losses were estimated at roughly $85 per acre for soybeans, nearly $353 per acre for cotton and about $259 per acre for rice.

Reed says rice losses are now significantly worse.

“The rice price is over 50¢ less than when that projection was made,” he says. “Rice losses are closer to over $300 an acre now, and yes, that’s very close to reality.”

He says those figures already include equipment payments, land rent and operating expenses — and that makes the situation even more precarious for producers carrying heavier debt loads.

“They take every number into account, equipment payments, land, rent, all of that,” Reed says. “If you’ve got a heavy debt load on equipment, rent and land at 20% to 25% market share, that’s absolutely the kind of loss you’re looking at.”

Watch the full “Unscripted” episode here:

‘You Can’t Just Walk Away From Cotton’

Despite those losses, Reed says cotton isn’t a crop farmers can simply abandon. Years of investment and infrastructure lock producers into the crop, even during downturns.

“The problem with cotton is you kind of have everything else we farm, and then you have cotton,” Reed says. “It takes a lot of specialized equipment. I’ve got three cotton pickers. I don’t have enough combine capacity to harvest all my land if I walked away from cotton.”

Beyond the equipment, Reed says entire regional systems depend on cotton production.

“You’ve got gins, warehouses, seed crushing facilities — this whole infrastructure that’s built just for cotton,” he says. “If you’re not careful, you can lose that in two to three years.”

Reed says most cotton farmers understand what’s at stake.

“I think most cotton farmers recognize that and are willing to try to stay in the cotton business as long as we can,” he says. “I’ve severely curtailed my acres, not because I wanted to, but out of economic necessity. I had to cut back to a level I can afford to lose.”

Global Competition and a ‘Non-Level Playing Field’

Reed says the financial strain is compounded by what he sees as unfair global competition. While U.S. farmers operate under strict regulations and higher costs, competitors abroad do not face the same constraints.

“I used to feel like the American farmer could compete against anybody in the world,” Reed says. “Now, I feel like we can produce the highest-quality crops under the best environmental and worker safety standards, but we are having difficulty competing on price.”

He points to cotton as a clear example.

“When you have South America making money on cotton in the low 60¢ range and the American cotton farmer hemorrhaging money, something’s not right,” Reed says. “How do you rebalance that? I don’t know.”

Higher labor costs and equipment expenses only widen the gap, he adds.

“I pay more for my labor per hour than most of our competition pays per day,” Reed says. “They’re buying the same tractors we are, but for 20% less because they don’t have to deal with emissions systems and the problems that go with them.”

Financing Pressure Builds Heading Into 2026

As producers look ahead to 2026, Reed says decision-making has shifted from profitability to survival.

“Right now, what we’re really looking at is what we can lose the least on,” he says. “That’s what my decision-making is.”

Even with expected USDA bridge payments, Reed says financing pressure is mounting and many producers may not make it through another year.

“Oh absolutely, there will be farmers who can’t get financed,” Reed says. “It’s been quiet because people were waiting to see what would happen. But my banker is getting calls every day from people trying to refinance or who’ve been cut off.”

He says once temporary relief measures are accounted for, the true impact will surface.

“I think that’s when the pain really comes,” Reed says.

The Stakes for Rural America

Reed says the consequences of sustained losses extend far beyond individual farms, especially in rural Southern communities where agriculture is the primary economic driver.

“In our little community, it’s just ag,” he says. “We don’t have factories. The whole middle class works for ag-related businesses.”

If farming isn’t viable, Reed says the ripple effects are devastating.

“If agriculture is not sustainable, I can’t stay,” he says. “And it drains out the tax base, the schools, everything. If ag is not viable, we might as well shut the door on every small town across the South.”

Reed says American farmers have upheld their end of the bargain.

“The American farmer has done their job,” he says. “We’ve provided the cheapest food per capita anywhere else in the world.”

But without change, he warns, the system will continue to erode.

“Twenty years ago, you could farm 2,000 acres, raise a family and be solidly middle class,” Reed says. “Now you’ve got to farm five times that just to maintain the same lifestyle. That tells you how bad this has gotten.”

Beyond the Touchdown: How Former NFL Player Mark Inkrott Found His Heroes in Dairy Farmers

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:59:43 GMT

Before, his heroes were Joe Montana and Michael Jordan; now, former professional football player, Mark Inkrott shares he now looks up to dairy farmers. At the 2025 MILK Business Conference in Las Vegas, Inkrott took center stage at Unscripted Live to offer a compelling narrative of perseverance and grit. His journey from the fields of professional sports to the agriculture industry serves as an inspiring beacon for anyone navigating life’s uncertainties, reminding us that purpose can be discovered in the most unexpected places.

From Football Fields to Farms
Inkrott’s journey is a tale that meanders through the unforgiving world of professional sports to the equally challenging realm of agribusiness. Originally hailing from a small town in Ohio, Inkrott’s roots were deeply embedded in agriculture, thanks to the influence of his farmer grandfather. It wasn’t just the skill of farming he learned but also the values of hard work, resilience and determination — traits that would serve him well in his later career as a professional athlete.

Although Inkrott never grew up on a farm, his experiences there shaped his outlook on life. Despite facing setbacks in his football career, including injuries and being cut from teams, his unwavering determination helped him break into the NFL, a testament to the power of perseverance.

A New Direction
After a stint in Europe and with the New York Giants, a career-ending injury forced Inkrott to reassess his path. He discovered his next chapter, ironically, as a professional athlete again, but this time in the field of softball, where the competition was as fierce as the camaraderie was rewarding. However, the realization of impermanence led him to the insurance sector after Hurricane Katrina, where he helped rebuild lives, albeit temporarily losing sight of his own purpose.

The turning point arrived with a meaningful opportunity in the dairy industry. Inkrott says he took a drastic pay cut to join the dairy industry, at ADA Mideast, and then with DMI, where he found not just a job but a renewed sense of meaning. Surrounded by the same hardworking spirit he admired in his grandfather, Inkrott once again thrived, building essential relationships with both mentors and farmers who inspired him daily.

“There was something about dairy farmers, where I just wanted to spend more time with them,” he says.

The Intersection of Athletics and Agriculture
Inkrott recalls how the lessons from his athletic career — discipline, grit and sheer doggedness — echo throughout the agricultural community. His time with high-profile athletes like Kurt Warner taught him true professionalism extends beyond the field and into every aspect of life. It’s about cooperation, adaptation and having a goal larger than oneself; a message he found resonating deeply within the community of dairy producers.

Inkrott says there is a striking similarity between the highly competitive world of professional sports and the demanding life of agriculture.

“Both fields require a relentless pursuit of excellence, a belief in oneself, and the ability to weather storms, both literal and metaphorical,” he says.

Navigating New Horizons
As Inkrott transitioned from professional sports to agribusiness, he embraced another challenging journey: entrepreneurship. Ten years into running Upfield Group, Inkrott finds fulfillment in the difficulty, as it challenges him much like his athletic career did. His journey is a powerful reminder that the pursuit of one’s calling is ongoing, and each twist and turn is part of the larger, fulfilling tapestry of life.

Inkrott tells farmers who are stuck to trust in technology, embrace continuous learning and listen to your heart.

“Recognize when it’s time to pivot and embrace what lies ahead with the same passion that led you to farming,” he says.

Inkrott’s story is a beacon for those experiencing their own ebbs and flows, proving that life’s greatest victories often come from our greatest challenges. As we continue the journey, embracing resilience and finding joy in the pursuit will always lead us toward a fulfilled and purposeful life.

To watch the full Unscripted Podcast: Unscripted Mark Inrott_milk Business Conference

'The System Is Failing Us:' Why Real Change is Needed in U.S. Agriculture

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:57:31 GMT

Joe Maxwell doesn’t pull punches — especially on the topic of the future of American agriculture.

“The system is failing us,” says Maxwell, co-founder of Farm Action , during a recent episode of “Unscripted.” “It’s failing the people. It’s failing family farmers and ranchers. And it’s failing consumers. We can’t keep pretending everything’s fine.”

The Missouri farmer and former lieutenant governor shares an uncomfortable truth: The economic model that has shaped U.S. agriculture no longer works for those producing America’s food.

Commodity prices remain under pressure, input costs stay stubbornly high and government payments — while keeping some farms afloat — often mask deeper structural problems.

“We’re on this hamster wheel,” Maxwell says. “Government sends out a bailout, input companies raise prices and the money flows right back up to them. We think we’re being helped, but really, we’re just passing the money through.”

From Missouri Roots to National Reform

Maxwell grew up on a family farm in Missouri and lived through the 1980s farm crisis. That experience shapes his conviction that policy, not luck, determines who survives in agriculture.

That belief lead him and Ohio farmer Angela Huffman to co-found Farm Action, a nonprofit working to “connect the dots” between policy decisions, corporate consolidation and on-farm economics.

“We see a need for a farm organization that looks up and down the entire food chain,” Maxwell explains. “Everyone’s focused on one part of the system — fertilizer here, seed prices there, meatpacking somewhere else — but no one connects them. Farm Action connects those dots and pushes for policy that works for independent producers again.”

“We Don’t Feed the World Anymore”

Maxwell challenges one of agriculture’s most familiar slogans.

“Let’s be honest — we don’t feed the world anymore,” he says. “We import 60% of our fruit, over a third of our vegetables and record amounts of beef. We have a $47 billion agricultural trade deficit. The world is starting to feed us.”

He argues that U.S. farm policy has become overly dependent on exports of feed and fuel crops, while overlooking food crops and livestock production that directly feed Americans. Maxwell calls for farm programs that reward food production rather than commodity production.

“Every year we lose up to 1.8 million acres of pasture to row crops,” he notes. “That’s a failure of policy. We make it easier and more profitable to grow corn for fuel than to raise beef or vegetables for food. That’s not national security — that’s national vulnerability.”

“Let’s quit lying to ourselves. We don’t feed the world anymore — the world is beginning to feed us.”— Joe Maxwell, Farm Action

The Growing Grip of Consolidation

Maxwell points to consolidation as the most dangerous — and least understood — threat facing independent producers. From fertilizer and seed to meatpacking and grocery shelves, he says control has concentrated into the hands of just a few corporations.

“The power dynamic in agriculture has flipped,” Maxwell explains. “Farmers used to have leverage. Now, a handful of companies control nearly every input we need to farm — and they set the prices we pay. Then they control the markets we sell into, and they set those prices, too. That’s not a free market — that’s corporate feudalism.”

He points to Farm Action’s Concentration Tracker, a public data hub that compiles market share information across the food system. It shows that:

Four companies control over 80% of beef processing.
Two companies dominate more than 75% of corn seed genetics.
Three firms hold the majority of fertilizer production capacity.
The top five grocery chains now capture nearly 65% of all food retail sales.

“When just a few players hold that kind of power, they don’t compete — they coordinate,” Maxwell says. “They can raise input costs and suppress farmgate prices, and farmers have no real alternative. That’s why our concentration tracker matters — it exposes what’s really happening behind the curtain.”

The problem, he says, isn’t just economic — it’s political.

“These corporations have so much money and influence they shape farm policy to fit their own balance sheets,” Maxwell adds. “When we go to Washington asking for help, they’re already there, writing the rules. Until we restore fair competition and transparency, every bailout, every policy tweak is just feeding the beast.”

Farm Action’s data shows concentration doesn’t just hurt farmers — it hurts consumers, too. From fertilizer to feed to food, fewer companies mean higher costs for everyone.

“You see it every time you go to the grocery store,” Maxwell says. “Beef prices are high, but cattlemen aren’t seeing that profit. Fertilizer prices spike, but farmers don’t control the market. Consumers pay more, farmers earn less, and the middle consolidates the wealth. That’s not sustainable for anybody.”

It’s a concept gaining national traction. Just this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the soaring costs of inputs.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) also introduced legislation to address the rising costs of inputs, called the Fertilizer Research Act . But the hearing brought together the larger issue of rising costs across the board for farmers.

“This hearing is focused on competition issues. However, there is something that the Trump administration can do right now to help ease the burden for farmers: lowering the countervailing duties on phosphate from Morocco. In 2024, the Biden administration increased duties on Moroccan phosphate to 18%,” said Grassley in his opening statement. “The Biden phosphate duties have only hurt farmers by boxing out access to this important market on an essential input with no substitute. I’m calling on the Trump administration to help American farmers and get rid of the Biden phosphate duties.”

The Beef Debate: “We’re Blindsided”

For ranchers, the issue of consolidation has long been a point of contention. But recent comments by President Trump sparked a renewed push for change and a probe into who and what really controls the prices consumers are paying.

When the White House signaled it will allow more beef imports from Argentina , Maxwell says many ranchers feel blindsided.

“Our cattle herd is at a 70-year low,” he says. “Ranchers finally see light at the end of the tunnel — and then Washington steps in to import more beef. That’s not just a policy mistake, it’s a psychological one.”

He argues that the frustration isn’t only about imports; it’s about the perception that the administration doesn’t understand the complexity of the cattle market.

“Cattle producers don’t set the price they’re paid — packers do,” Maxwell explains. “So when the president talks about lowering prices for consumers without addressing packer control, he’s aiming at the wrong target.”

“We’re finally seeing the light of day. Then government puts its hand back on our backs.”— Joe Maxwell on the U.S. cattle market

“It’s Time for DOJ to Step In”: Why the Beef Industry Needs an Investigation

He says instead of the Trump administration focusing on cattle prices, Farm Action thinks what happened in the egg industry during past price spikes is exactly what needs to happen now in beef: a full federal investigation.

“Two companies control 90% of hatcheries in the U.S. egg industry,” Maxwell explains. “When egg prices exploded, Farm Action presented evidence to the Department of Justice showing that those companies were profiting at historic levels while blaming avian flu. And you know what happened? DOJ opened an investigation. That’s what accountability looks like.”

Now, he says, the same pattern is playing out in beef.

“We’ve already seen price-fixing cases in the cattle sector,” he says. “Two of the major packers admitted it back in 2019. We shouldn’t have to spend years in court to prove what every rancher already knows — that a handful of companies are manipulating the market.”

The so-called “Big Four” — Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef (controlled by Brazil-based Marfrig) — control roughly 85% of U.S. beef processing capacity. That concentration, Maxwell argues, allows them to influence both the price paid to producers and the price charged to consumers.

“It’s an abusive system,” Maxwell says. “They squeeze ranchers on one end and shoppers on the other, and everyone in between gets caught in the middle. The packers are the only ones guaranteed to make money, no matter what happens to the market.”

He calls for the Department of Justice to launch a new, comprehensive investigation into price manipulation and anti-competitive behavior within the beef industry — similar to what Farm Action pushed for with eggs.

“We need DOJ to do in beef what it finally did in eggs,” he says. “Follow the money, follow the profits, and hold these corporations accountable. Because right now, the people who produce our beef — the ranchers who’ve weathered drought, inflation, and decades of consolidation — are getting crushed while multinational packers report record margins.”

Maxwell says the Biden administration has taken small steps, but much more needs to be done.

“It’s not enough to tinker at the edges,” he warns. “We need enforcement — real enforcement — of the Packers and Stockyards Act, the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act. The laws are already on the books. What’s missing is the will to use them.”

Country-of-Origin Labeling: A “No-Brainer”

Maxwell says Farm Action is pushing hard for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (M-COOL) as part of the upcoming USMCA review in 2026.

“Consumers deserve to know where their beef comes from,” he insists. “The president could fix this tomorrow by negotiating M-COOL into the trade deal. That one move would give American ranchers a fair shot.”

He dismisses claims that M-COOL violates WTO rules.

“WTO is dead in the water,” Maxwell argues. “There’s no functioning tribunal to even hear a case. The only people fighting this are the packers — JBS, Tyson, Cargill, Marfrig — because they profit when foreign beef gets a U.S. label.”

Structural Change, Not Another Bailout
When asked whether Farm Action supports another round of USDA bailouts for struggling producers, Maxwell doesn’t hesitate.

“We recognize farmers are in crisis,” he says. “We don’t want to see our neighbors driven off the farm. But we can’t just keep sending out checks without fixing the system. One day those bailouts won’t come, and then it’ll look just like the 1980s. We have to demand structural change.”

Those changes, he says, should include:

Capping farm subsidies to slow consolidation.
Rebalancing insurance and incentive programs toward food production.
Rebuilding local and regional processing capacity to compete with the “Big Four” packers who control 80–85% of the cattle market.
Stronger enforcement of antitrust laws like the Packers and Stockyards Act and the Sherman Act.

Rebuilding from the Ground Up

Despite his criticism, Maxwell frames his message as one of hope — if farmers and ranchers take the lead.

“We can’t sit back and wait for Washington to fix this,” he says. “We have to step up, be part of the conversation, and demand policies that keep family farms in business.”

He supports Rep. Thomas Massie’s Prime Act, which would expand small-scale meat processing and let states regulate local slaughterhouses directly.

“We’ve got the infrastructure,” Maxwell adds. “We just need to give it life again. Let’s rebuild local processing so farmers can sell directly to consumers and keep value in their communities.”

Why It Matters Now

Fresh data from the Farm Journal Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows that 76% of agricultural economists expect conditions to persist or worsen over the next year. Many see echoes of the 1980s — though they warn today’s crisis is more complex.

“It’s not the 1980s all over again,” says Unscripted host Tyne Morgan. “But the pain is real. Economists say the situation could worsen in 2026 if structural issues aren’t addressed. That’s what makes conversations like this so important.”

A Call to Action

As the conversation wraps up, Maxwell’s tone shifts from urgency to determination. His message to rural America is both a warning and an invitation.

“We have to lead,” he says, pausing before adding, “because no one else is going to do it for us.”

He says the future of U.S. agriculture depends on whether farmers choose to engage in these hard conversations — the ones about fairness, policy, and the future of independent family farms.

“Look, we can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and hope someone in Washington suddenly understands our way of life,” Maxwell says. “Every farmer, every rancher, every person who believes in feeding people instead of feeding systems has a role to play. It starts at the local level — showing up, speaking up, refusing to accept that the current model is the only way forward.”He continues:

“This isn’t about right or left, or about politics at all. It’s about survival — for the people who feed this country. We can’t keep patching the same broken system and expecting it to serve us. If we want a food system that’s fair, resilient, and rooted in our rural communities, we’ve got to build it ourselves, together. That’s the hard truth — and the hopeful one.”

Maxwell’s words linger long after the conversation ends — a challenge, but also a call for courage. Change, he insists, isn’t something that happens to farmers. It’s something that must happen through them.

Listen to the Full Conversation

Listen to the full interview: “Unscripted” with Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths featuring Joe Maxwell, a vailable on Farm Journal’s YouTube channel and anywhere you stream podcasts.

Joe Vaclavik Goes Unscripted on How to Navigate Another Trade War

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:18:10 GMT

If you’re trying to make sense of the topsy-turvy commodities market , you’re not alone. Looming trade wars with Canada, Mexico and China — the top three U.S. export markets — as well as on-again/off-again tariffs are causing a lot of concern.

“I don’t like these types of markets because they’re impossible to navigate,” says commodities markets analyst Joe Vaclavik on the latest episode of Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast. “The market is as good as the next headline. It’s fear and greed and uncertainty.”

Founder and president of Standard Grain and host of the Grain Markets and Other Stuff podcast, Vaclavik adds: “It was like this in 2018 when the trade war happened. It may be like this for a while. It’s not fun.”

That said, he remains optimistic for the long-term about resolving tensions with Canada and Mexico.

“The numbers will tell you the U.S. has an advantage in a trade war,” he explains. “They need us to buy stuff from them. What they export to the U.S. is a big chunk of their respective GDPs, whereas what we export to them is not really a significant portion of our GDP. In the short term, anything is possible, but I feel like this won’t last long.”

With 40% of U.S. corn exports going to Mexico, a quick resolution would come as a relief to corn growers.

“I think Mexico is going to be our best corn customer for a long time,” Vaclavik says. “It just makes too much sense.”

The Possibility of Relief Payments

Vaclavik is optimistic about direct relief payments for producers from the government, though these payments can be a mixed blessing.

“The payments are going to result in possible input inflation and messed-up land markets, and keep the bad operators in business,” he says. “But they’re going to help make you feel a little bit better.”

At Commodity Classic in early March, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins assured the industry the government is already preparing for the possibility of trade wars impacting U.S. agriculture, as they did in 2018 and 2019. While the payments help, they can mask the hard truth about the farm economy right now.

As far as what producers should do with all the news about tariffs and trade wars, Vaclavik advises: “Wait a couple of weeks and see how this pans out. It’s going to be different from 2018. I don’t think it’s going to last as long. And I don’t think it’s going to be as deep.”

You can also watch the latest episode of Unscripted on Farm Journal TV .

How New Trade Deals with China and Other Markets Can Energize U.S. Ag

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:38:34 GMT

Since the Trump administration took office, we’ve all heard a lot of news about contentious negotiations with our largest export markets — Canada, Mexico and China. While the first two have already promised concessions to avoid high tariffs on U.S. goods, communication with Beijing has been more limited and contentious. However, President Donald Trump mentioned last week that he believes a deal with China is possible.

While many members of the ag industry were surprised, veteran trade negotiator Gregg Doud believes that a deal could be made.

“They are very transactional and we are, too, so I think there’s a deal to be had there,” Doud tells Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths on the latest episode of Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast . Doud is currently president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, but between 2018 and 2021 he was the chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. He led the grueling negotiations with China that resulted in the Phase One agreement in late 2019.

“That was brutal,” he says, noting that the language barrier complicates any negotiation with China. He tells the podcast hosts that reaching agreement required 33 sessions and hundreds of hours. “We got a lot of things changed,” he says of the Phase One deal. “Great progress there.”

Due to his experience with that agreement, he’s optimistic about future negotiations with Beijing. “At some point I think President Xi in China and President Trump will sit down again,” he says. “It a good thing to have the two largest economies on earth talking to each other.”

That said, he notes that China’s demand for agricultural imports from the U.S. has changed since the 2019 negotiations. Back then, he says, “Their demand for protein — beef, pork, poultry, dairy — was nearly insatiable.” Now, he says, they are less interested in importing meat. “They’d rather import the soybeans and corn and make the meal and feed it themselves and add that value there. But I still think protein is where it’s at, not just in China but around the world. That’s our advantage.”

Opening new international markets is the goal of the new administration. Doud says that agreements with the European Union, Brazil, India and some other possible partners will be challenging. “We’ve been doing this trade stuff for a long time,” he says. “All the easy stuff was done a long time ago.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

Ag Economist Dan Basse Weighs in on Tariffs, Trade Wars and the Livestock Boom

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:12:37 GMT

As the American ag industry settles into a new year and a new political administration, every day brings surprising twists and turns. President Donald Trump’s threats of 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, our largest trade partners, will be delayed for a month as those countries act on the concessions they’ve made regarding border control, fentanyl restriction and other demands. Meanwhile, tariffs are already being placed on certain goods from China, which has responded with retaliatory tariffs of its own, suggesting that trade wars not only could loom in the near future but have already begun.

“Once tariffs are put in place, they’re very hard to come off,” says ag economist Dan Basse on the latest episode of Unscripted . President of AgResource Company, a domestic and international agricultural research firm based in Chicago, Basse has been working in the ag commodities business for 45 years. He’s been through many of the industry’s ups and downs. “I would imagine we’re going to see more countries ensnarled in this whole thing,” he says. “My big concern with tariffs is not how they’re used to help the American economy but how long lasting they may be for the American farmer.”

The Chinese tariffs might impact American exports of ag equipment but so far haven’t included exports of our key commodities. “For China to get a reduction or even a pause on tariffs, they have to go back and adhere to the 2020 Phase I trade agreement,” Basse explains. According to that agreement, China still needs to spend roughly $85 billion on American goods. “But I don’t think the Chinese are going to be buying anything from the United States. They spent the past four years diversifying their suppliers and, at least at the moment, they’re in good shape on that.”

The discussion on the podcast ranges across a number of topics, including biofuels and the currently booming cattle market. Basse predicts that the boom in cattle prices will continue, good news for American ranchers. “I don’t think this cycle is over for another two-and-a-half or three years,” he says. “This is going to keep going on. I don’t think cattle have hit their all-time highs yet.” While he notes that the market could see some short-term price volatility, he believes “cash cattle will make higher highs as we look toward the fourth quarter of this year than we’re sitting right now.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

D.C. Insider Jim Weisemeyer Explains How Trump’s Return Could Shape Ag's Future

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 20:42:18 GMT

In less than a week after his inauguration, President Donald Trump has already signed executive orders by the dozens, quickly changing national policies in a multitude of areas. Even Washington reporter Jim Weisemeyer, who has been covering national ag politics for 50 years, is amazed by the new president’s productivity.

“Bill Clinton did a lot in his early years, but nothing close to this,” Jim says on the latest episode of the Unscripted podcast . Hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths, like journalists throughout the country, have been hustling this week to keep up with what Griffiths calls “the velocity of news.” On the podcast, they all pause to discuss what these changes could mean to the world of agriculture.

While the president’s threats of setting high tariffs even on our largest trade partners might be just a negotiation tool, it’s too soon to tell what will happen, says Weisemeyer. Though Trump received many votes from rural America, he’s not easy to predict. “There will be times when the ag sector won’t like what he’s done,” Weisemeyer says, noting that high tariffs and planned deportations could create trade and labor challenges for the ag sector. However, despite the flurry of policy changes in the first few days, much still needs to be settled.

Weisemeyer does feel confident about the confirmation of Brooke Rollins for the Secretary of Agriculture, another news item he covered this week. At her confirmation hearing, he says, “She was impressive. She said the right things at the right time. She’s a very professional, procedural person.” Despite lacking extensive experience in agriculture, she has the president’s ear and his trust, Weisemeyer says, adding, “And agriculture needs that.”

He’s less confident about the confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services, though he remains optimistic. “It’s just a guess but I think he’ll be approved,” Weisemeyer says. “I think he’ll get some Democratic votes.”

As for the Washington rumor mill, he’s hearing talk about organizational changes at USDA. “They’ve been reorganized more than my diet,” he says. He’s even heard talk about the organization’s headquarters moving out of Washington in the not too distant future, but while nothing has been decided yet, he notes, “I don’t think we’ve heard the last of that.”

Given his hectic week, Weisemeyer did not attend the Bipartisan Inaugural Ball: Celebrating American Agriculture, held on the night of presidential inaugurations. Commonly known as the “Farm Prom,” it’s a formal affair, requiring a tuxedo that he didn’t want to wear. Morgan, however, says she would have loved to attend and wondered why Weisemeyer didn’t get an invitation for her.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted

YOUR NEXT READ
An Ag Insider’s View on Canada’s Turmoil, from Tariffs to Trudeau
Machinery Pete Explains Why 2025 Could Be a Great Year to Buy Equipment

An Ag Insider's View on Canada's Turmoil, from Tariffs to Trudeau

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:21:39 GMT

As the U.S ushers in a new presidential administration, Americans have been hearing a surprising amount of news about Canada. Perhaps most surprising was the recent announcement that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will resign in the next couple of months when his political party chooses a replacement.

President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, has threatened Canada, one of our leading trade partners, with high tariffs. He’s even suggested that perhaps our neighbor to the north should consider becoming America’s 51^st state. For an inside view on these and other events, Shaun Haney from RealAgriculture, Canada’s leading national agriculture publication, appeared on the latest episode of Unscripted with hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths.

About Trudeau’s announcement, Haney tells the hosts, “It’s been a long time coming. This should have happened a long time ago. He had no chance to win the next election.” Haney believes that the next prime minister will probably be Pierre Poilievre, leader of the country’s conservative party.

“Since the pandemic, things have changed,” Haney says. “The world has moved toward more of a conservative position in terms of leadership. Canada, in some ways, is late to the party.” Haney feels that Poilievre would be a natural successor in the current political climate. “He comes from the reform side of the conservative party. He’s a fiscal conservative, but I wouldn’t say he’s socially to the right. He’s more in the center.”

While Haney sees clear differences between Poilievre and Trump, the similarities could lead to smoother trade negotiations. “He will mesh better [than Trudeau] because he’s a no-nonsense kind of guy,” Haney says. “He’s talked a lot about how Canada needs this trade deal, and the U.S. needs Canadian goods. So let’s figure it out. But he’s a career politician so how will Trump react to him?” The key to the trade talks, Haney says, is to finish them quickly.

An important issue for agriculture in both countries is the carbon tax, which Haney believes will be erased under a Poilievre administration. “His mantra has been ‘ax the tax,’” Haney says. “That will be number one on his list.”

As for Canada becoming the next U.S. state, he agrees that his country has become complacent about national defense due to its proximity to America, but he takes such possibilities with a big grain of salt. If it should happen, Tyne promises to send him a welcome package that includes light beer, an American flag Speedo and Buc-ee’s nuggets.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted

Navigating Trade Wars, Tariffs and More in the New Year

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:04:29 GMT

As the ag industry prepares to flip the calendar and head into a new year, even experts and insiders have more questions than answers. The long-delayed farm bill and 45Z biofuels tax credit guidance have kept the industry in a frustrating limbo, while high interest rates and low commodity prices push it toward recession.

Some economists are already calling the current situation a recession. Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for StoneX, a financial services provider for global markets, is one of them.

“By definition, a recession is when you have back-to-back quarters of contraction in GDP [Gross Domestic Product],” he tells hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffith on Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast. “We’re not growing as an industry, we’re contracting.”

However, he believes that comparisons to the 1980s, a historically bleak period for agriculture, are misguided.

“I don’t think we’re in that type of scenario,” he says. “Fortunately, as an industry, we’re not as highly leveraged as we were in the 1980s, particularly when you think of land. We have some safeguards in place.”

In fact, he tells the hosts that he’s more optimistic about the ag economy than he was just a few months ago, noting that a new tax policy and less regulation under the Trump administration could lead to renewed growth.

Suderman is also optimistic about global trade, foreseeing new agreements with major partners, such as Mexico, Canada and even China. Those countries, he says, are in weaker negotiating positions than they were during the first Trump administration. “We’re hearing from our people in China that maybe there might be some type of trade deal hopes,” he says. “That would mean more agricultural products bought from the United States in exchange for Trump easing up on tariffs on consumer goods.”

Of course, many challenges and questions will persist as the new administration takes over. How can the industry boost domestic demand for soybeans, corn and pork? Will the Trump administration show more support for biofuels than it did in its previous time in office? How can U.S. soybean exports succeed despite growing competition from countries such as Brazil and Argentina?

For Suderman, the clearest certainty is that changes will occur quickly in the new year. The president-elect knows that losing control of Congress in the mid-term elections is a possibility, so he will enact his new policies with as much speed as possible. “He has two years to get his agenda done,” Suderman says. “So we’re going to see things happen fast and furious.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted

Unscripted: Will New Policies Reshape the Ag Industry’s Future?

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:01:31 GMT

As new presidential and congressional administrations prepare to grab the governmental reins, ag professionals wonder what the new leadership will mean for the industry. Will we finally get a new farm bill? Who will be the next secretary of agriculture? Will we get clarification on nagging questions about biofuels? Will producers continue to face rising input costs and low commodity prices?

Washington D.C. ag economist John Newton sees opportunities for improving the industry’s financial outlook with new leadership in place. On the latest episode of the Unscripted podcast , Newton asks, “What needs to happen to turn this around?” and answers his question with “it all starts with demand.” Noting that corn exports have been strong, he says, “All eyes are going to be on this next administration for how we proceed with agricultural exports to our top markets.”

Increasing exports can give the ag economy a much-needed boost, and he’s optimistic about that possibility. “I’m focused heavily on the opportunities we have ahead of us in U.S. agriculture,” he says. “We’re the best in the world at what we do, we have the highest quality products, we just need an opportunity to deliver those products to the global market.”

He also has a positive outlook on the long-awaited farm bill, which currently remains in the hands of the lame-duck Senate ag committee.

“I’m optimistic we can get it done, but the clock is ticking,” he says. “There’s an opportunity to do something bipartisan for ag, for rural America.” From updated crop insurance to risk management tools to funding for rural childcare and health care to ag trade promotion programs, the bill could address many persistent issues that producers face. “The list,” says Newton, “is long.”

While he recognizes the major obstacles preventing a turnaround for the ag economy, he’s also optimistic about the candidates for the next secretary of agriculture. “There are a number of highly qualified people on the list,” he says. “It’s important to have somebody in that seat who works well with agriculture and is a good ambassador for us in the Oval Office.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

Which Presidential Candidate Would Have the Biggest Impact on Ag?

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:40:06 GMT

With early voting well underway in the presidential election, agriculture producers must decide which candidate will better serve their needs and what they want the next president to do. On the latest episode of Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast , long-time Washington insider Jim Wiesemeyer shares what he’s hearing about who that next president could be. He tells hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths that early voting among Republicans could make a big impact.

With polls showing razor-thin margins between the candidates, it’s still too close to call, particularly in the swing states, Wiesemeyer says. At a recent event in Colorado Springs, CO, he heard David Wasserman from the Cook Political Report give Donald Trump a 60 percent chance of winning. “Republicans historically vote far more than Democrats on election day,” he says. “This year, more Republicans have voted early. They could gain some key votes in key states simply by voting earlier.”

On the podcast, Clinton offers, “It feels like there’s so much pressure at the polls to get it right. Everybody’s kind of on edge, which I’m okay with. I want it to be right.” When the counting is done, however, which candidate will be better for agriculture? Tyne reveals that surveys in this month’s Ag Economist’s Monthly Monitor and a Farm Journal survey of more than 4,000 ag producers tell different stories.

Key issues for the industry include the 45Z program for biofuels, farm policy, tariffs, crop insurance and inflation. Jim says, “When I talk to top producers, one thing is clear on differentiating the candidates — tax policy. Farmers like that 20 percent pass-through. They like less estate taxes, less capital gains taxes. When you talk to farm country, production agriculture, those are the things I’m told.”

They agree that the delay in clarification on the 45Z biofuels tax credit is, as Tyne says, “a complete disaster.” Is it going to happen next year? Soybean processing plants are slowing purchases because they’re not sure about receiving the credit. “As for why it’s taking so long, it’s up to the treasury department and the IRS, because it’s tax incentives,” Jim explains. “They just don’t know agriculture. Companies are starting to pull back their investment plans because they don’t know the rules. We have to know if corn-based ethanol is going to comply.”

It’s a spirited, illuminating discussion on a range of issues that farmers, ranchers and other ag professionals need to consider seriously as they cast their votes.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

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A Possible Recession Still Hangs Over the Ag Economy, But Positive Shifts Are Starting to Surface
As the Wizard of Yield, Ken Ferrie Reveals His Secrets on Unscripted

As the Wizard of Yield, Ken Ferrie Reveals His Secrets on Unscripted

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 16:56:54 GMT

Dry weather is enabling a smooth, productive harvest in the Midwest, but on the latest episode of Unscripted , Farm Journal agronomy expert Ken Ferrie cautions farmers about safety issues arising from the lack of rain interruptions. “Crews can get into zombie mode,” he tells podcast hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths. “Give yourself and crews time to regenerate so we don’t end up with any accidents here at the end.”

As for the size of the harvest, he remains optimistic, despite drought and “the largest infestation of corn aphids I’ve seen in my career,” he says. USDA and Pro Farmer Crop Tour forecasts predict record-breaking corn and soybean yields in some states, including his home state of Illinois. “There are some big numbers coming out of these farms,” he says. “There are a lot of field records falling for corn and soybeans.”

Ferrie and the hosts agree that this year’s main challenge is not lack of grain but where to store it and how to ship it. Record-breaking yields and too much of last year’s grain held for too long is making available bin space hard to find. Labor shortages, particularly the lack of truck drivers, could create bottlenecks as we go deeper into harvest, Ferrie says.

The Questionable Future of Dicamba

There is also concern among farmers about the potential loss of dicamba as a weed management tool. In 2023, weeds were particularly problematic, and dicamba played a crucial role in controlling tough weed populations. Farmers may need to adopt alternative strategies and herbicides if dicamba becomes unavailable, which could increase costs and require more proactive management.

“Will we survive without it? Yes. Will we have to put more herbicides on and be more proactive in different ways? Yes. But it’s a situation where I hope we don’t lose dicamba. At the same time, these guys will deal with it if it happens,” says Ferrie.

The Secret to Soybean Yields

He touches on a wide range of topics throughout the podcast, including advice on when to plant. Yields prove that planting soybeans before corn can lead to better production. “The biggest thing that moves the needle here is planting beans early,” he says. “Today we have fungicides and insecticides to protect those beans that we didn’t have 10 years ago.” He adds that waiting to plant corn has actually increased yields. “Put corn in based on the soil conditions not on the calendar and it will usually reward you,” he says.

The discussion also hits on advances in agricultural technology, such as the increasing use of drones for precision spraying and monitoring crop health. These innovations, including the potential for plants to signal stress through genetic traits, are revolutionizing crop management. Additionally, the integration of advanced technologies in corn planters has significantly enhanced planting precision, contributing to record yields.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

Farm Journal's PORK Editor Offers Insider Insights on Pork Industry Challenges

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 13:57:02 GMT

As we enter October — aka “Porktober” — the pork production industry faces a range of challenges, from a struggling market to biosecurity threats. For insights into that industry, Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths welcome Jennifer Shike, editor of Farm Journal’s PORK, to the latest episode of their Unscripted podcast.

Shike says biosecurity remains a top priority for pork producers and that the U.S. has become a leader in developing stringent measures for preventing and containing disease. The dairy industry, which has been battling persistent avian flu since March of this year, has looked to pork for guidance.

“Pork producers are showing everyone else how it works,” Shike says. “It’s hard to do it perfectly all the time, but they’re leading the way.” She wonders how advancements in robotics and AI might help improve biosecurity in the near future.

In North Carolina, the third-largest pork production state, life is even more difficult right now due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. “For these pig farmers, there are the normal stresses, and the stresses they face when these storms come,” Shike says. “They’re dealing with protecting their animals as well as their families.”

On a lighter note, Shike reveals that later this month she’ll move into the host’s chair for the debut of The Pork Podcast. An episode will be posted every week during October on the Farm Journal YouTube channel, as well as on audio platforms, and then shift to every other week.

“We’re really excited to start the podcast and to talk about pork in different ways,” she says. “We’re trying to tell the story behind the story. I want to give our readers and listeners a little bit more.”

While hosting a podcast is new territory for her, she’s an experienced journalist who has written award-winning stories for PORK. Asked to pick her favorite, she initially declines, saying, “I get attached to everybody I write about,” but then chooses “ By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope ” — a profile of a young woman battling depression and suicidal thoughts. She also points to a very recent article she wrote about how a group of veterinarians are helping save a small Iowa town.

The secret to being an effective interviewer? “Be a good listener,” she advises. And as host of The Pork Podcast, she plans to do just that.

Listen to the full episode of Unscripted.

Hosts Sound Off About Rising Food Prices, Flood Waters and Controversy on the Unscripted Podcast

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:29:11 GMT

After several years of debate, the carbon capture pipeline was approved this week by the Iowa Utilities Board, which also granted permission to Summit Carbon Solutions to use eminent domain when necessary. “It’s a controversial issue, and I don’t see that changing,” AgriTalk host Chip Flory said on the latest episode of Unscripted , a new Farm Journal podcast. “A majority wants this to happen, but you can’t ignore the rights and concerns of the minority.”

Flory and his AgriTalk co-host, Davis Michaelsen, joined Clinton Griffiths on the podcast, which offers a candid, behind-the-scenes review of the week’s stories that Farm Journal journalists are covering or following. Flory and Michaelsen agree that they understand why, despite possible environmental and economic benefits, some landowners are unhappy with the idea of a CO₂ pipeline running through their property. “Their ground is sacred to them,” Michaelsen said. Flory agreed, adding, “I hope they can find agreement so eminent domain doesn’t have to be used.”

If Iowans are split on approving the pipeline, they’ve come together to help their neighbors during the recent floods that have plagued the state. Flory said he tried to get a number of farmers onto his radio show to talk about the flooding but all were too busy helping other farmers battle the water to be interviewed. “They were making sure that others were safe,” he told Griffiths, who was not at all surprised. “That’s what the [farm] community does so well,” he said. “People helping people.”

On every episode of Unscripted , hosts and guests talk about the craziest stories they’ve heard about or covered in the past week, and they had plenty to choose from. Michaelsen mentioned that a bull is loose — and lost — on the streets of Boston. Apparently a resident didn’t know that having a bull within city limits is illegal. Nor does he know how the bull got away. So far, police efforts to find the bull have been unsuccessful despite the use of drones.

Griffiths brought up a story about a Missouri woman who was arrested last week after her husband accused her of spiking his Mountain Dew with Roundup® herbicide. The husband complained that his soda had been tasting funny lately and also that he’d been feeling sick. Using a security camera, he caught his wife in the act and called the local police. Griffiths explained that the husband believes his wife had designs on his $500K life insurance policy, but she claims to have done it as payback for his frequent lack of appreciation of her. Host and guests agreed that appreciating one’s spouse is always a wise idea.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

Will 5 States Along the Pro Farmer Crop Tour Shatter Their Record Yields?

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:45:12 GMT

Every year, row crop farmers eagerly await news from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, during which scouts travel thousands of miles and go into more than 2,000 fields in seven Midwestern states to gather first-hand data that is used it to predict yields. This year, however, there’s even more excitement surrounding the tour.

The latest WASDE report from the USDA forecasts record-breaking yields in five of those states —Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Illinois could see an amazing average corn yield of 225 bu. per acre.

“On Crop Tour, we want to see what’s really out there,” says Pro Farmer editor Brian Grete on the latest edition of Unscripted , a new Farm Journal podcast. “We’re the first real hands-on look across the bulk of the Midwest.” During the tour, scouts pull approximately 1,700 samples and report their observations from four days of field study.

Unscripted hosts Clinton Griffiths and Tyne Morgan won’t be getting much sleep during the tour, as they’ll be broadcasting each night from four cities along the tour’s Eastern route. With sagging commodity prices, the mood among corn and soybean growers remains low, but generally good weather in much of the Midwest this season has helped produce healthy crops.

Grete notes that the lack of drought has been a key factor, as has a good balance of rain and sun. “Crops have had very little stress this year,” he says. “Now, we know about the flooding in the northwestern Corn Belt and that’s going to take away some harvested acres, but yield-wise what’s out there is very strong.”

Because Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts are actually in the fields, the final forecasts tend to be more accurate. They’re not just relying on grower surveys and satellite images. Grete says that he does hear occasionally from ag industry people claiming that the tour’s scouts tend to cherry-pick the best-looking fields. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” he says, adding that fields are picked at random. “I don’t care what a field looks like.”

Having led the eastern leg of the tour for 17 years, Grete is keeping his emotions in check about what this tour will reveal. “We don’t want to have any preconceived notions going into crop tour,” he explains. “But with that said, it’s impossible to ignore all the data that’s out there. Two-hundred and twenty-five for a corn yield would not just beat the current record of 214, it would absolutely annihilate it.”

Listen to the full episode of Unscripted.

Machinery Pete Sees a Surprising Opportunity in the Current Ag Equipment Market

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 20:32:54 GMT

As news of large layoffs at ag equipment manufacturers make headlines and auction prices continue to soar, producers are hesitant to invest in new machinery. But is the current situation actually a good time to buy? On the latest Unscripted podcast, host Tyne Morgan brings in Greg Peterson (AKA Machinery Pete) to help unravel what’s happening.

He says that manufacturers aren’t the only ones downsizing their inventory. Farmers are also looking at their equipment with an eye toward reducing their fleet. The situation is complicated by low commodity prices. Data shows that in 2023 and 2024 we’ve seen the largest decline in farm income in history. Peterson advises producers to keep things in perspective. “We need to remember that ’21 and ’22 were the highest years ever,” he says, adding that the drop is “nowhere near what we saw in 2013 and ’14.”

Related Story: The Ugly Truth: 2023 and 2024 Will Go Down As the Two Largest Declines in Net Farm Income Ever

Still, he understands the “silent stress” and “knots in the stomach” that many farmers — and equipment dealers — are feeling. At a recent auction in Missouri , he saw the most late-model equipment for sale than he’d ever seen before.

“The big underlying issue is the cost of new right now,” he explains on the podcast. “They’re all tremendous products, but we might have found the end of the rainbow as far as price.” Morgan and Peterson agree that at this year’s Commodity Classic in early March, the mood was upbeat as manufacturers displayed the latest models. “There was so much excitement,” Morgan recalls. “There was no angst. That’s changed.”

Peterson concurs, adding that he noticed a shift in tone — and pricing — in early June. While prices for corn and soybeans have continued to decline and producers watch their margins tighten, the cost of new equipment seems more and more prohibitive, even as dealers take pains (and make reductions) to move inventory. Peterson sees an opportunity for producers brave enough to buck the trend.

“When things get challenging, there are opportunities,” he explains on the podcast. “While others are pulling back, I’d go pedal to the metal. That’s what I recommended in 2015. Everyone was pulling back. That signals that you should be aggressive.”

Listen to the full interview on Unscripted.

D.C. Insider Jim Wiesemeyer Sheds Light On the Wild Week in American Politics

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:01:28 GMT

At this week’s Republican National Convention, the GOP confirmed their ticket for the 2024 presidential race while calling for unity in America following the assignation attempt on candidate Donald Trump. Meanwhile, there’s growing pressure among Democrats for President Joe Biden to step away from the race.

Long-time political analyst Jim Wiesemeyer joined Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths on Farm Journal’s new Unscripted podcast this week to sort through all the breaking news.

The assassination attempt on Sunday in rural Pennsylvania reminded Wiesemeyer of the failed attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. “It changed Reagan and it appears to have changed Trump,” Wiesemeyer tells the hosts. He felt a new tone among Republicans at last week’s convention. “They wanted to present a sense of spreading the tent,” he says. “I think a lot of people toned down the negatives.”

In discussing Donald Trump’s 92-minute acceptance speech, Wiesemeyer notes on the podcast, “The speech was especially effective at the beginning and less so as it went on, as it became undifferentiated from a normal Trump speech.”

Wiesemeyer compared the Democrats’ situation with Joe Biden to the 1968 presidential election, when incumbent Lyndon Johnson stepped down rather than run for a second term in office. The D.C. insider believes there’s enough time still left to replace Biden but adds, “They can’t doddle. The polls are still close.” If Biden does end his campaign, Wiesemeyer says, “They’ll try to pick a candidate that galvanizes all the different factions, and that’s hard to do.”

In viewing the race as it currently stands, Wiesemeyer sees what he calls “an enthusiasm gap” but tells the podcast hosts that much can change in the next few weeks. He believes that voters, in the end, must look at the policies of the two parties. “Sure there will be some emotion, but look at the policies,” he says. “Let the best party win.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

Why Isn't Flooding And Hail Now Pushing Grain Prices Higher? Eric Snodgrass Goes Unscripted

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 13:04:10 GMT

Recent severe weather has swept across the country, with hailstorms damaging the Nebraska crop and Hurricane Beryl making a significant impact on North America. Yet, the grain markets seem unfazed by the possible crop damage across the Midwest.

Eric Snodgrass, Science Fellow and Principal Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, joined “Unscripted” hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths to explore why these weather events have seemingly had little effect on the markets. It’s something he’s admittedly baffled by, as well.“2024 will be a year we remember as being one of the most active with severe weather” declares Snodgrass.

“Here’s one of our top producing states that just took a massive punch in the mouth, and to be honest, my biggest frustration was the lack of market reaction,” Snodgrass exclaims. “We just didn’t see the expected response when prime acres were wiped out.” Snodgrass, Griffiths, and Morgan discuss multiple weather events across the country that have not gathered the anticipated market responses.

Snodgrass thinks up to 500,000 acres of crops were damaged by last weekend’s hail storm.

Following the hail damage in the Midwest, another severe weather event, Hurricane Beryl, brought much-needed rain to the eastern corn belt, alleviating potential drought concerns in key areas.

Snodgrass describes the upper Midwest as a “brown ocean,” explaining that abundant moisture in the soil and vegetation can locally evaporate and fuel storms whenever conditions are conducive, a phenomenon likely to manifest over the coming days and weeks.

Additionally, Snodgrass clarifies the current weather patterns, stating, “There are a lot of folks attributing what’s going on to La Niña, but La Niña just isn’t there yet.”

After sharing tremendous insights throughout the entire podcast, the group playfully dubs Eric their go-to “phone-a-friend” for future trivia challenges and eagerly anticipates his forthcoming 75-minute meteorology video following him watching the new Twister’s movie.

Unscripted is a show where scripts take a back seat. Tyne and Clinton put down the teleprompters and let the conversations flow naturally. Each week, they bring in fellow Farm Journal hosts and editors and friends to share behind-the-scenes insights on the stories we’ve covered, giving you a chance to meet the personalities behind the personalities.

Washington Insider Sees The Presidential Debate As Significant For Both Candidates

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 12:49:50 GMT

As the country gets ready for the first presidential debate of the 2024 race, Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths invited Washington insider Jim Wiesemeyer to appear on Unscripted , their new podcast, to discuss what he’s hearing. “I think if Donald Trump has any chance of winning, he has to be more presidential,” Wiesemeyer says, adding the Republican candidate has recently toned down his anger and taken a more practical approach. “Independent voters will watch to see if he can contain himself.”

Wiesemeyer believes the debate is an equally important test for incumbent candidate Joe Biden, “This debate will be the barometer for him,” he says. He believes if Biden falters in the debate, Democratic delegates could try to replace him on the ticket.

Moving on to other political news, Wiesemeyer reports little progress has been made in Congress on the long-awaited farm bill. While he remains somewhat optimistic the bill will pass before the end of the year, he’s not able to say what will break through the current impasse.

“When you listen to the farm-state lawmakers, you hear their frustration,” he says. “I’m still not giving up on it because the pressure on the senate will grow if the house passes it.”

But the conversation on the latest episode of Unscripted — Farm Journal’s candid, off-the-cuff discussion of the week’s most compelling or surprising headlines and stories — wanders far from politics. Hosts and guest dive into updates about the bird flu, which a former CDC director said could become the next pandemic, as well changing food demands due to the popularity of prescription weight-loss drugs. Morgan reports producers are starting to see a decline in demand for meat because “People are drinking protein instead of eating it.”

On another note, Morgan reports farmers in Indiana and Illinois are receiving unsolicited offers — as high as $3,200 and $4,500 per acre — from solar energy companies to lease some of their land.

“All they want is 20 to 50 acres,” Griffiths says. “How do you say ‘no’ to that?” Morgan has talked to an Indiana attorney who says typical offers tend to be in the $1,000 to $2,000 per acre range. Her advice to farmers: “Step one, get a lawyer.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted here

Unscripted: From Flying Spiders to Stolen Soybeans, the Wild but True Stories From Rural America With Chris Bennett

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:38:45 GMT

When Farm Journal writer Chris Bennett heard about a Missouri farmer who sold 32,000 bushels of soybeans and then stole them back, he knew he’d struck journalistic gold. “It’s a wild tale full of doglegs and curve balls,” he says on the latest episode of the Unscripted podcast . “It’s beyond fascinating.” We’ll have to wait until he’s finished writing it before we learn all the details, but he offers a behind-the-scenes peek to the podcast’s hosts, Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths.

And he doesn’t stop there. He tells them about interviewing a man who claimed to use psychic powers to increase soybean yields. Then there’s the Ohio landowner who ran ads for a farm manager. When eager candidates showed up to apply, he murdered them. Bizarre tales from the world of ag and rural America are a specialty for Bennett, but Morgan and Griffiths have a few of their own to share, and Unscripted is the perfect place to do it.

The podcast features a range of short segments, each one named using a Gen Z slang phrase. From “Talking Tea” to “What the Sigma?” to “TM-I Can’t Believe This Happened” to “My Fam-tastic Life,” the conversations can wander far and wide — and invariably they do. In the latest episode, the trio not only shares some of the wildest dramas they’ve covered, they talk about what makes a story good and how investigating it can be full of challenges.

“We all want that dogleg in the story,” Bennett says. “That twist. They make it more chewable.” While investigating recent stories about ag entrepreneurs, he says he looks for “those hinge moments” that change the story’s direction and, ultimately, its outcome.

Of course, reporting a strange tale often demands interviewing a strange person or two. When Bennett talked to the yield-increasing psychic, he determined that even if the claims were hard to believe, the man did believe them. Griffiths recalls interviewing an elderly gent in Kansas who said he knew who “really” assassinated President John Kennedy. During their conversation, Griffiths realized the story didn’t quite add up. “When you interview enough people,” he says, “you know when they’re lying.”

For a fascinating, writer’s-eye look at these stories — not to mention ones about flying spiders, a Mafia don, human remains on an Indiana farm and an airplane stink-bomb prank gone awry — check out the latest, craziest episode of the Unscripted podcast .

View More Articles From Chris Bennett Here

Chip Flory Talks Farm Bill Politics, Wet Planting and Award-Winning Wings

Tue, 28 May 2024 19:36:26 GMT

Farmers who are feeling bewildered by the glacial progress of the next farm bill should know they’re not alone. “There are a lot of people who are confused about the process, including me,” AgriTalk host Chip Flory says on the latest episode of Unscripted , a new podcast produced by Farm Journal Studios. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Part of the problem is the great political divide in Congress, he says, adding, “I remember when it was a very bipartisan effort.”

Unscripted co-hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths admit to sharing Flory’s confusion and frustration, Morgan noting that the discussions on Capitol Hill are “getting ugly. I don’t know what to believe anymore. We’re far from an agreement.”

Moving on to other topics, Flory said he’s much more sure about the best music concert he’s ever attended. Rather than a country artist, as many of his long-time listeners would expect, he chooses Phil Collins. “I’m not a big fan of country music,” he says. “But if it’s old-school country, I’m all in.”

Each week on Unscripted , Morgan and Griffiths bring in fellow Farm Journal hosts and editors to share behind-the-scenes insights on the stories they’ve covered, giving their audience a chance to meet the personalities behind the personalities. The conversations are often surprising, sometimes spicy and always spontaneous.

In the latest episode, after exploring the farm bill, they discuss the stormy spring weather that has made planting difficult in many parts of the country. Despite the weak start to the growing season, the hosts and guest remain optimistic, as Morgan sums up their take with, “Don’t bet against the American farmer.”

A strong evening storm last week interrupted Flory’s efforts to grill pork chops, but chicken wings are his true specialty. And he proved it a couple of weeks ago at Wingfest, an annual competition held in Cascade, Iowa. As part of his son’s cooking team, named Eastern Iowa Taxidermy, he helped win the judge’s choice and the people’s choice awards for best wings. On the podcast, he reveals the secrets of his wing mastery.

From the passing of an ag media icon to art thefts at Taco Bell restaurants to anticipation of strong crop yields despite a stormy spring, this week’s roundup of stories on Unscripted kicks off the holiday weekend in high style.

From Wild Pigs to Property Rights, Journalist Chris Bennett Goes Unscripted

Mon, 20 May 2024 13:37:30 GMT

Few writers covering the ag industry and rural America today can tell a story quite like Chris Bennett, a senior writer for AgWeb and Farm Journal magazine. From Ponzi schemes to “antler madness,” pig motels to suing the feds, Bennett has a nose for news you won’t find anywhere else in the media world that most of us tap into every day.

On the second episode of Unscripted , a new podcast hosted by AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths and U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan, Bennett provides a behind-the-scenes look at how he finds such amazing stories and how he tells them so well.

“Crazy draws crazy, I guess,” he says, then adds that some of his stories take years to complete. “It’s a blessing to work on all of these farm stories at one time.” With an office full of fat folders, he remains patient during his investigations, allowing stories to develop at their own pace.

Case in point: Bennett recently drew plenty of readers to his story about new research that revealed more human beings are killed every year by wild pigs than by sharks . On Unscripted, he says that researcher John J. Mayer “hollered at me a long while back” about a study he was doing on the subject. Bennett asked Mayer to let him know when the study was released to the public. He then combined a report about the study with the story of a Texas woman who was mauled to death by wild pigs in 2019.

But for a story to catch his interest, it doesn’t have to pit Hogzilla against Jaws. It’s more a matter of deciding what will interest his readers and how best to investigate — and ultimately tell — the tale. “I have to approach these stories with the mindset of a 10-year-old,” he says. “You have to approach a story with wonder and with humility.” He also says listening deeply to the people he interviews is critical to the process.

As accomplished storytellers themselves, Morgan and Griffiths share their own beliefs about the art and craft. “You can find something interesting when talking to almost anybody,” Griffiths says. “But you can’t go in with a preconceived notion. You have to be willing to hear what they say.” Morgan agrees, adding, “It’s about allowing them to tell the story and not getting in the way of it.”

Telling powerful stories about farm country is a highly specialized skill, and hearing how it’s done from three of the industry’s best is time well spent. Click here to watch the full episode .

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

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

American Gothic: Farm Couple Nailed In Massive $9M Crop Insurance Fraud

Priceless Pistol Found After Decades Lost in Farmhouse Attic

Cottonmouth Farmer: The Insane Tale of a Buck-Wild Scheme to Corner the Snake Venom Market

Tractorcade: How an Epic Convoy and Legendary Farmer Army Shook Washington, D.C.

Bizarre Mystery of Mummified Coon Dog Solved After 40 Years

While America Slept, China Stole the Farm

Washington Insider Goes Off Script to Forecast 2024 Election

Mon, 13 May 2024 13:23:56 GMT

While he says it’s still too early to get a clear picture of the upcoming elections, Capitol Hill veteran analyst Jim Wiesemeyer foresees the possibility of a Republican sweep of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. He cites polling by his friend David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report and other sources that suggest a very close race for president but adds, “Law and order will prevail, much like it did in the 1968 election.”

Wiesemeyer provides a number of insights on Unscripted, a new Farm Journal podcast hosted by AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths and U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan. Each week, the podcast features Farm Journal hosts and editors sharing behind-the-scenes observations on the stories they’ve covered, giving viewers a unique opportunity to meet the personalities behind the personalities.

The inaugural episode of Unscripted was posted on Friday, May 10.

On that first episode, Wiesemeyer, a long-time D.C. analyst for Pro Farmer and regular guest on AgriTalk, offers informed insights on everything from the upcoming election to the importance of the next farm bill. “I think whoever wins the presidential race, that ups the odds that his party will win the House,” Wiesemeyer says, adding the races will be critical in determining extensions of the 2017 tax cuts and biofuel tax incentives.

But Unscripted is not just all about politics and gravitas. There’s a lot of levity, too. Segments are named using current Gen Z slang phrases, from “Talkin’ Tea” to “What the Sigma?”. The hosts and guests choose the craziest headline they’ve read or written during the week, and they also share what’s happening with their families. “This is where we get personal,” says Morgan. On the first episode, they discuss juggling kids’ events while meeting professional obligations and debate the best restaurant in Kansas City. In the end, Morgan christens Wiesemeyer “the O.G. of Ag reporting.”

“We’re not just going off-script,” Morgan says. “We’re throwing out the script altogether.” Look for new episodes of Unscripted every Friday on the Farm Journal YouTube channel.