Field Posts

The recent DTN Ag Summit Series brought color to USDA’s reports of planting season and to what might be ahead during an uncertain summer with discussion among farmers, market analysts, and other experts about what they’re seeing in the field.  Today, we’re dropping in on a session hosted by Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger, who’s joined by farmers from two very different regions with a lot of...

Uninteresting as the trade expected, a few unexpected changes were still enough to catch analyst attention. And beyond updated figures, the concerns of cold and wet soils delaying planting last month have morphed into worries that hot and dry soil in the Eastern corn belt might already be threatening USDA’s outlook for a record crop this year.  DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us to dig into...

Over the last two decades, the US livestock industry has had some painful encounters with foreign animal diseases– from High Path Avian Influenza and its impact on the poultry industry to “mad cow” to the current looming fear of African Swine Fever. One of the most challenging things about these kinds of highly transmissible and dangerous diseases is how difficult they are to study, and how vulner...

On May 17th, the annual Winter Wheat Tour wrapped up its survey of the Southern Plains wheat crop with its report on predicted yield averages, which indicated that the persistent impact of droughts have indeed driven wheat production to near-record lows. Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Joel Reichenberger made his way to Colby, Wichita, and finally Manhattan, Kansas this week with more than a hund...

The May WASDE dropped Friday, May 12th, as market watchers waited with high expectations for USDA’s latest insights as plant2023 continues. A number of unexpected adjustments made this a May report to remember, especially as the outlook for a possibly bin busting crop collided with continuing tight stocks.  DTN’s Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us to dig into not only the latest on old and new cro...

Plant 2023 is off to a relatively good start, despite cold and wet conditions lingering in the Northern Plains. For much of the central corn belt, from Nebraska to Indiana and Ohio, farmers are having luck, getting into fields weeks before they were able to in recent years– which could prove promising for key crop plantings this season.   To bring us the latest on where planting stands now and how...

Despite optimistic news coming out of recent USDA reports for livestock producers, factors like drought continue to weigh down cattle markets, and the discouraging signs have left some analysts scratching their heads. DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart joins us today to untangle the many issues that are driving today’s markets, and offers advice on how producers should be thinking about prices a...

Getting approval to sell E15 year round has been a priority for the ag sector for years – and the industry has gotten close – especially 2022, to reaching that goal. However, with the summer driving season just weeks away, the ethanol sector continues to wait on a decision from EPA about whether a waiver will be granted this year to allow continued selling of high-ethanol blend fuel during the bus...

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...