Field Posts

ChatGPT, and a slew of advanced artificial intelligence tools, have created quite a stir since first becoming available to the public in late 2021. News stories about these programs creating art, writing college essays, and carrying on long and complex conversations have captured global audiences, and the attention of companies who see a world of new possibilities.  Now, artificial intelligence is...

Farmers are chomping at the bit to get into the field as planting season approaches, and as cool and wet weather lingers, staying in touch with the latest agronomics becomes increasingly important. Whether it’s news on the latest wheat crop, updates from this year’s Commodity Classic, or the current breaking stories around seed saving and improper chemical applications, DTN’s Crops Editor Jason Je...

As a busy winter season of planning and farm shows come to end, we’re taking stock of the many and varying farm tech and machinery announcements that landed in the last few months, and there has been no shortage of news. From new farm data applications to advances in autonomous equipment, years of investment and talk about the future of farm equipment seems to be approaching commercialization, and...

The March WASDE dropped Wednesday, March 8th, largely meeting expectations as USDA refined numbers, specifically around corn exports and ending stocks. However, adjustments on the soybean and wheat front also shifted markets, while many watchers remain focused on the South American crop picture as today’s main driver. DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the latest world supply and...

The 99th annual Ag Outlook Forum ran this year from February 23rd and 24th, two days jam-packed with new information from USDA experts and lessons learned from across the industry.  DTN AG Policy Editor Chris Clayton is here to surface the highlights for us, from a market-moving look at the 2023 crop year to USDA’s analysis on the livestock industry as cattle inventory continues to draw down. Chri...

The annual Farm Bureau meeting was in Puerto Rico, and served as a kick off for 2023 discussions about key ag-related policy. Everything from immigration reform to disaster aid to Waters of the US is on the table, and in the background looms the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill and the need to get another major piece of ag legislation across the finish line sooner rather than later.  Here to help...

The February WASDE dropped Wednesday, February 8th, offering relatively few significant updates to the January figures. In the notoriously quiet Northern winter months, attention was trained on updates to Latin American crops, especially in drought-effect Argentina– where the corn crop in particular is suffering due to ongoing La Nina conditions.  DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the tweaks...

Mental health is a topic that’s growing more prominent in the agricultural space as more and more farmers and ag professionals come to terms with how important it is not only to be physically well, but to be mentally and emotionally healthy too. In recent years, conversations have flourished at national ag meetings and in local communities and peer groups as growers and those around them flex thei...

DTN’s latest ag confidence index captured the perspectives of farmers as harvest concluded, the midterm elections wrapped up, and winter planning was getting underway. Now, the numbers have been crunched, and we have a clearer picture of grower expectations as the 2023 crop year looms.  This week, we’re joined by DTN Progressive Farmer Editor-in-Chief Greg Horstmeier, who will take us beat by beat...

When it comes to understanding a farms financial position, conversations with accountants and advisors can often be overwhelming. There are many different strategies and ratios that can be calculated to gain context on different aspects of your operation, from how efficient farm assets are to how risky a debt load could become.  Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to discuss h...

The January WASDE dropped Thursday, January 12th, surprising traders and market watchers alike with stock adjustments that exceeded expectations in a bullish direction. But the WASDE wasn’t the only report on USDA’s docket today, with Quarterly Stocks and Winter Wheat Seeding adding additional context to an interesting first report of 2023. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the department&ap...

Senior Editor for The Progressive Farmer Joel Richenberger was excited to find some time recently to get out to visit Joe Knobbe and Devon Birchem at Flyover Whiskey , a distillery and farm in West Point, Nebraska. These two recently purchased a nearby distillery and have decided to do something novel with it– take your corn and make custom whiskey.  Today, Joel will tell us all about the operatio...

With just a few days left in 2022, cattlemen across the country have been rocked by back to back weeks of harsh weather. DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart has been tracking not only the weather this month, but also the markets, and joins us today with an update on where we are and her latest outlook on what might be ahead in the new year.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and the end of the year...

DTN’s 2022 Ag Summit has just wrapped up, with farmers from across the country convening virtually to discuss and learn about conquering the chaos– Strategies to Build Endurance for farm Businesses. The conference provided tons of insights and information on everything from volatile commodity markets to supply chain challenges to the war in Ukraine and the outlook for 2023. But in the midst of it...

The December WASDE dropped Friday, December 9th, largely meeting market expectations with a few key updates around demand and global crop levels. And yet, as the 2022 draws to a close, a few key riddles remain in the market– leaving many scratching their heads about what USDA, and traders, might be missing.  DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to dig into the relevant changes in the corn export and ethano...

There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the global fuels market as what’s expected to be a cold winter comes into play-- from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to winter weather to the moves of key players at the Federal Reserve and among OPEC leaders. Today, DTN’s Refined Fuels Analyst Brian Milne joins us again to update the story on European natural gas demand and how that’s likely to affe...

A colder than expected weather pattern is shaping up for much of the country heading into the winter months, and the slight shift in outlook is offering some hope that a cold, hard winter might be the start of a shifting pattern towards less heat and more precipitation. To help us put the forecasts into context, team lead for Ag Weather John Baranick joins us today to discuss the long range outloo...

There were a lot of divergent expectations going into the 2022 midterm election, after a tumultuous year of national and state level politics. For the agricultural community, the end of the election season means that the 2023 farm bill season will be starting in earnest, especially after the new members of the house and senate ag committee are chosen and seated.  Here to help us unpack who won, wh...

The November WASDE dropped Wednesday, Nov 9th, offering just a few small surprises for a market that was expecting USDA to hold steady from the October numbers. With more than 90% of the 2022 crop out of the field, the department is honing in, making minor adjustments to the crop size, but not enough to relieve the incredibly tight supply situation across all the major grains.  DTN’s Todd Hultman...

Just in the last year or so, Congress and the USDA have determined to spend more than $3 billion dollars on what’s being called climate smart agriculture– including projects and pilots carried out by private companies and nonprofits to help support the ag industry in its efforts to improve soil health and reduce negative impacts on the planet.  Progressive Farmer reporters and editors have been ke...

Since 2005, DTN Progressive Farmer has been selecting two farmers every year from various parts of the country to participate in their annual View from the Cab Project.  These farmers spend a full year getting to know DTN’s Pamela Smith as they work through  weekly calls and check-ins, sharing their stories and their seasons with the rest of the broader farm community.  2022’s farmers are no excep...

The October WASDE dropped Wednesday, October 12th, and this month’s estimates include insight from farmer surveys as harvest gets underway across the country. Markets have rallied as USDAs numbers inch closer to those reported by Gro Intelligence and other yield tours, though outside influences are holding down prices in some regions. DTN’s Todd Hultman joins us to help us link the data from the r...

From the Federal Reserve’s moves to raise interest rates to the war in Ukraine to droughts around the world, the challenges facing the global ag sector are many– begging the question, how does a thoughtful farm manager keep up.  Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to talk more about key issues that she’s been focusing on this year, related in particular to the economy, and wha...

As farmers across the country get into the thick of harvest, a late season hurricane– Ian – slams into the Southeast, threatening to disrupt work across the Carolina’s, Georgia, even up into Virginia and over into Kentucky and Tennessee. Otherwise, however, a relatively dry forecast offers a mix of benefits, a positive outlook for getting through harvest quickly, but no relief from devastating dry...

The Biden Administration’s big announcement in 2021, announcing new funding specifically aimed at increasing competition in the US’s meat packing sector, was not by far the first sign that ranchers and feedlots alike are feeling the sting of tough conditions, even while consumers paid record high prices at the meat counter.  In the wake of such funding, a number of new meat packing facilities have...