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: …
America’s agricultural land base is shifting under two main forces: changing land use and changing land ownership. A new analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) underscores that the core issue is not simply “how many acres exist,” but whether productive ground remains accessible and affordable for farmers and ranchers. Drawing on decades of …
Farm Bureau Dissects the Shift in America’s Agricultural Land Base Read More »
House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) has introduced new legislation that would overhaul the country’s H-2A guest worker program. Known as the “Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act” (SAWA), the bipartisan bill would address farm labor shortages, especially for year‑round operations, while locking in a more predictable wage framework for employers. It does not create …
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 explains why he took profits on a bullish corn position after the USDA report did not deliver the acreage cut he expected, even though …
FARMCON Conversations 07–15-2026: The windshield is super big for a reason Read More »
One of the things I’ve been talking about recently is AI and what it might mean for agriculture over the next decade. The reality is that AI isn’t going to transform farming simply because someone builds a better software platform. It starts with data. Industries like banking, healthcare, and logistics have benefited from AI because …
Van Trump Farms Partners with “Emergent Connext” Read More »
The landscape of global energy is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation that threatens to dismantle the relative stability the world has relied upon for decades. For sixty years, OPEC functioned as the ultimate stabilizer of the global oil market, acting as a “swing producer” that could adjust output to keep prices within a manageable …
The suspension of countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Moroccan phosphate fertilizer marks a significant, albeit complex, development for the American agricultural sector. President Trump recently declared a national emergency to authorize this eight-month suspension, a strategic move intended to alleviate supply chain constraints and provide immediate financial relief to producers grappling with historically high input …
Navigating the Fertilizer Crunch… and the Administration’s Latest Trade Maneuver Read More »
NEW FARMCON PODCAST – This week’s conversation begins with Kevin and Todd breaking down the USDA Acreage and Quarterly Stocks reports and what they believe the numbers are really telling us about corn demand, acreage, and the market’s outlook heading into the heart of the growing season. Kevin explains why he believes the long-term downside …
Resurrect Bio is part of a new wave of ag-biotech companies focused on fixing a massive vulnerability in global food supplies: crop disease resistance. The London-based startup is building a business around restoring crops’ innate disease resistance using AI-guided gene editing and then licensing those traits to seed companies. Resurrect Bio’s core idea is that …
“Resurrect Bio” Bets on Built In Immunity for Crops Read More »
I want to thank our good friend Gary Lezak at Weather 20/20 for this piece of the puzzle as we move into this critical period. The next 30 to 60 days will likely determine a large portion of this year’s corn and soybean yield potential, making pollination, flowering, and early grain fill the most important …
