Plus, the grain markets are being pulled in several different directions right now, from the latest USDA supply and demand numbers and the results of the Pro Farmer crop tour to growing uncertainty in the Black Sea region. On this Ohio Ag Net Podcast, powered by Ohio Corn and Wheat, Mike Zuzolo with Global Commodity Analytics breaks down what these developments could mean for corn, soybeans and wheat prices in the weeks ahead.

… Continue reading

The Ohio Soybean Hometown Tour made three stops around Ohio in August. The purpose of the Hometown Tour was to share information about the value that soybean checkoff dollars are returning to Ohio farmers and the different ways those dollars are at work. Julia Brown is the Communications and Education Director for the Ohio Soybean Council. She recently recapped the 2026 Hometown Tour stops for Field Leader.

Field Leader: August was a busy month for the staff of the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Soybean Association with the 2026 Ohio Soybean Hometown Tour. Can you share some of the highlights?

Brown: We had three stops, including Crawford County at Steve Reinhard’s farm, in Fayette County down at Bluegrass Farms, and then in Darke County at Mark Stuckey’s farm. We focused a lot on checkoff value going back to farmers.… Continue reading

If you’re like me, your day starts with coffee. My go-to is a Caribou K-Cup with a splash of vanilla creamer, but I enjoy experimenting with my Nespresso coffee maker and have been trying new flavors and espressos.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you have probably also noticed coffee prices steadily rising during the past few years. Even my husband, a gas station black coffee aficionado, has commented on how much the price of basic coffee has increased in the last year.

According to Toast, which monitors restaurant menus across the country, regular coffee prices jumped 7.4% to $3.77 per cup in the last year. Toast also noted that U.S. coffee prices have fluctuated during the past two years but have risen steadily since February 2023 when median hot coffee prices were $3.00 per cup.

While the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is anticipating a record crop of coffee beans this year on paper, it is important to note that, like other commodities, coffee is impacted by weather, global events, and trade disruptions.… Continue reading

Farm Science Review brings together expertise from every corner of the agriculture and natural resources sectors for three days of demonstrations, education, and conversations. Whether you’re a farmer looking to improve yields or add a new enterprise, a landowner interested in conservation, or simply curious about how food and fiber are produced, mark September 22-24 on your calendar.

Attendees can experience the latest equipment and technology firsthand, from precision agriculture tools and drones to autonomous machinery and cutting-edge digital innovations, all demonstrated in real-world field conditions. More importantly, visitors have the unique opportunity to speak directly with the researchers, manufacturers, agricultural experts, and educators driving these advancements. The next idea that improves your efficiency or profitability, or prepares you for tomorrow, can be found in London, Ohio.

1. Is technology worth investing in?

From advanced cab electronics and precision application systems to biological products, livestock technologies, and automation tools, Farm Science Review provides an unmatched opportunity to evaluate innovations before making a purchasing decision.… Continue reading

When Matt Burkholder talks about soil health, he doesn’t start with test results or research data. He talks about his own fields that have firsthand reaped the benefits of using no-till farming practices. Burkholder has been farming in Allen County since about 2006 and currently grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. This summer, he also added a small sunflower planting as part of an effort to further diversify the operation.

“We grow corn, soybeans, and wheat. And after the wheat harvest, I planted six acres of sunflowers. That’s a new market we’re going to try this summer and see how it goes. We are trying to diversify our farm as much as we can,” Burkholder said.

His journey into conservation-minded farming began shortly after he started farming.

“In 2007, a friend of mine asked me, ‘Do you utilize no-till and cover crops on your farm?’ And I asked him, ‘Why would I plant a cover crop?’… Continue reading

President Trump announced last week that he plans to import up to 300,000 metric tons of beef over a 90-day period in an attempt to ease record-high ground beef prices. But the timing could work against ranchers who are deciding whether to expand their herds. It’s estimated that 70% of spring-born calves are sold between September and November, which fall within the increased import window. A glut of foreign raised beef could drive down prices paid to ranchers at a time when critical farm business decisions are made.… Continue reading

For years, Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings have served as the primary measure of financial distress among U.S. farmers. A new data project from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) is expanding that view by also tracking agricultural operations that file under Chapter 11.

The Data on Economic and Bankruptcy Trends in Agriculture, or DEBT project, identifies 1,401 agricultural bankruptcy cases filed from January 2021 through June 2026. Of those, 1,200 were Chapter 12 cases, and 201 were Chapter 11 cases. The project is designed to provide a more complete picture of agricultural financial stress across the country.

“A goal of our memorandum of understanding with the National Agricultural Law Center was to expand collaboration to inform agricultural policy and education,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said. “The DEBT project accomplishes exactly that by providing better data and a more complete picture of the economic conditions U.S.… Continue reading

By Barry Ward, Assistant Professor & Leader, Production Business Management; Eric Richer, Associate Professor & Field Specialist, Farm Management; John Barker, Assistant Professor, Agriculture/Amos Program, Knox County Ohio State

Custom rates increased for the majority of field operations in 2026 compared to surveyed rates in 2024, but the increases varied by operation. Examples include an increase of 4% for planting corn (30 inch rows with fertilizer application), 11% for harvesting corn (Combine, grain cart, haul local to farm), 12% for variable rate fertilizer application, 7% for spraying (Self-propelled sprayer), 9% for disk chisel, and 16% for tractor rental (Tractor/Horsepower/Hour).… Continue reading

During this two-day schooling event, attendees will be given the opportunity to learn how to properly shear a sheep using the Australian shearing method. Those in attendance will be taught by veteran shearers as they walk through each step and demonstrate how to properly position the sheep and shearing hand piece in the correct location. Attendees will also learn to appreciate fleece quality by ensuring that their work station is clear of debris and how to keep the animals fleece all in one piece. This shearing session is open to all sheep producers, regardless of your shearing experience. Even if you are an experienced shearer, you are bound to learn something new or to improve upon from the school!… Continue reading

Combines work the fields, researchers turn plots into living laboratories, and farmers gather around new equipment to see what might make a difference back home. Questions about crops, weather, markets and technology move out of the office and into conversations, demonstrations and hands-on learning.

The annual three-day agricultural showcase, hosted by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), brings farmers, researchers, educators, students and industry together to share what works and explore what’s next at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London, Ohio, from Sept. 22-24.

That combination of past, present, and future takes on added meaning in 2026.

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Farm Science Review will help launch America 250-Ohio’s October theme, “Ohio Grows: Food & Farms.” America 250-Ohio will spend October connecting agriculture’s history with the people, research and innovation shaping its future.… Continue reading

In this extended discussion, Ohio Ag Net’s Joel Penhorwood sits down with leadership from United Producers Inc. to talk about what they are seeing firsthand in the cattle market, and maybe more importantly, what producers should be thinking about as conditions continue to change.

Joining the conversation are UPI President and CEO Mike Bumgarner, Chief Operating Officer Hollie Bunn, Vice President of Livestock Marketing Tony Thomas, Risk Management Manager Jon White, and Direct Cattle Sales Manager Sam Roberts.

The group discusses the immediate market reaction following recent regional packing plant closures, including a sharp short-term decline in cattle values and a widening of basis. Panelists also share how, beginning almost immediately after the Joslin plant closure, they began fielding a sudden wave of calls from producers looking for direction and trying to understand their options.… Continue reading

On this September episode of the Field Leader Podcast, Dusty is joined by Brandon Kern, Deputy Executive Director and Senior Policy Director of the Ohio Soybean Association and Ohio Soybean Council as well as Julia Brown, Communications and Education Director and Mackenzie Joseph, Communications Manager for the Ohio Soybean Council. The Ohio Soybean Hometown Tour made three stops in August with an action-packed agenda. The team will review how each of those stops went and what some of the takeaways were. They will also look ahead to the upcoming Farm Science Review and give us a preview of things to look forward to September 22-24 at the Ohio Soybean Building.

When Rick and Jayne Young purchased their Belmont County farm in 1995, there wasn’t much to the place besides rolling hills and plenty of potential.

“It was stripped down. There were no fences, no nothing. It was all bare ground,” Rick said. “We made our schedule, and then we just started building from there.”

The couple purchased about 230 acres of reclaimed strip-mined ground in southeastern Ohio with the goal of building a thriving cattle operation. Together, the couple worked around the clock, building fences, installing water lines, constructing their home and barns, and transforming the once-barren property into productive pasture.

The move to Ohio had been years in the making. Rick and Jayne had established a cow herd in West Virginia but were ready to expand by the mid-1990s.

“I told my wife I’d like to move over to Ohio,” Rick said. “She said, ‘Well, if you can find a piece of ground that we like, we’ll move.’… Continue reading

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Ranchers First Initiative Aug. 31, describing it as a sweeping effort to put American cattle producers at the center of the nation’s food supply.

The initiative comes as the U.S. cattle herd remains at a 75-year low. USDA said the new actions build on the department’s October 2025 Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry and are designed to provide ranchers with additional risk management tools while addressing processing capacity and market concerns.

“President Trump promised to put the American ranchers first, and the Ranchers First Initiative delivers on that promise,” Rollins said in the USDA announcement.

One of the key components is a new Beef Retention and National Development, or BRAND, endorsement for Livestock Risk Protection insurance.… Continue reading

Corn reaching the dough stage is at 95%, ahead of last week’s 87%, and well ahead of the 88% five-year average. Corn reaching the dent stage is at 59%, ahead of last week’s 36% average, and above the 48% average. Mature corn for the state is sitting at 5%, right on with the 5% average. Ohio corn condition was rated 61% good to excellent, with 49% good and 12% excellent.

Soybean pod setting has reached 97%, ahead of last week’s 93% and above the 94% five-year average.… Continue reading