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Chip Flory

Chip’s hometown of Oxford Junction is in east-central Iowa. His family farm was a typical diversified farm with corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa, a commercial cattle herd, a farrow-to-finish hog operation and sheep. After graduating from Iowa State University, Chip joined Pro Farmer in January 1988 as a floor reporter for Futures World News. He spent 3 years in Chicago reporting from the floors of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Chip moved to Pro Farmer headquarters in April 1991, was named editor in 1997 and remained in that role for 17 years. In 2014 he started the P.M. hour of AgriTalk and became the host of both hours of AgriTalk in 2019.

Latest Stories
Corn sales and export inspections through the end of January were on pace to get to USDA’s estimate but not strong enough to suggest exports of more than 3.2 billion. But what if demand in importing countries suddenly expands?
Is it easier to be skeptical of usage estimates and trade agreements, or is it the more popular thing to do? Chip Flory admits the clock is ticking on his optimism, especially without market development outside of China.
The newly released stocks-to-use ratios for corn and soybeans show we can expect the markets to be responsive to any threat to yields this summer.
In times of chaos, it’s best to go back to the basics of basis and price. Effective risk management has little room for mistakes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be perfect.
There is evidence the supply-side of the 2024/25 balance sheets for corn and soybeans is still a moving target, which means there’s potential for more market volatility in the next six weeks. On the demand side, questions remain as well.
Tariffs, while disruptive, are often used as leverage in trade disputes and contribute to market volatility.
The shift to climate-smart farming emphasizes low-carbon crop yields for biofuels, with 45Z tax credits starting Jan. 1, 2025. Farmers should consider profitable changes while documenting their existing sustainable practices.
If you have a long-term plan that includes goals for your business, and if making cash sales helps to advance your business toward reaching those goals, cash sales should be a celebration.
A Harris administration would likely continue the “climate-smart” initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act, but a second Trump administration would put the future of sustainable aviation fuel in question and extend the use of liquid fuels.
The math and mental gymnastics to truly understand how much risk your farm can handle can be exhausting, but it can be calculated with enough what-if scenarios.