Market to Market - The MtoM Podcast

Jim Roemer explains why a rapidly strengthening El Niño — paired with record heat baking Western Europe's corn crop — points toward a neutral-to-bearish summer for corn and soybeans, not a repeat of the historic 1983 Corn Belt drought.

Fourth-generation cattleman Will Harris of Georgia sits down to talk regenerative farming, closed cow herds, and the structural problems keeping young producers out of the cattle business — even when beef prices are at all-time highs.

Brian Strasser is an Iowa farmer who figured out that the same months the farm goes quiet on cash flow are the same months travelers fill up a rental car app — so he built a fleet, and turned the seasonal gap into a financial advantage.

There's still no new supply of land being built, but the demand side keeps strong as new entrants are looking for places to build data centers, hunting blinds and places to park other investment gains. Doug Adams, the CEO of National Land Realty looks at the big picture playing out now and a four-letter word is the big influence.

Fertilizer helps grow the food that fills grocery store shelves, and concerns about competition in the fertilizer industry are now drawing attention from federal regulators. North Dakota farmer Adam Ladwig was part of a group asking questions about pricing, consolidation and transparency in one of agriculture's most important industries.

Commodities trading has ancient roots including the commodity price index that help hedge for all parties involved in a trade. Our Summer School series kicks off with Kurt Nelson and a course in how commodity futures markets work, why speculators and farmers genuinely need each other, and why the cattle price rally may not peak until 2027 or 2028.

El Niño is officially here, and it may be intensifying fast. Eric Hunt updates us on pasture and wheat conditions in Nebraska and beyond from his role at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Navigating the farm loan environment is complicated — rates, services and fits don’t always align with a producer’s past business partner. After DOGE cuts ended her government career, Kallie Turner now helps consult those looking to stay on the farm and in business - even if it may look different than the original vision.

Chicago Fed agricultural economist David Oppedahl discusses the state of the Midwest farm economy in 2026 as we look at farmland values, cash rents, lending conditions, and why today's challenges look very different from the 1980s farm crisis.

FBN's Charles Baron discusses how AI is transforming farm decision-making in 2026, from an AI advisor named for Norman Borlaug to price transparency that has saved farmers more than $500 million. Plus: tariffs, input costs, and why some farmers are still leaving serious money on the table.

The Iran conflict's impact on fertilizer markets, the economic maturity of ethanol, and why maritime shipping may be the most overlooked near-term demand opportunity for corn farmers right now. All of this is happening against a backdrop of tightening margins and generational transition on the farm. CoBank economist Jacqui Fatka is our guest this week.

From empty reservoirs to rising wildfire risk, a dry and warm winter is setting the stage for a difficult year ahead. We break down how snowpack loss impacts drinking water, food production, and even air quality far beyond the Rockies.

A century of good farming, clear thinking, and right living. That's the Iowa Master Farmer program, and this week we're at its 100th anniversary celebration with the organization's president, a descendant of founder Henry Wallace, and one of this year's award recipients who showed up for the land, your community, and the next generation.

Small business lender Ben Johnston of Kapitus breaks down who is really paying America's tariffs, how entrepreneurs are surviving the chaos, and what the ghost of Smoot-Hawley means for the future of American manufacturing.

Tufts food economist Dr. Sean Cash explains why the new dietary guidelines raised eyebrows, why a new Farm Bill is unlikely this Congress, and why defining "ultra-processed food" is harder — and more important — than it sounds.