Unscripted podcast with Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths

$280,000? 18-Year-Old Semi Sells for Record Price, Signaling Pre-DEF Equipment Demand Is Surging

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:56:02 GMT

An 18-year-old semi just set a record at auction, offering one of the clearest signals yet of where demand is flowing in today’s machinery market — and where it isn’t.

A 2007 Peterbilt 379, built before diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems were required, sold for $280,000 during a late-year consignment auction in North Dakota. The truck was a rare example: one owner, always shedded, and showing just 20,817 miles. Still, the price stunned even seasoned auction watchers.

Greg Peterson — better known as Machinery Pete — says the sale eclipses every previous result he has tracked for the iconic model.

“I’ve seen about 2,800 Pete 379s over the last 25 years,” Peterson says. “The previous high was $262,000, and that was back in July 2022 when the whole market was absolutely on fire. To come along now and just smoke that number, with an 18-year-old truck, that tells you something.”

That “something,” Peterson says, is demand not just for trucks, but for pre-emissions equipment across agriculture and transportation. Auctions, he notes, are brutally honest. They don’t care about model-year labels or marketing cycles. They simply reflect what buyers want — and what they are willing to pay for.

“That Peterbilt is an 18-year-old truck,” Peterson says. “And it brings $280,000. Auctions don’t lie. They tell you exactly what people want — and right now, that’s used, pre-DEF equipment.”

‘07 Peterbilt 379 w/ only 20,817 miles, 1 owner, always shedded, sold $280,000 today on @UlmerAuction sale. I’ve compiled 2800+ auction sale prices on 379’s past 25 Yrs. $280,000 is new record high auction price. Was $262K on 7/28/22 Villa Grove, IL salehttps://t.co/S6yC5PLDvR pic.twitter.com/TxdTN67GIH
— Greg Peterson (@MachineryPete) December 17, 2025

Used Equipment Values Gain Momentum

The Peterbilt sale is not an isolated case. Peterson says used equipment values, broadly speaking, have been strengthening for much of the year — a trend that runs counter to what the machinery market has historically done during periods of soft farm income.

“Used values started to solidify in the third week of February,” Peterson says. “They held, held, held. Then we got into November and December and it was like, ‘Katie, bar the door.’ I’ve never seen this in my 36 years.”

What makes the current cycle unusual, he says, is not just that used values are strong — it’s that they’re strengthening at a time when new equipment sales are clearly contracting.

“In the past, when I’ve seen auction prices take off like this, it’s always been equivalent to optimal conditions for new equipment sales,” Peterson says. “That ain’t the case this time.”

Recent auction data reinforces the point. A 2011 Case IH 6088 combine, pre-DEF and with low hours, sold for $178,000, the highest auction price for that model in nearly 11 years. A 2009 John Deere 8295R tractor with just over 1,000 hours brought $230,000, the strongest result in more than 30 months.

“I’ve never seen used values going up while new sales are going down,” Peterson says. “Never.”

Price of New Forces a Rethink

Peterson says the underlying force behind this shift is impossible to ignore: the cost of new equipment.

“I don’t know how tall the ceiling is, but that’s the price of new,” he says. “We understand why prices went up — labor, materials, everything through the pandemic — but at some point you have to ask, ‘Just because you can raise the price, should you?’”

As the grain downturn stretches on, Peterson says farmers have had time to pause and reassess their operations — and their machinery lineups.

“What it’s done is it’s given farmers time to catch their breath,” he says. “They’re saying, ‘We’ve got a lot of iron on this farm. We’ve got more equipment than my dad had and more than my grandpa had. Do we really need all this going forward?’”

That mindset shift doesn’t necessarily mean farmers will stop buying equipment forever. But Peterson says it has changed buying behavior — especially in the short term — and it’s pushed many operators toward well-kept used machines rather than six- or seven-figure new purchases.

“When the money’s not flowing, people think differently,” he says. “That’s just the reality.”

Dealers, Manufacturers Pull Back on New

At the same time farmers are stepping back, Peterson says the supply side of the market has also changed in ways that amplify used-equipment demand.

Manufacturers have dramatically reduced production, closing plants and laying off workers at levels Peterson says he has never seen before. While painful, those moves have eliminated excess new inventory sitting on dealer lots — and the interest expense that comes with it.

“What manufacturers have achieved is basically no backlog of new equipment,” Peterson says.

He says dealer consolidation over the past decade has played a major role. Larger dealer groups now carry more leverage with manufacturers, and when the slowdown hit, dealers acted quickly.

“They were paying 8% interest on all this stuff sitting on their lots,” Peterson says. “Their No. 1 mission wasn’t selling new equipment. Their No. 1 mission was, ‘We are going to move this one-, two-, three-year-old stuff.’”

Manufacturers responded with incentives to help dealers clear late-model used inventory — a level of cooperation Peterson says he has not seen in more than three decades of tracking the market.

“I’ve never seen that level of coordination before,” he says. “And the focus clearly shifted away from new.”

Pre-DEF Machines Command a Premium

Layered on top of price and supply issues is deep frustration with emissions systems. Peterson says pre-DEF equipment — whether trucks, tractors or combines — now stands out immediately to buyers.

“The good pre-emission stuff jumps forward like a neon sign,” he says.

That demand is no longer subtle. Practices that once happened quietly, such as emissions deletions, are now openly acknowledged — and reflected in sale prices.

“It used to be hush-hush,” Peterson says. “It’s not anymore. People say it right on the auction bill because it sells for more money. It just flat does.”

He says recent political discussion around environmental regulations has only amplified that sentiment, particularly among farmers who feel reliability and repair costs have been compromised.

“When he talked about it, I honestly thought it was an AI clip at first,” Peterson says. “He sounded like every farmer I’ve talked to for the last 15 years.”

New Equipment Demand Remains Weak

While used values climb, new equipment sales continue to struggle. November data show four-wheel-drive tractor sales down 19%, with self-propelled combine sales down 35% for the month and nearly 40% year-to-date. Livestock producers remain a bright spot, but on the grain side, Peterson says demand is clearly subdued.

Looking ahead, he says today’s production cuts could have major consequences when farm income eventually improves.

“When corn and beans finally move higher and stay there, we’re going to see exactly what we saw in 2021,” Peterson says. “Farmers are going to want to update, and dealers are going to say, ‘I can only sell you eight — that’s all we get.’”

Until then, he says the auction market continues to speak clearly.

Will Trump Roll Back DEF?

During a roundtable at the White House last week when the Trump administration rolled out $12 billion in farmer aid , President Trump also revealed other actions the Trump administration is working on to reduce regulations. Trump told farmers Monday his administration plans to scale back environmental requirements on tractors and other farm equipment, framing the move as a way to bring down machinery costs that have climbed in recent years.

“The other thing I’d like to add … we’re going to also give the tractor companies, John Deere and all of the companies that make the equipment, we’re going to take off a lot of the environmental restrictions that they have on machinery,” Trump said. “It’s ridiculous.”

While Trump didn’t provide specifics on how the details of that plan will come together, Trump said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin would be involved in carrying out the effort. There’s speculation on if that will be removing diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) requirements on tractors or also addressing the long-standing right-to-repair issue.

Farm Journal reached out to EPA, and the agency confirmed it was DEF to which the president was referring.

“EPA has heard loud and clear from truckers and farmers across the United States that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system was unacceptable and cost millions of dollars in lost productivity,” Brigit Hirsch, EPA press secretary, told Farm Journal. “This summer, Administrator Zeldin issued clear guidance urging engine and equipment manufacturers to revise DEF system software in existing vehicles and equipment to prevent sudden shutdowns. It is essential manufacturers give operators more time to repair faults without impacting their livelihoods or safety. EPA will continue to evaluate ways to expand the work the agency has already done on DEF and looks forward to working across the administration to do so.”

Trump argued added systems meant to meet environmental rules have driven up price tags and made equipment harder to operate and repair.

“You buy it, it’s got so much equipment on it for the environmental, it doesn’t do anything except it makes the equipment much more expensive and much more complicated to work,” he said, adding, “it’s not as good as the old days.”

Trump said the administration’s goal is to remove what he called “nonsense” and require manufacturers to pass savings along to farmers.

Read more about what President Trump may do with DEF in the coming months.

Beyond the Touchdown: How Former NFL Player Mark Inkrott Found His Heroes in Dairy Farmers

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:03:05 GMT

Before, his heroes were Joe Montana and Michael Jordan; now, former professional football player, Mark Inkrott shares he now looks up to dairy farmers. At the 2025 MILK Business Conference in Las Vegas, Inkrott took center stage at Unscripted Live to offer a compelling narrative of perseverance and grit. His journey from the fields of professional sports to the agriculture industry serves as an inspiring beacon for anyone navigating life’s uncertainties, reminding us that purpose can be discovered in the most unexpected places.

From Football Fields to Farms
Inkrott’s journey is a tale that meanders through the unforgiving world of professional sports to the equally challenging realm of agribusiness. Originally hailing from a small town in Ohio, Inkrott’s roots were deeply embedded in agriculture, thanks to the influence of his farmer grandfather. It wasn’t just the skill of farming he learned but also the values of hard work, resilience and determination — traits that would serve him well in his later career as a professional athlete.

Although Inkrott never grew up on a farm, his experiences there shaped his outlook on life. Despite facing setbacks in his football career, including injuries and being cut from teams, his unwavering determination helped him break into the NFL, a testament to the power of perseverance.

A New Direction
After a stint in Europe and with the New York Giants, a career-ending injury forced Inkrott to reassess his path. He discovered his next chapter, ironically, as a professional athlete again, but this time in the field of softball, where the competition was as fierce as the camaraderie was rewarding. However, the realization of impermanence led him to the insurance sector after Hurricane Katrina, where he helped rebuild lives, albeit temporarily losing sight of his own purpose.

The turning point arrived with a meaningful opportunity in the dairy industry. Inkrott says he took a drastic pay cut to join the dairy industry, at ADA Mideast, and then with DMI, where he found not just a job but a renewed sense of meaning. Surrounded by the same hardworking spirit he admired in his grandfather, Inkrott once again thrived, building essential relationships with both mentors and farmers who inspired him daily.

“There was something about dairy farmers, where I just wanted to spend more time with them,” he says.

The Intersection of Athletics and Agriculture
Inkrott recalls how the lessons from his athletic career — discipline, grit and sheer doggedness — echo throughout the agricultural community. His time with high-profile athletes like Kurt Warner taught him true professionalism extends beyond the field and into every aspect of life. It’s about cooperation, adaptation and having a goal larger than oneself; a message he found resonating deeply within the community of dairy producers.

Inkrott says there is a striking similarity between the highly competitive world of professional sports and the demanding life of agriculture.

“Both fields require a relentless pursuit of excellence, a belief in oneself, and the ability to weather storms, both literal and metaphorical,” he says.

Navigating New Horizons
As Inkrott transitioned from professional sports to agribusiness, he embraced another challenging journey: entrepreneurship. Ten years into running Upfield Group, Inkrott finds fulfillment in the difficulty, as it challenges him much like his athletic career did. His journey is a powerful reminder that the pursuit of one’s calling is ongoing, and each twist and turn is part of the larger, fulfilling tapestry of life.

Inkrott tells farmers who are stuck to trust in technology, embrace continuous learning and listen to your heart.

“Recognize when it’s time to pivot and embrace what lies ahead with the same passion that led you to farming,” he says.

Inkrott’s story is a beacon for those experiencing their own ebbs and flows, proving that life’s greatest victories often come from our greatest challenges. As we continue the journey, embracing resilience and finding joy in the pursuit will always lead us toward a fulfilled and purposeful life.

To watch the full Unscripted Podcast: Unscripted Mark Inrott_milk Business Conference

Join the Dairy Industry's Premier Event: The Annual Milk Business Conference

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 12:56:07 GMT

In the fast-paced world of dairy production, staying informed and connected is crucial. Once again, the Annual Milk Business Conference will open its doors at the magnificent Paris Casino & Hotel Dec. 2–3 in Las Vegas. This unparalleled networking event is crafted to empower both producers and businesses with invaluable insights and connections that will propel their dairy ventures forward.

Why Attend?
The MILK Business Conference stands out as a beacon of knowledge in the ever-evolving economic landscape of the dairy industry. Tailored to provide essential business information, the conference covers every facet of the sector. It features an impressive roster of speakers and sessions designed to help producers harness their strengths and seize emerging opportunities.

2025 Confirmed Sessions Include:
· Examining the Long-Term Impact of Farmer’s Investments
Presenters: Oral “Jug” Capps Jr., Texas A&M University and Barb O’Brien, Dairy Management Inc.
· Transform Your Future: Insider Strategy Tips From Top Performing Producers
Presenters: Greg Bethard, High Plains Dairy, Kansas; TJ Tuls, Tuls Dairy, Nebraska and Hank Hafliger, Cedar Ridge Dairy, Idaho
· A Layered Attack: What’s the Next Threat to Animal Ag
Presenter: Andrew Rose, ag futurist, BIO-ISAC
· Update from U.S. Dairy Export Council
Presenter: Krysta Harden, president and CEO, U.S. Dairy Export Council
· Navigate Uncertainty, Dairy Industry’s Path Forward
Presenters: Stephen Cain, National Milk Producers Federation and John Newton, American Farm Bureau
· Data Ownership is the New Source of Power
Presenter: Paul Windermuller, Dream Winds Dairy, Michigan
· Boost Your Farm’s Potential: Insights from Top Dairy Managers
Presenters: Jason Anderson, Double A Dairy, Idaho and Brandon Beavers, Full Circle Jerseys, Texas
· Exploring Labor Opportunities and Challenges
Presenter: Rick Naerbout, Idaho Dairymen’s Association
· Live Taping of “U.S. Farm Report”
Host: Tyne Morgan
Panel: Phil Plourd, Ever.Ag Insights, and Rick Naerbout, Idaho Dairymen’s Association

Additional Highlights
Attendees are in for more than just sessions. The Annual Milk Business Conference also emphasizes strengthening processor and producer relationships and optimizing beef on dairy calves. Notably, Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths will delight the audience with a live podcast recording of “Unscripted” alongside special guest Mark Inkrott, a former NFL athlete and founding partner of UpField Group. With a focus on sports, agriculture and sustainability, Inkrott will bring a unique perspective on strategic growth through partnerships and commercialization.

And of course, what’s a dairy conference without a bit of fun? Don’t miss out on the lively dairy “Darty,” sure to leave you with great memories and new friends.

Finally, the opening night of the National Finals Rodeo is Dec. 4.

Take advantage of this golden opportunity to learn, network and grow your dairy business. To learn more and secure your spot, visit MILK Business Conference 2025 today.

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Joe Vaclavik Goes Unscripted on How to Navigate Another Trade War

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:18:09 GMT

If you’re trying to make sense of the topsy-turvy commodities market , you’re not alone. Looming trade wars with Canada, Mexico and China — the top three U.S. export markets — as well as on-again/off-again tariffs are causing a lot of concern.

“I don’t like these types of markets because they’re impossible to navigate,” says commodities markets analyst Joe Vaclavik on the latest episode of Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast. “The market is as good as the next headline. It’s fear and greed and uncertainty.”

Founder and president of Standard Grain and host of the Grain Markets and Other Stuff podcast, Vaclavik adds: “It was like this in 2018 when the trade war happened. It may be like this for a while. It’s not fun.”

That said, he remains optimistic for the long-term about resolving tensions with Canada and Mexico.

“The numbers will tell you the U.S. has an advantage in a trade war,” he explains. “They need us to buy stuff from them. What they export to the U.S. is a big chunk of their respective GDPs, whereas what we export to them is not really a significant portion of our GDP. In the short term, anything is possible, but I feel like this won’t last long.”

With 40% of U.S. corn exports going to Mexico, a quick resolution would come as a relief to corn growers.

“I think Mexico is going to be our best corn customer for a long time,” Vaclavik says. “It just makes too much sense.”

The Possibility of Relief Payments

Vaclavik is optimistic about direct relief payments for producers from the government, though these payments can be a mixed blessing.

“The payments are going to result in possible input inflation and messed-up land markets, and keep the bad operators in business,” he says. “But they’re going to help make you feel a little bit better.”

At Commodity Classic in early March, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins assured the industry the government is already preparing for the possibility of trade wars impacting U.S. agriculture, as they did in 2018 and 2019. While the payments help, they can mask the hard truth about the farm economy right now.

As far as what producers should do with all the news about tariffs and trade wars, Vaclavik advises: “Wait a couple of weeks and see how this pans out. It’s going to be different from 2018. I don’t think it’s going to last as long. And I don’t think it’s going to be as deep.”

You can also watch the latest episode of Unscripted on Farm Journal TV .

How a Wisconsin Dairy Farmer Built a Social Media Following By Connecting Ag to Consumers

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 21:33:56 GMT

As row crop producers continue to struggle with low commodity prices and rising input costs, life in the dairy world is taking a turn for the better. As co-host Tyne Morgan states on the latest episode of the Unscripted podcast , “Dairy is back, baby!” The episode is the first live production of the podcast, which was done at this week’s MILK Business Conference at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

Newly released USDA data shows in 2023 America’s dairy consumption returned to 1950s levels at 661 lb. per person. Record-breaking cheese consumption and increases in butter, cottage cheese and yogurt sales have all helped add to domestic demand, putting smiles on the faces of dairy producers.

“Cottage cheese is having a moment,” guest Annaliese Wegner tells Morgan and co-host Clinton Griffiths on the podcast. Better known on social media as Modern Day Farm Chick, Wegner and her husband, Tom, attended the conference and made time for a special appearance on Unscripted. With 63,000 followers on Instagram and 148,000 on Facebook, Wegner is a leading social media influencer for the agriculture industry. While humor is a big part of her appeal, she was inspired more by anger to begin posting online, initially through a blog.

“More and more of my friends on Facebook were sharing things about agriculture that weren’t true and it made my blood boil,” she recalls. “When I first started, my goal was to bust myths and share facts, to talk about what modern day farming is.” She soon realized that a softer approach was a better way to achieve her goal. Shifting her focus to posts about daily life on the family farm as well as about her hobbies, interests and raising twins, she found a growing audience. “You build connections,” she says. “You build trust. So when I do talk about farming, they believe what I say.”

Bridging the gap between ag producers and consumers remains a cornerstone of her social media efforts. As for the often humorous tone of her posts, she says it comes naturally. “Life is funny,” she says. “Farming is funny. Do we want to get angry about it and let it ruin our day or do we want to laugh about it and move on?”

For ag producers interested in creating their own social media presence, Wegner advises, “Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to make it the perfect post. People just want to see you and what you do in your life and on your farm. They just want to relate to another person.”

Watch the episode of Unscripted

Navigating Trade Wars, Tariffs and More in the New Year

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:55:38 GMT

As the ag industry prepares to flip the calendar and head into a new year, even experts and insiders have more questions than answers. The long-delayed farm bill and 45Z biofuels tax credit guidance have kept the industry in a frustrating limbo, while high interest rates and low commodity prices push it toward recession.

Some economists are already calling the current situation a recession. Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for StoneX, a financial services provider for global markets, is one of them.

“By definition, a recession is when you have back-to-back quarters of contraction in GDP [Gross Domestic Product],” he tells hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffith on Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast. “We’re not growing as an industry, we’re contracting.”

However, he believes that comparisons to the 1980s, a historically bleak period for agriculture, are misguided.

“I don’t think we’re in that type of scenario,” he says. “Fortunately, as an industry, we’re not as highly leveraged as we were in the 1980s, particularly when you think of land. We have some safeguards in place.”

In fact, he tells the hosts that he’s more optimistic about the ag economy than he was just a few months ago, noting that a new tax policy and less regulation under the Trump administration could lead to renewed growth.

Suderman is also optimistic about global trade, foreseeing new agreements with major partners, such as Mexico, Canada and even China. Those countries, he says, are in weaker negotiating positions than they were during the first Trump administration. “We’re hearing from our people in China that maybe there might be some type of trade deal hopes,” he says. “That would mean more agricultural products bought from the United States in exchange for Trump easing up on tariffs on consumer goods.”

Of course, many challenges and questions will persist as the new administration takes over. How can the industry boost domestic demand for soybeans, corn and pork? Will the Trump administration show more support for biofuels than it did in its previous time in office? How can U.S. soybean exports succeed despite growing competition from countries such as Brazil and Argentina?

For Suderman, the clearest certainty is that changes will occur quickly in the new year. The president-elect knows that losing control of Congress in the mid-term elections is a possibility, so he will enact his new policies with as much speed as possible. “He has two years to get his agenda done,” Suderman says. “So we’re going to see things happen fast and furious.”

Watch the full episode of Unscripted

Which Presidential Candidate Would Have the Biggest Impact on Ag?

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:01:44 GMT

With early voting well underway in the presidential election, agriculture producers must decide which candidate will better serve their needs and what they want the next president to do. On the latest episode of Farm Journal’s Unscripted podcast , long-time Washington insider Jim Wiesemeyer shares what he’s hearing about who that next president could be. He tells hosts Tyne Morgan and Clinton Griffiths that early voting among Republicans could make a big impact.

With polls showing razor-thin margins between the candidates, it’s still too close to call, particularly in the swing states, Wiesemeyer says. At a recent event in Colorado Springs, CO, he heard David Wasserman from the Cook Political Report give Donald Trump a 60 percent chance of winning. “Republicans historically vote far more than Democrats on election day,” he says. “This year, more Republicans have voted early. They could gain some key votes in key states simply by voting earlier.”

On the podcast, Clinton offers, “It feels like there’s so much pressure at the polls to get it right. Everybody’s kind of on edge, which I’m okay with. I want it to be right.” When the counting is done, however, which candidate will be better for agriculture? Tyne reveals that surveys in this month’s Ag Economist’s Monthly Monitor and a Farm Journal survey of more than 4,000 ag producers tell different stories.

Key issues for the industry include the 45Z program for biofuels, farm policy, tariffs, crop insurance and inflation. Jim says, “When I talk to top producers, one thing is clear on differentiating the candidates — tax policy. Farmers like that 20 percent pass-through. They like less estate taxes, less capital gains taxes. When you talk to farm country, production agriculture, those are the things I’m told.”

They agree that the delay in clarification on the 45Z biofuels tax credit is, as Tyne says, “a complete disaster.” Is it going to happen next year? Soybean processing plants are slowing purchases because they’re not sure about receiving the credit. “As for why it’s taking so long, it’s up to the treasury department and the IRS, because it’s tax incentives,” Jim explains. “They just don’t know agriculture. Companies are starting to pull back their investment plans because they don’t know the rules. We have to know if corn-based ethanol is going to comply.”

It’s a spirited, illuminating discussion on a range of issues that farmers, ranchers and other ag professionals need to consider seriously as they cast their votes.

Watch the full episode of Unscripted.

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