Most growers know the monthly USDA WASDE report can move the grain markets. But what many may not fully appreciate is how those moves actually happen, and how quickly the opportunity can disappear. A new fifteen-year study from Dan Maycock at Dataplai looked at 181 WASDE reports from July 2010 through April 2026 across corn, …
WASDE Does Not Reward Hope — It Rewards Having a Plan Read More »
If you drive across Illinois, Indiana, or Iowa during the growing season, the landscape tells a familiar story. Row after row of corn and soybeans stretch to the horizon. In fact, these two crops account for a staggering 94% of crop production across the region. For most Midwestern producers, this isn’t simply a preference—it can …
This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with what makes FarmCon different from a normal ag event: it is not built around vacation travel, generic networking, or people telling producers how to farm. Kevin explains why FarmCon is positioned as a room for serious producers, operators, ranchers, ag businesses, and decision-makers who are trying to make better …
FARMCON Conversations 08-05-2026: Special Guest, Dan Maycock, co-founder of Dataplai Read More »
For over a year, the US border was closed to live Mexican cattle to keep out the New World screwworm (NWS). Now, the US Department of Agriculture is slowly reopening border entry points under strict inspection rules. While consumers will no doubt welcome relief at the grocery store, but the decision has split the livestock …
USDA Testing Controlled Return of Mexican Cattle Imports Read More »
AI may not replace the producer, but it may greatly help some improve their decision-making process and, in turn, further accelerate the consolidation in agriculture as modern farming has become a much more complex business than many people outside the industry understand.The thesis that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will accelerate agricultural consolidation is rooted in the …
This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with a FARMCON update, then corn, soybeans, wheat, but the better discussion is really about how Kevin thinks through risk, markets, business, and change. In this episode: 18:00 – Why Kevin believes producers should focus less on being right about the final yield and more on being right about how …
FARMCON Conversations 07–29-2026 – Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn Read More »
Folks around the country are already enjoying one of summer’s best perks – sweet corn season! The tasty treat comes out of the field a few months earlier than dent corn. Dent corn, also referred to as “field corn,” is the type of corn that the USDA reports on and underpins commodity futures contracts. According …
It’s Sweet Corn Season… What You Might Not Know About the Summertime Treat Read More »
I’ve always been a big believer in “cover crops” and the benefits they can bring to our fields. Below is some interesting data recently released, and some might not like some of the data points. In today’s world, it’s easy to turn away from data and results that don’t necessarily fit our “opinions,” since we …
Cover Crops in Real Fields: A Closer Look at Yield and Soil Impacts Read More »
This week’s FarmCon Conversations starts with corn, soybeans, wheat, and the latest USDA numbers, but the better discussion is really about how Kevin thinks through risk, markets, business, and change. Kevin and Todd talk through what has driven the recent grain rally, why producers should avoid becoming locked onto a single price forecast, and how …
Researchers at Tufts University have just demonstrated “plant wearables” — tiny tattoo‑like sensors that stick to the underside of leaves and stretchable bands that attach to stems. Together, the self-powered sensors create a battery‑free, multimodal system that the researchers say could one day be plant-level, whole-field monitoring networks. The Tufts team developed two complementary devices: …
