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When ag equipment manufacturers start shedding union line workers, shuttering plants and shifting factories to Mexico, and there’s a glut of used equipment covering dealer lots, you know the tide is quickly turning.

Some long-time Washington contacts still give the odds of a farm bill this year at only 15%.

Lance Sommers has transformed his family’s 2,000-acre grain and dairy farm by integrating technology and boosting efficiency to free up time to refocus efforts on other aspects of their operation.

CME spot markets got off to a slow start for this holiday week.

Hillari grew up on a family farm in southern Illinois, where she learned to love agriculture and its lifestyle from a young age. Hillari graduated from Murray State University in 2012 and began working for Cargill as a grain merchandiser shortly thereafter. Her time there yielded expansive market knowledge, producer relationships and series 3 and 30 licenses. Hillari joined Pro Farmer in June 2022 and received her master of business administration from the University of Southern Indiana in 2023. Hillari lives on her own farm in southern Indiana and spends the bulk of her days studying futures markets.

Lane is a Pro Farmer agricultural economist and market analyst specializing in corn, soybean, and wheat markets. He delivers daily fundamental and technical commentary, hedge recommendations, and in depth analysis to over 8,000 agricultural producers and commercial clients. The 2025 leader of the eastern leg of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Lane combines on-the-ground field data with decades of historical context to help farmers and agribusinesses navigate volatile markets.

Taylor Leach is the Assistant Editor of Dairy Herd Management and Milk Business Quarterly, blending her background in journalism and dairy farming. Raised on a dairy farm in Kansas, she now farms in Wisconsin with her husband. She is actively involved in cattle showing and agricultural advocacy.

Rhonda Brooks is the Agronomy Editor for Farm Journal and AgWeb, covering all aspects of crop production. A Missouri native with a background in agricultural communications, she has previously worked on multiple Farm Journal brands.

Matthew Grassi is the former Machinery and Technology Editor for Farm Journal and AgWeb, covering farm machinery innovations and ag tech trends.