Field Posts

The July WASDE dropped Friday July 10th, bringing the ongoing crop season into sharper focus as USDA continued to refine its acreage and production estimates. The June 28th reports from the department left the corn market in bearish state, estimating higher planted acres and higher stocks than expected, but the WASDE adjustments offered some relief, even as soybean numbers remained steady. 

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman jo...

Delays on EPA announcement of Renewable Fuel Standard volumes have become old hat for ag industry watchers, but adding in the looming election and a recent Supreme Court decision, the hurdles for regulators to get 2026 volumes published are mounting. But even as anxious corn and soybean growers watch, and some advocates prepare to sue, hope springs from ongoing conversations about the potential for US growers to participate in the ...

What was supposed to be the 2023 Farm Bill has officially become the 2024 Farm Bill, and after the events of recent weeks, looks poised to become the 2025 Farm Bill. With the dog days of summer upon us, an already unproductive Congress turns the majority of its attention to the campaign trail, leaving the outlook for farm and rural legislation looking decidedly bleak. 

As the national election approaches, we’re joined by D...

DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins calls Soybean Cyst Nematode the Rodney Dangerfield of soybean pests — it doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves. While estimates put annual damage from SCN in the $1.5 billion dollar range, it still rarely earns a spot among soybean grower’s top concerns. Many growers trust the “SCN Resistant” label on their soybean seeds to provide the protection they need against these tricky critters, but there...

The DTN Ag Summit Series event "Navigating the Cattle Markets Ups and Downs" is a wrap, but for those who missed the industry leading data and analysis, we’ve got you covered. This week on the podcast we’re dropping in on the keynote presentation from DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart, who tackled the latest numbers, broke down forecasts, and answered audience questions to boot.

ShayLe’s presentation will dig...

The June WASDE dropped Wednesday June 12th, leaving markets unmoved despite expectations that USDA might recognize the weather that’s kept US farmers out of the field in many regions. With plenty more season still ahead, and a few more opportunities for the department to bring down the current record yield estimate for the 2024 crop, analysts and growers alike will turn back to weather forecasts and other news to get a better pictu...

Since 2005, DTN Progressive Farmer has been selecting two farmers every year from across 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 broader farm community. 

Today, we’re sitting down with Quint Pottinger, a farmer from Bourbon Countr...

Farm shops are a critical piece of infrastructure on virtually all farm operations, and building one that fits the diverse and ever-changing needs of a given ag business, and the family that operates, can be a challenging endeavor. Many spend years dreaming out floor plans on the backs of napkins in the coffee shop, visiting the shops of neighbors far and wide, and planning for all the many uses the building will need to fulfill no...

American wheat watchers descended on Kansas from May 14th to May 16th this year to participate in the Wheat Quality Council’s 2024 crop tour. The three day scouting trip took dozens on an arc across the state, from Manhattan, Colby, Wichita, and countless road-side stops in between. In the end, analysts recorded a predicted yield in the state that, though a bit short of spectacular, will likely be much better than the crop fared in...

Rural and farm communities have made big strides in recent years in discussing mental health issues and solutions. And not a moment too soon — between challenging commodity markets, extreme weather conditions, a global pandemic, and intensifying social and cultural situation, the amount of stress, pressure, and challenge that farmers and rural residents face continues to climb.

Today, Content Manager Anthony Greder joins us this wee...

The May WASDE dropped Friday May 10th, bringing with it a bullish mood for corn and wheat markets that was strong enough to even offset some pessimism in the soybean arena. With US planting conditions taking a turn for the wet and disagreeable weather rearing its head in Latin America, the USDA’s initial outlook for a record crop seems to be fading already. 

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the USDA...

Reports earlier this month that dairy cattle have become infected with the strain of High-Path Avian Influenza, or HPAI, that has been affecting wild and domestic bird populations for more than two years rocked cattle markets and brought an air of pessimism to a beef sector that seemed to defy doubt. But with a recent report from USDA offering more hope that supplies are still limited and demand remains strong, it seems just as lik...

Finding space on a farm for a family member to return can be a tough challenge. More and more, returnees are looking to build adjacent businesses to earn their keep, exploring everything from direct to market meats to u-pick operations. Growing these enterprises can be a great way to build confidence and develop the skills that will help them take over the farm, and in many cases, they can also be highly lucrative. 

Today,...

The April WASDE dropped Thursday April 11th, keeping the momentum of data releases going as USDA looks to the season ahead. Overall, many questions remain, though updates on planting intentions and the March 28th grain stocks report suggest that anemic prices might be here to stay a little while longer. 

DTN’s Lead Markets Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the USDA’s three latest reports, and help us connect ...

The Census of Agriculture is a long standing USDA tradition, stretching all the way back to the department’s founding. A few weeks ago, the department revealed its latest iteration, updating the 2017 numbers with the latest figures that captured the impacts of trade wars, the global pandemic, and half a decade of extraordinary uncertainty. 

To help us tackle this huge trove of agricultural data, and put it in the context of how it’l...

March 19th, the official first day of spring of this 2024 leap year, was followed shortly by some of the wettest and most wintery weather many have seen since harvest. The waning El Nino pattern deserves some of the credit or the blame, as farmers worrying about drought balance the need for more soil moisture and the desire to get in the field. 

To help us sort out this unpredictable is DTN’s Team Lead for Ag Weather John ...

2024’s National Ag Day is March 19th, with major events taking place in Washington DC and all around the country as farmers, their families, and ag industry members gather to celebrate their work. The day will kick off with a Presidential proclamation honoring the day, followed by words from the Secretary of Agriculture, the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and so much more. 

To bring us the latest updates...

The 100th annual USDA Ag Outlook Forum took place February 15th and 16th, and the Department’s keystone event didn’t disappoint. Given current conditions and forecasts, analysts are expecting a record crop of corn, soybeans and wheat in 2024, which will further flesh out a global stocks figure that could continue to drive prices down. All of that, economists expect, could ead to the largest annual decline in farm incomes on record....

The 2024 Commodity Classic was held February 28th through March 2nd in balmy Houston, Texas, and participants flocked from around the country and the world to see the latest tech and hear news-making announcements from the Secretary of Agriculture, leaders in agribusiness, and national commodity groups. This year’s event drew the most attendees ever, with more than 11,000 farmers and members of the agricultural community in attenda...