Top Producer

A Place to Work and a Place to Live: How One Dairy Provides Housing for Nearly All of Its Employees

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:50:55 GMT

On dairy farms across the country, the labor challenge no longer stops at hiring. Producers are working to build operations where employees want to stay long term, raise families and create a life in rural communities.

But in some areas, one of the biggest obstacles has become housing. Affordable rentals are scarce and employees willing to work on farms often struggle to find a place to live nearby.

At Brey Cycle Farm in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., employee housing has become part of the long-term business strategy. What started with one farmhouse has grown into a network of homes, apartments and rentals that now house nearly the farm’s entire workforce.

“Providing housing has become a huge part of what we do,” says Moriah Brey, one of the farm’s four owners. “At the end of the day, farming is about people too. If I can help someone build a better life and give their family a safe place to call home, that’s incredibly rewarding for me.”

For the Breys, employee housing has become another part of running the dairy. Alongside managing cows, crops and employees, the family now manages a growing network of homes tied closely to the farm’s workforce.

(Brey Cycle Farm)

More Than a Place to Live

Brey and her family milk 1,500 cows, raise their own youngstock and operate a direct-to-consumer beef business. Along the way, they’ve also built an employee housing program that has become a central part of how the farm operates day to day and supports the people behind it.

“We have about 25 employees and we house 23 of them,” Brey explains. “Thirteen of them live with their families, and then 10 live as individual guys.”

To make that work, the farm owns 11 houses and rents another five. That’s 16 homes to manage alongside everything else the dairy requires.

“We joke that we’ve become a property management company,” Brey says with a laugh. “Honestly, we probably do need to hire someone for it. Managing all the houses and properties has become a big part of what we do.”

But behind the joke is a serious reality. Housing has become a big part of how they support and retain their workforce.

Why They Stepped into Housing

Brey Cycle Farm has had employee housing in some form for nearly two decades. But things really took off when the family began using the TN visa program to bring in workers from Mexico.

“As we started using the TN visa program, one of the requirements is that you provide housing,” Brey says. “That really got things going. We’ve always had one house on the farm that an employee has lived in. But as the farm has grown, the housing has grown with it.”

(Brey Cycle Farm)

Today, many of their employees came through that program, and most arrived alone at first.

“At first, when people come here through the TN visa program, they’re usually arriving on their own,” Brey explains. “In those first few weeks, they typically live in housing near the farm. Once their families join them, each family moves into their own house.”

Brey emphasizes the housing they provide is designed for privacy and stability, not shared living.

“We make sure the housing fits their situation,” she says. “Everyone has their own room, and when families arrive, we move them into a home of their own, whether that’s a house we own or one we rent.”

In Door County, where the farm sits, tourism drives up demand for rentals, and vacancy rates are low, leaving few affordable options close to work.

“Up here, it can be really difficult to find a place to stay,” Brey says. “We’re not close to an urban area, and Door County has about a 1.5% apartment vacancy rate. It’s extremely low, so finding housing is a real challenge and it’s part of why this has become so necessary.”

From Farmhouses to New Housing Options

Over time, the Breys have built a patchwork of housing. One recent addition came together in Sturgeon Bay, where they added a four-plex with four apartments and a shared outdoor space that has quickly become a gathering spot for employee families.

“It’s got four two-bedroom apartments in this really cute building with a big backyard where we’re going to put a swing set,” Brey says. “The group of employees who moved there were just so grateful. There are a few places where people naturally hang out, and this has become one of them. It really feels like a little family there.”

Brey Cycle Farm

(Brey Cycle Farm)

At another property, one employee now lives close enough that his children ride the same school bus as the Brey children.

“We moved this gentleman to a mobile home down the road from us,” Brey says. “So now his kids are on the same bus as my kids, and it’s just so cool.”

For the Breys, each home is more than just a property. It’s tied to the people who help run the farm and the relationships they’ve built over time.

Rent, Utilities and Expectations

Housing on the Brey farm is not free, but it comes at a reduced cost. The goal, Brey says, is to keep housing affordable while still asking employees to take care of where they live.

“We do charge rent, but it’s heavily subsidized,” Brey explains. “If you live as a family, you pay a little more. If you live as an individual, you pay a little less. But it’s still well below what a house would normally cost.”

The farm also covers many of the utilities in most homes, including heat, propane and internet. With that setup, expectations around upkeep become part of the day-to-day conversation. Small things like thermostats, trash and general housekeeping can add up quickly if they are not addressed early.

“Just assuming everyone is going to do things the way you would is not how it works,” Brey says. “Sometimes we go into a house and find the heat turned way up or a smoke detector unplugged.”

To stay ahead of those issues, the farm relies on frequent communication and simple reminders shared with employees to reinforce expectations around upkeep and utilities.

“We started putting reminders in their paychecks to keep things top of mind,” she explains.

(Brey Cycle Farm)

More recently, the farm has also adjusted how they handle some utility costs, including charging employees for a portion of electricity use tied to each home.

“We started charging for a portion of electricity use because it’s something we can track by house,” she says. “Other utilities are harder to separate out, so we still cover those.”

Even with those adjustments, Brey says the goal is not to police employees, but to create a system that is practical and easy to manage for everyone involved.

“These people are very capable,” Brey says. “It’s really just about making the system simple and workable for everyone.”

Spreadsheets, Clipboards and Managing the Homes

Managing 16 homes has added an entirely new layer to the dairy’s operation. Between utilities, maintenance, repairs and communication with employees, housing now requires regular organization and oversight.

“We have this huge spreadsheet,” Brey says. “Every house is different. One has forced air, another has a boiler and another has electric heat. We’re tracking things like smoke detectors, furnace filters, propane deliveries, utility bills and maintenance schedules. When you’re managing that many houses, there’s just a lot to keep organized and stay on top of.”

Much of the coordination happens through the farm office, where employees can report maintenance issues or ask questions about utilities and housing needs. The farm’s leadership team also meets regularly to review housing concerns and stay ahead of repairs and upkeep.

(Lori Hays)

“We meet at least once a month and go through everything,” Brey says. “We try to make sure something is always moving forward with the houses.”

Twice a year, the farm also does more formal walk throughs of the properties to check things like filters, smoke detectors and general maintenance.

“We try to go through every house a couple times a year and double check everything,” she says. “But honestly, we’re involved all the time because people call us whenever something comes up.”

Even with systems in place, Brey admits housing management is still a work in progress.

“I don’t know how we manage it sometimes, to be honest with you,” Brey laughs. “At some point, we’ll probably need someone dedicated to property management. So far, it’s worked, but we’re still figuring out the best way to organize everything.”

Culture, Not Just Housing

Ask Brey why employee turnover is so low, and she talks about relationships and the culture they have built on the farm.

“Culture is our game,” she says. “We try to be really responsive to what people need. They’re like our friends, truly.”

That mindset shapes everything from housing decisions to the way employees settle into life around the farm. Brey says many employees take pride in making the houses feel like home, whether that means planting a garden or raising chickens in the backyard.

“We call it their house, and they call it their house,” Brey says. “When people can really settle in and make it feel like home, that’s important to us.”

Employee Housing

(Lori Hays)

The housing program has also grown alongside the farm’s relationships through the TN visa program. Many employees arrived in the U.S. with agricultural degrees and strong experience working with livestock.

“They all have four-year degrees in an agricultural field,” Brey says. “We have veterinarians by trade working here. They really care about the animals and they care about the farm.”

Over time, many employees have taken on more responsibility throughout the operation, building careers and deeper connections to the dairy along the way. Stories like those are part of why housing feels bigger than just another employee benefit for the Breys.

“A lot of them have stories that most of us could never imagine,” Brey says. “It’s rewarding to know they have a safe place to live and that their families are doing well here.”

Advice for Other Producers

(Brey Cycle Farm)

Not every dairy will be able to provide employee housing on this scale. But as labor remains tight and affordable rural housing stays difficult to find, more farms are starting to think differently about what it takes to support and retain employees long term.

Brey says farms considering employee housing need to understand that it takes time, communication and a willingness to stay involved. Her advice centers on three things:

• Go in knowing it will take time and effort. “There’s pros and cons for sure,” Brey says. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s also a rewarding part of what you do. You can’t expect it to be maintenance free.”

• Treat employees like neighbors, not just workers. “The biggest thing is really getting to know people and their families,” she says. “We know the employees, we know their kids and we know what works best for each family. When you take the time to understand people and what they need, it changes the whole relationship.”

• Communicate expectations early and often. “Just assuming everyone is going to do things the way you would is not how it works,” Brey says. “Having conversations, sending reminders and putting expectations in writing is really important.”

For Brey, the housing program ultimately comes back to relationships and creating stability for the people who help keep the dairy running.

“This whole farm was built on relationships,” Brey says. “Relationships with employees, relationships with the community and relationships with the people who help us every day. That’s what makes everything work.”

She says some of the most rewarding moments come from seeing employees and their families truly settle into life around the farm, whether that means children riding the school bus together, families gathering outside after work or employees taking pride in a place that feels like home.

“If we can keep providing people with a safe and secure place to live, that’s probably all I could ever ask for,” she says. “We’re thankful for the people who work here, and they’ve become a really important part of our lives.”

How BoviSync and Integrated Tech are Creating a 'Digital Nervous System' for Modern Dairies

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:04:36 GMT

Across the American landscape, a silent revolution is rewiring the 250-year legacy of the dairy farm, transforming traditional barns and pastures into a high-precision digital nervous system. For operations like Abel Dairy in Wisconsin and Lincoln Dairy in New York, the manual grit of the past has met the cloud-based logic of the future, ensuring data flows as freely as milk and every decision is backed by real-time intelligence.

As the United States approaches its 250^th anniversary, the story of dairy is shifting from one of just getting by to one of mastering the margin. At the heart of this evolution is the death of the data silo and the birth of integrated, cloud-based management.

Steve, Allen and Nate Abel

(BoviSync)

The Wisconsin Blueprint: Wiring for Growth

For Steve Abel, a sixth-generation farmer at Abel Dairy, maintaining a legacy isn’t about looking backward — it’s about wiring the farm for a future his son Nate will one day lead. Three years ago, the Abels made a high-stakes move, expanding from a 2,000-cow operation to a 4,500-cow powerhouse. This wasn’t just about adding stalls or pouring concrete; it was a structural pivot toward precision.

At the center of the Abel expansion is an 80-cow GEA rotary parlor, but the true engine of the farm is BoviSync. By adopting this cloud-based central hub, the Abels eliminated the lag that has plagued dairy management for decades.

(BoviSync)

“We moved away from traditional data silos,” Abel explains. “For years, dairies struggled with double entry — the tedious process of recording data in one system only to manually type it into another. At Abel Dairy, that era is over.

“BoviSync networks with our sort gates, our feed software and even our hoof-trimming chute,” he says.

This connectivity transforms manual chores into automated workflows. The Abels no longer rely on traditional veterinarian pregnancy checks that require manual recording. Instead, they use blood samples and scanners. The results are uploaded to the cloud and downloaded directly into BoviSync. Because the software is linked to the farm’s sort gates, the cows are automatically identified and directed to the appropriate pens without a human ever having to check a clipboard.

Abel Dairy

(BoviSync)

The New York Perspective: Multi-Site Mastery

Thirteen hundred miles to the east, Bryant Stuttle, the herd manager for Lincoln Dairy in Auburn, N.Y., is navigating a similar digital frontier. Stuttle, a fourth-generation dairy professional, manages a complex multi-site operation for owners Dan and Nate Osborne. The system includes the home farm, Lincoln Dairy, and two satellite facilities, Ridgecrest and Gemini.

For Lincoln Dairy, the move to BoviSync two years ago was driven by a singular, ambitious goal: going 100% paperless.

“We operate as one herd across multiple farms,” Stuttle says. “The challenge with traditional software was how it handled multi-site data. We needed a system where events were tied to the facility, not just the cow. If a cow gets bred at one site and moved to another, we need to know exactly where that event happened to track technician performance and facility success. BoviSync made that seamless.”

Before the switch, the morning routine was often a source of frustration.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’d walk in on a busy herd-check day and the server hadn’t refreshed or a command line error meant the lists weren’t right,” Stuttle recalls. “You’d lose two hours of your day circling back to restart. Now, the guys grab their phones and go. There’s a level of confidence that the day is set up for success before we even start.”

The Human Element Removed from the Environment

(BoviSync)

The digital evolution isn’t limited to cow records; it has extended into the very air the animals breathe. In Wisconsin, the Abels installed the Agrimesh system to control ventilation and sprinklers in their tunnel-ventilated free stall barns.

“We wanted something that took the people out of the equation,” Abel says. “We don’t want an employee having to remember to open a curtain or speed up a fan because it warmed up at 10 a.m.”

The system calculates temperature, humidity and negative pressure in real time, adjusting tunnel fans and curtains automatically. It is a level of environmental consistency that ensures the cows remain cool in the summer and the barns don’t freeze in the winter, all without human intervention.

Similarly, at Lincoln Dairy, technology like SenseHub (formaly known as SCR collars) provides a constant heartbeat for the herd. These collars monitor rumination and activity across all three sites, feeding data back into the central hub. When combined with SenseHub sort gates, the system allows Stuttle’s team to identify and treat sick cows before they even show physical symptoms.

“Our reproduction is phenomenal — the highest it’s ever been,” Stuttle says. “Our cull and death rates are the lowest they’ve ever been. When you perform at that level, it all spells profit for the bottom line.”

The Power of Compliance and ROI

For both operations, the return on investment for these technologies isn’t just found in labor savings — it’s found in compliance.

“If you’re going to sell me a technology, it needs to make my employees more consistent,” Abel asserts. This focus on compliance ensures every vaccine is given correctly and every hoof is trimmed on schedule. At Abel Dairy, even the hoof-trimming chute is wired. A tablet mounted to the chute allows for instant data entry, eliminating the data lag of paper records.

At Lincoln Dairy, the technology allowed the farm to reposition two full-time labor units to other areas of the farm that needed more attention.

“It’s not just about doing the job with fewer people; it’s about doing the job better,” Stuttle explains. “The guys love it. I joke with them about going back to clipboards, and they just look at me and say, ‘Please, no.’”

The Heifer Pipeline

The digital nervous system also extends far beyond the home acres. Both Abel Dairy and Lincoln Dairy use Kansas Dairy Development (KDD) to raise their heifers. This creates a unique data challenge: How do you track an animal that is a thousand miles away?

“With KDD still being on DairyComp and us being on BoviSync, it was a challenge,” Stuttle admits. “But the BoviSync team figured out a way to translate that data daily. Now, I have my KDD file right in my system. It’s like they’re speaking two different languages, but the software acts as the translator. I have the same access to the data as the people on the ground in Kansas.”

This level of transparency allows both farms to right-size their herds. By using sexed semen, they can precisely determine how many replacements they need and breed the rest of the herd to beef. This beef-on-dairy pivot has become a vital revenue stream, providing a hedge against milk price volatility.

Advice for the Modern Producer: Avoid the Data Drown

With so much information available, the risk of data exhaustion is real. Stuttle’s advice to other producers is to focus on what actually moves the needle.

“Data management is the biggest opportunity in the industry right now,” he says. “But you can get drowned in it. Every salesperson will tell you their metric is the one that matters. You have to figure out what matters to you and look at it consistently, month in and month out.”

At Lincoln Dairy, that means focusing on hundredweight sold, transition cow success and pregnancy rates. By centralizing this data, the management team can stop worrying about whether the technology is working and start focusing on managing the people and the cows.

(BoviSync)

Legacy Powered by Data

As these two dairies demonstrate, the center of gravity for U.S. dairy is shifting. It is moving away from the localized, fragmented models of the past toward a high-precision, integrated future.

The 250^th anniversary of American agriculture is a celebration of resilience, but for the Abels and the Osbornes, it is also a launchpad. By integrating every gadget, sensor and software into a cohesive digital nervous system, they are ensuring their farm legacies will thrive for decades to come.

In Eden, Wis., and Auburn, N.Y., the lights in the barn are still on. But today, they are powered by data, driven by compliance and managed with a level of brilliance our ancestors could only have dreamed of. The U.S. dairy farmer has evolved from a milk man into a protein integrator, and the digital revolution is just getting started.

Farmers Don’t Use AI for Answers — They Use It to Think Better

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:10:24 GMT

What you should know:

To use artificial intelligence in your business for a competitive advantage — not just a gimmick:

Ask better questions than most people
Combine AI with real-world experience
Execute on the answers

For Rachael Sharp, dry weather hasn’t made planting go any easier in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. And when a planter went down, the first thing she did was pull up Chat GPT.

“I pulled up the part number, and I saw that I’d actually entered in there last year. So it told me the date I changed it, and that was helpful, because I was trying to figure out why is this wearing out so quickly?” she says. “We’re in desperate need of rain, and we’re pulling in some pretty hard non-irrigated land right now. I logged that we changed the bearing again, and so next time, knock on wood, it hopefully doesn’t go out again, but if it does I can look and see I changed it twice in the last year.”

That’s just one of many examples of how Sharp is using ChatGPT to manage equipment, her time, and the farm business. She and her father, Don, are featured in an OpenAI commercial, which premiered during the Super Bowl.

And she’s in good company with other farmers in how to use the artificial intelligence platforms.

Marc Arnusch, the 2025 Top Producer of the Year, says ChatGPT is the most used app on his phone.

Jeremy Jack, leader of Silent Shade Planting Company the 2023 Top Producer of the Year, uses AI as his daily management teammate from agronomy and business decisions.

Here are the four ways these farmers use AI every day on the farm.

(Photo: Yvonne Min)

1. Make better decisions faster

Colorado farmer Arnusch uses ChatGPT and Grok to narrow down his consideration set when making decisions.

“It helps on the strategic side of things, and when making a decision, I’ll let it give the top four or five things to choose from, which helps when there’s a million choices,” he says. “It really is like my funnel. I’ll set up my phone on my dashboard and just dictate to it. Then when I’m back at the farm office, my wife Jill is relieved because I’ve already processed out loud with the AI tool.”

While most farms collect data, Jack uses AI to make decisions, particularly agronomic.

“I uploaded multiple years of soil data across our farms,” he says. “And we’ve found ways to manage fertilizer better, for example with sulfur.”

The data interpretation has shifted his thinking by connecting the yield zones with as-applied fertility and return on investment.

Jack is also using the technology to double check every spray application — from rates, to tank mix, to nozzle selection, to pressure optimization.

Sharp has also found AI helpful in managing chemical applications. She can remember chemical boxes marked up with her father’s calculations by hand.

“I tell the prompt what I’m spraying, where I’m spraying, how many acres, tank size, and then I let it tell me what to order,” she says. “Over time, it’s learned which products are liquid and which are dry flowables. And it’s helped me keep track of the inventory we have so we don’t end up with pallets of odds and ends.”

(Photo: OpenAI)

2. Be more efficient

When it comes to where to start with AI, Sharp has one piece of advice.

“Think of the task that you don’t like to do at the end of the day. For me, I didn’t want to do paperwork at the end of the day,” she says. “So I threw it over to ChatGPT, and I said, hey, this is what I planted today, this is the date, and I left it at that. I started really, really simple.”

Now, she’ll record things directly in the field or in the truck. She says it has helped with FSA 578 forms. And in day-to-day operations, she’s found benefits for time management and accuracy in all record keeping.

“We have seed samples that require a handwritten seed form that I turn in along with the sample, but I spoke into my phone and said, hey, Chat GPT, I need you to log that I sent this variety, this lot number, on this date, to the lab. And so, that’s probably one of 15 entries that I’ve made over the course of a month. And at the end when we finally turn in our last sample to the lab, I’ll ask it for a spreadsheet with all that listed,” she says.

(Photo: Sarah Green Photography)

3. Think more clearly about complex problems

Jeremy Jack often asks ChatGPT “What does this mean for my farm?” with current events.

“With the war in Iran, global fertilizer supply chain concerns, and even things like USDA reports, it’s given helpful perspective in how to think about what’s happening off the farm but impacts the farm.”

And he’s found success in using the platform to specifically think about the business strategy for his farm with vendors, including lenders, landowners and more.

4. Manage more professionally

Jack has been active with an advisory board for their farm, but AI has become like a boardroom in his pocket.

“I bounce ideas—pressure test if you will—before it costs me real money,” he says. “This includes input purchases, land agreements, and equipment purchases.”

He’s also come to use it in his external communications about the farm including his regular social media posts on LinkedIn.

When it comes to team management, Arnusch has input culture index results for vendors and employees, then the AI compares their individual characteristics with the job they are being asked to do.

“This has been a breakthrough,” he says. “It’s shown me that at no fault of their own, why some people fail at what they are being asked to do. It wasn’t because they weren’t working hard or doing the job. It was stretching them beyond what they can do.”

He gives the example of a farm foreman position on the farm, and how he used this process to match the candidate with the role.

(Sarah Green Photography)

Inside The Tax Return of Your Farm's Future

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:31:55 GMT

The traditional process of preparing agricultural tax returns has long been defined by manual data entry and the complex reconciliation of income. However, the integration of artificial intelligence into financial systems is ushering in a more sophisticated era of tax management. For the modern farm, the future of filing lies in a seamless pipeline where software handles the heavy lifting of data organization, leaving the high-level strategy to human experts.

Comprehensive Data Integration

The foundation of a modern tax return is the accounting system. Platforms like QuickBooks, Xero or specialized farm management software are becoming increasingly autonomous. In the near future, these AI agents will do more than simply record expenses; they will analyze them in real-time.

With direct links to bank feeds and digital invoices, AI can categorize expenditures with precision. It can distinguish between capital investments, such as machinery or land improvements, and standard operating costs like seed and fuel. This continuous synchronization means by the end of the fiscal year, the financial records are already in a format that mirrors the requirements of a tax return.

Automated Document Reconciliation

A significant portion of tax preparation involves matching — ensuring the farm’s internal records align with the documents issued by third parties. A preparer of a farm tax return may spend more time making sure all of the income is in the right box then planning to optimize the income tax level.

AI is uniquely suited to handle this high-volume verification. The system can automatically ingest Form 1099-PATR (cooperative distributions), 1099-G (government subsidies) and other Form 1099s and W-2s and verify them against recorded deposits.

If a document is missing or a figure does not match the ledger, AI identifies the specific discrepancy immediately, allowing for a targeted correction rather than a manual search through months of records.

The Role of Human Oversight

While AI provides the technical framework for the return, the final stage remains firmly in human hands. Once the software has mapped the data to the appropriate tax schedules, it produces a comprehensive draft for professional review.

This allows the farmer or a tax consultant to transition from a data entry role to a strategic advisory role. Instead of spending hours verifying line items, the human reviewer can focus on critical tax planning decisions including accelerated depreciation choices or income averaging that require professional judgment and an understanding of the farm’s long-term goals.

The result is a more accurate, defensible and efficient tax filing process. By automating the clerical aspects of the return, AI allows agricultural producers to maintain focus on their operations while ensuring full compliance with the evolving tax laws.

Beyond the Blame Game: Navigate the Mental Toll of Modern Ag

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:55:10 GMT

When market pressures mount, it is easy to succumb to the “blame game.” Yet, the most resilient operations are those that anchor themselves in a mission larger than the current balance sheet. For leaders like James Burgum and Lamar Steiger, coping with stress isn’t just about managing the books, it’s about managing the mindset.

The Many Hats of the Modern Producer

James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes the first step in managing stress is acknowledging the sheer weight of the roles farmers play.

“One of the things I did when I stepped into my role is an exercise where I said to our team, ‘Help me understand all the hats on the farm – farmworker, agronomist, grain merchandiser, mechanic, truck driver, snow removal lead, banker, economist,’” Burgum said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “You start to go down the list, and its dozens and dozens of roles that an individual farmer plays.”

By recognizing the complexity of these roles, Burgum argues that producers can move toward servant leadership—prioritizing the team’s needs.

“There are things that are much more important and much bigger than the challenges we’re wrestling with on the job every day,” Burgum says. “It’s hard to juggle all the balls, but at the end of the day, we want everyone on our team to make sure they get home at night and be there for their families.”

Choosing Abundance Over Scarcity

Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, learned about stress through the lens of his father, a man who seemed to face every possible setback: health crises, financial downturns and missed market peaks.

The farm struggled during times of high interest rates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and his father was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre, that left him paralyzed for six months.

Still, his dad always had an attitude of abundance, not scarcity, Steiger says.

“With my brothers holding other obligations, I was left to milk the cows,” Steiger says. “We were so far behind, and all my dad would say is, ‘It could be worse.’”

Breaking the Silence

Eventually, his family lost the dairy. After hitting rock bottom and battling depression , Steiger realized that the “tough it out” mentality was a liability, not an asset.

“When the stresses pile up, you’ve got to find help,” Steiger says. “I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to step up and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong here.’ I should have said, ‘Time out—this is not working.’”

Steiger’s advice for those feeling the weight of the current market is simple: Find your “who.” Whether it is a spouse, a neighbor or a professional, talking through the stress is the only way to separate your self-worth from the volatility of the markets.

“In agriculture, we’re so reliant on outside forces,” Steiger says. “You’ve got to have an attitude that it’s going to work out. As my Dad would say, ‘Well, we never missed a meal.’ That was his bottom line for ‘It’s okay.’”

From Constraints to Catalysts: How Ag Leaders Turn Hardships into Strategy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:19:04 GMT

In an industry defined by “one-year-at-a-time” cycles, the greatest threat to a growing operation isn’t just a market downturn—it’s the inertia that comes with size. Farm Journal CEO Prescott Shibles argues that long-term survival requires a rare blend of faith and agility. To maintain an entrepreneurial mindset, leaders must lean into “conviction” as the core of a strategy that survives the lows.

Here is how four industry leaders are turning today’s constraints into tomorrow’s differentiators.

1. Build when times are hard.

When Brent Smith, president and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, joined the company in 2023, the grain market was entering a significant down cycle. While some saw a risky time to lead a startup, he saw an opportunity.

“I learned in my first startup that the best time to build a business is in hard times,” Smith said said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “Because if you can’t withstand tough times, you’re not going to survive long term.”

For Smith, survival meant doubling down on the company’s core: science. Despite the pressure to cut costs, NewLeaf continues to spend half of its operating expenses on science.

“It would be very easy to peel that back,” he admits. “But we focused on projects that make the most impact the quickest, while keeping an eye on the long-term innovation in our pipeline.”

2. Control what you can control.

Farmers face the ultimate constraint every year: the weather. Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, recalls the planting crisis of 2019 when constant rains kept tractors out of the fields well into May.

“I was concerned for our customers not being able to plant, but also for us not being able to plant our seed for the next year,” Beck says. “There was nothing that we could do to control the weather, but we could control how we interacted with our customers.”

Rather than retreating, the Beck’s team focused on transparency and empathy, using video series to connect with farmers and even forming small groups for prayer and support. Ultimately, they wanted farmers to know they cared and were there to support them however they could.

Despite the financial reality of what could happen if farmers didn’t plant and returned seed, Beck’s decided their course of action would not include employee layoffs. Instead, they prepared to sell land to protect their people.

“Fortunately, the weather broke and everybody was able to get planted,” he says. “Then the second miracle happened. We had the second warmest September on record, and that’s what brought the crop through to enable 2019 to not turn out as bad as it started.”

3. Turn disadvantages into advantages.

In 2014, Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, was tasked with a monumental challenge: helping Walmart reinvent its beef supply chain. At the time, the retail giant was at a disadvantage, forced to accept whatever the major meatpackers provided.

Steiger’s strategy was to turn that lack of control into a new kind of independence.

“I convinced the Walmart team to go around the traditional supply chain,” Steiger says. Today, Walmart sources 28% of its beef from its own “farm-to-table” supply chain.

There’s no question that decision was really good for Walmart. But Steiger says it was also really good for him personally.

“It reminded me that no matter how big you are, there are always challenges,” he says.

4. Create “white space” for the future.

When the day-to-day tasks of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes leaders must intentionally carve out “white space” for their teams.

“It’s important to find ways where people can actually spend their time working on the business, not just in the business,” he says.

By protecting time for team members to execute ideas that are three to five years out, Burgum manages the tension between short-term urgency and long-term viability.

“It’s hard to step away from the daily fires you’ll face in your operation, but it’s important,” he adds. “How we manage that tension of short term and long term is creating that white space and making sure that we consciously work on the business.

The Long Game

Ultimately, resilience in agriculture is about knowing when to push and when to pivot.

“You have to know when to put the gas down, and you need to know when to tap the brake,” Smith says. “And regardless of what you are doing, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Whether it is investing in science during a downturn or choosing customer empathy over the bottom line, these leaders say constraints don’t have to be roadblocks; they can be the very catalysts that drive an operation forward.

The Shrinking Slice: Farmers Receive Less Than 6 Cents of Every Food Dollar

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:45:07 GMT

For the past two years, USDA has estimated farmers and ranchers received less than 6 cents of every food dollar. In 2023, that was 5.9 cents, and using the latest data from 2024, it’s 5.8 cents.

“Our oldest data point right now is 2007 [USDA updated the data series] and that’s 14.7 cents per dollar, and now we’re down all the way to 11.8 cents per dollar,” says Faith Parum, economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “So we’ve really seen that decline year after year. It reflects how much of the value of things in the grocery store or when you go out to eat is going to other parts of the supply chain and not necessarily to farmers and ranchers.”

Livestock vs. Crops: A Widening Gap

The aggregate decline masks a widening gap between sectors. While the overall farmer share is down, livestock and crop producers are seeing divergent trends:

Crop Farmers: Share dropped from 2.9 cents to 2.5 cents (a 2.5% year-over-year decrease).
Livestock Producers: Share increased from 3 cents to 3.3 cents.

“Overall, the farmer share is down. But we have those two markets really at odds,” Parum says. “We’ve seen that tale of two farm economies where our livestock producers maybe have seen a little bit of better days than they had had in the past, while our row crop farmers and our specialty crop farmers are really facing strong headwinds in the market.”

Effect at the Farm Gate

As highlighted by USDA, farm finances are quickly strained when farmers/ranchers are capturing a small percentage of the food dollar and even modest swings in commodity prices and/or input prices take place.

Parum adds, “when we talk about the health of our farms and the health of future generations on the farm, and being economically viable and sustainable and being able to keep their operations open, the trends we’re seeing right now are really hard for those farmers. Our ranchers are seeing a little bit of better days right now with high beef prices, but that’s not going to last forever, and with production expenses continuing to increase, we’re really going to see that that question come up of, what is sustainable if, if these dollars we’re spending in the grocery store aren’t making it back to our farmers.”

Where Does the Money Get Distributed?

The key takeaway: farmers produce the raw commodities that make food production, however, the price is clearly more determined by what happens after the products first leave the farm.

The USDA Food Dollar Series tracks how each dollar is spent by consumers and then divides it across the industries contributing to the value in the supply chain, such as farming, food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retail and food service. As noted by the USDA, with each step in the process, the additional services, labor, transportation and infrastructure add value and increase costs to the final food product.

USDA’s Economic Research Service Food Dollar Series shows in 2024, farmers received 11.8 cents of every dollar spent on domestically produced food, the remaining 88.2 cents of the food dollar went toward the ‘marketing bill’, which includes costs associated with food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retailing and food service. Over time, this shift illustrates how an increasing share of food spending is driven by services and supply chain activities rather than farm production itself.

Groceries Leave the Most on The Table For Farmers

Farmers’ share of consumer food spending varies widely depending on the type of food purchased. For example, the farm share of the food-at-home dollar was 18.5 cents in 2024, up slightly from 18.4 cents in 2023. But even in this category it means only than one-fifth of what consumers spend on groceries goes back to farmers.

As you may expect, products with minimal processing, require less of the value to be retained in that part of the food system, and therefore return a larger share of the food dollar to producers.

“The highest commodity that gets the most of that food dollar is fresh eggs,” Parum notes. “That’s just because there’s limited labor to process that food.”

Examples include:

Fresh Eggs: 69.1 cents (+6% from 2023)
Beef: 52.2 cents (+4.8%)
Fresh Milk: 50.8 cents (+5.6%)
Pork: 23.7 cents (+7.2%)
Poultry (+3.1%)
Fish (+2.8%)
Tree nuts and peanuts (-1.7%)
Fresh fruits and vegetables (unchanged)
Bakery Products: 4.8 cents (-9.4%)
Soft Drinks/Bottled Water: 1.3 cents (-7.1%)

The CEO Mindset: Leadership, Culture and the Metrics of Success

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:34:13 GMT

In the modern dairy industry, the line between a farmer and a corporate executive has all but vanished. For top-performing producers like Greg Bethard of High Plains Ponderosa Dairy, Plains, Kan.; TJ Tuls of Tuls Dairy in Rising City, Neb.; and Hank Hafliger of Cedar Ridge Dairy in Filer, Idaho, success is no longer defined solely by the bulk tank. Instead, it is built on a foundation of sophisticated leadership, intentional culture and a relentless focus on specific business metrics.

Leadership Through Culture

For these three producers, the most critical input on the dairy isn’t feed or fuel — it’s people. In an era of labor volatility, they have shifted their focus from merely hiring hands to cultivating a professional culture.

Greg Bethard, who transitioned from a career in consulting to becoming a dairy producer later in life, views culture as the ultimate stabilizer.

“It’s about creating an environment where we treat people well and offer stability,” Bethard says. He notes for many employees, a consistent paycheck and a respectful workplace are more valuable than a high-stress environment with slightly higher pay.

TJ Tuls, a fourth-generation dairyman, takes this a step further by focusing on the power of moments. He emphasizes the first day, week and month of an employee’s tenure are critical. Tuls uses a two-person interview process to ensure every new hire fits the core values of the team.

“People want to be seen, heard and know that someone cares,” Tuls explains. This focus on retention directly impacts the bottom line. Lower turnover leads to better animal welfare and higher production.

KPIs: Beyond the Milk Check

While every dairy tracks production, these leaders have identified specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that serve as early warning systems for their businesses.

Break-Even Milk Price: For Bethard, this is the ultimate metric. “From an overall business standpoint, we are just trying to lower our break-even. If we achieve that, nothing else matters much,” he notes.
Static Variable Margin: Bethard also tracks a daily margin — income over feed cost minus variable costs — to ensure the barn is generating enough cash to cover fixed costs like depreciation and interest.
Employee Turnover & Feed Efficiency: Tuls monitors these two metrics above all else. By tracking a 26-metric scorecard every week with site managers, he can identify a six-week trend and make adjustments before a small issue becomes a crisis.
Collaborative Management: Hank Hafliger, who manages a multi-partner family operation in Idaho, credits their success to a unified management structure. By running three dairies as a single unit with specialized partners (nutrition, farming and banking), they eliminate the internal competition that often plagues family businesses.

The Cost of Tuition

Leadership also means owning mistakes. Each producer speaks of hard-knock lessons that shaped their current success. Tuls recalled a $600,000 repair bill on a separator building he had neglected to monitor closely as a young manager — a mistake his father famously called “tuition.” Bethard spoke of the “tail-kicking” he received during his first expansion in 2018. The takeaway for all three was the same: In dairy, education is never free, and the most valuable lessons usually come from the most expensive mistakes.

Ultimately, the CEO mindset demonstrated by Bethard, Tuls and Hafliger is more than a management style; it is a survival strategy for a volatile global market. By shifting the focus from the barn to the boardroom, these producers are proving the future of dairy belongs to those who prioritize cultural stability, rigorous data analysis and the humility to learn from costly tuition. As the industry moves forward, their success serves as a blueprint for the next generation of dairy executives — proving that while the cows provide the milk, it is the systems, the people and the leadership that truly sustain the operation.

Reciprocity and Balance: The New Blueprint for U.S. Agricultural Trade Agreements

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:01:57 GMT

Ambassador Julie Callahan is the chief ag negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative, and she reports positive momentum toward rebuilding trade agreements equating to a positive U.S. ag trade balance.

“We came into a situation in January 2025 where the US ag trade deficit was ballooning in a really unsustainable manner,” she says.

At the beginning of 2025, USDA forecasted a $50 billion deficit for U.S. agricultral trade.

“Compare that to an agricultural trade surplus in 2020 when President Trump left office, of a $6 billion surplus. So we were $56 billion in the hole, you might say, at the beginning of the administration, but through the efforts of the president ensuring trading partners understand they need to treat U.S. farmers and ranchers right, we are seeing real shifts in our trade balance and chipping away at the deficit toward a surplus.”

Trade Wins Highlighted by Government Officials

Callahan points to eight signed trade agreements with: Malaysia, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Argentina, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Indonesia. She says these are binding agreements, where the foreign governments are:

lowering tariffs for U.S. ag products
removing unfair trade practices
and lifting regulatory barriers

“These are serious binding trade agreements that will deliver real value for U.S. farmers and ranchers,” Callahan says. And when asked if Congressional action to codify agreements is necessary, Callahan says that action would be supported but should not be necessary.

“These foreign governments have made binding commitments in terms of adjusting tariff schedules, they are also making regulatory changes. USTR will be enforcing these agreements. They are enforceable.”

Examples of enforceable commitments include:

Indonesia removes its import licensing requirements
Malaysia accepts facilities on their registration list as long as FSIS has them on their list

The Future of the U.S./China Trade Relationship

At the 2026 Top Producer Summit, Lyu Jiang, minister for economic and commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., characterized the U.S. and Chinese relationship being a phase of stabilization.

When prompted to react, Callahan agreed saying, “We very much want a stable, predictable, transactional relationship with our Chinese counterparts. We do want to normalize, bring reciprocity and balance back to our trade relationship and ensure that U.S. farmers, and ranchers can benefit from the Chinese market again.”

She says her office is balancing the agricultural stakeholders wanting access to the large-scale Chinese market with a strategy to also diversify trade partnerships as to not be too reliant on a single country.

“We are working through the agreement on reciprocal trade to diversify our markets so we don’t overly rely on China,” she says. “We are looking to address that very serious situation where China may see agriculture as a pain point for the United States.”

With the upcoming meeting of President Trump and President Xi in April, Callahan says her team and the larger U.S. trade team is working to prepare and set the stage for a positive outcome. Callahan points to specific issues to be worked through and market focuses spanning crops and livestock.

“Both sides want the meetings to be a success,” she says. “Certainly, in the meetings leading up to the president level discussion, we will be having open and frank conversations with China where we need to see areas of improvement. That’s not limited to soybeans to sorghum. Our beef producers don’t have access to China due to China’s unfortunate actions that are not renewing facility registrations.”

The Review of USMCA

With a goal of “reciprocity and balance across north America” the trade team is working on its review of the North American trade deal.

“We absolutely understand the importance of USMCA for U.S. farmers and ranchers,” Callahan says.

Describing this as a “comprehensive review” she says that spans:

Look at what is working
Maintain what is working
Improve on areas not be delivering the benefits U.S. farmers and ranchers expect

She brings up the overall trade balance with Canada and specifically, Canadian dairy.

“With Canada, we went from a $3 billion deficit in 2020 and now we have an $11 billion ag trade deficit. So there are certainly areas for improvement, and we’re taking all of our stakeholders’ comments into consideration,” Callahan says.

The Succession Gap: Why Two-Thirds of Farms Face an Uncertain Future

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:18:09 GMT

Farm Journal recently reported that 44 million acres of U.S. farmland are expected to change hands in the coming years - nearly 15% of American cropland by 2030.

That’s a staggering number. But what concerns me most isn’t just the acreage. It’s what that number represents: leadership transition, ownership transition and decision-making transition happening all at once across the country.

When I look at the accompanying data, I see both opportunity and vulnerability.

According to the Farm Journal Seed & Planting Survey and Consolidation Index Predictive Model Analysis, only 34% of growing operations have a formal succession plan. Among benchmark producers, that number drops to 29%. For operations identified as at-risk, just 21% have a documented succession plan in place.

Let that sink in.

Even among farms positioned for growth, two-thirds do not have a formal plan for how leadership and ownership will transition. And nearly four out of five at-risk farms are operating without one.

At the same time, consolidation risk is not limited to smaller operations. Farms under $250,000 in gross income show a 58% consolidation risk. Farms between $250,000 and $500,000 show 48%. But even operations in the $1 million to $2.5 million range carry a 32% risk. And those between $2.5 million and $10 million still sit in a baseline consolidation risk zone of roughly 27–30%.

In other words, income alone does not protect you.

Succession gaps, management transitions and strategic exits are driving consolidation regardless of size.

I’ve spent my career working with agricultural families navigating generational transition, and I can tell you this: consolidation rarely happens overnight. It happens when pressure meets unpreparedness. A health event. A lender conversation. A market downturn. A disagreement that was never resolved. A next generation that was never fully developed or clearly empowered to lead.

Agriculture has always been unpredictable. We all understand that. Weather changes. Markets move. Policies shift. But what feels different right now is how layered the uncertainty has become. Interest rates have restructured balance sheets. Input costs remain volatile. Capital demands continue to rise. Technology expectations are accelerating. And the average age of the American farmer keeps climbing.

Generational turnover is not something we can push off for “someday.” It is happening now.

So, here’s the question I would ask any farm leader reading this: If something unexpected happened tomorrow, would your operation be okay?

Would there be clarity about who makes decisions? Would ownership be clearly defined? Would compensation and reinvestment policies be understood? Would lenders feel confident in your continuity? Would your successors be prepared - not just present - to lead?

If you hesitate in answering that, you are not alone. But hesitation is a signal.

The data in the Farm Journal analysis tells an important story. Growing operations are more likely to try new technology. They are more likely to plan land investment. And they are more likely to have formal succession plans in place. That is not coincidence. It reflects intentional leadership.

The leaders that plan tend to think about the long term - not just the next growing season. They understand their profitability by enterprise. They are disciplined about capital allocation. They define leadership roles. They have hard conversations before circumstances force communication. They build clarity into the business so that transition strengthens it rather than destabilizes it.

Succession planning is often misunderstood.

It is not simply an estate planning document. It is not a will tucked in a drawer. It is not something you address only when someone retires. It is a business discipline.

It requires clarity about management transfer and ownership transfer - and those are not always the same thing. It requires fairness, which is not necessarily equality. It requires governance structure so family conversations don’t become a business crises. It requires intentional development of the next generation so leadership transition feels earned and prepared, not assumed.

And perhaps most importantly, it requires timing.

Consolidation favors clarity. It favors farms that reduce ambiguity before outside forces expose it. It favors operations that are structured - not just successful.

One of the most revealing pieces of the consolidation data is that even higher-income farms carry measurable risk. A $3 million or $5 million operation is not immune. Scale does not eliminate vulnerability if leadership transition is unclear or strategic direction is undefined.

The 44 million acres projected to change hands represent a defining moment for American agriculture. Some families will use this season to strengthen continuity and expand. Others will find themselves reacting - not because they lacked work ethic or competence, but because they delayed putting structure in place.

Planning does not eliminate uncertainty - but it does provide framework and stability.

It allows you to make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. It gives lenders confidence. It gives the next generation clarity. It protects family relationships. And it preserves optionality.

If your farm is truly okay - strategically aligned, financially transparent, leadership-ready - then planning becomes a growth tool.

If it’s not, planning becomes urgent.

Either way, it matters.

Knowing the data should never create paralysis. Understanding your consolidation risk, your succession gaps and your financial position gives you something incredibly valuable: choice. When your business structure is clear and your succession plan is thoughtful but flexible, you can pivot as markets shift, opportunities emerge or circumstances change. You may not be able to eliminate uncertainty - but you can position yourself to move through it with confidence.

USDA Forecasts Significant Drop in U.S. Ag Trade Deficit as Exports Rise

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:24:46 GMT

USDA now projects the U.S. agricultural trade deficit will narrow to $29B in FY2026 , down from about $50B a year ago. Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg says the trade team isn’t done yet.

(Data: USDA)

“Our goal is to get back to surplus, but going from $50 billion (forecasted) to $29 billion in one year shows tremendous progress, 43% down over this time last year, and we’re continuing to make good progress on seeing that drop even further,” Lindberg says.

Exports rising

Three areas with notable increases in exports by year-end of 2025 include:

Dairy exports up 15%
Ethanol exports up 11%
Corn exports up 29%

Simply put, the U.S. ag trade balance is export value minus import value. Lindberg says the export side of the equation is where his team can make the most impact.

“We’ve seen great opportunities as our producers can take new advantage of some of these trade deals the president has put in place. So, the stat that I love to say right now is over half the world’s population and over half the world’s GDP have come to some kind of a trade agreement with the president in his first year in office. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of dollars that can be buying U.S. products.”

In recent decades, the U.S. maintained a positive trade balance up until 2020 when the surpluses were much smaller or became deficits.

How USDA says it will push exports

To build back trade, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ team is sticking to a three-point plan:

Get better trade agreements.
Build willing buyer and willing seller relationships.
Hold trading partners accountable.

“Our team and our friends over at the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office have done a tremendous job opening up market access with our dealmaker-in-chief, President Donald J. Trump. Our team at USDA plays an outsized role in getting our farmers and ranchers out there to sell their products. I refer to it as building buyer-seller relationships. And so we’re aggressively approaching that this year, with getting our farmers and ranchers and our agribusinesses on the ground in these countries where they have market access today that they didn’t have yesterday,” he says.

Trade missions: 2026 schedule and priorities

To continue to build trade relations and boost exports, Lindberg points to the traditional USDA agribusiness trade missions ( of which there are six scheduled in 2026 ), and the rapid response trade missions called TRUMP missions (Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers).

“We really do have a robust, aggressive schedule this year to make sure we’re quickly getting into these markets that the president has unlocked,” he says. “We need market access. We need to be able to compete on a fair and level playing field to export our products around the world.”

Domestic angle: imports, tariffs, and “level playing field”

As for the domestic demand of ag products, and potentially reducing the value of agricultural imports, Lindberg says farmers should also have a level playing field stateside.

“Our farmers and ranchers now have a better playing field, both overseas, where we’re taking down trade barriers, but also here domestically, through the President’s aggressive use of tariffs and the way in which he has restructured the opportunities that exist domestically for our farmers. And we’re seeing that in the trade data, where on a dollar-for-dollar basis, we’re going to be importing a significant amount less this year than we did even last year. And what that does is it means more Americans, more of their dollars are going towards food that is produced, consumed, slaughtered, raised, processed, right here in the United States of America, and I think that’s a win as well.”

The next agribusiness trade mission is to the Philippines.

Getting Ready for Next Season: Using Debriefs to Smooth Out the Rough Spots

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:57:20 GMT

As the pace of winter settles in this is the ideal moment to look back at the season behind you. Not with blame, and not with storytelling that drifts wherever the coffee takes it—but with a structured, practical debrief that helps you shape the year ahead.

Most of the coming year’s headaches are already visible in the rearview mirror. The trick isn’t predicting the future. It’s paying attention to the past in a way that pulls your team into the process and turns those frustrations into system improvements. Debriefs do just that.

A good debrief is simple. Bring in the key employees who actually lived the season—the feeders, breeders, calf team, crop guy, lead milkers. Keep the meeting small enough to encourage honest conversation, but broad enough that you’re hearing from the people closest to the work. Tell them the goal up front: identify the root (underlying) problems from last season so we don’t repeat them this season.

Then ask three questions, and stay disciplined about sticking to them:

What went well that we want to continue?
Too often we skip this part, but it gives people confidence and highlights the things that are actually working.
What didn’t go well?
This is where the real value sits. You’ll hear patterns: communication gaps on weekend shifts, equipment that’s always down at the worst moment, and protocols everyone interprets a little differently.
What needs to change?
Don’t let the meeting drift into long explanations or defenses. Focus on solutions. Small, practical fixes are usually the most powerful—rewriting a protocol so it’s crystal clear, changing how information is passed between shifts, setting a specific time each week for the feeder and herdsman to align.

As you work through the discussion, stay out of the weeds. Look for the root cause, not the symptoms. Your job is not to solve every problem on the spot. Your job is to set the tone: direct, respectful, and focused on improvement rather than pinning the blame. Your best employees often have the solutions so resist the urge and just let them do the talking. Just encourage them and take notes.

When I walk dairies through this process, the turning point usually comes when employees realize you’re not asking these questions “for show” or trying to pin blame. You’re genuinely looking for friction points so the season ahead can run smoother for everyone—cows included.

Before wrapping up, summarize the key issues and assign owners to fix the problem. Not in a punitive way—simply clarifying who will follow up, by when, and with what solution. Ownership is what turns a good meeting into change that actually sticks.

Getting ready for next year doesn’t start in the field. It starts in a room, with your people, talking honestly about what got in the way last year and deciding—together—that this year will be even better.

The Best Leaders Share These Three Behaviors

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:25:23 GMT

Leadership might sound like a big, formal word, but on the farm it’s really just about how you work with people every day. It’s how you talk to your team, how you handle mistakes and how you treat people when things get stressful.

When you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go. According to Marcel Schwantes, author of “ Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss ,” when you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go.

He suggests regardless of the operation or title, strong leaders consistently rely on a small set of practical skills that can be learned, practiced and improved over time.

These skills include:

Show Real Interest in Your People

Take time to get to know the people who work for you, not just the job they were hired to do. Ask what they enjoy, where they want to improve and what they hope to learn next. That might mean running new equipment, taking on more responsibility or growing into a leadership role themselves.

“The best leaders genuinely want their people to thrive,” Schwantes says. “They’re willing to put the team’s needs first, share credit freely and take responsibility when things go sideways.”

He recommends supporting raises and added responsibility when they are earned and looking for chances to stretch people’s skills instead of keeping them in the same position. When employees feel genuinely valued, they take more pride in their work and show up differently every day.

Have Empathy

Many farm leaders were raised to believe emotions stay out of the workplace. Unfortunately in agriculture, empathy is often misunderstood as being too soft or letting things slide. But Schwantes notes empathy is actually one of the strongest leadership characteristics a person can have, because it helps leaders understand problems sooner and lead more effectively.

“Empathic leaders don’t just hear what people say; they understand the context, emotions and challenges behind it,” he says. “That perspective creates psychological safety, and safety unlocks creativity, problem-solving and collaboration.”

On a farm, this might look like noticing when a team member is struggling, checking in when someone seems overwhelmed or understanding the pressures your employees face at home. It’s about listening, recognizing stress and creating an environment where people feel safe asking for help.

Be Clear and Transparent

On a farm, clear communication makes everything run smoother. When your team knows what’s expected and why decisions are being made, they can work more confidently and avoid mistakes.

“A transparent culture builds trust and fosters collaboration,” Schwantes says. “When people feel safe voicing their thoughts, it deepens engagement and creates a more resilient, trustworthy team dynamic.”

Transparency also means being honest about challenges and inviting input. If something’s not working, your team should feel comfortable speaking up. The more open you are, the more trust you build — and the better your crew can handle the ups and downs.

Lead by Serving Your Team

A leadership role can feel overwhelming in some workplaces, but on the farm it doesn’t have to be complicated. Schwantes says it comes down to a few core skills — showing real interest in your people, practicing empathy and being clear and transparent.

Strong farms are built on strong teams, and strong teams are built by leaders who serve first. A leader who’s willing to jump in, listen and set a positive tone creates an environment where everyone can do their best work. And over time, that kind of leadership builds trust and creates a crew that’s ready to take on whatever comes their way.

Leading Through a Challenging Year

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:31:02 GMT

Farming has always come with its challenges, and 2026 is no exception. Markets feel unpredictable, input costs continue to creep up, and it feels like there is almost no room for error. In times like these, everyone looks to the person in charge to keep the operation steady and moving forward.

Steven Armstrong, author of “You Can’t Lead From Behind,” says the way leaders handle themselves on the farm and at home sets the tone for everyone around them.

“If you are a leader, you are responsible for navigating challenging times as your conduct impacts not only those in your personal life but also your employees,” Armstrong says.

During a tough season, Armstrong reminds leaders that staying levelheaded, focused and present can help your operation and your employees get through a hard stretch.

Lead Yourself First

Before leaders can take care of anyone else, they have to take care of themselves. Armstrong believes that how a leader shows up day to day matters, especially when stress is running high.

“Your employees deserve better than you being an ass,” Armstrong says.

He advises leaders to keep an eye on their own stress and stay grounded. Tough market outlooks and rising costs can spark anxiety, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it take over how you manage your operation.

“Nothing is gained from adding stress and anxiety to the situation,” he adds.

For Armstrong, taking care of yourself does not mean stepping away from responsibility. It’s about making sure you are in the right headspace to lead well. That includes paying attention to basic habits that are often the first to slide when pressure builds.

“Eat well, exercise and carve out some ‘you time’ — this is not a selfish notion,” he notes. “It will help to ensure that your decision-making remains sound.”

And while tough stretches can feel like there is no end in sight, Armstrong reminds leaders that hard times don’t last forever. Even when the timeline is unclear, keeping a longer view can help steady both perspective and morale.

“Know that it will end,” he adds. “Raise your chin just a bit, look out further and remind yourself that time will move on and things will improve.”

Leading Your Family

Leadership doesn’t stop when you pull off your work boots at the end of the day. During challenging times, the stress of running the farm often flows into home life, and family members feel it too. How you manage that pressure sets the tone not just for your team but for everyone who depends on you.

“Don’t get too caught up in the business of it all,” Armstrong cautions. “Your kids need to see a parental role model who projects strength and calmness. Your significant other needs a full partner.”

Presence, he explains, is more than just being physically there. It means showing up in a way that people notice and feel.

“You don’t need to have all the answers,” he says. “You need to be there, not just in body, but fully present with your heart, mind and ears.”

He also talks about the power of sticking together. Leaning on your family or your team, talking things through and sharing the load can make the tough days a lot easier and help everyone feel more supported.

“We can often draw great strength from our family and friends, and we should openly turn to them at times of stress,” he adds.

Leading Your Operation

Even with tight markets and negative financial forecasts, Armstrong says tough times can create opportunities. Challenges on the farm can show where improvements are possible and where leaders can step up.

“Adversity sometimes gives us the kick in the rear needed to make changes we should have made long ago,” he says.

Uncertain times can also shed light on how farm employees handle challenges. It’s a chance to see who steps up, who is dependable and who might need some extra guidance.

“Make sure to note those staff members who show up ready to help when you need it most,” Armstrong says. “These moments give you a chance to see who your real stars are, the people you want to invest in and rely on for the long haul.”

How you treat your employees during tough times can stick with them long after the season passes. The way you handle stress, talk through problems and show up every day sets the tone for the whole farm. Armstrong reminds leaders to keep that in mind.

“You are on stage right now. Your employees are watching how you respond,” he reminds leaders. “Thoughtful acts of kindness and understanding will be magnified and remembered, so act accordingly.”

Staying Grounded

The way you show up during tough times will be remembered long after the stress passes. Staying calm and present helps the farm keep moving and gives your team the confidence to get through the hard stretches with you.

“How you show up matters more than the challenges themselves,” Armstrong says. “When you stay calm and focused, your team notices, and it makes getting through the rough patches a lot easier for everyone.”

Worry can spread quickly, especially when conditions are uncertain or margins are tight. Leaders need to focus on staying calm, clear and consistent. How you respond in those moments sets the tone for everyone around you, from your employees to your family, and can make the difference between a team that feels supported and one that feels uncertain.

How the $15 Million Estate Tax Exemption Changes Your Farm Succession Strategy

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:01:09 GMT

The world of estate planning for farmers has changed dramatically after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This permanently increased the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption to $15 million indexed starting Jan. 1. With the federal estate tax exemption at historically high levels, most family farms are no longer at risk of paying federal estate tax. However, this shift has brought a new focus to income tax planning and the importance of preserving the step-up in basis at death.

Understand the Step-Up in Basis

When a person passes away, the value of their property is generally reset to its fair market value at the date of death. This is known as a “step-up in basis.” For farm families, this is a crucial benefit. Farmland and other agricultural assets often appreciate significantly over time. If heirs inherit these assets, they receive them at the new, higher value. This means that if they later sell the property, they will owe little or no income tax on the appreciation that occurred during the original owner’s lifetime.

Why Estate Tax Is Less of a Concern

With the current high exemption, only the largest farm estates face federal estate tax. For most families, the bigger risk is not estate tax; it’s the potential for large income taxes if the step-up in basis is lost. This can happen if assets are given away during the owner’s lifetime, rather than being passed on at death.

The Pitfalls of Lifetime Gifting

Many farmers consider making large gifts during their lifetime, worried that the estate tax exemption will drop in the future. While this can be a good strategy for very large estates, it can be costly for smaller farm operations. When assets are gifted during life, the recipient takes over the original owner’s basis, which is often much lower than today’s value.

If the recipient later sells the property, they could face a significant income tax bill. In contrast, if the property is inherited, the basis is stepped up to current value, minimizing or eliminating income tax.

Likely the best asset to gift during lifetime is farmland that will be retained in the family for multiple generations. The step-up in this case is not as valuable because we can’t depreciate farmland, and if it is not going to be sold, the heirs are not worse off. Plus, appreciation in farmland can be very volatile and could cause the farm couple to owe estate tax.

Hidden Cost of Gifting Negative Capital

Many farm operations are structured as a partnership for income tax purposes and farms with debt will typically create what is called a negative capital account and, in many cases, this can easily exceed $5 to $10 million for larger farm operations. Gifting any interest in these partnerships during a lifetime will create ordinary income to the farmer because the “debt” eliminated exceeds the basis in the partnership’s assets, which is typically zero. Whereas holding until death eliminates the tax for their heirs. However, a drawback is that the older generation might still be on the hook for the debt until they pass.

For the vast majority of farmers, estate tax planning is now about smart income tax planning. Preserving the step-up in basis at death can save heirs substantial taxes and help keep the family farm in the family. Careful planning today can help protect your family’s legacy for generations to come.

Paul Neiffer has been tracking the latest in tax policy and government programs. Learn more about what you should factor into your farm business and potential tax implications at Top Producer Summit, Feb. 9-11 in Nashville. View the agenda and register today !

Innovation in Every Drop: Apple Shamrock Farms Crowned 2026 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 13:55:28 GMT

In the heart of Northwest Pennsylvania lies an exemplary model of dairy innovation: Apple Shamrock Farms, LLC. With their recent accolade of being named the 2026 International Dairy Foods Association’s Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year award winner, the Waddell family showcases what it truly means to be modern dairy producers.

(Apple Shamrock Farms)

Founded in 1976 by Robert and Lorna Waddell, alongside their son Robert J., Apple Shamrock Dairy continues its legacy today under the leadership of seventh-generation farmer Josh Waddell. The dairy remains a true family affair, with Josh’s brother, Joe, as a farm partner (primarily working off-farm), his mother, Christine, managing the books, and his father, Robert J., overseeing the milk hauling side of the business.

Apple Shamrock Farms LLC exemplifies a holistic approach to innovation, integrating advanced solutions across every facet of their expansive 3,500-acre operation, which supports a 1,250-cow milking herd producing an impressive 38 million pounds of milk annually.

“There’s a lot of unique things that I think we do well, but cows are No. 1 around here. That’s what we built our business on and has allowed us to do what we’ve done,” Josh Waddell says. “We are truly honored to receive this recognition.”

(Apple Shamrock Farms)

Maximizing Herd Potential Through Data and Genetics
At the core of Apple Shamrock Farms’ operations in Townville, Pa., is their sophisticated approach to dairy management, primarily driven by data and genetics. The Waddells implement a high-tech Afimilk cow monitoring system that delivers comprehensive data analytics, allowing for precise adjustments in cow care and feeding. This meticulous approach is supported by strategic feed tracking software, which ensures optimal component levels in milk production. This all has helped Apple Shamrock consistently achieve high component levels with 94 lb. of milk, with a 4.35% butterfat, and 3.35% protein, respectively. This translates to 109.8 lb. of energy corrected milk.

“The scale of the business we are in, we need the high output from the cows,” Waddell says.

Beyond daily management, Apple Shamrock Farms is a pioneer in genetic advancement. Through the strategic use of IVF and genomics, they are actively shaping their herd’s future, selecting embryos from their highest-producing, functional cows to enhance genetics and improve herd longevity. This forward-thinking approach ensures they are milking the right cows and maximizing the potential of every animal, even with a significant percentage of 2-year-olds in the herd.

Apple Shamrock has sold a lot of replacement heifers over the years, and Waddell notes the buyers want genomics, but they don’t want to “buy a dented Mustang.”

Their commitment to excellence extends beyond sound genetics to meticulous transition and calving pen all-in, all-out management and with a constant focus on raising the best, healthiest calves they can.

(Apple Shamrock Farms)

Pioneering Environmental Stewardship and Resource Optimization
Innovation at Apple Shamrock Farms isn’t confined to the barn; it extends to robust environmental stewardship. The Waddells have implemented a comprehensive three-cell manure system with a low-maintenance sand separation system. This not only allows them to reclaim sand for bedding but also significantly enhances the potency of their liquid fertilizer. Critically, all liquid manure is injected directly into the ground, a practice that maximizes crop yields while drastically limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preventing runoff.

Apple Shamrock effectively separates sand by mixing two gallons of “tea water” (thinner manure from cell three) with one gallon of sand-laden manure, then employing a large dewatering screen and stacking conveyors to create 35'-high sand piles for reuse after eight months.

“This innovative sand removal process has significantly improved our overall hauling efficiency by 20% to 25% and generated substantial savings on spreading equipment, enough to justify the sand lane’s cost even without sand reuse,” Waddell says.

(Apple Shamrock Farms)

Despite the system being designed for 1,200 cows and currently handling more, leading to some water quality challenges, Waddell says the farm prioritizes a straightforward approach, avoiding complex mechanical separation buildings and planning to expand storage to meet current herd needs.

Their commitment to sustainability is further evident in their extensive satellite cropping operation, encompassing 565 acres of corn and soybeans. At the satellite cropping operation and the home operation, guidance systems and precision planters are used. These practices collectively contribute to energy efficiencies and a notable reduction in GHG emissions, demonstrating a profound dedication to both economic and environmental sustainability.

“I used to call it the four-leaf clover, but our approach to sustainability is really a full circle,” Waddell explains.

A Model for Future Challenges and Industry Leadership
Apple Shamrock Farms is strategically positioned to meet future economic and sustainability challenges head-on. Their philosophy of “structured growth” focuses on maximizing performance and efficiency, driving high output while achieving significant labor savings. By coupling genetic potential with cow comfort, they aim for a more mature, resilient herd, ensuring long-term viability.

“Looking ahead, we first plan to optimize our dairy by first filling the remaining 200 to 400 cow capacity in their parlor to improve cash flow,” Waddell explains, noting a core focus for the next decade is eliminating “Josh spots,” inefficient areas requiring daily attention, and consolidating their dry cow, prefresh and calf operations into a single, highly efficient complex where specialized labor can focus.

Beyond their farm gates, the Waddells are recognized leaders.

“They are truly a testament to what can happen when innovation and creativity meet a strong work ethic and desire to progress,” says Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, in a nomination letter supporting Apple Shamrock.

(Apple Shamrock Farms)

The Waddell family actively participates in benchmarking groups, shares insights with peers and holds numerous leadership roles across the dairy industry and within their local community. Whether housing “foster cows” for a neighboring farm after a devastating fire or hosting school tours, their spirit of cooperation and advocacy for the dairy industry is unwavering.

“This spirit of support in times of crisis is what makes our agriculture industry great, the Waddells are a standout example,” Redding says.

Apple Shamrock Farms embodies what’s achievable when innovation converges with tradition and tenacity. As a paragon of modern dairy farming, they set a dynamic example for the future, proving hard work and creative solutions can propel the industry forward.

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USDA Trade Team Returns from Malaysia with a Focus on These Key Ag Products

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 13:39:24 GMT

As a follow up to the Oct. 26, 2025, trade deal announced by President Donald Trump, the USDA trade team just returned from a recent Trade Reciprocity for U.S. Manufacturers and Producers (TRUMP) mission.

Luke Lindberg, USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, says there were good, productive meetings toward elevating the relationship between the U.S. and Malaysia, which ranks as the 26^th largest ag trade market.

“These TRUMP missions were one of the aspects of [Agriculture] Secretary [Brooke] Rollins’ and my three-point plan to really ramp up U.S. agricultural exports. So, the president’s done a tremendous job of negotiating these new agreements around the world, and our job is to get on the ground with farmers, with U.S. agribusinesses, and start to make deals happen,” Lindberg says. “The analogy I’ve been using is the president is opening the door, and it’s our job to drive a bus through it.”

The trip to Malaysia had a delegation of 16 agribusinesses and trade associations. In recent years, the biggest U.S. agricultural exports to Malaysia have been soybeans, dairy products, cotton, vegetables and nuts.

“The whole barnyard kind of came with us this time around, because one of the things that the U.S. trade representative’s team and we did with USDA and the White House was we actually got Malaysia to agree that the U.S. food system is safe, and that’s in the language of the agreement,” he says.

Of the specific categories he shared, there was progress on many fronts including:

Soybeans — In 2024, Malaysia imported almost 452 metric tons of U.S. soybeans. Lindberg says U.S. leaders met with the largest soy crush facility, and he sees opportunities for growth.
Dairy — In total for 2024, Malaysia imported $118 million in dairy products. “We’ve seen a tremendous increase in dairy access and opportunities there, 23% growth this past year for dairy,” Lindberg says.
Ethanol — “We had a great conversation around ethanol opportunities,” Lindberg says. “Malaysia is a regional distributor of fuels, and so working ethanol into the fuel supply chain that can really spread throughout the ASEAN region, a lot of good opportunities out there.”
Beef — “We visited a very successful restaurant group in Malaysia that’s been begging for U.S. beef for a long time,” Lindberg says. “They’ve actually invested in a beef processing plant in the United States to get their beef halal certified so that they’re ready to go for when the actual duties shift and the regulations come into full force.”

Lindberg says a key tenant of the trade deal is to reduce or eliminate all tariffs.

“A lot of our producer groups haven’t been able to compete on a level playing field in Malaysia in the past, and now they have that access and that opportunity,” he explains. “When our groups can compete on a level playing field, I think we win more often than we lose.”

Next steps include a Malaysian delegation visiting Washington, D.C., next week.

“We’re marching forward here with a great opportunity on the horizon. I think it’s progressing nicely,” Lindberg says. “These rapid-response missions are largely driven by building these kind of new opportunities that really didn’t exist yesterday and exist today. In the next couple months, we’ll see full implementation of the deal, and that’ll really be the access-opening opportunity for our producers.”

Looking ahead this year, Lindberg says the USDA trade team is “hyperfocused” on fixing the agricultural trade deficit. With 2026 agribusiness trade missions announced for Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, he highlights time spent in Southeast Asia is a strategy to build trade in a region with growing GDP and positive consumption trends for U.S. agricultural goods.

“It’s going to be a dynamic year for U.S. trade,” Lindberg says. “I keep saying to folks: Trade agreements are great, but sales are the goal.”

How Victory Farms Uses Smart Tech and Beef-on-Dairy to Boost Profit

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:22:16 GMT

In the heart of Milbank, S.D., Victory Farms stands as a testament to strategic adaptation and unwavering dedication in the U.S. dairy industry. A trifecta of families — Kevin Souza, Dave Nuss, and Peter Orrade — has fostered this flourishing dairy operation. Amid an industry often characterized by fluctuating milk checks and rising costs, Souza and his team are charting a compelling path forward, marked by technological prowess, genetic advancement, a vibrant community spirit and sharp business acumen.

Originally feed consultants hailing from California, these families entered the dairy industry ambitiously and bought an existing farm in 1998. Starting with 1,300 cows, the operation quickly expanded, adapting to the needs and challenges of the evolving dairy landscape. Currently, Victory Farm milks 5,700 mostly straight Jerseys, with plans to expand to 6,200.

Kevin Souza and Greg Bohn

(Victory Farms)

Tech-Driven Efficiency: A Farm Where Every Animal is Monitored

Victory Farms has embraced technology as a cornerstone of its operational philosophy. In 2020, the farm implemented the SenseHub collar system with sort gates for its mature cows, significantly enhancing efficiency in identifying cows for breeding and treatment.

“We wanted to find the cows that needed breeding quicker and the cows that needed treating quicker,” Souza explains.

The positive impact was so profound that a few years later they extended this activity monitoring to their calves, placing tags on every animal from birth to mature cow. Souza says this comprehensive monitoring system has yielded remarkable results.

“We were treating less calves,” he states, noting that they now use preventative measures such as rumen boluses for calves, eliminating the need for antibiotics in their youngest stock. This proactive approach has not only reduced human error and treatment costs but also demonstrated a clear return on investment, particularly in improved animal health outcomes. “Our actual treat treatments went down, and death loss went down.”

(Victory Farms)

Nurturing People and Community: The Heart of Victory Farms

Beyond advanced technology, Victory Farms thrives on a deeply ingrained culture of valuing its 48 full-time employees.

“Our motto is, take care of the cows, and they take care of you. And we’re the same way with employees,” Souza emphasizes. With long-term staff, including a herdsman who has been with them for 27 years, the farm provides housing, generous vacation and regular gestures of appreciation like monthly pizzas and Christmas dinners. Souza’s daily presence, greeting shifts, underscores a commitment to acknowledging and supporting his team, recognizing “there’s no way we could do this without them.”

This community-first approach extends beyond the farm gates through a unique 4-H leasing program. Inspired by his wife, Suzanne, an Extension specialist for Big Stone County, Minn., Victory Farms leases dairy calves to 20 local 4-H kids annually. This initiative not only provides invaluable agricultural experience to youth, including many from non-farm backgrounds, but also fosters a positive image of dairy farming.

“It just turned my whole idea around about agriculture,” one former participant shared, highlighting the program’s profound impact.

Strategic Growth and Diversification: Bright Spots Amid Industry Crossroads

Facing the U.S. dairy industry’s current challenges, Victory Farms is strategically pursuing “bright spots” to ensure long-term profitability. While maximizing milk production and components remains a top priority (with the herd averaging 70 lb. of milk at 5% fat and 4% protein), Souza has keenly embraced the lucrative beef-on-dairy market. Through an extensive embryo program, the farm strategically breeds its crossbred herd to beef semen, generating significant revenue from day-old beef-cross calves.

Souza’s goal is to eventually produce all dairy replacements through embryos, allowing more uteruses to be dedicated to beef-on-dairy. This meticulous management of heifer inventory has allowed Victory Farms to reduce its replacement heifer numbers by 1,000 while maintaining herd size, further optimizing costs. The farm’s commitment to genetics, working closely with Select Sires and genomic testing all Jerseys, ensures that only the healthiest and most productive animals contribute to the herd.

“I make bulls to send to Select Sires, to pay for my IVF program, to make better heifers,” Souza says, highlighting his dedication to genetic advancement.

A Sustainable and Optimistic Future

As Victory Farms expands to 6,200 cows, it does so as a closed herd since 2015, prioritizing sustainable, internal growth. Operating in South Dakota, Souza appreciates the “more self-contained” nature of dairying, with reliable local services and effective manure management, turning a potential challenge into a resource that local farmers eagerly request.

Despite the current volatility in milk prices, Souza remains remarkably optimistic about the future of dairy. His strategic investments in technology, his unwavering commitment to his employees and community, and his innovative approach to genetic and market diversification position Victory Farms as a beacon of adaptability and prosperity, demonstrating how a forward-thinking dairy can thrive at the industry’s crossroads.

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How to Handle Tension Before it Becomes Conflict

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:37:46 GMT

Conflict on farms isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t have to show up as a dramatic argument or a big blow-up moment. Most of the time, it starts as frustration over a task, strain between coworkers or even just someone quietly checking out.

While conflict can feel messy, it’s not a sign something is broken. According to Hernando Duarte, farm labor outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it’s a reality of farm work.

“In labor-intensive environments like farms and other agricultural operations, conflict between employees [and family] can happen,” Duarte explains. And on farms, that friction is hard to avoid.

Conflict Can Feel Personal

Duarte notes conflict feels uncomfortable for a reason. On a farm, long hours, physical work and constant pressure can make disagreements feel personal, even when they’re not. Sometimes, just a simple disagreement can feel like a personal attack.

“Our brains often perceive conflict as a threat, which makes it uncomfortable and leads many people to avoid it,” he says.

That instinct to avoid tough conversations is understandable, but avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear. According to Duarte, the difference between a farm that struggles and one that moves forward often comes down to how leaders respond when tension shows up.

Most Conflict Starts Below the Surface

Sometimes a disagreement looks like just part of the daily grind, but Duarte emphasizes that understanding what’s underneath the issue is the first step toward solving and preventing conflict in the future.

On farms, those underlying causes often include:

Misunderstandings about expectations or tasks
Different work styles and decision-making speeds
Unclear roles or responsibilities
Cultural or language barriers within diverse teams
Stress and fatigue during peak seasons
Generational differences in values and priorities

None of these are unusual in agriculture, they’re often just a natural part of running a farm. More hands and different perspectives can sometimes cause small misunderstandings, but that’s just a normal part of working together as a team.

Turning Conflict Into Progress

It can be tempting to hope tension works itself out. But Duarte warns that avoiding conflict usually makes the situation worse.

When conflict is ignored, Duarte says farms often see:

Lower morale and growing frustration
Reduced productivity and focus
Higher employee turnover
Declines in performance, quality and safety

Unresolved conflict doesn’t just go away. Left unaddressed, small tensions can grow and start affecting how the team works together.

“Conflict doesn’t have to be a negative thing,” Duarte says. “When handled properly, it can lead to stronger communication, better teamwork and long-term improvements and innovation.”

Handled well, conflict can actually move a team forward. Duarte encourages leaders to:

Create space for private, respectful conversations
Listen to all sides without interruption
Look beyond surface issues to understand the real concern
Refocus discussions on shared goals, including a safe, productive, respectful workplace
Agree on clear next steps, responsibilities and follow-up
Bring in additional support if issues repeat or escalate

Addressing conflict early helps keep small issues from turning into long-term setbacks and gives teams a chance to work better together.

Leadership Sets the Tone

At the end of the day, Duarte says resolving on-farm conflict starts with leadership. If managers ignore tension, people notice. If they step in and handle issues calmly and fairly, the whole team feels more confident.

Leading by example, communicating clearly and checking in regularly all help reduce future conflict. Training supervisors to handle small issues early can keep them from becoming bigger disruptions later.

Conflict isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When it’s handled the right way, it can actually make the team stronger. It’s a chance to build trust, clear up expectations and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Economists Forecast Farm Economy to Stabilize, But High Costs and Policy Uncertainty Block a 2026 Rebound

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:26:38 GMT

As 2026 ushers in a fresh start, agricultural economists say the U.S. farm economy has stopped sliding, but it’s far from fully healed.

The December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows month-to-month sentiment is improving, but deep structural strain remains — especially in row crops. Meanwhile, livestock markets continue to provide strength. Crop producers face another year of tight margins driven by high input costs, weak prices and unresolved trade and policy uncertainty.

“There’s cautious optimism,” the economists say, “but very little belief that 2026 will bring a meaningful rebound without cost relief or stronger demand.”

Those themes mirror the perspective of Seth Meyer, former USDA chief economist and now director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri. In a recent interview, Meyer connected the dots between narrow margins, policy responses and what might actually move the dial for U.S. agriculture heading into 2026.

Stabilizing, Not Recovering

December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lori Hayes )

Economists see the ag economy holding its ground — but not gaining strength.

54% say the ag economy is somewhat better than one month ago.
Compared with a year ago:
- 42% say conditions are worse
- 33% say they are better
Looking ahead 12 months:
- 46% expect conditions unchanged
- 38% expect improvement
- 15% expect conditions to worsen

“Momentum has improved since mid-2025,” Meyer notes, “but tight margins have been with us for a long time. Turning that around requires demand growth, not just price stabilization.

Farm Journal’s December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lori Hayes )

Grant Gardner, assistant Extension professor at the University of Kentucky, tells AgriTalk’s Chip Flory: “I think as we move into kind of this next marketing year, you’re looking at what looks like a breakeven and not a loss, but breakeven still doesn’t look great after three years of breakeven or losses.”

He says even with the $11 billion in Farmer Bridge Program payments , it won’t drastically change the outlook for the farm economy.

“Purdue had a good survey about a month ago, where they looked at what were these payments going to go to, and research would show that a lot of these payments go into long-term assets, and so land tractors, but I think over 60% of producers right now are in such a tight cash crunch that you’re going to see a lot of these payments go into that short-term debt,” Gardner says.

Consolidation a Growing Threat

Economists are nearly unanimous that the crop sector remains under extreme financial stress. 83 percent say row crops are currently in a recession. That isn’t about production declines — acres and yields haven’t collapsed — but about persistently weak profitability.

“Negative returns for at least the third consecutive year across nearly all row crops,” one economist wrote in the survey.

Another said: “Margins remain below full costs of production for many producers.”

Farm Journal’s December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lori Hayes)

Meyer traces that back to how abruptly agriculture moved from the high prices of 2021 and 2022 into today’s tighter margins.

“We moved very quickly from a very high price environment and good profitability in 2022 to very tight margins,” he says. “That usually happens coming off price peaks, but this time it happened really rapidly.”

A minority of survey respondents argued farms are “treading water,” supported by strong land values and government aid rather than eroding further, which Meyer acknowledged aligns with how risk and safety nets have interacted this year.

But when you look at how the current stress in the farm economy could impact consolidation, the ag economists say it’s the economic pressure combined with demographic trends causing the acceleration. In fact, 92% of them say consolidation is underway and unavoidable.

“Markets go to the lowest-cost producers,” one economist wrote. “That sorting is consolidation on the production side.”

Aging producers exiting and rent-heavy operations under pressure only add fuel to that trend, with one economist saying: “Consolidation happens because producers have to exit, not because they want to.

What’s Driving the Farm Economy Right Now

When economists were asked to identify the two most important factors shaping agriculture’s economic health today, their responses clustered around a familiar, but increasingly sharp, divide: strong demand in livestock and the protein sector versus persistent oversupply and cost pressure in crops, all layered with trade and policy uncertainty.

Several economists pointed to continued strength in beef demand, both domestically and through export channels, as a key stabilizing force. While the dairy sector is an area that shows signs of weakness for 2026.

“Livestock revenues are a bright spot,” one respondent noted, underscoring why the livestock sector continues to outperform crops financially.

Looking to 2026, economists overwhelmingly point to input costs, not interest rates, as the biggest barrier to profitability. Nearly 70% cited input prices as the largest challenge as well, far ahead of trade concerns or capital availability.

Farm Journal’s December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

(Lori Hayes )

“We have too much supply and not enough demand for row crops,” one economist wrote.

Another said: “Input costs are still too high.”

Trade remains a central wild card, especially relationships with China and uncertainty around global supply. Several respondents cited trade disputes and agreements as critical factors, along with questions about the size of South American crops and how that could shape global competition in the months ahead.

Policy uncertainty was also featured prominently, with economists pointing to domestic biofuels policy, government payments and broader market signals as factors influencing both short-term cash flow and longer-term demand growth.

Overall, economists say the ag economy is being pulled in opposite directions: strong livestock demand providing support, while crops struggle under high costs, oversupply and unresolved trade and policy questions — a dynamic that helps explain why the broader farm economy feels stable, but far from healthy, as 2026 approaches.

Livestock: A Continued Bright Spot

Livestock continues to stand out as the most financially healthy segment of the ag economy. Every economist surveyed rated beef as above average or excellent, supported by strong domestic demand and tight supplies. Dairy and pork were viewed as stable to moderately strong.

That success creates a stark contrast with row crops, where corn and cotton were cited by 38% each as the commodities most at risk financially in 2026.

What Could Move Crop Prices in the Next Six Months

Looking ahead to the first half of 2026, economists say crop prices will hinge less on domestic fundamentals and more on global supply, trade flows and policy clarity.

Across responses, South America emerged as the dominant influence, with economists repeatedly citing Brazilian weather, the size of the South American harvest and how those supplies compete with U.S. exports. Several noted that clarity around South American production will be critical in setting price direction for corn, soybeans and wheat.

Trade, particularly with China, remains another key swing factor. Economists emphasized not just the announcement of trade agreements, but whether purchases translate into actual shipments.

“China purchases of U.S. crops, but also if and when actual shipments occur,” one respondent noted, adding that details within any trade deal, including purchase commitments, will matter just as much as headlines.

Domestic factors still play a role, but economists see them as secondary in the near term. Input prices, early U.S. planting conditions and assumptions about 2026 acreage were all cited as important — especially as markets begin to trade expectations for next year’s crop mix.

Policy uncertainty also hangs over the outlook. Economists pointed to ongoing questions around trade policy, biofuels policy and broader economic conditions as variables that could amplify or mute price moves.

Economists say crop prices over the next six months are likely to be driven by how global supply unfolds, whether export demand materializes and how quickly policy uncertainty is resolved, rather than by any single domestic production shock.

Biofuels Policy: A Potential Turning Point?

One of the clearest themes Meyer highlights as a possible game changer for demand, and ultimately prices, is biofuels policy.

For economists, policy levers like year-round E15, Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes, 45Z investment tax credits and how small refinery exemptions are handled could meaningfully influence demand for corn and soybeans in 2026 and beyond.

“It’s one of the places where policymakers actually have levers to help with tight margins in the row crop sector,” Meyer says.

He emphasizes that final rules on RFS volumes and how biobased credits are implemented could impact feedstock demand.

“For the next couple of crop seasons, RVO (Renewable Volume Obligations) and how EPA reallocates small refinery exemptions are big factors,” Meyer says. “Should we raise the RVO to soak up that pool like a sponge? Should imported feedstocks get full 45Z credit? Those decisions could move demand.”

On year-round E15, a long-sought policy priority for corn growers, Meyer is cautiously optimistic.

“I do think it matters,” he says. “Maybe it’s not a huge swing this year, but offering certainty and building demand over multiple seasons is supportive. Other countries like Brazil are ramping up their biofuels production too, so this isn’t happening in a vacuum.”

Policy Uncertainty Still Looms

Economists also flagged top priorities for 2026 policy action:

Year-round E15 (row crops)
Trade policy clarity (row crops & livestock)
Labor reform and regulatory issues (livestock)

They also highlighted under-covered risks, which include pressure on land rents and values, labor shortages, biofuels policy details (such as 45Z credits) and slower population growth affecting long-term demand.

What Could Move Livestock and Dairy Prices in the Next Six Months

When economists look ahead to livestock and dairy markets in early 2026, they see a mix of strong demand signals, supply-side risks and policy uncertainty shaping price direction.

Consumer demand remains the cornerstone of the outlook, particularly for beef. Several economists pointed to continued buying interest from U.S. consumers as the primary support for cattle prices, even as affordability pressures rise. At the same time, some warned that a more “K-shaped” economy could begin to shift demand, pulling some consumers away from beef and toward pork.

Supply dynamics and herd trends are another major focus. Economists cited herd size, potential herd expansion and the availability of feeder cattle as critical variables. The expected resumption of feeder cattle imports from Mexico was highlighted as a key factor that could influence cattle supplies and pricing, depending on timing and volume.

Animal health risks also remain on the radar. Issues such as avian influenza, screwworm and other disease threats were mentioned as potential disruptors that could quickly alter supply conditions in both livestock and dairy markets.

Policy and trade uncertainty continues to hover over the sector. Economists pointed to ongoing questions around tariffs, restrictions on live animal trade with Mexico and the next steps under the USMCA as factors that could impact both imports and exports. Political uncertainty more broadly was also cited as a potential source of market volatility.

For dairy, economists noted that beef-on-dairy dynamics are likely to continue weighing on milk prices by increasing beef supplies while complicating dairy herd decisions.

Taken together, economists say livestock and dairy prices over the next six months will be driven by a delicate balance between strong consumer demand, evolving supply conditions and unresolved trade and policy questions, with any shift in one of those areas capable of moving markets quickly.

Acreage Expectations: Stress, Not Shock

Despite margin pressure, economists do not expect dramatic acreage pullbacks in 2026. Most expect:

Corn: 93 to 95 million acres
Soybeans: 84 to 86 million acres
Wheat: 44 to 45 million acres
Cotton: 9 to 10 million acres

Corn acreage expectations have edged lower since November, as economists backed away from another year above 95 million acres. At the same time, soybean acreage expectations have firmed, with 75% now targeting 84 to 86 million acres, suggesting stronger relative economics for beans.

“Export demand has helped keep corn acres supported,” Meyer says. “The question is whether that demand holds and whether policy supports it.”

As for acreage, the major impact on prices would be a large acreage reduction, which is unlikely.

“That’s what it comes down to, too. What I’ve been thinking about is what else can you use land for? And you’ve got the pushback on urban sprawl, you’ve got pushback on other uses for ag land. But right now, the simple fact is we’ve got way too much production. Without that slowing, or a drastic increase in demand, I don’t see prices improving to very lucrative levels,” Gardner says.

Overall, The Ag Economy Is a Grind, Not a Rebound

When you look at all the results from the December Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor, economists paint a picture of an industry that has stopped getting worse, but has not yet found a path to durable profitability.

Crops remain mired in margin compression; livestock continues to outperform but remains sensitive to policy decisions. Government aid is buying time but not addressing structural challenges, but it’s policy outcomes, especially around biofuels, trade and E15, that could be decisive in shaping 2026 outcomes.

For now, the farm economy has found a floor. The tougher question, economists say, is whether policy can help lift it, or if it will continue to grind forward without a genuine rebound.

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Empowering Your Dairy Team: Insights on Leadership and Trust from Leading Farm Managers

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:15:57 GMT

Behind every successful operation stands a team of dedicated and talented leaders who make pivotal decisions daily that aid in the overall success of that dairy farm. At the 2025 Milk Business Conference, two remarkable farm managers, Jason Anderson, with Double A Dairy in Idaho, and Brandon Beavers, with Full Circle Jerseys, in Texas spoke about essential skills and approaches needed to manage complex agricultural enterprises effectively.

Anderson brings his own unique blend of expertise to the table, combining nutrition consulting and dairy management. His role demands wearing many hats, ensuring daily operations align with the farm’s goals.

“We touch base with all the managers every day,” he emphasizes, outlining the importance of regular communication to preempt potential issues.

Meanwhile, Beavers manages an extensive operation in the Texas Panhandle, encompassing dairy, beef feedlot and a custom forage business. Initially hired as the CFO due to his ag finance background, Beaver’s role has evolved to include overseeing daily management tasks.

“We’ve outsourced a lot of that functionality,” he notes, explaining the shift in his responsibilities.

Empowering Teams in Dairy Operations
A critical aspect of running a successful dairy operation is empowering the team. Both Anderson and Beavers understand that managing teams requires a combination of trust, clear communication and appreciation.

“You have to know your employees; they have to feel like you actually care about them, and then you can challenge them,” Anderson shares, noting this approach fosters an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to excel. Establishing a clear culture and setting out the vision are crucial steps in this process.

Beaver’s method involves building a culture of empowerment and trust.

“Managing teams is a big part of your day to day,” he says. Recognizing achievements and celebrating milestones, such as hosting barbecues for employees, is an integral part of this strategy.

Building Trust and Relationships
Building a strong employer-employee relationship is indispensable in the agricultural sector.

“Thank yous go a really long way,” Anderson says. This simple act of acknowledgment can strengthen workplace relationships and improve morale.

Beavers echoes this sentiment, noting how necessary it is for employees to feel like a valued part of the family.

“We ask a lot of these special people to work for us that are family,” he says, emphasizing that showing appreciation is more than just good practice; it’s essential for long-term success.

The insights shared by this duo provide a valuable glimpse into the challenges and rewards of managing complex dairy operations. Their leadership approaches demonstrate that a successful farm is not just about productivity and profits but also about fostering a supportive and empowered work environment. For anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills in the agricultural industry, these farm managers offer a blueprint for success.

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The High-Tech Transformation of a Dairy Visionary

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:51:50 GMT

“Growing up as a kid, I always told everyone I was going to be a farmer,” says Paul Windemuller of Coopersville, Mich. “I just didn’t know how it was going to happen, because we didn’t have a farm.”

That was more than 30 years ago in 1990. Today, Windemuller has achieved that dream as a first-generation dairy farmer who wholeheartedly understands how rapidly the dairy industry is changing. We met up with the tech-savvy, charismatic young farmer in Santiago, Chile during the 2025 International Dairy Forum World Dairy Summit to talk about how innovation and data ownership are reshaping traditional agriculture both here in the U.S. and around the world.

From Humble Beginnings to Innovation Leader
Windemuller’s journey into dairy farming began in western Michigan, where his family ran a farm equipment dealership. Despite not growing up on a farm, experiences working on various agricultural operations instilled in him a passion for livestock, particularly dairy. Windemuller’s academic pursuit in agribusiness management at Michigan State University, coupled with a pivotal stint at Lincoln University in New Zealand, laid the foundation for his future endeavors. It was there that he found a mentor who owned multiple dairy farms and also consulted with other dairies. This relationship fueled Windemuller’s ambition and gave him the business acumen necessary for success in the dairy industry.

When Windemuller returned to American soil, he was married with a baby, $2,000 in his bank account and no home. This fueled determination out of the gate, which quickly led to a job with Dairy Farmers of America, where he honed his skills in supply consulting, helping member farms optimize their purchasing practices. This was also the period when Windemuller’s vision for Dream Winds Dairy began to take shape.

Building Dream Winds Dairy
Dream Winds Dairy started on a modest 13-acre farm acquired by Windemuller and his family. With an initial investment of just $20,000, they transformed an old tie-stall barn into a thriving enterprise, starting with 30 cows in 2014 and expanding to 250 by 2018.

“This is where I cut my teeth on technology back when I put the robots in,” he says, noting that SCR collars drastically improved their operational efficiency and cow health. Windemuller says, through adopting technology, he virtually stopped giving breeding shots and began treating cows earlier with more homeopathic methods.

“That made a huge impact there, which also made a huge impact on my cull rate, because if you can breed cows and you can keep them healthy, you don’t need to cull them as much,” he says, noting that this helped him not need to purchase as many replacements.

The Power of Technology and Data
Today, Windemuller’s approach to dairy farming is heavily influenced by technology. He believes AI and automation play crucial roles in enhancing farm productivity and profitability. The introduction of milking robots and other technological advancements allows him to manage farm operations more effectively while maintaining an off-farm job.

Windemuller shares that soon out of the gate, he relied heavily on data, meticulously tracking numbers and tirelessly working to manage his growing farm.

“Every six weeks, I tested my herd,” he says. “I stared at those numbers trying to find patterns to manage them. I struggled, but I slowly learned.”

When he installed robots and sensor collars in 2017, along with it came real-time data on every aspect of his farm operations.

“Suddenly, I had more data than I knew what to do with,” he says, sharing initially it overwhelmed him, but eventually empowered him and turned him into a data-driven farmer obsessed with AI.

Global Insights: A Nuffield Scholar’s Journey
Windemuller says one year later, with the help of real-time data, both his breeding numbers and cull rates went from well below the industry average to well above it.

“That’s when I realized that data really empowered me. It trained me, and it made me a better dairy farmer,” he says.

The power of data led to a Nuffield Scholarship, allowing Windemuller to travel to more than 15 countries. Traveling the globe, he observed the transformative impact of AI and automation in agriculture. Windemuller says he drew inspiration from industry pioneers and recognized parallels between the evolution of electricity and the potential of AI in revolutionizing farming practices.

During this time, Windemuller listened to a Jeff Bezos podcast that he calls a lightening transformation.

“AI is like a horizontal enabling layer, much like electricity in the early 20^th century,” he recalls. “Now, after all my travels and research, I believe AI, as a technology, will be more transformative than even electricity. AI is not a single tool. It’s the foundation for almost every new technology that will power the next generation of agriculture. Whether we like it or not, over time, AI will become the invisible layer that runs through nearly every system we use in this industry.”

While AI presents seemingly endless opportunities, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Windemuller highlights roadblocks like data quality, infrastructural issues, fear of technology by farm workers and governance barriers. His research underscores the importance of accurate data and interoperability in successfully leveraging AI, as well as the need to foster a culture of innovation among farm teams.

A Vision for the Future
Windemuller introduces several frameworks to guide the integration of AI in agriculture. From the AI yield gap, which identifies untapped potential, to the livestock AI readiness index, which helps farms assess their preparedness, he emphasizes the importance of strategic adoption. Moreover, he envisions a future where farmers control their data through cooperatives, ensuring their freedom and leveraging cleaner data for industry-wide benefits.

For those skeptical of AI’s relevance to their farms, Windemuller’s message is clear: farmers should embrace data stewardship and technological experimentation. Simple steps, like using software to manage team schedules or feed prices, can provide a gateway to understanding AI’s potential. Most importantly, fostering a culture where technology is seen as an enabler, rather than a threat, is crucial.

Looking to the future, Windemuller envisions an era where humanoid robots and integrated visual technologies will further revolutionize farm operations. He predicts these advancements will enable farmers to achieve a holistic insight threshold, where comprehensive data points provide an unparalleled understanding of farm dynamics. This shift toward data-driven decision-making promises to distinguish successful farms from those that resist technological change.

“Everyone will have access to the same commercially available AI tools, but AI has a multiplying effect, if a farmer is 10% better than the industry average, and the multiplying effect is 10x, then that farm will be 100% better than the industry average (profit wise). This will have a hockey stick effect on industry consolidation and efficiency,” he says.

Join the Movement
As Windemuller concludes, his vision for the future is an agricultural industry that empowers farmers to lead the digital transformation. By harnessing the power of AI, they can make informed decisions and build resilient businesses prepared for the future.

“We don’t want one company owning all the systems or controlling your data, but we do want our systems to talk to each other,” he says. “Imagine a system where farmers are not just data producers, but are in complete control of their data. A system where we pull our information together through a farmer-led cooperative that governs how the data is shared, monetized and used for farmers. This means access to cleaner, scaled, verifiable data sets. For researchers and innovators, it opens doors to accelerate solutions that serve our entire ecosystem as an industry.

In the end, Windemuller believes AI won’t replace farmers, but it will elevate them, creating sharper managers and better stocked people.

“By leading this transformation, we ensure a robust future for the next generation of farmers,” he says.

Windemuller’s story is a compelling example of how innovation and strategic thinking are redefining modern dairy farming. His insights and initiatives not only promise to drive profitability but also ensure the sustainability of an industry poised for transformative growth. Through collaborations and commitment to leveraging data, the future of dairy is bright.

Paul Windemuller will share his story and present in more detail at the 2025 Milk Business Conference, Dec. 2-3 in Las Vegas. To see the full agenda and register today, go to: MILK Business Conference 2025

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Oikonomia on the Farm: Succession Planning is About More Than Wealth

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:57:20 GMT

Succession planning is often treated as a legal or financial exercise — a “simple” matter of wills, taxes and transfer dates. Yet for family-owned farms and agribusinesses, it’s something deeper: the deliberate handoff of a way of life.

The ancient Greeks had a word for this kind of management, oikonomia, from which we get the term economy. Understanding what they meant by it can reorient how families think about preparing the next generation.

In classical thought, oikonomia referred to the management of the oikos, the household or estate, but it was never only about efficiency or profit. The oikonomos, or household steward, was responsible for using resources wisely so the entire household could live well and endure long into the future.

Ancient philosophers viewed resources as abundant, not scarce, so economic action was judged not by the accumulation of wealth but by whether it enabled and served a praiseworthy end. Specifically, the flourishing of the family, the land and the community.

Perspective for the Present

That older vision aligns closely with what succession planning should be for agriculture. The task is not just to pass on land and assets, but to ensure the continuity of stewardship, the ethical responsibility to care for what has been entrusted.

From an oikonomia perspective, the senior generation’s goal is to prepare successors capable of managing abundance with restraint, gratitude and wisdom. This calls attention to the education of character. The next generation must learn more than production and finance; they must learn judgment, the ability to distinguish needs from wants and to act for the common good. Mentorship, gradual transfer of responsibility, and open discussion of values all form part of this ethical training.

Perhaps most importantly, oikonomia reminds us that a farm is both a business and a household. Financial plans that ignore family dynamics or the moral vision of the enterprise risk undermining the very legacy they seek to protect.

Succession planning works best when it integrates three elements at once: the technical (who owns and manages what), the relational (how the family communicates and cooperates) and the moral (why the farm exists and whom it serves).

In that light, passing the farm to the next generation becomes not just a transaction but an act of stewardship — a modern form of oikonomia. The question is no longer only how do we divide the assets but how do we preserve the household, the land and the purpose they represent for future generations?

Ag Lenders Anticipate Only Half of U.S. Farm Borrowers to Turn a Profit in 2025

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:33:12 GMT

Agricultural lenders surveyed in the new 2025 ABA/Farmer Mac Agricultural Lender Survey expect only 52% of U.S. farm borrowers will be profitable this year, signaling a sharp decline from recent years. It’s also a sign producers across major crop regions are continuing to navigate through a period of tighter margins and severe financial stress.

Ninety-three percent of ag lenders expect farm debt to increase over the next year, which is up slightly from the 88% of lenders who responded that way last year. But the high number indicates there will be higher demand for farm loans, something that can be a hallmark of previous downturns.

Ag lenders top concerns.

(ABA- Farmer Mac)

Farm Economy Snapshot: Profit Pressure Returns

According to the survey, lenders say the 2025 farm economy is being shaped by soft commodity prices, high input costs and high interest rates — all working together to squeeze margins.

“This is the tightest farm income environment we’ve seen since before the pandemic,” said one ag lender from Iowa.

Ag borrower profitability by region.

(ABA-Farmer Mac Survey)

Crop producers — especially corn, soybean and cotton operations — face the most pressure due to rising costs, lower commodity prices and declining working capital.

Livestock operations, in contrast, remain relatively stable thanks to stronger protein demand and improved feed costs.

Profitability Outlook: Only Slightly More Than Half Expected to Turn a Profit

Lenders forecast that just 52% of their borrowers will remain profitable this year— the lowest level since 2016.

West: 57% expected to be profitable
Midwest: 52%
Plains: 50%
South: 45%

Ag profitability outlook according to the recent Agricultural Lender Survey

(Data provided by )

The gap reflects commodity mix: diversified or livestock-heavy regions remain stronger than grain-dominant areas.

“Margins are narrowing quickly, especially for grain producers. Working capital is eroding,” noted a Kansas lender.

Liquidity, Working Capital and Cash Flow Dominate Lender Concerns

For the fourth year in a row, lenders say liquidity is their top concern.

More than 70% report their borrowers’ working capital positions have worsened over the past year, and many expect additional deterioration in 2025.

Other leading lender concerns:

Farm profitability
Input costs
Interest rate pressure
Loan repayment capacity

“The producers who managed cash well in 2021 and 2022 are in much better shape. Others are scraping,” one Minnesota lender added.

One result of tighter profitability conditions is an expectation for increased loan demand. The survey found nearly 93% of responding lenders indicated they expect farm debt to increase over the next year. This would be only a slight increase from 2025, when approximately 88% of lenders reported an increase in farm debt.

Portfolio concerns ranked by commodity

(ABA-Farmer Mac Survey )

With an increasing demand for farm loans, the results from ABA and Farmer Mac say the rising demand for farm loans mirrors previous downturns in the farm economy.

“Ag producers were able to use cash to finance operations as farm incomes surged in 2022 and the surrounding years. However, cash has become increasingly scarce for many operations today, prompting some producers to seek new or additional loans,” according to the report. “Previous periods of tighter farm incomes have also been accompanied by greater demand to restructure debt. As lenders evaluate farm cash flows, one solution often utilized is terming out debt — that is, refinancing short-term credits into longer-term loans, thus easing the annual impact on the income statement. Indeed, the number of lenders expecting loans backed by farm real estate to increase over the next year jumped in the 2025 survey results. “

Supplemental Income and Government Payments Are Propping Up Cash Flow

More than 53% of lenders say supplemental income sources — such as wind leases, solar leases, CRP payments or recreational leases — have become critical to producers’ bottom lines.

Meanwhile, government payments still remain a meaningful revenue source for many operations:

Over 30% of lenders say government payments made up more than 25% of borrower income last year
Only about 34% consider future payments in underwriting, citing uncertainty

“Alternative revenue is keeping some operators afloat,” a western lender said. “Without government support, profitability would be substantially lower.”

Farmland Values: Holding Strong — for Now

One of the biggest surprises in 2025 is farmland values remain historically high despite tightening margins.

Farmland values rose for the fourth straight year
Two-thirds of lenders expect land values to flatten or decline in 2026
Limited supply of land for sale continues to hold values firm

Expected change in land values

(ABA- Farmer Mac Survey)

Cash rent trends show stability:

Seventy-three percent of lenders report no change in rental rates this year
Nearly 90% expect rents will remain flat or decline next year

“Land values are the pressure valve,” one Nebraska lender said. “If they slip, lenders will tighten credit quickly.”

What It Means for Farmers Going Into 2026

The survey paints a picture of an ag economy shifting into a more cautious phase. For producers, this means cash flow management remains critical and margin discipline will matter more than recent years. Grain-heavy farmers should also prepare for tighter credit conditions.

Top concerns for ag lenders in 2025.

(ABA- Farmer Mac Survey)

For lenders, the report signals underwriting standards are tightening and there seems to be more emphasis on borrower liquidity and repayment capacity. There could also be closer monitoring of collateral, especially land values.

“We’re entering a period where strong operators will be fine, but weaker ones will feel the credit squeeze,” a Texas lender concluded.

Read the full report here .

Don't Break, Build: A Farmer's Playbook for Taking Control of Your Mind

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 19:02:20 GMT

It was already shaping up to be one of those days.

An unexpected bill is due, and the money just isn’t there. The kids are fighting again. Understandably, your wife is over it, and now it’s your fault. One of your employees just called to say the new group of wean pigs is sick. It’s all a part of a life, but sometimes it just stacks up to be too much.

“In a world of unpredictability with so many factors at play on any given day, it’s easy to be mentally or emotionally hijacked by elements out of our control,” says Athena Diesch-Chham with Restorative Path Counseling and Wellbeing. “Stress and anxiety thrive in this environment. However, the long-term effects of that are real.”

Farming stress will never go away, so how can you get more grit or become more resilient to that stress?

One expert says it starts by paying attention to the present.

“Don’t think about what happened yesterday or worry about what is happening tomorrow,” says Cheri Burcham, with University of Illinois Extension. “Focus on what you are doing and feeling in the very moment.”

Diesch-Chham likes to think of it as “being where your feet are.”

“So often brains are hijacked by stress and launch us mentally to a different space either in the past or in the future,” Diesch-Chham adds. “Mindfulness is just asking for our whole selves to be here in this moment, wherever our feet are planted.”

Pay Attention

This concept of truly being “in the moment” not only reduces stress, but research shows it can also lower blood pressure, increase immunity and reduce anxiety and depression, Burcham says.

When you intentionally notice where you are, you can recognize potential challenges sooner, says Abigail Cudney with Michigan State University Extension . Instead of habitually reacting to stress with intense anger, emotional shutdown, negative thinking or overthinking, this intentional awareness helps rewire the brain through a process called neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow and adapt to new experiences.

Consider the attention you pay when walking through the barn. You use all your senses to make assessments and determine what’s going on all around you.

“Whether it’s walking the barn or enjoying the fall scenery, naming something you are currently experiencing for each of the five senses is another way to practice mindfulness,” Diesch-Chham says. “This doesn’t have to be complicated – the whole goal is to bring mind and body to the same place.”

5 Senses Technique

Just Breathe

The fight or flight response animals have when stress strikes is the same thing that happens in people. As a review, the vagus nerve, which runs from the base of the brain and branches out to the organs, serves as a conduit of chemicals/hormones that are activated automatically/reflexively by the sympathetic nervous system. This is an involuntary and adaptive process that increases respiration and blood flow to prepare the body for quick and protective action, such as fighting or fleeing. Once the perceived threat has passed or been managed successfully, the stress response also passes and respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate return to a normal steady state, according to the Yale School of Medicine .

Through deep breathing, the vagus nerve can be stimulated intentionally to help restore, mitigate and even prevent these physical and psychological reactions. Slow, even breaths that originate deep within the abdomen stimulate the vagus nerve in a way that signals safety and cues the body and mind to relax, restore, and release chronic and unhealthy patterns.

“Deep breathing can be practiced anywhere and in so many ways – so it is very accessible and easy for farmers to practice,” Burcham explains. “Practice in the field or even while operating machinery.”

Let Go of What You Can’t Control

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of “being where your feet are” is realizing you can’t control it all.

“Working towards recognizing what truly is within our individual control and then choosing to focus our energy on managing what we can control to improve our overall mental health and stress, helps us remain resilient through the pieces that are outside of our control,” Diesch-Chham says.

Adversity happens. Markets will crash. Animals will get sick. Disease will strike. Families will argue. But you can recover faster from those stresses by staying grounded in the moment, aligning your thoughts and emotions with reality.

Resources to Help Build Resilience:
North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center

Mindfulness: University of Illinois Extension

Building Resilience with Mindfulness

Genetic Advancements in Dairy Helping Meet the Protein Craze Demand

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:36:26 GMT

The dairy industry is experiencing an exhilarating transformation, driven by an unprecedented demand for protein across the globe. Gregg Doud, president of the National Milk Producers Federation, captures this phenomenon aptly, describing it as a pivotal moment for dairy.

“Everywhere I go, I tell people we’re having a moment here on the dairy-side of the equation,” he says, emphasizing how dairy’s protein-rich offerings, from cheese to whey, are captivating consumers both domestically and internationally.

U.S. dairy producers are determined to capitalize on this opportunity. A standout example of their efforts is the extraordinary advancement in genetic testing, which have contributed to remarkable increases in production. A testament to this evolution is found at McCarty Family Dairy in Rexford, Kan. Their breakthrough in genetic enhancements has propelled an impressive leap in milk production, soaring from 70 lb. to over 100 lb. per cow daily.

“You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” says Ken McCarty, one of the owners of McCarty Family Farms. “In 2011, we were milking about 7,000 cows, and today we’re milking nearly 20,000 cows, and we’ve increased productivity by almost 50%.”

Enhancing Herd Health and Milk Quality

The impact of genetic advancements extends beyond productivity to significantly enhance herd health and milk quality. By leveraging genomic insights, the McCartys have reduced disease rates and improved animal welfare, leading to superior milk quality. The reduction in somatic cell count averages that now hovers around 120,000 to 180,000 is a testament to healthier herds and stringent disease management practices, exceeding customer expectations.

Feed efficiency is crucial, with feed constituting 65% of the overall budget. The McCartys focus intently on indexes such as TPI and DWP, which are critical in informing their mating and breeding strategies.

“We really focus on specific indexes, like TPI and DWP$ (Dairy Wellness Profit Index) with Clarifide Plus, and those are really the kind of driving indexes behind our mating and breeding strategies,” he says.

Dan Weigel, a geneticist at Zoetis, has worked closely with McCarty Family Farms over the years, helping guide their genetic testing program and strategy. Weigel says McCarty’s dedication to improving life for both cows and employees reflects their continuous pursuit of optimization.

Strategic Breeding for a Better Future

Strategic breeding at McCarty Family Dairy not only caters to the global demand for protein-rich diets but also aims at creating an environmentally sustainable future. While butterfat can be nutritionally altered more easily than protein, the dairy focuses on enhancing protein content through genetic selection. This approach is designed to reduce carbon footprints by optimizing feed usage and production.

“Genetically, I think we all can recognize that it’s easier to drive butterfat through diet than it is to drive protein through diet. So, protein is really a major focus in our genetic planning, because it is so much harder to drive from a nutritional perspective,” McCarty says. “And what we’ve poured into our cows, from a genetic perspective, has shown up in the bulk tank.”

The McCartys are consistently hitting nearly 7.5 lb. of components per cow, with their dairies in Kansas and Nebraska averaging 3.35% to 3.4% for protein.

“And that is on high-producing Holstein animals,” McCarty adds. “We have the luxury of having a milk processing plant between us and our customer, so not only do we see the on-farm productivity, but we see the enhancements in terms of efficiency in our processing plant. Higher component levels milk that just drives throughput and efficiency in our processing plant as well.”

Partnership and Collaboration

The McCartys success story is also a narrative of collaboration. Strong outside partnerships, such as Zoetis team support for on-farm data analysis and genetic testing strategy, help drive holistic improvement.

“When our customer wants something, they want it now, and we position our herds to deliver,” McCarty says.

Their ability to transition farms efficiently reflects a deep pool of data and tailored herd profiles.

“We have to position our herds to deliver what our customer wants,” he adds, noting that 88% of their births are A2A2. “We have the ability today to transition farms quickly. We have that data, and we have the herd profile to be able to do that.”

High-productivity breeding strategies directly benefit animal welfare, reducing carbon emissions and aligning with stringent brand ethics.

“Breeding for high health animals has a direct positive benefit, not only on our bottom line and the productivity of our cows, but in terms of brand risk management,” McCarty says. “The single largest thing we can do to drive down our carbon footprint is to increase output. So, all of those things come from a sharper and better breeding strategy.”

Pioneering Toward Tomorrow

A data-driven approach has set an inspiring precedent at McCarty’s Rexford dairy, proving managing dairy farming no longer relies on intuition alone. Data integration empowers farmers to make informed, objective decisions, boosting production and laying the foundation for sustained long-term improvements.

McCarty’s Rexford dairy is proof positive that milking 10,000 cows averaging over 102 lb. of milk a day shows that with the right management and the right facility, along with the right genetics, the future potential is unlimited.

“We’re very emotional guys, but we try to minimize the impact that our emotions have on our farm,” McCarty says. “So, we try to be very data driven. Genomic testing is a prime example of that.”

According to Weigel there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for making improvements on dairies.

“However, data makes a difference and using data that you can glean from your farms or from DHIA or genomic testing and allowing that to help guide you, you can’t go wrong with that,” he says. “As demand grows, so does the value of precision. Data-informed decisions are what drives us forward. That’s been a huge piece to improvements in the dairy industry over the past decade.”

Innovation at farms like McCarty’s proves that data matters, guiding improvements and empowering farmers to drive the dairy industry forward into a new era of excellence.

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3 Ways To Protect Your Ag Business from Cybersecurity Threats

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 14:59:13 GMT

Agriculture is in the bull’s-eye for threat actors trying to access business information. But as Chris Sherman says: “Our keys in the visor mentality” has many farmers trusting too much and putting too much at risk.

Sherman is the founder of Tech Support Farm, an IT and cybersecurity consulting business who works with farmers, co-ops, custom harvesters and more ag businesses to shore up their systems, lock down their sensitive information and stay attuned to emerging risks.

The FBI has listed agriculture as a critical infrastructure for cybersecurity.

So where do most farmers leave themselves vulnerable to hackers? Sherman shares these:

1. Email

Sherman points to email as the No. 1 priority for farmers on where to start in taking cybersecurity seriously.

“The amount of information and data we are sending via email leaves every farmer at risk — from our FSA staff, agronomists, banks and more,” he says. “Emails can be intercepted, all contents can be exposed, and no one is the wiser. It would be like a rural mail carrier, and when he drops the mail someone stands there opening it, reading it and closing the envelope and putting it back in the mailbox. Foolhardy to be using the free email services such as Gmail, Yahoo and others.”

Here are four steps to shore up your email:

Get a domain
Get a commercial email provider
Get a filtration software (which monitors what comes in)
Get a DMARC compliance service (which manages outbound emails, so no one spoofs you and encryption is done properly)

As an example of why this should be prioritized, Sherman tells the story of a farm business working on a land deal.

“A dad and son were just about ready to sign, and the dad got an email from the bank, at least it appeared to be from the bank, but it was a spoof encouraging them to e-sign,” he says. “And everyone signed, and it drained the bank accounts and blew up the deal.”

2. Be aware of your personal information shared, and embrace “herd immunity”

All to often, farmers don’t have passcodes on their phones.

“That’s like leaving your credit card at the bar,” Sherman says. “For some reason in agriculture we are running multimillion dollar businesses on residential-grade infrastructure.”

He says by the nature of the business, enrolling in government programs, immigration workforce programs (such as H-2A) and more, make your address, phone number and email readily accessible.

“It’s a wealth of opportunity for threat actors. We can’t leave our doors and windows open,” Sherman says. “So you have to protect yourself, and encourage your friends, neighbors and business partners to do the same. If we are all reducing our individual risk, we are reducing the overall risk.”

3. Use high-quality passwords

Sherman says good passwords are must-have on all your accounts, including your Wi-Fi.

“Too often, farmers have their password just be a duplicate of the network name. Or if a farmer’s favorite tractor is a John Deere 4450, 4450 is his pin for everything,” he says. “When we are on the internet, it’s like being in the big city, and you have to act accordingly.”