How do farmers make decisions—and what can the growing amount of data generated on farms tell us about those decisions?

If you've followed Purdue's Crop Basis Tool or the Center's monthly basis updates, you've probably already heard from Josh Strine. After completing his PhD at Purdue, Josh is staying with the Center for Commercial Agriculture as a postdoc, where he'll continue working on extension tools and research involving farm markets, technology and agricultural finance.

In this episode, Josh talks about his path from growing up on a corn and soybean farm in central Ohio to agricultural economics and Purdue. He also explains what he hopes to explore next—including a question that connects his experience on the farm with his research interests: why do farmers make the decisions they make, and what can we learn by combining agronomic information, farm-level data and economics?

Josh, Chad and Todd also discuss precision-ag data, agricultural technology, farm lending, extension and what it means to move from a PhD student into a research role.

And, of course, there's a little time for Todd and Chad to get Josh off track.

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast for monthly conversations about the decisions, markets and issues shaping commercial agriculture.

Farm equipment markets are constantly changing, but what can auction data tell us about where agriculture is headed?

In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, hosts Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe are joined by Andy Campbell, Director of Insights at Tractor Zoom, to discuss how data is reshaping equipment markets and the decisions farmers make every day.

The conversation explores what drives equipment values, how auction trends reflect broader economic conditions, the growing role of artificial intelligence in agriculture, and why the next generation of farm machinery may look very different from today's fleets.

Whether you're evaluating your next equipment purchase, watching machinery values, or simply interested in where agricultural technology is headed, this episode offers practical insights grounded in real-world data.

In this episode:

How TractorZoom collects and analyzes equipment market data

What influences used equipment values

What today's equipment market says about the farm economy

How AI is changing agriculture and equipment businesses

Why autonomous machinery could transform farming over the next 20 years

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast for research-based conversations that help commercial farmers and agribusiness professionals make better management decisions.

AgCast is back — with new vigor but the same goal: bringing farmers and agricultural leaders together for conversations about the ideas, businesses, and decisions shaping the future of agriculture.

In the first episode of the new season of AgCast, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe sit down with Hunter Swisher, CEO and founder of Phospholutions, to explore one of the most important — and least understood — challenges facing modern agriculture: phosphate fertilizer.

Phosphorus is essential for crop production, but it’s also a finite resource controlled by a handful of countries around the world. As fertilizer prices remain a major concern for farmers, this conversation breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes — from phosphate mining and global shipping routes to fertilizer production, supply chain disruptions, and what it could mean for farmers heading into future growing seasons.

Hunter explains how Phospholutions is working to improve phosphate fertilizer efficiency, why traditional MAP and DAP fertilizers lose much of their value after application, and how new technology could help farmers produce more with fewer inputs.

Chad and Todd also discuss:

AgCast brings farmers and agricultural leaders together for conversations about the ideas, businesses, and decisions shaping the future of agriculture.

Topics: fertilizer prices, phosphate fertilizer, MAP fertilizer, DAP fertilizer, farm inputs, agriculture supply chains, crop production, ag technology, farm profitability

Margins are tighter. Interest costs are higher. And many farms are discovering that profitability and cash flow are not the same thing.

In this episode of the Commercial AgCast, Chad Fiechter and Josh Strine sit down with John Maman of Nutrien Financial to talk about how strong operations manage cash flow, financing, operating lines, and input decisions in today’s farm economy.

This conversation goes beyond interest rates and loans. It focuses on the real financial decisions affecting:

You’ll learn:

John also shares insights from his background in agronomy, ag retail, and agricultural finance — along with practical ways growers can think more strategically about cash management during difficult cycles.

If you’re making crop input decisions, managing operating debt, or preparing for tighter margins ahead, this episode will help you think differently about the business side of farming.

Farmer sentiment declined in April—the pressure on the farm economy is intensifying.

In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier break down the April 2026 Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Rising input costs, increasing concern about fertilizer availability, and global uncertainty tied to geopolitical conflict all contributed to a drop in sentiment.

Tighter margins, rising break-even costs, and weaker financial expectations are beginning to influence how farmers approach investment, growth, and risk management heading into 2026.

More importantly, these signals highlight how producers are shifting from cautious optimism to a more defensive posture.

In this episode, we discuss:

📊 Read the full Ag Economy Barometer report:

—

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us:

Lessons From the Delta continues — and this time, the conversation turns to an unexpected connection between rice farming, water management, and wildlife.

In the 8th and final episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe travel to eastern Arkansas to explore how rice production systems intersect with conservation—and why organizations like Ducks Unlimited are working directly with farmers.

What starts as a discussion about rice fields quickly expands into a deeper look at water use, groundwater depletion, and how wildlife habitat can create additional economic value on farmland.

The conversation explores:

With water becoming an increasingly binding constraint, this episode highlights how farmers are balancing productivity, conservation, and long-term sustainability—and what that means for the future of agriculture.

We’ll continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series.

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series.

Learn more about Ducks Unlimited: https://www.ducks.org/

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us:

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time from the edge of a 120-acre on-farm reservoir.

In Part 7 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe visit a rice farm in Arkansas to understand how farmers are managing water, labor, and costs in ways that look very different from the Midwest.

What starts as a farm tour turns into a practical discussion about irrigation strategy, groundwater replacement, and the economics behind building large on-farm reservoirs.

The conversation also covers:

This episode builds on earlier conversations in the Delta series and brings the focus directly to how farmers are making real-world management decisions under different constraints.

We’ll continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series.

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series.

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us:

Farmer sentiment improved in March—but the underlying pressures in the farm economy haven’t gone away.

In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier break down the March 2026 Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Despite rising input costs and global uncertainty tied to geopolitical conflict, farmer sentiment moved higher—driven in part by stronger crop prices and government payments.

But the improvement comes with important caveats.

Tight margins, rising breakeven costs, and shifting risk priorities are shaping how farmers approach investment, production, and long-term strategy.

More importantly, these signals highlight how producers are balancing short-term optimism with longer-term uncertainty.

In this episode, we discuss:

📊 Read the full Ag Economy Barometer report:

—

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us:

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time from the perspective of farmers managing one of the most intensive production systems in U.S. agriculture.

In Episode 6 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe visit with Terry and Trent Dabs of LTD Farms near Stuttgart, Arkansas, to discuss what it takes to operate a rice-based farming system in the Mississippi Delta.

What emerges is a detailed look at a production environment shaped by water management, labor demands, and capital intensity—where daily decisions around irrigation, equipment, and timing carry significant economic consequences.

The conversation also discusses:

• Why rice production requires constant water management and monitoring

As Delta farmers navigate a system defined by irrigation dependence and production intensity, the discussion raises important questions:

This episode builds on earlier conversations about production systems and farmland economics, and brings the focus directly to the farm level.

We’ll also continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series.

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series.

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us:

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time with an unexpected conversation about farm robotics.

In Episode 5 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe meet Sarah Hinkley, CEO and co-founder of Barn Owl Precision Ag, during a chance stop at a farm in Arkansas.

What begins as a serendipitous encounter turns into a discussion about labor shortages, farm profitability, and how automation is being applied in real-world field conditions.

The conversation also discusses:

• The economic pressure driving labor-saving technologies

As labor constraints and cost pressures continue to shape farm decisions, technologies like this raise important questions:

This episode builds on earlier discussions of production systems and research infrastructure, and sets up a return to the farm level in the next episode.

We’ll also continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series.

Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series.

For more farm management resources, visit:

Subscribe to the podcast:

Follow us: