E246: Farm Business Management in Uncertain Times

Whether you’re thinking about weather, markets, trade or farm bill policy, the last several months have been characterized by one thing — chaos. It seems to be impossible to stay up with the sheer quantity of news, updates, and announcements coming from every direction, which are continuously changing the outlook for the year ahead. Today, we wanted to take some time to talk through some time-tested strategies to deal with uncertainty in farm businesses, and DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to talk us through. First, we’ll back up a little, and talk about her recent reporting on the recent dust storm in Chicago, its causes, impacts, and possible liability for farmers. Then, we’ll get into the discussion she recently had with ag business experts about how farmers can be thinking, and rethinking, about the fundamentals of their operation in these uncertain times. We’ll talk about cash rent, equipment, yield goals, and crop insurance, and hear insight on creative uses of these and other tools to help buffer the business from a hectic marketplace. Finally, we’ll get an update on the land markets, with some specific analysis about where purchases are slowing down, and where, despite everything, they seem to be heating up. Plus, we’ll hear a preview about what’s on the agenda and how to register for the upcoming Ag Summit Series event on the Cattle Sector.Link to register: https://dtn.link/AgSummitSeries-Summer2025