Field Posts

Just in time for the 2024 Election, DTN’s Pulse of Rural America Poll is hot off the press with a fascinating trove of information about how farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans are thinking about not only this election and the decision ahead of them, but also how they feel about the farm economy, their biggest challenges and issues, and what the future might look like.

Today we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who’s been reviewing the poll results and ground truthing them with producers across the country. He’ll guide us through the major survey results, unpacking the biggest surprises and best indicators of how voters are feeling across the country side. 

We’ll talk Presidential chances, about top issues from immigration and inflation to foreign farmland ownership and conservation. Then we’ll dive deeper on how farmers are responding to what they’ve heard and seen from the two major party platforms, and how major policies might play out in the weeks, months, and years of the next administration. 

We’ll tackle weather challenges, discuss the importance of the national debt, and learn more about the outlook for the farm safety net.

USDA will begin requiring electronic ID tags for some types of cattle that are moved across state lines after November 5th, including dairy animals and intact beef animals and bison. The department’s rules carve out a few exceptions, so producers who believe they might be affected should be taking notice. 

Today, DTN Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico brings us the latest on what those exceptions are, who is affected by these new regulations, and how producers can take steps to ensure they’re in compliance. 

She’ll share additional information on the background of this rule change, where to get tags and what to do if they’re lost, and dig into why these updates might prove vital for the industry in an animal disease scenario. 

The October WASDE dropped Friday October 11th, and though it largely held pat on USDA updates from both the September report and from the end of month stock updates, there was still news to be made as South America’s crop comes into clearer focus and tensions across the country and around the globe continue to escalate.

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today for one last WASDE breakdown, talking us through trade expectations and market reactions since the report came out, and how the global picture for corn, soybeans and wheat has been tweaked. We’ll dig into the confidence growers can have in the October numbers, and dive deep on the livestock markets to understand what USDA is predicting for the final quarter of 2024. Then we’ll tackle China trade news, the winter energy outlook and how Mideast conflict might be affecting that picture, and what the weather outlook might have in store for harvest season.

Then we’ll talk about market impacts of the election and the long term potential of a growing Brazilian harvest.

In the aftermath of an August crash in the cattle markets, producers across the country are kicking themselves over the missed opportunity to lock in sales at record prices. But since the dog days of summer, markets are looking up, and prices have regained much of their lost value in the weeks since. 

DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart joins us today to talk us through the last eight weeks, pointing out key features of the feeder and cash cattle markets as she encourages hesitant producers to invest in price protection at current, historically high prices. Then we’ll dig into the fundamentals, talking about the outlook for herd size and the state of the bred cattle market. ShayLe offers insight further up the supply chain as well, looking to slaughter pace and carcass weight figures to shed light on what’s going on with packers and what that might mean for consumer and export demand as winter approaches. 

We’ll talk through the winter feed outlook, check in on the bird flu story, and hear the latest from ShayLe’s Wyoming ranch.

The evolution of the drone has been a relatively quick one, and though this technology probably has a long way to go to reach its full potential, innovative growers are already putting these tools to work, especially using drone sprayers in tricky fields. To growers in unusual geographies in particular, drones, and the servicers and custom operators who supply them, are no longer an interesting novelty, they’re an essential part of yearly field work. 

Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Joel Reichenberger has been reporting on drones for years, and today he joins us on the podcast to dig into the expanding world of drone operation in agriculture that’s even compelling some operators to leave the farm behind in favor of custom work. Joel talks about the diversifying landscape of drone spraying, and how individual companies and major equipment companies and their dealers are thinking about and beginning to work in the space. We’ll dive deep on the question of whether to own or rent, the new opportunities that growers are discovering, and what barriers are emerging, from FAA flight regulations to high commodity prices. 

Plus we’ll dig into licensing questions, hear stories from the field, and get a preview about the popularity of ugly pumpkins.

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman is coming to the end of a long career in the agricultural markets. His voice will be dearly missed here on the podcast, around the newsroom, and across the country by the farmers and ag industry leaders who’ve depended on his even-handed insights for the better part of four decades. But before he rides off into the sunset, we sat down with Todd for one last episode to hear about the career he’s had, what he’s learned, and what he sees for the future of ag markets and the sector more broadly.  

Today we’ll talk about his early days as a broker and the people who helped shape his common sense view of the market. We’ll hear about his journey to DTN, and how world and market events– from commodity crashes to Chernobyl to a global pandemic – changed the way he thinks about finance, economics, and people in general. He’ll dig into the most surreal and unexpected moments of his career, the times when his crystal ball proved right, and talks about the funniest trade he made as a young broker with a mini soybean meal contract. Then we’ll talk about his outlook for the future– why watching prices is often more important than watching the news, and his advice for young analysts and for farmers aiming to navigate the hectic trading world.

Then, we’ll touch on Todd’s retirement, his favorite TED talk, and why AI isn’t a good substitute for good analysis.

The 2024 election cycle is in the home stretch, and though a lot of attention is being taken up by the Presidential race — when it comes to agricultural policy, the results of senate and house races are likely to be even more impactful. 

The farm community has been waiting for years for the passage of the next Farm Bill, but that legislation is currently on the sidelines as Congress aims to avert a government shutdown after September 30th.

As November approaches, we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who brings us the latest insights from every level of this campaign season. Today we’ll discuss key elements of the major party platforms from immigration priorities to tax and tariff plans to the future of fuels and energy. Then we’ll dig into the potential changes further down the ticket and how the departure of long-time ag ally Senator Debbie Stabenow might impact future Farm Bills. 

Then we’ll dig into the likely effects of transitioning political regimes on existing and ongoing policy at the USDA, EPA, and even the Department of the Treasury, where the biofuels community is awaiting news on how a tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel will be reshaped, potentially opening big market opportunities for corn demand. 

Lastly, we’ll check in on a potential round of farm aid in the works, how Clayton plans to follow political news in the coming weeks, and so much more.

The September WASDE dropped Thursday September 12th, and though it didn’t too much to stir markets, it provided another data point as potentially record crops are in the final stretch before harvest. USDA’s latest report was informed by in-field data which added a new on-the-ground perspective, but there’s still plenty of time for weather-related disruptions, especially with storms like Francine reminding the industry that hurricane season is not over. 

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the latest market conditions, offer his expectations going into and coming out of this report, and to discuss shifting demand and basis numbers as we move towards seasonal lows across major sectors. We’ll talk about the updated export picture for both corn and soybeans, and discuss how the global wheat crop is looking after a tough year in Europe. 

Then we’ll take a look at the livestock market with updates on current prices and USDA forecasts about herd growth in the next twelve months. And finally, we’ll talk interest rate declines and inflation, continuing weather wild cards, and the confidence we can have in this report’s numbers.

The trend towards fewer, bigger seed companies is nothing new in US agriculture, and is not even unique to the seed industry. But as a handful of major players have bought up more and more independent seed companies, especially since the 1990s, it’s left farmers and industry analysts alike wondering what the impact is, and will be, on grower selection, price, and innovation overall.

Today, DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins takes a closer look at the consolidation trend in the seed industry, especially after the announcement that several brands, including Fontanelle, Gold Country, Kruger, Lewis Hybrids, and Stone Seed will be eliminated from Bayer’s portfolio as of 2025. We’ll talk about the motivations behind these retirements for the big companies, what it might mean for producers when they’re making their selections for next year, and how independent seed companies are continuing to fit into a global seed market that seems to have less and less space for specialized players.

Then we’ll talk about longer term consolidation trends and the seed news Jason expects to see in the weeks and months ahead.

Read Jason's full story here.

The 2024 crop season got off to a wet start that changed up planting decisions and led to a significantly larger soybean planting than analysts were expecting. Since the Spring however, moisture and temperatures across the midwest have proven to be generally ideal, though a severe storm here and there did intermittently disrupt some growing seasons.

Now as we’re on the precipice of Harvest 2024, DTN’s Ag Meteorologist John Baranick joins us to breakdown both how his in-season predictions have fared since we talked pre-planting, and to offer his outlook on what might be ahead this fall. We’ll talk through likely upcoming shifts in the La Nina cycle, take a closer look at this summer’s severe weather and where we might expect to see more damage coming up, and tackle the global weather picture as focus shifts towards the new crop in the Southern hemisphere. 

We’ll hear about regional harvest conditions, the long tail of heat in the far West, and what a La Nina might mean for winter cold temperatures.