Business

SDRP Double‑Up Payment Rules Explained

Tue, 12 May 2026 20:46:02 GMT

Paul Neiffer, host of the Top Producer Podcast, discusses the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) and its “double-up” payment rules.

“I call it the double up. Typically, we call it a top up but, but they essentially doubled it up,” he says. “Our first initial payment was 35% and then this double up is on top of it, another 35% and for many of you, it’s going to be exactly what you got into the first one.”

Neiffer mentions that $11.7 billion has been paid out so far, with $12.5 billion expected in total between Stage 1 and Stage 2. With the program deadline being extended to August 12, 2026, Stage 2 farmers will continue to receive funds as USDA updates its database.

USDA allocated $16.09 billion to the program. If total payments reach $12.5 billion, approximately $3.5 billion remains for:

Payments for applications submitted by the August 12, 2024, deadline, including Stage 1 and Stage 2 quality losses.
A potential final “top-up” for producers.

“The reason [the total payout is less than the allocation] is a lot of farmers are going to hit the payment limits,” Neiffer says. Payment limits are $125,000 per year for regular crops and $125,000 for specialty crops. However, if more than 75% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) is farm income, those limits increase. “Before any of the 75% [test], that means you qualify automatically for $250,000 combined between ’23 and ’24 [for regular crops],” Neiffer explains.

Equipment gains and custom farming income remain “the rub” for qualification. Neiffer notes that currently, equipment gains may disqualify some from the 75% farm income test. While the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will make equipment gains automatically count as farm income starting in the 2026 crop year, that change does not apply to SDRP for ’23 and ’24.

Neiffer estimates a potential final top-up distribution of 5-10% could occur once all initial payments are settled. “Congress only authorized paying out up to 90%, so the most you can get is 20% [more]... I think the reality is we’re maybe looking at 7, 8, 9, somewhere between five and 10%.”

AgriSafe Network Offers 'Total Farmer Health Tools' To Support Mental Well-Being

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:34:43 GMT

With over 95% of U.S. farms operating as family-owned businesses, the line between workplace stress and home life is often nonexistent. To combat rising rates of depression and anxiety on the farm and across rural America, the AgriSafe Network is expanding its “Total Farmer Health” program to provide specialized crisis support and peer-to-peer resources.

Tara Haskins, program director, says the goal is to provide a safety net that supports the unique cultural landscape of agriculture — where a neighbor’s “check-in” can be just as vital as a professional intervention.

“We really feel strongly that we apply a total farmer health model,” Haskins says. “We realize that physical health is just a part of it. The social, the occupational, and the spiritual — all those aspects of health also play a role in farmer and rancher health.”

A Model Built For The Modern Farm

Founded 25 years ago by rural nurses and public health professionals, the AgriSafe Network is a national 501c3 nonprofit that bridges the gap between healthcare and agriculture. The organization’s Total Farmer Health model deliberately places the family at the core of its mission.

“The family plays a very unique dynamic in agriculture, so we felt like that needed to be at the center,” Haskins told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Tuesday.

The model addresses a constellation of “buckets” that circle the family unit, including occupational hazards, sleep deprivation, and spirituality. By categorizing resources this way, AgriSafe helps farmers identify how specific stressors — like a poor harvest or a physical safety hazard — trickle down into their emotional well-being.

Navigating The Crisis Across Rural America

For those in immediate distress, Haskins emphasizes that different tools serve different needs. The national 988 number is a vital catch-all. In addition, AgriSafe offers The AgriStress Helpline, a suicide and crisis line specifically for agricultural communities in 11 states. It’s available at (833) 897-2474.

“Those are really geared toward helping people in crisis in the moment and are available 24-7 by call and text,” Haskins says. “It helps keep them out of the hospital and can help bridge them to resources.”

However, therapy isn’t the only answer. Haskins points to the American Farm Bureau Federation Togetherall program as a premier example of peer-to-peer support.

“Farmers can talk to farmers about their issues; it’s amazing how important peer-to-peer support is,” she says.

How You Can Help A Neighbor

One of the greatest hurdles in rural mental health is knowing what to say when a friend or colleague admits they are struggling. Haskins advises that the goal is never to “fix” the problem, but to provide that individual with a safe harbor.

“First and foremost, anytime someone discloses their troubles, I think a good first step is to always thank them for trusting you to have that conversation,” Haskins says.

She offers three key strategies for supporters:

1. Listen to understand: “We need to focus our listening to understand, not listening to respond,” Haskins says.
2. Honor the silence: There is no need to fill every gap in a conversation with words. Silence gives the person space to process.
3. Validate the feeling: Simple phrases like, “It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot right now,” communicate empathy.

If you are the one noticing changes in a family member, neighbor or friend — such as withdrawal or uncharacteristic behavior — Haskins suggests using a gentle, observation-based opening: “I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed like yourself lately. I just want to check in.”

For those seeking professional help, AgriSafe maintains the AgriStress Provider Directory. This database features behavioral health professionals who have completed “Farm Response” training, ensuring they understand the specific cultural and economic pressures of the agricultural lifestyle.

“They’re well-positioned to really level up in a conversation with someone that’s in agriculture,” Haskins says.

More resources, training, and the provider directory are available at agrisafe.org. Also, learn more by listening to the conversation between Haskins and Flory on AgriTalk at the link below:

Tap A $50 Billion Potential For $2/Acre

Tue, 12 May 2026 19:31:56 GMT

With a database of more than 1,100 programs, LandOption aims to guide farmers looking to stack federal, state, carbon, conservation, and recreational programs. Added up, CEO Eric Dinger estimates those agricultural and conservation programs are worth between $50-80 billion annually.

The Nebraska-based company is using AI to maximize income for farmers and landowners via its four-step process: Listen, Analyze, Navigate, Deliver. Navigating the programs, continuous updates, and list of eligibility requirements can be daunting.

While most programs require operational changes and multiple-year commiments, LandOption identifies which changes offer the highest financial return across multiple stacked incentives.

The opportunity to enroll the same acres in different programs—referred to as stacking—complicates things further. But using the strategy to enroll in multiple projects at one time is the greatest opportunity to maximize the dollars. Most common, federal programs can be simultaneously used alongside carbon programs.

“Currently, right now, no federal programs are making any carbon claims. So you can avoid additionality issues when it comes to these federal programs being used alongside and stacked with carbon programs,” says Ben Paige, director of operations and customer success at LandOption.

Upfront Cost to Avoid FOMO

For $2/acre, LandOption provides a “game plan” that identifies every available incentive for a specific parcel. On average, every parcel examined shows 70-75 available programs.

“Our database covers geographical eligibility, practice requirements, payment structures, contract terms, and hidden costs,” Paige says. “It helps you visualize being enrolled in multiple programs at once so you can choose the best path.”

The ‘Easy Button’

For a 10% commission—paid only when the program payment is received—LandOption manages the heavy lifting: application submission, deadline tracking, compliance monitoring, and payment verification.

Real-World Case Studies

Case 1: Southwest Minnesota Corn/Soybean Farmer (1,500 acres)

Background: No prior cover crop use, frustrated with complicated programs, tight margins
Results: 84 programs identified at ~$92/acre potential value
Enrolled: 7 stacked programs generating $210,000+ annually
Program layers: Carbon program + federal EQIP cost-share + local cost-share + habitat programs + tax programs + recreational hunting lease

Case 2: Southeast Nebraska Landowner (600 acres)

Background: Absentee landowner, family operates farm via cost-share agreement (60-40 split)
Results: 41 programs identified, enrolled in 4 programs
Annual payments: $21,000
Amplified engagement: Negotiated carbon program participation with tenant farmer through cost-share agreement for seed treatment application, with 60-40 split on carbon payments. Farmer had such a positive experience in the carbon program they enrolled an additional 1,400 acres.

Declutter the Carbon Opportunities

While carbon credit prices have struggled, “insetting” programs—driven by supply chain demands from companies like Cargill and Bunge—are more popular than ever.

“We break down the complexity to answer the core questions: What do I actually have to do, and which one pays the best?” Paige says. He notes that all agricultural carbon programs require landowner notification and consent when tenants enroll acres.

Bridging the Landowner and Operator Gap

Dinger notes operators focus on practice-based changes and operational cost-share (carbon, cover crops). Landowners show more interest in conservation easements, long-term programs, and succession planning, with conversations centered on asset valuation vs. income.

In addition to other adviser groups, Land Option works through Farmers National Company farm managers to leverage existing landowner relationships. The partnership enables efficient data sharing and integration with FNC’s reporting cycles.

Government Seizes Farmer’s Land to Build Airport for Corporate Jets and Business Hangars

Tue, 12 May 2026 11:42:10 GMT

The government is taking Jeff Melin’s Georgia farm. His crime? Preserving 450 acres and pouring blood, sweat, and tears into the property.

“We already gave the government land for eminent domain,” he says. “Now they’re back wanting more. Now they want it all.”

Even in the nightmare realm of eminent domain power grabs, Melin’s case is particularly shocking. His farmland is being obliterated, with roughly 225 acres ripped from the middle of his operation to house an airport: Cows replaced by corporate jets. Barns replaced by hangars.

“And it’s not even for commercial passengers,” he says. “It’s an airport for billionaires to park their jets and big businesses to have hangars.”

“My grandfather, dad, and myself protected this land,” Melin continues. “We survived depressions and disasters, and kept this place together for decades. My dad turned down millions of dollars, over and over, from subdivisions.”

Melin describes a sickening contradiction of farmland preservation. “We sacrificed to keep this wonderful place whole, and now that’s why they want it. How could it be more ironic? If we’d have built on it or trashed it, they’d leave it alone. The better and longer you take care of your land, the more at risk you are to losing it.”

Insult to deepest injury, Melin is getting a per acre pittance for his land, he says. “They force me to sell against my will and then pay a fraction of the value. And I’m not allowed to turn them down. My story will make you question what kind of country you’re living in.”

Heaven No More
Sixty miles south of Atlanta, in Spalding County, Melin stares across gentle hills veined with creeks, rubbing against a mix of pastures and woods: cattle, water, deer plots, dove field, pecan grove, and much more. Despite the beauty, it also contains a withering family legacy.

“Our farm was not for sale at any price because our lives were molded around this land,” says Jeff Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

Awaiting grinding at the edge of the 70-acre pecan grove, a chain of toppled trees stretches like fallen dominoes, with many of the specimens over a century in age. Concrete poles are already in place as pecans give way to power lines. Soon, grass will give way to a 6,000’ asphalt runway, as part of a 730-acre new airport for Spalding County.

“I’ve got 90 days to get my stuff out of a 40’-by-60’ shop so they can get started,” Melin describes. “It’s an order to vacate. That means 90 days to move 75 years worth of farm equipment. I don’t even know where I’ll put all the tools, welders, compressors, and all the rest. I don’t have another shop built. I’ve got to get rid of at least 65 cows and 30 calves right off the bat.”

“They’ve killed my farm,” he adds. “This will be the end of me. And when I say, ‘they,’ I mean the county, state, and federal government. All three are involved with this airport.”

“All together, they’re taking about 225 acres from the middle of my operation. They’re leaving me land in the back that’s landlocked, that I can’t get to, and then leaving me land on the front of one side that’s going to be landlocked. I never dreamed this is how it’d end. For sure, my grandfather and dad (John Bennett Melin) never dreamed it, either. This was heaven to us.”

In 1951, the Melin clan pulled stakes in Red Wing, Minnesota and moved over 1,200 miles to Griffin, Georgia, hauling cattle the whole way, to start Melin Brothers Poled Herefords.

Melin’s 450-acre farm is split into four parcels. The county is taking a 225-acre strip from the middle.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“I love everything this farm represents—heart and soul,” Melin says. “I love it so much that I took a job close to home as a mechanic at Delta Airlines so that I could work the land and help my dad. We grew up with sacrifice. Didn’t matter if it was family vacation or Thanksgiving—somebody had to be here to feed. People in farming know exactly what I’m saying. Our farm was not for sale at any price because our lives were molded around this land.”

“At 57 and approaching retirement age, to have your land and life snatched away feels like a terrible dream, but I know it’s real. It all started with a newspaper article: They didn’t even have the decency to knock on my door.”

Blood and Tears
In 2012, Melin opened a morning newspaper to find himself in the bull’s-eye of eminent domain’s “common good.” The existing Spalding County airport’s runway was deemed too short, and Melin’s farm was listed among four to five potential sites to build a new airport on 730 acres, including 124 hangars for express and corporate jets.

The opening stage of airport-related construction commences as a power line takes out a pecan grove on Melin’s land.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, a new airport would generate $24 million in economic impact per year for Spalding County.

Melin was stunned. His ground is hilly. “I thought it was impossible. A mistake. Why build an airport in hills? I couldn’t imagine the amount of dirt moving and earthworks and boxing creeks it’d take to build an airport on my land. I mean, it even requires moving power lines and a gas line.”

No matter. Melin’s land is open and near town. Case closed, in the county’s eyes.

“We’re an old mill town. There’s plenty of other spots that are flatter, but they don’t want to deal with the legalities and paperwork. Better to take prime agriculture ground preserved across my dad’s lifetime at a cost of blood and tears. There’s a lot of other dilapidated land around here, but it’s not open and would require diligence and hassle. Better to steal mine. There was no public vote or opportunity to say no. Nothing.”

Melin’s 450-acre farm is split into four parcels. The county is taking a 225-acre strip from the middle. Irony upon irony, Melin already had willfully ceded ground to eminent domain. “Many times in the past, for genuine public good, we got out of the way when roads were widened, because we cared about people’s safety. This is not that. This is greed and power.”

An Honest Dollar
Letters and studies. Environmental. Archeological. Ecological.

“They dragged it out, year after year, and never let you know what was really going on,” Melin contends. “They never listened. They never communicated with us face to face. They didn’t come to my house. They didn’t seek me out. They didn’t come find me and say anything. They sent a few letters and made their announcements.”

“It just doesn’t seem like America when someone shows up and says, ‘We’re taking your land for a set price, and you’ll like it or else,’” says Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“It was shoddy. No matter what I said, they’d respond, ‘We just have to keep on doing studies.’ This was a foregone conclusion, but they pretended otherwise. They didn’t even know there were five gas lines under me and were going to put hangars on top of them.”

Money doesn’t replace lifeblood, but Melin assumed he’d receive a “fair price” for his land.

Melin had fair reasoning behind his assumption: According to the county, there was nowhere else to build an airport presented as indispensable and necessary. Arguably, Melin was sitting atop the most vital land in Spalding County.

“Nope. They wouldn’t give me an honest dollar.”

Like It or Else
Every year, Melin poured in money to improve his land and soils. Fertilizer, lime, weed control, and myriad other management costs—even foot patrol with a backpack sprayer to kill thistle. “None of that goes into their valuations. All I can do about value is look around and make reasonable judgements based on how much got paid recently for land recently around me. There was an old cattle farm right down the road that we did business with for years. It was 100 acres, fenced and cross-fenced, and sold for $75,000 an acre to Georgia Power for a substation. The owner got $7.5M.”

According to schedule, construction of the new Spalding County Airport will begin in 2026 and conclude in 2031.

(Photo by Google Maps)

“About 2 miles from me, the county bought a 29-acre school site and paid $14,000 per acre about 22 years ago: $420,000,” he adds.

However, according to Melin, Spalding County offered a fraction of what the school property brought per acre. “I’m getting lowballed with a percentage of what the other properties sold for, but I can’t refuse the offer. Don’t tell me about federal guidelines and fair market value. I have eyes. I can smell corruption and manipulation. Doesn’t mean I can prove it, but it’s right in front of my face.”

“It just doesn’t seem like America when someone shows up and says, ‘We’re taking your land for a set price, and you’ll like it or else.’”

Farmer In the Way
According to schedule, construction of the new Spalding County Airport will begin in 2026 and conclude in 2031. Within proximity of Melin’s farm, a groundbreaking ceremony is imminent.

“The better and longer you take care of your land, the more at risk you are to losing it,” warns Jeff Melin.

(Photo courtesy of Melin Farms)

“The lieutenant governor, state officials, politicians, and county commissioners will all be there, backslapping, grinning, and congratulating each other,” Melin notes. “Not a one of them can look me in the eye. Can you imagine if eminent domain was used to take their land to park a jet? No, you can’t imagine such, because that would never happen to them.”

“But I’m just a farmer in their way. They’re happy to take my land and call it ‘progress and public good.’ Force me to sell, take my land, and fly in the billionaires and big companies.”

Grass and dirt in a forced exchange for concrete and asphalt. A farm legacy erased by county, state, and federal seizure. “They’re taking my farmland so rich men can have hangars for their jets,” Melin concludes. “That sound like the ‘public good’ of eminent domain?”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Stealing the Farm: China Continues Raid of US Agriculture by Theft and Agroterror

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Georgia Watermelon Heist Explodes into Epic Night of Pandemonium

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Cold-Busted: Frozen Deer Decoy Nabs Poachers and Cocaine in Spectacular Sting

Sticky Fingers: USDA Fraudster Steals $200M in Stunning Scam

The Only Thing That Lasts: How Ted Turner’s 2 Million Acres Redefined Land Ownership

Thu, 07 May 2026 17:58:47 GMT

Ted Turner’s rise to the top of the Land Report 100 marked a transformative era of American land ownership. Once the largest private landowner in the U.S., Ted Turner had many titles, business accomplishments and accolades as well.

With his death on May 6, 2026, the discussion of his legacy began. And undoubtedly his impressive 2 million acres is the driving force with a “save everything” philosophy toward land stewardship.

“If you visit any of Ted Turner’s properties, there’s a bumper sticker available that reads, “Save Everything,” says Eric O’Keefe editor of The Land Report. “That was his approach, as far as being a landowner. He was a conservationist, first and foremost.”

Turner built a revolutionary business empire—taking father’s billboard company to building a global media powerhouse, pioneering 24-hour news with CNN and acquiring the MGM film library. His business success fueled his land purchases as he reinvested those profits into large tracts of land across the country, and notably in the western states.

“He was one of the original, in this generation, of corporate magnates who plowed their profits into land, O’Keefe says. He adds Turner was friends with the current No. 1 largest landowner John Malone, who he “gave the land bug to.” And it was Turner’s investments that inspired others including Bill Gates.

Turner’s acquisitions gained momentum in the 1990s, making his the first No. 1 largest landowner when The Land Report started its first ranked list in 2007. In the 2025 Land Report list, Turner was the fourth largest with 2 million acres located in Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Georgia and more.

“He looked around corners in ways that few of us can really comprehend. He was buying the greatest ranches in the American West, and these phenomenal quail plantations decades before anyone else,” he says.

O’Keefe says a hallmark of Turner’s land buying was not only in its accumulation but how he enhanced it with conservation efforts.

“I love that Gone with the Wind quote, and of course, Ted acquired the MGM Library and, owned Gone with the Wind. And the quote is, ‘land, it’s the only thing that lasts.’ And at the end of the day, that was, to him, in my opinion the most powerful element of his legacy.”

Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Why Fertilizer Relief is Years Away for U.S. Farmers

Tue, 05 May 2026 21:55:30 GMT

As the Iran war and the closure of the Strait reach its tenth week fertilizer supplies aren’t moving. That means the window for a fertilizer price correction this spring has officially slammed shut.

Fertilizer Prices Near Record High Before Iran War

Phosphate and nitrogen prices were already elevated before the Iran war according to Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer with StoneX, as China, the world’s number two nitrogen exporter, banned exports.

Urea: Prices have nearly doubled since early December.
Potash: Up approximately 10% since the start of the year.

Then came the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz which added insult to injury as three of the top 10 largest urea and anhydrous exporters are cut off. Linville points out that’s because the Strait closure also shut down LNG or the natural gas supplies used to produce nitrogen fertilizer products, which further elevated prices at New Orleans, Louisiana.

Even if the Strait opened today, the last tons of fertilizer won’t reach U.S. farmers for 60 days. Still Linville is not sounding the alarm despite figures quoted by USDA officials and other trade groups that 20% of the U.S. fertilizer supply was not in place for spring planting.

“I believe North America’s actually in good shape on urea. Now, you look at anhydrous, we produce most of what we need and we’re sitting okay there. From UAN, we produce most of what we need,” he says.

(Source: Kpler)

U.S. Cheaper Than Global Prices

Still Linville says U.S. farmers are in a better position than the rest of the world as U.S. nitrogen and phosphate values are $250 lower than global fertilizer prices, on the aggressive end. He says using more conservative estimates that number tips slightly lower.

“If I go low on the Middle East price based on where futures have been trading, if I go low on the vessel freight, if I go low on every single thing, it’s still $150 a ton cheaper than that rate.”

Jordan Scott, who farms near Valley Springs, South Dakota, pre-booked his fertilizer but some farmers in his area are not that fortunate.

“Some couldn’t even get it for spring or had to wait and when they could get it, the prices were just 30 to 40% higher,” Scott says.

Scott says that is forcing some farmers to cut corn acreage for spring of 2026. “I’ve heard some of that where people are switching rotations to go to more beans. It takes less fertilizer to produce beans.”

Early estimates have called for a one to two million acre cut in corn plantings off the 95.3 million acres in the USDA Prospective Plantings Report, with a direct shift to soybeans.

Linville isn’t sure the cut to corn acres will be as high as predicted, and he’s seen no evidence of surveys quoting nearly half of farmers can’t afford fertilizer.

“I have not seen anything that indicates demand is down 50% across the board. We’ve not seen those type of numbers. Nothing close to it. In fact, some people are starting to come back and say, I’ve actually been surprised how many more sales I’ve made,” he says.

No Fix to Fertilizer Prices for 2026 and 2027?

Scott, who is also secretary of the American Soybean Association, says that group has been urging the Commerce Department to take action and drop the countervailing duties (CVDs) on Moroccan phosphate imports into the U.S. He knows there isn’t a short-term fix to the fertilizer price increase, but that would help.

“We’ve been pressuring the administration to work on the the countervailing duties. There was a study that came out that said it costs farmers almost $7 billion last year in in extra cost for fertilizer,” he explains.

Last week, the Trump administration announced its plan to lower fertilizer prices, which includes a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into price fixing by U.S. fertilizer companies and clamping down on anti-trust enforcement. USDA data indicates four players control 75% of the fertilizer supplies in North America and represent a monopoly.

Linville begs to differ.

“Is there really a monopoly? No. A monopoly is a market controlled by one party. Oligopoly, that’s where the argument could be had. That’s a, you know, controlled by a few people. Again, I’m splitting hairs here, right? I think the verbiage is important to talk about,” he says.

However, he points out that fertilizer is a global market and prices are also influenced by global and geopolitical events such as those playing out right now in the Middle East.

Is Domestic Investment the Answer?

The Trump administration has also assembled a plan to uncover more critical mineral production and to provide investments into U.S. fertilizer facilities. However, Linville says fertilizer production manufacturing infrastructure is expensive and so it will take a long time to fix prices by expanding U.S. fertilizer production capacity.

As such, Linville thinks the near to record high prices for fertilizer will linger into the fall of 2026 and even the spring of 2027 for U.S. and farmers around the world.

“This will still have phosphate and nitrogen impacts on the price spring of ’27. I really struggle to see how we can solve this in such a short amount of time,” he adds.

Stealing the Farm: China Continues Raid of US Agriculture by Theft and Agroterror

Tue, 05 May 2026 11:49:51 GMT

China is stealing the farm. Real-time. Live action. Happening now.

The most devastating raid of agricultural technology in U.S. history has been underway for at least 25 years and continues at a blistering pace.

Case after case, year after year, brazen Chinese Communist Party (CCP) espionage continues. Yet, every federal prosecution highlights an undeniable truth—each bust is a pebble in a landslide of successful heists. Two new cases per day and 2,000 pending investigations, according to the FBI, many of those ag-related, all while CCP officials brazenly proclaim a theft policy of “picking flowers in foreign lands to make honey in China.”

Whether pinching product from research labs, digging rows in the heartland, masquerading as USDA-approved envoys, hiding seeds in carry-on luggage, mailing crop pathogens in panties, plane-hopping with trade secrets, or a litany of other heists, there’s always something new for the CCP to steal.

The ransacking of U.S. agriculture is on. Arguably, bigger and bolder than ever.

Adios From Wuhan
From 2014-2016, Jiunn-Ren Chen, a Chinese national, split time between Ankeny, Iowa, and St. Louis, Missouri, working under the Monsanto umbrella at The Climate Corporation (TCC). Good job and good life for a family man with a wife and daughter. More like good cover.

In late 2015, Chen contacted Sinochem China National Seed Corporation and requested employment. Sinochem, steered by the CCP, reciprocated. In May 2016, Chen flew to Beijing, met with Sinochem reps, and caught a flight back to the U.S. On June 1, he resigned from Monsanto/TCC, but kept hush-hush on the new job with Sinochem, insisting he was moving to China to be closer to extended family.

“If a gang of thieves tells you they are going to steal your farm, you should believe them,” says Col. John Mills.

(Photo public domain)

Later in the same day, June 1, Chen logged into TCC’s Google Drive account and downloaded six files. The following day, he downloaded two additional files. Further, between June 4-10, he downloaded 55 more files.

According to subsequent FBI testimony: The files downloaded by Chen after his resignation contained trade secrets and confidential proprietary information … Further analysis revealed that Chen had used his TCC email address to transmit confidential trade secrets and proprietary information to other email accounts on at least five occasions between approximately August 19, 2014 and February 14, 2015.

On August 19, 2016, Chen bought three one-way airline tickets to China. The next day, he, along with his wife and daughter, boarded an 11:30 a.m. flight out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, 63 files the richer. Adios.

By way of Shanghai, Chen disappeared in Wuhan. He was never caught. He was never criminally prosecuted.

Chen’s story is dime-a-dozen. In 2022, then FBI Director Christopher Wray described the level of CCP theft as “More brazen, more damaging than ever before.”

“When we tally up what we see in our investigations, over 2,000 of which are focused on the Chinese government trying to steal our information and technology, there is just no country that presents a broader threat to our ideas, our innovation, and our economic security than China … The Chinese government steals staggering volumes of information and causes deep, job-destroying damage across a wide range of industries, so much so that … we’re constantly opening new cases to counter their intelligence operations, about every 12 hours or so.”

“That theft, those threats,” Wray added, “are happening right here in America, literally every day.”
Col. (Ret.) John Mills , national security professional and former Director of Cybersecurity Policy, Strategy, and International Affairs at the Department of Defense, told Agweb in 2021: “The FBI woke up to this threat far too late, and now we are in very deep. It is the CCP’s goal to steal, glean, obtain, transcribe, and photograph anything of value from the U.S., and the agriculture sector is right at the top.”

Best Western Comforts
Multiple Chinese thieves and spies nabbed over the past decade offer a tiny glimpse behind the CCP’s espionage curtain and suggest ag theft on a vast scale.

• 2011: Mo Hailong, director of international business for Dabeinong Technology Group and a legal U.S. resident for 10 years, was spotted crawling through Iowa corn rows, pocketing biotech seed. The incident spurred a multi-year FBI investigation. Hailong and several CCP cohorts were arrested in 2013, boarding a plane for China. Hidden inside their luggage, under microwave popcorn bags and Subway napkins, were hundreds of seed samples. No matter: Hailong had already mailed over 1,000 lb. of seed corn (Pioneer and Monsanto) to Beijing. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

Mo Hailong’s prosecution was a tip-of-the-iceberg bust.

(Photo public domain)

• 2013: Weiqiang Zhang obtained a doctorate in rice genetics at LSU and got a job at Ventria, a Kansas-based biopharmaceutical corporation, as a seed breeder, where he stole seed samples representing $75 million in research. Zhang used USDA letterhead to send counterfeit invitations to six colleagues in China, welcoming them on a tour of Ventria and several more ag stops. The delegates made the rounds (including Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Ark., where Zhang’s main accomplice, Wengui Yan, worked as a geneticist) and were nailed just before flying home with hundreds of rice seeds in their bags, hidden inside envelopes slipped inside a Best Western remote control pouch and within the folds of an Arkansas Democrat Gazette newspaper. Zhang was sentenced to almost 10 years and Yan to one year.

Weiqiang Zhang, left, and Wengui Yan, nailed in an Arkansas/Kansas seed tech case.

(Photo public domain)

• 2017: Haitao Xiang worked for The Climate Corporation (Monsanto) estimating soil properties via satellite imagery. On May 24, 2017, Xiang announced his forthcoming resignation, and roughly two weeks later, on June 9, after completing an exit interview, downloaded a proprietary algorithm, the Nutrient Optimizer, onto an SD card, and drove from St. Louis to Chicago O’Hare. Xiang was caught at boarding with the SD card in a carry-on bag. He was allowed to leave for China; the FBI wasn’t certain, at that point, what was on the card. After a return to the U.S., in 2019, Xiang was arrested. Despite seizure of the SD card, Xiang presumably had stashed other copies of the Nutrient Optimizer, and possibly delivered those to CCP contacts. He was sentenced in 2022 to 29 months.

However, outright ag technology theft is only one facet of the CCP’s duplicity. Next up, agroterrorism.

Lie and Deny
In July 2024, Zunyong Liu, a plant pathology scientist from Zhejiang University, flew into Detroit from Shanghai on a tourist visa. He claimed to be on a vacation to visit his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan (UM) in Ann Arbor. (UM maintains roughly 4,000 Chinese students, roughly half the university’s foreign population.) Both halves of the loved-up couple had expertise with a nasty biological pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, a strain that causes head blight and annually inflicts billions of dollars in crop losses. Both had contributed to major academic papers on Fusarium.

Zunyong Liu’s four baggies of smuggled plant material.

(Photo public domain)

U.S. Customs officers gave Liu the squeeze—and out spilled a chain of lies and half-truths. He claimed to have no “work materials” with him, but inside a small pocket of Liu’s backpack, officers found crumpled tissues concealing a filter paper with a “series of circles drawn on it” and four plastic bags containing red plant fibers.

Liu doubled down, insisting on a setup, and claimed the material was planted in his carry-on. As investigators tightened the screws, Liu folded, admitting he was transporting Fusarium for research at UM.

While searching Liu’s iPhone, Customs agents found a pdf in a WhatsApp folder: 2018 Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions. The article referenced Fusarium as a destructive disease and pathogen for agriculture.

When FBI agents questioned Liu’s girlfriend, Jian , she denied all knowledge of Liu’s smuggling or intentions. She lied—repeatedly. As agents asked for her smartphone, Jian began “manipulating” the device as it was seized. The phone contained multiple communications with Liu (deported back to China) that had been wiped clean, but the remaining messages were damning and showed direct involvement in Liu’s illegal activity.

Yunqing Jian both knew about her boyfriend’s smuggling efforts, and had personally smuggled biological material into the U.S.

(Photo public domain)

Additionally, her phone contained a telltale work assessment form from January 2024 that included a pledge of loyalty to the CCP: I adhere to the four basic principles , support the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CCP), resolutely implement the party’s educational guidelines and policies, love education, care for students, unite colleagues, love the motherland, and care about national affairs…

Adding deep layers to the cake, Jian had personally smuggled biological pathogens into the U.S. on prior occasions, and had given another Chinese national, Xia Chen, explicit instructions in how to conceal and code pathogens in postal mail: “There are usually no problems. Rest assured. I have mailed these before.”

Pleasures and Pathogens
Days after the arrest of Yunqing Jian (sentenced to time served in November 2025 and deported to China), another Chinese national, Chengxuan Han, a scientist at a laboratory in Wuhan, was nabbed by U.S. Customs agents on June 8, 2025, at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after a flight from Shanghai. Han was traveling on a J1 work visa to do research at the University of Michigan, specifically at the lab of Professor Shawn Xu of the Life Sciences Institute.

Chengxuan Han: “Hello! This is a fun letter with interesting patterns. I hope you can enjoy the pleasure within it.”

(Photo public domain)

Why was she apprehended? Han mailed four packages, which she labeled as “plastic plates,” but which contained plasmids and petri dishes of C. elegans with genetic modifications (a nematode prohibited from import by USDA) from her Wuhan lab to the UM lab. The packages were intercepted by U.S. Customs. Inside one package was a book with a peculiar envelope slipped between the pages. The envelope held a handwritten note with 28 shapes and a “labeling scheme” for each shape. The note stated: “Hello! This is a fun letter with interesting patterns. I hope you can enjoy the pleasure within it.”

From the get-go, Han denied mailing any packages. Pressed by investigators, she then admitted mailing packages, but insisted the contents only included paper cups and a book. Later, Han acknowledged the biological material, but insisted it was part of a sequencing game she devised with clues given for each plasmid “for fun.”

Confronted with more evidence, Han fessed up, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI agent Edward Nieh: “Han admitted that she had sent packages containing nematode growth medium (NGM), in the petri dishes, and plasmids, in the envelope. Based on my training and experience, it is unlikely that the petri dishes contained solely NGM because NGM is readily available and inexpensive in the United States. CBP Officers conducted a manual review of Han’s electronic devices and found Han had deleted the content of her devices three days prior to her arrival to the United States.”

Han was sentenced to time served, roughly three months, and deported back to China—free to mail more pathogens to the U.S.

Scot-Free: Have A Nice Flight
Who, specifically, were the intended recipients of Han’s “fun” packages at the University of Michigan?

Enter three Chinese citizens, all research scholars holding J-1 visas at the Shawn Xu laboratory: Xu Bai, Fengfan Zhang, and Zhiyong Zhang. As soon as authorities made the connections, the threesome bailed.

On September 29, 2025, the trio was terminated by UM after refusing to participate in an internal investigation. Three weeks later, the men were arrested at JFK International Airport at the departure gate for a flight to Beijing.

The handwritten “matching game” of Chengxuan Han, along with one of eight smuggled petri dishes.

(Photo public domain)

Bottom line, despite the arrests, all three got away scot-free. In February 2026, DOJ dropped the case against Bai, F. Zhang, and Z. Zhang . Smuggling charges were dismissed at DOJ’s request. The three researchers flew home to China. “The dismissal came as a pleasant surprise,” stated John Minock, their attorney. “We don’t know the details. What we were told was there was some kind of intervention by the Chinese consulate in Chicago.”

Underwear of Man-Made Fibers
Generally, panties laced with E. coli, mailed 8,000 miles to a CCP plant pathology researcher in Indiana by a technology company in China, tend to draw U.S. Customs attention.

In June 2023, Youhuang Xiang, a card-carrying member of the Chinese Communist Party with a doctorate in plant physiology, received a J1 visa to study genome editing in wheat plants and resistance to fungal diseases at the Department of Biology at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington. Among his specialties: Fusarium graminearum.

On March 28, 2024, Xiang received a package from China. Per shipping documents, the package was listed as “Underwear of Man-Made Fibers, Other Womens,” and shipped by Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading.

Youhuang Xiang: Deported for smuggling biological material into the U.S. Ironically, Xiang (kneeling, far right) was a 2024 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum Poster Competition third-place winner.

(Photo U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative)

Tracked and questioned by U.S. Customs and the FBI, Xiang played innocent. Denial and more denial: I never worked for the CCP and if any of the labs I worked at in China were funded by the CCP, I don’t know anything about it.

The package, he initially declared, was merely a jacket. However, Xiang later admitted the “clothing” contained plasmid DNA derived from E. coli bacteria and was mailed to him for use in his research at IU. He pleaded guilty to smuggling E. coli and was sentenced to time served (four months) and deported.

And the band played on.

Midnight In Michigan
The funnel is in place. In a typical year, 250,000-300,000 Chinese students (roughly one-third of all foreign enrollees) attend U.S. universities, with almost all in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and all vetted by the CCP. “Every Chinese student who China sends here has to go through a party and government approval process,” a senior U.S. official told Reuters in 2018. “You may not be here for espionage purposes as traditionally defined, but no Chinese student who’s coming here is untethered from the state.”

A 2019 FBI report states “the vast majority of students and researchers from China are in the United States for legitimate academic reasons.” However, the FBI’s determination is damning, considering the “vast majority” potentially leaves tens of thousands in the active espionage category.

Camp Grayling, where five Chinese University of Michigan students were caught at midnight photographing military vehicles and facilities.

(Photo U.S. Army)

The FBI report also asserts: “the Chinese government uses some Chinese students … and professors to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property.”

“These Chinese scholars,” the analysis notes, “may serve as collectors, wittingly or unwittingly, of economic, scientific, and technological intelligence from U.S. institutions to ultimately benefit Chinese academic institutions and businesses.”

A cursory look at Chinese researcher/student espionage activity beyond agriculture, just over the past few years, is striking.

• In 2020, two Chinese University of Michigan master’s students, Jielun Zhang and Yuhao Wang , were apprehended while photographing military infrastructure at Naval Air Station Key West (NASKW), in Florida. Zhang was sentenced to a year in prison; Wang got nine months. Also, days prior to Zhang and Wang’s arrest, another Chinese national, Lyuyou Liao , was arrested at NASKW for entering and taking pictures, and sentenced to one year. (Significantly, another Chinese university student, Zhao Qianli , while on a summer exchange program in 2018, was caught photographing and videotaping at NASKW. He was sentenced to a year. His host university in the U.S. was not publicly disclosed.)

• Saw-Teong Ang, a University of Arkansas engineering professor, was indicted in 2020 for wire fraud after accepting U.S contracting funds related to NASA and the Air Force while making false statements and not disclosing CCP ties. Ang got a year in prison.

• Zhengdong Cheng, a professor at Texas A&M, was charged in 2020 with wire fraud for hiding relationships with Chinese corporations and universities, while accepting a NASA grant. Cheng was sentenced to time served after 13-month prison stint.

• Song Guo Zheng, a professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University, was sentenced to three years in an immunology fraud. After hiding affiliation with a CCP-influenced university, Zheng attempted to flee the U.S. in 2020, according to DOJ: “He was carrying three large bags, one small suitcase and a briefcase containing two laptops, three cell phones, several USB drives, several silver bars, expired Chinese passports for his family, deeds for property in China and other items.”

Zhengdong Cheng, a Texas A&M professor, was sentenced to time served after 13-month prison stint for hiding CCP relationships and obtaining grant money.

(Photos Texas A&M University)

• After Texas A&M University began questioning CCP influence at its lab facilities, and attempted to find out how many faculty members were involved with Chinese recruitment, the answer was stunning. From the Wall Street Journal , Jan. 30, 2020: “… they were astounded at the results—more than 100 were involved with a Chinese talent-recruitment program, even though only five had disclosed their participation.”

• Former University of Florida professor Lin Yang was indicted in 2021 for making false statements in 2019 regarding a $1.75 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Our indictment alleges that Yang engaged in acts of deliberate deception so that he could also further the research goals of the Chinese Communist government and advance his own business interests,” said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe. Yang fled the U.S. in 2019, prior to the indictment, and has not returned.

• In August 2023, five Chinese University of Michigan students (Zhekai Xu, Renxiang Guan, Haoming Zhu, Jingzhe Tao, and Yi Liang) were caught at midnight photographing military vehicles and facilities at Camp Grayling, a Michigan National Guard site. They graduated and left the U.S. before charges were filed in October 2024.

• In April 2026, Tianrui Liang, a Chinese university student visiting the U.S., was charged with photographing military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base, near Omaha, Neb. Liang said the pictures were for his “personal collection.” According to the FBI, Liang also drove to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota prior to his Nebraska stop. Liang is currently in federal custody.

And the kicker for U.S. agriculture? The number of CCP-approved Chinese students in U.S. colleges, according to the White House, is set to climb to 600,000 per year. Simple math: If the CCP taps a mere 1% for espionage and theft, that means 6,000 spies/moles on American campuses. Every percent higher means an exponential leap in technology thieves.

Coerce, Coopt, Compel
China openly flaunts its policy of theft. The CCP, in 2017, announced it would force all citizens and companies to steal trade secrets via a national intelligence law: “any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work” if directed. The blanket law includes students or researchers. Coerce, coopt, and compel.

The CCP has executed the most expansive technology heist in history, tapping all fields of U.S. industry, business, and production, including agriculture, as evidenced by a 2017 report by the U.S. Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimating a loss of $255 billion to $600 billion to the U.S. economy each year, and fingering China as the “principle IP infringer.”

“It is the CCP’s goal to steal, glean, obtain, transcribe, and photograph anything of value from the U.S., and the agriculture sector is right at the top,” says Col. John Mills.

(Photo public domain)

In 2019, Joe Augustyn, a 28-year veteran of the CIA, stated, “We know without a doubt that anytime a graduate student from China comes to the US, they are briefed when they go, and briefed when they come back.”

“They don’t just come here to spy ... they come here to study and a lot of it is legitimate,” Augustyn said . “But there is no question in my mind, depending on where they are and what they are doing, that they have a role to play for their government.”

Previously cited national security expert John Mills, echoes Augustyn. “It’s my opinion that many are either working for the Ministry of State Security (China’s CIA-FBI hybrid organization), and 100% are fully aware of their obligation to the CCP … Part of their presence here, granted with CCP permission, is a promise, often a quid pro quo, to assist the CCP in getting whatever is needed.”

“I’d say most all U.S. industries have been asleep, certainly including agriculture,” Mills adds. “The CCP gave us a blueprint and announced they were going to take over certain high-tech industries, and agriculture was right there on the list. They literally told the world what they were going to do. If a gang of thieves tells you they are going to steal your farm, you should believe them.”

Seed, digital tech, or machinery, the CCP has jammed fat fingers deep in the American ag pie. They play for keeps.

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Georgia Watermelon Heist Explodes into Epic Night of Pandemonium

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Cold-Busted: Frozen Deer Decoy Nabs Poachers and Cocaine in Spectacular Sting

Sticky Fingers: USDA Fraudster Steals $200M in Stunning Scam

Corteva Brands Seed And Genetics Business With New Name

Mon, 04 May 2026 21:34:00 GMT

Corteva announced on Monday that its advanced seed and genetics business, formerly operating under the placeholder “SpinCo,” will be branded as Vylor, Inc. The spin-off remains on track to become an independent company no later than the fourth quarter of 2026.

Corteva will continue to sell crop protection products – herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and biologicals.

For farmers who have spent decades planting Pioneer, Brevant and Hogemeyer branded seed products, the changes mark a massive consolidation of research and development power. Vylor will launch with a significant intellectual property portfolio, including more than 4,000 germplasm patents and 2,000 biotechnology patents, according to a Corteva press release.

Heritage Meets High-Tech

The branding is a deliberate nod to the past and the future of the American farm. The name “Vylor” is derived from valor, a tribute to the grit of U.S. farmers and workers who have helped “feed the world.”

Even the new logo carries a hidden meaning: the stylized “l” represents the shape of a single chromosome—the building block of the company’s genetics-first mission.

The company’s visual identity also honors its roots, using a color palette of green, maroon, and blue to pay homage to the Pioneer, Brevant, Hogemeyer and Corteva legacies.

A New Pipeline for the Field

Vylor isn’t just rebranding existing products, according to future Vylor CEO Chuck Magro. He says it is positioning itself to lead the next generation of “gamechanger” technologies. According to the announcement, farmers can expect a pipeline focused on:

Proprietary Hybrid Wheat: A long-sought breakthrough in wheat productivity.
Gene Editing Leadership: Faster development of traits to combat evolving pests and weather patterns.
Multi-Disease Resistance Corn: Reducing the reliance on over-the-top pesticide applications.
Next-Generation Biofuels: Expanding the profit potential of row crops beyond the food supply chain.

“Vylor traces its roots back a century, to a single idea: that innovation could transform agriculture,” Magro notes. “From food security to energy security... Vylor will be uniquely positioned to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges.”

Global Footprint

Vylor enters the market from a position of dominance, boasting the largest seed production network in the world, Corteva reports. The brands under its umbrella already hold No. 1 and No. 2 market share positions in nearly every global region they serve, backed by a history of world-record yields in corn and soybeans.

While the corporate structure is changing, Corteva says Vylor’s “north star” remains the same: leveraging scientific expertise to help farmers feed and fuel a growing population. As the separation nears its 2026 finish line, Vylor signals an aggressive intent to “vye” for new opportunities in row crops and beyond.

Watch this video to learn more about Vylor.

EPA Opens Public Comment Period On Draft Fungicide Strategy

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:19:42 GMT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering the U.S. public an opportunity to help shape the future of agricultural safety, unveiling a draft Fungicide Strategy designed to balance the needs of American farmers with the protection of the nation’s most vulnerable wildlife.

The proposal marks a significant step in the agency’s effort to meet its dual mandates under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). By creating a more efficient and transparent framework for pesticide registration, the EPA says it aims to “safeguard more than 1,000 federally endangered and threatened species” while ensuring growers maintain the tools necessary to protect the nation’s food supply.

A New Framework for Modern Farming

The draft strategy focuses on conventional agricultural fungicides across the lower 48 states — an area covering approximately 41 million treated acres annually. Rather than a one-size-fits-all mandate, the proposal introduces a three-step framework:

Identify Impacts: Assessing potential population-level effects on listed species.
Mitigation Planning: Pinpointing specific measures to reduce those risks.
Targeted Application: Determining exactly where these protections are most needed based on where endangered and threatened species live and how fungicides move through the environment.

The agency emphasizes that while this strategy guides future regulatory actions, it does not impose immediate requirements. Instead, the strategy serves as a roadmap for upcoming registration reviews, with the EPA promising public input on every specific action before it is finalized.

Balancing Innovation and Conservation

Saying that it recognizes farmers are the backbone of the U.S. economy, the EPA’s draft includes several updates to provide greater flexibility. Notably, the plan expands options for reducing spray drift buffer distances and introduces new mitigation tools, such as the use of “guar gum” as a spray adjuvant.

"[American farmers] need a diverse toolbox of innovative agricultural technologies to manage crop disease, prevent resistance, and produce the affordable, nutritious food that feeds our country,” the EPA says, in a press release. “The draft Fungicide Strategy is designed to ensure those innovative tools remain available and that they are used in ways that protect the environment and endangered species.

How to Get Involved

In a push for transparency, the EPA has opened a 60-day public comment period to gather feedback from scientists, conservationists, Tribal partners and the agricultural community.

Public Comment: Stakeholders can review the strategy and submit formal feedback via (Docket: EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-2973) through June 29, 2026.
Informational Webinar: The agency will host a public webinar on May 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET to walk through the proposal and answer questions. Register here .

The EPA expects to review all public input and finalize the Fungicide Strategy by November 2026.

Farmland Value Check: Midwest Class A Ground Sees Pullback, Water Security Redefines California’s Market

Mon, 04 May 2026 03:08:14 GMT

New data assembled by Realtors Land Institute (RLI), the National Association of Realtors Research Group and Acres, highlights fundamental trends driving the land market today. But this year’s Land Market Survey, which was augmented by research conducted by Acres, unveils two trends in farmland regarding quality and productivity ratings as well as other trends important in the business management of farmland.

First, Overall Land Trends

In addressing widespread concerns about a potential U.S. recession, Dr. Lawrence Yun Chief Economist and SVP of Research, National Association of Realtors emphasized that, despite recent oil price shocks and persistently low consumer sentiment, the U.S. economy is not on the brink of recession.

The survey details multiple industries and sectors in land use and values, and for 2025, In terms of price growth, the ranch category led with a 2.2% increase in dollars per acre, outperforming other land types. Industrial and recreational land also saw solid gains of 1.9% each, while other categories experienced moderate increases. Notably, Commercial Real Estate Data Analyst, Oleh Sorokin anticipates that while land sales will strengthen in 2026, the pace of price growth is expected to slow, with projected increases in the ranch category dropping to 0.9% per acre.

How Are Farmland Values Performing Differently?

The presenters highlight the energy price correlation as Farmland values and operational balance sheets are heavily tied to energy prices, as oil and gas drive both fuel costs and fertilizer prices.

“Tariffs are one that it’s kind of dwarfed now by the energy situation, but tariffs were a pretty big impact last year,” says Aaron Shew, chief technology officer at Acres.

With fuel input prices and fertilizer input prices highly driven by energy prices, those effects are being monitored closely both in terms of price hikes but also duration of elevated prices.

He continues, “Some of the energy challenges that we’re undergoing with the war in Iran and the blockade, Straits of Hormuz, I think that has the potential, maybe less in the broader real estate market, but for farmland specifically, that could have a pretty large impact, depending on how it resolves, how quickly that happens.”

What Are The High Interest Trends?

Shew’s research reveals two eye-catching farmland value takeaways.

1. Midwest Market “Pullback": Class A farmland in the Midwest is seeing a “mature” pullback of about 10% from the 2021–2022 peaks, while Class B ground remains slightly more resilient.

(Acres.com)

First Shew notes, 2021 and 2022 saw 1.5x to 2x the average number of land transactions. The highest value per acres sales during that time earned a lot of attention. What he refers to as “hype.”

“Particularly in Iowa and Illinois, where farmers were buying farms for $25,000 or $30,000 per acre. you have these outlier transactions. It’s very, very few, but they catch a lot of attention and that kind of pushes some land values up.”

He says that raised expectations that Class A—or the highest rated productivity ground—had reached a new plateau in values and wouldn’t go down.

But Shew notes, as of 2025, there’s been a 10% pullback from those ’21 and ’22 peaks. And that’s on the highest rated ground in terms of productivity.

Class B ground values have been more resilient.

2. In California, Water is Half Your Land’s Value

Looking at the data, Shew says in California, water security drives the value, particularly for permanent crops. Tier 1 districts with multiple water sources maintain high values, while “white space” (areas without district water) is seeing significant distress and land fallowing.

“A lot of people are already talking about water regulations, how water security plays a role, and, permanent crops have been under duress for close to three years now,” Shew says. “So that’s not new, but we’ve quantified the impacts regionally, and across ag districts, and by permanent crop type.”

The crops showing this trend in spades: almonds and pistachios.

“For Tier 1 districts, for almonds, you’re looking at $30,000 plus an acre. And then you go to Tier 2 districts, and you’ll see it around a little over $20,000 an acre. Outside of districts, it’s called white space and you’re actually at $13,000 per acre, which is almond ground being sold as bare ground—rip and replace.”

(Acres.com)

He says Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will mean that 500,000 to 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland will have to be fallowed or pulled out by 2040.

“So that’s about 10% of the farmland in California’s Central Valley, most of it in San Joaquin,” so we’re seeing some initial phases of that as we’ve seen tens of thousands of permanent crops come out in the past few years,” Shew says.

He adds, “Water regulatory bodies have put more pressure on farming in California. It’s just going to create a harsher environment for how water gets distributed and allocated.”

Resilience via Government Assistance

Programs such as the Farmers Bridge Assistance are preventing forced land sales by supporting farm operations, which keeps land values stable despite two years of challenging economics. He says we are reaching the tipping point in year three.

“Farm operations can be poor for a year or two and you’re not really going to see it show up in land values,” he says. “But we’re on a third year of this, and we’ve got other challenges that are fairly unprecedent at the same time, so there’s a lot to watch.”

“If you have to declare bankruptcy on your farm, 80% of most farm balance sheets is land, so that’s the large asset that’s going to get sold by the bank,” Shew says. “Government policies to provide support, The Farmers Bridge Assistance is the most recent one that probably plays the largest role, and it just helps farmers get to the end of ‘26, where hopefully balance sheets are in a good place.”

He’s also watching how the provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill come to bear this fall and at year end.

“Reference prices for, rice, in particular, is one that comes to mind. Those will take place and hopefully create some stability, but you have got to get to the end of the year.”

Transaction Volume Stabilization

Nationwide transaction volumes have returned to pre-pandemic (2018–2020) levels, though California is seeing an uptick in volume due to “distress sales” from owners who can no longer float the costs.

“The low interest rates ‘21 to 23, roughly created a great time for folks to invest in land. They wanted to deploy capital, and land is the definition of a real asset,” he says. “You had that boom, and then, of course, as rates went up in ’23 and ’24 and values stabilized at much higher levels, it turned off that capital allocation.”

(Acres.com)

National farmland transaction volumes in 2024 and 2025—transaction count, acreage turnover, and overall volume of dollars—is approximately the same as 2018 and 2020.

“Q4 of ‘21 and Q1 of ‘22, we saw three times the typical amount that would turn over,” he says. “So in Q4 of 2021, we saw 10 billion in farmland in one quarter—high volume and high values.”

While 2021 was the big, from a year-over-year standpoint, that began to fall back, by 20%, then 30%. He says the flattening from 2024 to 2025 is a bright spot to show overall stability.

“We’re not going to continue to see less transactions or lower sales volumes. We’re seeing that stabilize at a more consistent level alongside where interest rates are,” he says. “And presumably, if we see interest rates decrease, we will see that pick back up, and start what may be another cycle.”

You can download the full Market Values Report here.

The AI Advantage: How 1 Million Enrolled Acres in 10 Days Signals a New Era for Farm Financial Management

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:47:08 GMT

In a landscape where margins are tight and market volatility is the norm, the “rearview mirror” approach to farm accounting is no longer enough. On a recent episode of the Top Producer Podcast, Shay Foulk of Ag View Solutions sat down with Paul Neiffer to discuss how artificial intelligence and new software integrations are fundamentally changing what it means to manage a farm business.

The message is resonating. According to a recent announcement from the company, the newly launched Farm Profit Manager platform surpassed one million acres enrolled by producers in just 10 days—reaching 500 users across 23 states.

This milestone highlights a major shift in the industry: a move away from manual data entry and toward real-time management powered by AI. Here is what this digital evolution means for your operation.

Real-Time Decisions, Not Just Tax Records

Historically, farm financial tools were often just a place to store numbers for the end of the year. Foulk argues that the next generation of software is designed to help you make decisions today, not just analyze what happened last year.

“The tool will tell you numbers, you can get the numbers right seven ways to Sunday, but what matters is the decisions that you make out of it,” Foulk says. By moving away from rigid Excel spreadsheets to AI-driven platforms, farmers gain clear visibility into their true cost per acre and per unit.

Featuring 20 reporting tools, Farm Profit Manager generates your farm:

cash flow
balance sheet
lender report
and more

“These are things that farms would spend days doing or they just wouldn’t do, frankly,” Foulk says.

Breaking Down Barriers: The “No-Frills” Free Model

To ensure producers can control their numbers without expensive barriers, Ag View Solutions has made the core Farm Profit Manager platform available at no cost.

“Farmers have been asking for exactly this—a trusted, no-frills tool that doesn’t lock them into expensive subscriptions,” says Foulk. “In ten short days we have seen overwhelming confirmation that producers want control of their numbers without barriers.”

To save time on clerical work, the software offers optional paid integrations to automate the “meat and potatoes” of data entry via:

John Deere Ops Center (Machinery and field data)
QuickBooks Online (Financial records)
Plaid (Banking and transaction data)

Strengthening the Advisory Team

Lenders and market advisors famously dislike surprises. The ability to share specific, permitted data points instantly changes the dynamic of the advisory relationship.

“Think of the power that that can have to improve that relationship [with lenders],” Foulk points out. The platform is designed to help farmers connect their entire advisory team—from bankers to marketing advisors—to the same real-time data, enabling better-informed decisions for the business.

Building a “Virtual Board of Directors”

Perhaps the most innovative application is the use of AI agents to act as a sounding board. By uploading farm data into secure models, farmers can create specialized “agents” to provide feedback on HR, marketing, or CFO-level decisions.

“AI is kind of the next step in that progression in my opinion,” Foulk says. “It’s here. And you’re either using it or you’re not. Do you want to take your horse to school or do you want to drive an automobile? That’s where we’re at with AI.”

How to Get Started with AI

You don’t need a degree in computer science to begin using these tools. According to Foulk, the best way to stay competitive is simply to start experimenting.

“Stop Googling things is my recommendation,” Foulk advises. “Get into one of the tools—free version, 20 bucks a month, 100 bucks a month, I mean, whatever it is. Learn how they operate, learn how they can benefit your business.”

What’s on the Horizon?

The rapid adoption of Farm Profit Manager is just the start. The platform plans to expand internationally into Europe, Australia, and South America, with a livestock-focused version slated for release by 2027. An Enterprise version for agribusinesses is also in development to help firms support their producer clients directly.

Farm Business In 2026: Relationship First, Digital Convenience Second

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:48:23 GMT

Based on the 2026 State of the Farm data, farmers aren’t looking to replace their advisers with algorithms; instead, they want digital tools that remove the friction from the business side of their operation. The State of the Farm Report is prepared by Bushel with the goal of illuminating trends in three things:

Farmer tech use
Payment trends
Supply chain

The most recent survey had 1358 respondents, and here are some of the key takeaways for farmers and agribusiness.

Killing The Trope of The Technology Adverse Farmer

The survey has been conducted since 2018, first by FarmLogs, which was acquired by Bushel. As Julia Eberhart explains, the overall takeaway of the survey from every year has been farmers are not resistant to technology adoption.

“Year after year, we’ve tracked the same data point—farmers’ willingness to adopt tech. And overwhelmingly the data shows farmers are willing to adopt. But we still have this stereotype that agribusiness says farmers won’t use it. And we see across all age groups, we see a willingness to try new technologies,” she says.

Eberhart points to key tenets to pull out from the results in how farmers prefer to do business.

“It’s valuable to both agribusiness and farmers,” she says.

Artificial Intelligence Has Arrived

While in early days of adoption, the survey proves farmer use of AI has broken through with 14% of respondents say they use AI tools on the farm today.

“20% of who said yes, had more than 5,000 acres,” Eberhart says explaining that perhaps larger scale operations are adopting the technology at an earlier pace. Adoption of AI is highest for respondents under 60 years old.

Using AI is an indicator for tech-savvy farmers as 70% of AI users from the study are also “willing to experiment with new technologies,” compared to 42% of the other respondents.

And 11% of respondents say they are unsure, which Eberhart could be a reflection of farmers acknowledging how AI is embedded in much of the software they use but they don’t directly engage with the AI.

What Does This Mean for Ag Service Providers?

Per the State of the Farm, technology enhances but does not replace relationships, interactions, and payments/transactions.

“It’s about how to make doing business easy,” Eberhart says.

She says to win the farmer’s business in 2026, ag retailers must empower their agronomists with tools to build loyalty, offer a mobile or web platform so farmers can easily review prices and quotes on their own time, and provide flexible, integrated financing options alongside traditional check payments.

The Differentiator Lies in the Relationship

In 2025, when Bushel asked “If the price is equal, what is the primary reason you purchase inputs from one retailer over another?”, 52.3% pointed to the “Relationship with staff & overall customer service.” In 2026, that number jumped up 8% to nearly 60%.

If you’re assuming younger farmers only want to interact through screens, the data shows the opposite–85% of farmers under 40 cite the relationship with the staff and overall customer service as their primary reason for choosing a retailer—the highest of any demographic.

Another demographic-driven trend is farms over 2,000 acres show a higher preference for text messaging and digital business. However, farms less than 500 acres show a preference to handle business in person.

In-Person Trust Bridged with Digital Convenience

“Farmers are more willing to share data than they themselves recognize,” Eberhart says. “Year after year, data sharing is rooted in who provides value, what relationship they are having, and who is providing easier ways to be sharing it.”

Farmers are most likely to share data when applying for a loan, with their bankers and accountants, as well as crop insurance providers.

“Those three are by far they are getting the most data sharing for good reason,” Eberhart says.

When it comes to input purchasing and service orders with ag retail, there is a nuanced shift. Farmers still highly value talking to their agronomist, but they want the actual transaction process to be much easier.

Digital Quoting

The end goal of “frictionless business” includes the final checkout. The Bushel research points out while the preference for how a farmer submits their order has remained relatively stable year-over-year, their expectations for what happens before the order has changed.

“Farmers are increasingly adopting digital tools to manage their broader operation, and they are bringing those consumer-level expectations to their retailer,” Eberhart says.

As such, farmers are seeking:

Customized quotes
Product availability transparency
Price comparison tools

And much of that product information available when convenient to them on a portal or a digital storefront.

Support Traditional Payments While Expanding Financing

Eberhart says the State of the Farm has shown how 80% of agribusiness and farmer transaction is done by paper check.

“Over the years, we’ve seen steady growth of digital tools, and reliance on checks being reduced by 1% to 2% every year,” she says.

She says this emphasizes to meet farmers where they are at while simultaneously making it easier for staff to have simplified processes.

Two other financial trends have been in retail supplied financing and farmer credit card use—illustrating how farmers are seeking flexible payment options and new financing or credit programs.

In 2022, over 20% of farmers said they used a credit card to pay for their crop inputs, which fell to 8% in 2024, and then most recently in 2026 2.6% of farmers said they used credit cards.

At the same time, ag retailer financing products have doubled their use since 2022—going from 4.5% to 9%. And 17.3% of farmers said in 2026 they were using operating lines of credits for input purchases.

Key to Business in 2026

Per the Bushel report, the winning formula for ag service providers in 2026 and beyond is clear: Use digital tools to handle the paperwork so your team has more time to handle the handshake.

No Consent: Tennessee Farmer Defeats TVA Energy Giant in Property Rights Battle

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:47:31 GMT

Come hell or high water, utility companies rule farmland. Power lines talk and farmers walk.

“Not this time,” says John Gregory. “We’re not selling and we’re not giving way.”

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intended to carve a pole-and-wire corridor through Gregory’s 650 acres—a 239-year-old historic family farm founded at the close of the American Revolution.

“They thought they could run over us, but this is the age of digital and social media,” he says. “They didn’t expect for the public to find out what they were doing and they didn’t expect farmers to have a voice.”

Cheapest and Fastest
Thirty miles northeast of Nashville, John and Kaytlin Gregory, alongside John’s father, Robert “Frosty” Gregory, background steers, and grow corn and soybeans, outside Gallatin, in Sumner County, Tennessee. In addition to direct-to-consumer beef, pork, and chicken, Kaytlin runs a booming farm school and homeschool program, bringing in elementary kids from the Nashville metro to learn the basics of row crops, livestock, pollination, wildlife, weather, and nature. She barely keeps up with demand: First started in 2023 with 30 kids, the hands-on sessions now draw 300-plus participants.

“Families who preserve their property are the ones who get penalized because eventually the utility companies or the government can take advantage of what you saved,” says John Gregory.

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

“For some of these kids, it’s the only exposure they get to agriculture and the outdoors during their entire childhoods,” Kaytlin explains.

“That’s what has always been done on this farm ,” John adds. “Find a way to meet a need and provide for our community. We’ve done it for almost 240 years.”

Sincerely. In 1787, Revolutionary War veteran Joseph Wallace, of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, earned 640 acres for his militia service. Family in tow, he crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and settled in Sumner County. Nine generations of full-time farmers later, his direct descendants still work the land.

“That’s who we are,” John says. “But our survival was put under threat from a power line.”

A TVA line was set to cross the Gregory’s farm pastures and woods with a 100’ right-of-way, balding the ground and essentially erasing farm school.

“It would destroy what we do and what we’ve worked so hard to build,” Kaytlin says. “TVA proposed 10 posts with guidelines across the farm. All vegetation and trees removed in the corridor, and that means they’d take out the exact trail and creek crossing and education area we use for farm school.”

“It was all so unnecessary,” John says. “This is not about the inconvenience of farming around a light pole. This is about tearing up the entire way our farm works. They can easily go another way, and everyone knows it. This is not the way to treat people.”

“TVA assumed we would all do exactly as we were told,” says Kaytlin Gregory. “It works for them everywhere else, but not this time.”

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

“Families who preserve their property are the ones who get penalized because eventually the utility companies or the government can take advantage of what you saved,” he adds. “They see a wide-open parcel on a map and roll in because it’s the cheapest and fastest route.”

Significantly, TVA promotes itself as a model of “environmental stewardship,” a claim John dismisses. “TVA wanted to plow through our 239-year-old farm to run power to a mega-development with over 1,000 houses stacked on top of each other and destroy the land we use to teach kids about the outdoors, animals, and agriculture. That is TVA’s idea of environmentalism?”

Making Noise
The proposed power line first poked the Gregory property in spring of 2024 via a snail-mail letter from TVA. Paraphrased: A power line is coming via multiple potential routes, and your land may or may not be in one of those routes.

“They had a public forum in May to come by and voice your opinion,” John notes. “They also had it open online to make comments. That was it. After the forum, everything went silent. I didn’t think any more about it.”

“Your farm or private land will be next, so don’t be afraid to speak out and expose what these companies do,” says John concludes. “You’re no longer a voice in the wind.”

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

Three months later, on August 25, a TVA surveyor pulled up to the Gregory farm shop, according to John, and stated, “I’m here to survey where the power lines are coming across and I need permission.”

The surveyor showed John where the lines would run across the farm: “I could see right away it would ruin everything me and Kaitlyn had worked on, plus the rest of the farm. Seemed like this just couldn’t be happening.”

The chain of process was in motion. Survey. Historical study. Ecological study. In mid-January 2025, TVA workers placed stubs precisely where permanent poles would be stationed.

“By this point, there was yet to be a TVA representative set foot on the farm or even a letter in the mail talking about buying the easement or purchasing the easement,” John recounts. “Every time they came to do something, my dad asked to speak to somebody in charge and he’d get the same answer, ‘That’s further up the token pole. I’m just here to do a job.’”

Frosty’s patience was gone. He demanded a TVA official high in the brass. “Finally, a TVA engineer called my dad, and he told the guy about our farm school and what a power line would do to our farm school.”

“TVA knew the power line would put an end to our agriculture education programs,” says Kaytlin. “They knew farm school was a crucial part of our farm.”

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

The engineer, according to John, insinuated that farm school was a “made-up” cover, and insisted on proof of its existence.

Kaytlin responded with online links, signup information, and social media videos as proof of the farm school’s wide outreach and success. “TVA knew the power line would put an end to our agriculture education programs,” she contends. “They knew farm school was a crucial part of our farm. They knew our farm was in continuous operation since the Revolutionary War. They just didn’t care.”

“My dad reached out to the TVA guys again and again,” John explains. “That’s when they shut the door and said, “No. There’s nothing we can do.”

John, Katylin, and Frosty were supposed to roll. “No way,” John adds. “That’s when we started to make noise.”

All Hands on Deck
Initially, the Gregorys put crosshairs on a single goal: Get one particularly imposing pole removed and pray that farm school could still function.

The Gregory family alongside country music artist John Rich, second from right, a major proponent of private property rights.

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

“Didn’t work,” John says. “They wouldn’t talk to us about it. Not even a single pole off the table.”

All hands on deck. John and Kaytlin began making calls, pleading for help: TVA reps, engineers, state legislators, congressmen, media. Anyone. Everyone.

They cranked out a petition and spoke out in social media videos, hoping to gain attention.

And then some. They caught the eyes and ears of a heavyweight country music star and songwriter. Enter an irate John Rich, a major league advocate of property rights, who ran their story up the viral flagpole : The Gregory Family does NOT CONSENT to the @TVAnews running transmission lines across their 239 year old, Revolutionary War Era farm. Thank you @jeremymansfield for ringing the bell! I call on @SecRollins and @USDA to look into this ASAP.

(In 2025, Rich led successful grassroots opposition to a proposed TVA power plant in Cheatham County , Tennessee. In February 2026, he was appointed as a citizen advocate by USDA to help roll out the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework , aimed at countering ag lawfare.)

“Well, wouldn’t you know?” John recalls. “Almost instantly, TVA called telling my dad that they’d move that single pole anywhere on the farm so they could come across.”

Frosty responded with a line in the sand: I’m not agreeing to that. No consent. We don’t want this power line.

The Gregorys had found their voice.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears
“Publicly, TVA pretended our opposition was the first they’d heard about any of this,” Kaytlin explains.

Significantly, TVA released statements claiming ignorance regarding Gregory family resistance to the power line: “TVA has been working directly with Mr. Robert Gregory, the landowner, for several months and this concern had not previously been raised.”

Gregory Family Farm has been in operation since 1787.

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

“Not true,” Kaytlin counters. “We’ve got texts to prove otherwise. Frosty was against the line from the start, but they wouldn’t listen or let him talk to anyone up high. They never came around to have conversations with surrounding landowners. It’s very clear: TVA assumed we would all do exactly as we were told. It works for them everywhere else, but not this time. This was never about anything except protecting our farm.”

Money played no role, she explains. As in, there was no holdout or hope for a big payout. “Money. Money. Money. That’s comical,” she exclaims. “We’ve broken our backs with blood, sweat, and tears to keep this farm going. That’s what we care about and that’s why its lasted for 240 years. We’re not selling, period.”

“My dad’s been approached close to 10 times in the last 15 years to sell this whole place,” John echoes. “The plans went from industrial stations to housing developments. Every time, the people making those offers left with hat in hand. We’ve been here too long to sell. Some people see the dollars and don’t understand what I’m saying. Those people never will understand.”

In March 2026, with public discontent at full-bore, TVA ended the power line cut across Gregory Family Farm, choosing a different route.

A TVA spokesman told Agweb.com: “There was significant objection to a TVA-proposed route impacting the more than 200-year-old farm owned by the Gregory family. TVA has agreed not to pursue that route … TVA is exploring other options for the transmission line route, which would more closely follow existing rights of way.”

Additionally, TVA contends a newly-formed “Landowner Task Force,” including several farmers, will offer future input on energy projects.

Backbones of steel. John and Kaytlin Gregory.

(Photo by Gregory Family Farm)

The Gregorys are hopeful regarding TVA’s change of direction, but wary. Without the “noise” made by Kaitlyn and John, there would be TVA poles and wires across Gregory Family Farm . Instead, the Revolutionary War-era farm is in full operation, and farm school is in session.

“Your farm or private land will be next, so don’t be afraid to speak out and expose what these companies do,” John concludes. “You’re no longer a voice in the wind.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Family Farm Wins Historic Case After Feds Violate Constitution and Ruin Business

County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

One of North America’s Largest Farms Files for Financial Protection, Is Restructuring

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:50:01 GMT

Earlier this week, Monette Group, which farms more than 400,000 acres in Canada and the U.S. filed for financial protection and is restructuring.

The company filed for creditor protector in Canada via the Companies’ Creditor Arrangement Act (CCAA) and filed Chapter 15 in Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

The Cost of Expansion: Efficiency Erosion and the Leverage Trap

The group’s recent financial trajectory highlights a cautionary tale of aggressive, debt-fueled expansion meeting a volatile economic climate. While the organization successfully scaled its footprint and top-line revenue over the last several years, operational efficiency and debt sustainability have reached a critical breaking point. [all dollars are Canadian]

The Era of Aggressive Growth (2017–2022)
Driven by substantial borrowing, the Group underwent a massive scale-up, growing revenue from $45 million to $198 million and expanding its cultivated land from 97,000 to 269,000 acres. While total EBITDA initially followed this upward trend, the underlying efficiency—measured by EBITDA-per-acre—began to signal trouble, dropping significantly from its 2015 highs.
Operational Headwinds and Margin Compression (2024–Present)
The transition into 2024 saw revenue climb to a record $347 million across 440,000 acres, yet profitability decoupled from growth. Diversification into produce and cattle, intended to broaden the portfolio, instead acted as a drag on the bottom line. By 2024, EBITDA-per-acre plummeted to a decade low of $83—a nearly 50% decline. This downward trend was exacerbated in 2025; despite a projected $72 million EBITDA, actual earnings reached only $31 million due to a “perfect storm” of poor crop prices, high input costs, and yield losses.
The Sustainability Crisis
The group’s reliance on cheap capital (approximately 3% interest rates) and rising real estate valuations proved successful in a low-rate environment. However, the convergence of flat property values, persistent inflation, and high interest rates has rendered the current capital structure unsustainable. Despite holding significant underlying asset value, the group is now overleveraged, with compressed margins leaving little room to service debt or maintain liquidity.

What Is Monette Group?

Since 2010, Monette Group has been aggressively expanding from its family farm in Saskatchewan to Manitoba and British Columbia in Canada. Current President Darrel Monette took over the family farm in 2013. In 2019, the company expanded into the U.S. first in Montana and then Arizona and Colorado. The company’s website says its core values are: teamwork, efficiency, growth and ‘get shit done.’

With its expansion and diversification, the business expanded into four main brands:

Monette Farms: growing pulses, wheat, corn, sugar beets, barley, and alfalfa in Canada and the U.S.
Monette Produce: with growing locations in California, Arizona and Canada
Monette Cattle: ranches located in Saskatchewan and British Columbia
Monette Seeds: located in Saskatchewan in partnership with NexGen Seeds

The 18 business entities of Monette Group employ between 300 and 600 people, depending on the season.

Grain production, primarily canola, wheat and durum accounted for over 60% of group revenue in 2024 and more than 50% in 2025. Grain operations dominate the Canadian footprint with 68% of the group’s production occurring in Canada.

Fresh produce operations are primarily located in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, with significant fall and winter production in Arizona. In 2025, produce accounted for approximately 15% of group revenue. Crops include carrots, squash, broccoli, cabbage, pumpkin, cauliflower and watermelon. The group’s produce is mainly sold to Loblaws and the Little Potato Company.

Cattle ranching accounted for approximately 10% of revenue in 2024 and 17% in 2025. Cattle ranching operations focus on Black and Red Angus cattle, including herd breeding in British Columbia and feedlots across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Seed processing accounted for 19% of revenue in 2024 and 16% in 2025.

Its main crops 10 years ago were green and red lentils, durum, canola and malting barley.

According to the company’s website, Monette Farms’ newest addition is west of Phoenix, Arizona. It’s a certified organic farm and headquarters to Monette Seeds USA.

What Monette Farms Has Said

President Darrel Monette has penned a letter sent to landowners and leasing partners as well as a press release distributed with general counsel as the point of contact. Both are dated April 21, 2026.

In both Monette says this process will allow them to stabilize finances, restructure debt, and continue operating.

The letter read: “This filing is a proactive response to current industry pressures (higher input costs, higher interest rates, and tighter credit) and is not a liquidation.”

It continued: “We are working with our advisors and a court-appointed Monitor to develop a restructuring plan for credit and court approval.”

Per a company press release, the day-to-day farming activities, spring seeding and livestock care are continuing as planned. The release also said all employees are being retained at this time.

The Assets of Monette Group

According to its 2025 financial statements, the group has $1.24 billion of total assets booked at cost (and not reflective of market value.)

As of April 12, 2026, the group owns 274,000 acres of land. In the U.S. Monette owns 61,700 acres in Arizona, Montana and Colorado.

For crop production, it leases 175,000 acres in Canada and 43,000 acres in the U.S. with annual total lease payments of $29.4 million. For its cattle business, Monette holds grazing licenses on 1.2 million acres of land in Canada.

The group owns three seed processing facilities in Canada.

It leases more than 1,700 separate units of farm equipment, with 1,600 units leased from John Deere Financial. Annually, the group spends $26 million on leased equipment.In 2023, it was newsworthy when the business transitioned from Case IH equipment to John Deere equipment in a reported $100+ million deal.

What Else Is There To Watch?

Monette Group is one of the largest privately held farming operations in North America.

The timing of this filing is critical for the farm to put in a 2026 crop. In the CCAA filing, Monette Group said its seed expenses are $40 million per year. To get set up for seeding, Monette’s operations may receive 41 truck loads of product a day (nearly 15,000 truck loads a year).

The main filing is in Canada with proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) as part of a court-supervised restructuring process. From here is a process by which Monette will work with a court-appointed monitor to develop a restructuring plan for creditor and court approval.

The Chapter 15 filing asks the U.S. court to recognize the Canadian CCAA proceeding as the “foreign main proceeding” which can extend the protection of U.S. assets. It also prevents U.S. creditors from taking legal action such as seizing assets or filing lawsuits.

In the CCAA document, it is stated Monette Group held a $950 million secured credit facility dated December 5, 2018, which matured on April 15, 2026. Repayment of the obligations owing to the syndicate of lenders is a necessary component of the group’s overall restructuring strategy.

The CCAA filing comes after Monette per the guidance of its lending syndicate to sell assets. Two tracts were sold in 2025: in Regina, Saskatchewan for $41.18 million and 17,000 acres of land in Montana for $47.5 million. Additional sales were attempted this this winter, but with only one completed sale of 12,932 acres of farmland in the Stewart Valley of Swift Current, Saskatchewan for $54 million.

In the affadavit, Monette says a restructuring and selling of assets by the court appointed monitor is important to provide an orderly sale of assets and not cause a bulk liquidation which could result in lower values.

The farm has been active on social media:

Why Traceability is Table Stakes in the Grain Business

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:48:45 GMT

With recently announced guidance from the Department of the Treasury, to support the documentation of agricultural production required to participate for Section 45Z tax credits, Bushel and Verity have integrated their on-farm data, sustainability modeling and compliance platform. Kimberly Bowron, president of Verity, and Jake Joraanstad, CEO of Bushel, explain what’s next for traceability in the grain business.

Lessons From The Field

Bowron says the pilot project at Gevo’s ethanol facility in Richardton, North Dakota, helps to illustrate the opportunities that are unfolding and how it will effect the entire supply chain. Its “farm-to-flight” program included 500,000 acres being loaded into the program with the farm-level attributes.
When it comes to farmer engagement in programs, she says it really boils down to three things:

Eliminate Duplicate Paperwork: Streamlining the administrative burden.
Data Sovereignty: Ensuring data is protected and ownership remains with the farmer.
Economic Clarity: Providing a clear, transparent financial upside.

“We’re learning that workflow is everything. And so if it feels like there’s extra admin work and uncertain payoff, participation sort of slows down. But if we can be clear about all of those things, then growers are very engaged,” she says. “I think another takeaway is just trust. Farmers really want to know exactly who’s seeing their data, so we like to be transparent about how that’s being used. And that transparency isn’t really optional for us. We want to be clear about the economic opportunity and the adoption.”

Bowron shares the supply sheds around the biofuels producer will be driven by the evolution of these programs, the value presented to the farmers, and how market-based opportunities continue to expand including carbon intensity, scope 3 emissions and more. But the common undercurrent empowering the conversation of what’s possible is transparency.

Joraanstad says traceability was once a long time ‘scary’ word in the grain business because of the difficulty in delivering the full origination of a kernel of corn through the supply chain.

“It just wasn’t practical,” he says. “But if you’re a biofuels plant in the future, if you can’t do this then you’re going to be losing to those who can.”

It’s the intersection of the real dollars of cents potential of tax deducations such as 45Z plus the technology advancing the digitization of records putting this new mandate on how to stay competitive and profitable.

“This has been a long time coming,” Joraanstad says. “But the truth is that all of the previous discussion around what data is required, there was a lot of voluntary effort, and let’s call it the first version of all of this effort.”

For the biofuels producers, Bowron says the digitization not only provides participation for the carbon credits or tax deductions but also the specialized markets.

“Verity’s real role is to take all that farm-level data, translate that into a field CI (Carbon Intensity), and then take that CI and attach it to a gallon in an ethanol plant,” Bowron says. So that you have a CI that attaches to that gallon. We also think about this in terms of different attributes, like practice attributes. ‘This gallon can go to Canada because it’s got all those attributes; this gallon can go to California.’”

While the 45Z guidance is helping proving an outline for the potential, it’s a whole new chapter. And one that is still being written. The final rule isn’t expected to be released before June.

“We’re still wanting some better final answers as we’re going through this,” Jooranstad says. “But now all of us can act with some confidence that that’s true and this is a requirement and it’s not just a hope and a dream.”

Both industry leaders says it’s important to note how 45Z works, especially that it’s the biofuel producer receiving the tax credit.

“This isn’t like an EQIP program. There’s no direct USDA payments that are happening. And for an ethanol plant, it’s actually a lot of work,” Bowron says. “They can’t sell the value of that tax credit for the headline price.”

The ‘hidden costs’ for ethanol plants include:

Discounted Value: Credits are often sold at 90-95% of face value.
Overhead: Costs include broker fees, legal counsel, and insurance wraps for audit protection.
Delayed Realization: Benefits are filed with taxes and often not realized until a year later.

Hear more from these industry voices in the latest Scoop Podcast.

Who Was the Lady in Red? Farm Mystery Lingers Over Woman in Iron Coffin

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:54:52 GMT

Her corpse was impossibly preserved, as if merely sleeping. At the crack of a coffin’s seal, after over 100 years beneath the fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta, the Lady in Red emerged.

On a picturesque spring day in 1969, with heat rising and sun climbing over the low-lying flats of Egypt Plantation in Holmes County, Bob Hardeman and Willie Williams dared to peek inside an exquisite cast-iron coffin unearthed by chance, a stone’s throw from the languid flow of the Yazoo River. As a sickly-sweet scent of alcohol lingered, the pair stared in shock at the flawless face of a young woman dead since the mid-1800s.

Clad in the finery of a red dress, black-buckle shoes, and white gloves, with dark hair contrasted against pale skin, the woman’s immaculate condition—as if buried the day before—was a physical phenomenon. Arms crossed gracefully across her breasts, the Lady in Red, nestled inside a pharaonic coffin topped by a glass viewing window, was an absolute enigma.

A woman of means, interred in high style, yet with no headstone, marker, or memory. No trace of legend or lore. The once beautiful woman, pickled in alcohol, had been placed within an ornate iron maiden off the sloped banks of the Yazoo and forgotten, until 1969. A Mississippi mummy, encased in a sarcophagus, hidden on a farm.

Welcome to a profound mystery laced with ghosts and gothic. The Lady in Red still whispers.

A Velvet Woman in Liquid
Fifteen miles below Greenwood and 35 miles above Yazoo City, tucked on the eastern edge of the Delta, just off Highway 49E, several miles down a gravel straight, Egypt Plantation sits frozen in time. Flanked by the Yazoo River and fronted by endless rows bedded in cotton production, it’s hard to find a more Southern place on earth.

The Yazoo River, the likely means of transport for the Lady in Red, pictured directly behind Egypt Plantation.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

Cypress and magnolia trees, several old homes, alongside farm buildings and machine sheds, all cluster around what once was Egypt’s hub—a namesake-bearing commissary building, now serving as the office of retired patriarch Jim Thomas. Across a career split between law and agriculture, Thomas farmed roughly 7,500 acres before hanging up his boots in 2024.

“This place was first settled and cleared starting in 1835,” explains Thomas, a repository of his family’s rich, layered agriculture history spanning generations. “My grandfather bought it in 1919, and it was a wonderful place to grow up for me as a boy.”

Raised onsite with two brothers, Thomas spent a childhood swimming the Yazoo and working summers in the rows of Egypt, never suspecting a mystery under his feet. Off to college in Oxford, Thomas received a bizarre phone call while at Ole Miss, in April 1969.

“That’s when they found her, about 100 yards from the river’s edge, or maybe even a little closer,” he recalls. “I got a call telling me my uncle, Bob Hardeman, dug up an iron coffin in the middle of our farm, a few feet below the ground directly beside the house where my grandparents had lived. Inside the coffin was a woman in liquid.”

Egypt Plantation’s bell once rang across Delta fields, summoning farmhands.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

The Greenwood Commonwealth, in a 1969 article, offered a description: “She wore a red velvet dress, white gloves and had the face described as that of a young girl.”

“Her physical condition was unbelievable,” Thomas echoes. “Couldn’t have been and shouldn’t have been, but it was so. People got rattled. You have to understand: She was perfectly preserved.”

Macabre Marvel
April 24, 1969. On a clear Thursday morning with temps set to tap 80 F, Willie Williams was running a backhoe at Egypt Plantation. He was a master operator, highly adept with boom and bucket.

At roughly 10 a.m., Williams was on task, digging into a vegetable garden to install a line for a septic tank only feet from Hardeman’s home, the same dwelling previously occupied by Thomas’ grandparents. As Williams clawed dirt at a depth of 3-4’, the bucket lurched when steel teeth caught iron.

The exact spot where the Lady in Red was found, looking at the fields of Egypt Plantation.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

Surprised and cautious, Williams shut down the machinery, looked into the hole, and saw exposed metal. “He was a very capable worker; very good at what he did. He caught the corner of the casket, and he knew that whatever he hit wasn’t supposed to be there,” Thomas explains.

Williams had unearthed an outrageously heavy coffin shaped to human form, just under 5’ in length, featuring an oval or octagonal glass window at head height—a viewing porthole. The ½”-thick glass had shattered on impact.

“He got a shovel and dug around the edges,” Thomas says. “At some point, whether or not he saw anything in the coffin, I don’t know, but he went to get help and my uncle, Bob Hardeman, came to see.”

Thomas’ narrative is bolstered by Hardeman’s recollection. Presumably, Hardeman was planting seed when Williams found the coffin. “I was in the field,” Hardeman told the Commonwealth in April 1995. “The straw boss, K.P. Rooks, who is now deceased, called me on the radio after Willie Williams hit the coffin. I called the sheriff. I got there within 30 minutes, I’d say. The body had not deteriorated; there was no odor.”

Jim Thomas kneels beside the location where a backhoe cracked the Lady in Red’s coffin, now beside a tennis court, just beyond the Yazoo’s banks.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

Prior to the arrival of Holmes County Sheriff Carl Moore, Hardeman and Williams could see a body in the coffin via a gash in the metal box, according to Thomas. “The casket hadn’t broken open, but they could see the body by a big tear in the corner,” he says. “I don’t know if the glass was visible at that point. The casket had been filled with liquid, a preservative of some kind, and I’d guess it was alcohol, but it poured out.”

Again, Thomas’ narrative matches with Hardeman’s description, recounted to Leflore Illustrated in 2016: “It hit that thing and pulled the side off, just like a sardine can,” Hardeman noted. “It pulled the side off the coffin, and the body slipped out a little bit.”

“I did take a fair look at it, but you don’t want to look at something like that too long.”

April 1969 newspaper headlines on the Lady in Red.

(Photo public domain)

The scene was surreal. Black man and white man staring at the translucent cadaver of a woman in red velvet, all set against a canvas of mocha Delta soil. Her hair color would range in subsequent news reports as brown, black, and auburn.

Roughly an hour after Williams found the coffin, Sheriff Moore arrived. In the presence of Hardeman, Moore opened the coffin, confirming a macabre marvel—the Lady in Red, estimated in age from early 20s to early 30s.

Quoted the next day by the Commonwealth, Hardeman’s wife, Eleanor, recounted the moment: “I did not see the body myself, but my husband described her as a young, white girl with long brown hair, dressed in a red velvet dress. Her hands were crossed at her chest and she had on white gloves. She was amazingly well preserved.”

However, nature’s clock was ticking. For the first time in over 100 years, the Lady in Red was exposed to the elements.

Moore did not delay: “Frankly, the odor was so peculiar, I did not look for very long,” he told the Commonwealth. “We did notice a scent of alcohol and believe the possibility that the body was preserved in alcohol at the time of burial.”

A recent discovery of a Fisk burial coffin, similar to the Lady in Red’s casket.

(Photo public domain)

After only 90 minutes of exposure to mild heat, time caught up to the Lady in Red, per Hardeman: “Back out there, the body had deteriorated greatly in the hour and a half. She’d turned black, and the odor was awful.”

Bottom line, Moore decided on immediate reburial of the Lady in Red until official legal channels determined a correct interment course. Back into Egypt’s ground she went.

Planted at Odd Fellows
The Thomas family was shocked. A time machine buried in a vegetable garden?

“Where did she come from and who was she?” Thomas asks. “We had a farm cemetery, but it was half-a-mile away. My grandparents had lived in that house beside where she was found, but the structure dated back before the Civil War.”

A post-Civil War funeral business advertisement announcing arrival of Fisk coffins.

(Photo public domain)

“We started asking questions of anyone and everyone, and going through all the previous owners. We checked records going back to that section and title in 1835. Nothing. Not the smallest hint of who she was. It just made things all the stranger, because people were scared and shook up over it. When you’ve got no records to on, then start with the clothing she wore.”

Her garments spoke of money and position.

Her dress, as detailed by the Commonwealth: “The woman has been described as wearing red velvet with a cape covering and blanket of striped ticking.”

“The folds of the garment which gave the Lady in Red her name, were shreds, but at one time were a beautiful brocade, the type worn by an aristocratic woman of her day.”

The dress, according to Sheriff Moore, was covered by a “striped material, which had signs of water spots, or alcohol spots.”

Her black, square-toed shoes, dated from 1830-1880. Per the Commonwealth: “On her feet, which have been used to pinpoint her age, were tiny, low broad heel boots forming a slipper, the fabric of silk going almost to the midcalf.”

The Lady in Red during transport from Egypt Plantation to Lexington by Southern Funeral Home.

(Photo by Susie James, Greenwood Commonwealth, 1969)

Four months after discovery, the Lady in Red was exhumed, and by law, transported for reburial at the county seat in Lexington. Iron box into pine box.

“Billy Cochran, 61, of Durant was on the job when Southern Funeral Home went to pick up the remains of the Lady in Red in August 1969,” noted the Commonwealth. “He recalls an extraordinarily heavy casket, fitted together with a rubber gasket and screws against the glass, which they put in a wood box.”

The Fisk Coffin, complete with viewer-plate convenience for a last look into the face of a loved one, was a major funeral business hit.

(Photo public domain)

She was driven 20 miles from Egypt Plantation to Lexington and planted in the pauper section of Odd Fellows Cemetery. Thomas’ father, James Talbert ‘Tol’ Thomas, placed a granite headstone atop the grave: LADY IN RED; FOUND ON EGYPT PLANTATION; 1835-1969.

“Excluding her clothing,” Thomas says, “the other concrete clue was the coffin.”

Sincerely. The coffin told its own tale, with a peculiar genesis 90 miles northeast in Oxford.

Iron Toe-Tags
Thomas Holmes made a pile of coin during the Civil War. He turned a kitchen-sink mixture of arsenic, zinc, mercury, creosote, turpentine, and alcohol into an elixir of the dead— embalming fluid .

A field surgeon embalms a Union soldier for transport home during the Civil War.

(Photo Library of Congress)

Holmes popularized arterial embalming by successfully returning of hundreds of fallen Union soldiers to their families for burial. At $100 a head, Holmes embalmed roughly 4,000 bodies during the Blue-Gray bloodshed, and triggered an industry of copycat practitioners who followed armies in the field, waiting on a guaranteed supply of new customers—the next wave of fatalities.

Bookending the Civil War in April-May 1865, following his assassination, President Lincoln became the first commander in chief embalmed in U.S. history, enabling a railway funeral procession lasting 13-days and 1,600-miles through seven states and 400 cities, further raising regard for the Holmes’ preservative innovation.

Yet, prior to Holmes and the widespread adoption of embalming, and just before artificial refrigeration in railcars or morgues, cadaver preservation was a losing race against decomposition. During an era of increased rail and steamship travel, Americans often roamed far from a city or state of origin. An unexpected death could require prompt burial far from home, particularly for diseased cadavers.

A pristine Fisk Coffin made between 1848-1880.

(Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum)

In 1844, 17 years prior to the Civil War, Almond Dunbar Fisk, 26, a New York stove maker, received word that his younger brother, William, had dropped dead 1,100 miles away, in Oxford, Mississippi.

William later was buried in Clinton County, New York, but the difficulties and extended time required to transport his body catalyzed Fisk to invent a new burial container. He turned a furnace into a hermetically-sealed sarcophagus. Airtight and durable, it was marketed as a “Fisk Coffin.” No microbes in or out.

The interior of a Fisk Coffin. “…if preferred, the coffin may be filled with any gas or fluid having the property of preventing putrefaction,” wrote Almond Fisk.

(Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum)

As Fisk wrote in his 1848 patent application: “From a coffin of this description the air may be exhausted so completely as entirely to prevent the decay of the contained body on principles well understood; or, if preferred, the coffin may be filled with any gas or fluid having the property of preventing putrefaction.”

The Fisk Coffin, complete with viewer-plate convenience for a last look into the face of a loved one, was a major hit, with the family of Dolley Madison purchasing a Fisk at her death in 1849—the biggest funeral ever held in Washington, D.C. to that date. Likewise, in 1850, former president Zachary Taylor was encased in a Fisk Coffin .

Fisk manufactured 11 sizes of form-fitting caskets, from 2’4” to 6’6” in length. The base models could reach $25 in price—a sizable toe-tag considering pine coffins were as low as a dollar or could be crafted by hand. If a buyer desired ornamental flowers, crosses, and heavenly scenes in the metalwork, or a gleaming bronze finish, the price jumped.

Almond Fisk’s 1848 patent drawings.

(Photo public domain)

Fisk’s success motivated numerous knockoff companies to produce metallic coffins, but by roughly 1890, iron burial boxes faded out of widespread use. Tracing production dates and clothing style, the Lady in Red likely was sealed into her Fisk Coffin at some point between 1848-1880: “The method of preservation used for the Lady in Red was common prior to the Civil War, when custom-made caskets, shaped to the body, were ordered as one would order a dress,” noted the Commonwealth in August 1969. “The glass that sealed the coffin was placed over the body and alcohol poured inside until it was level full.”

Her iron casket, including body immersed in fluid, could have tipped the scales at 300-400 lb. Presumably, she was loaded onto a ship, bound for burial in parts unknown, either up or down the Yazoo River, which is birthed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha rivers at Greenwood and runs to Vicksburg, spilling into the Mississippi River. Either way, the Lady in Red had to pass by Egypt Plantation and its landing—directly behind the future home of Jim Thomas.

Grasping at Straws
Via newspaper coverage and telephone chains, claims and rumors poured into Egypt Plantation, as tipsters shook family tree branches, certain of the Lady in Red’s identity. But whether in-state or out-of-state, each lead proved hollow. A blank. Nothing.

“My grandparents and parents were still alive when she was dug up, and they couldn’t find any hint of her identity,” Thomas notes. “We went through the records of the landowners before us because that was the logical place to look, but there wasn’t anything there to provide a single clue. There was no headstone or grave marker, but someone spent a lot of money on the coffin. That’s a contradiction that’s hard to wrap your mind around, considering all the effort to bury her in what would have been a very, very isolated place at the time. Maybe it suggests she was buried in a hurry.”

Despite the wide reach of the digital age and advent of the internet, Thomas received no answers. “There have been calls and emails over the years from people claiming to be her relative or know who she was, and I sincerely wished they were right, but in the end, we were grasping at straws.”

“How does someone like that get left behind or forgotten?” asks Jim Thomas.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

“There are certain facts,” he continues. “Her clothing and casket point to the Civil War years, or at least somewhere very close in time. That means she had to arrive on a wagon overland or arrive by the river, because her death predates the automobile. She’s inside an iron coffin and covered in alcohol, so that means she didn’t get sick on the trip and die; she was already dead and going somewhere.”

“The first few years, I’d think about her almost every day, and wonder who she was. Time went by, but she still never slipped my mind. Sometimes I wondered if she had been transported by boat and fell off, and got buried here because there was a landing, and because no one knew what else to do, who she was, or how to get her home. Maybe it’s just that simple. Maybe not.”

Egypt Plantation, a stone’s throw from the Yazoo.

(Photo by Chris Bennett)

“She was here for over 100 years before anyone knew. Then again, some people thought she never left. They thought that out of fear. I never saw anything, but others claim they did—her ghost.”

Haunts and Haints
Thomas doesn’t play up the supernatural. Simply, he recounts a matter-of-fact narrative tied from the get-go to the afterlife.

Williams, the backhoe operator who first scraped against the forgotten coffin, was immediately distraught, Thomas explains. “He was very, very concerned and afraid the Lady in Red would haunt him, or ‘haint’ him, as he pronounced it. Yes, he was worried from the start, because he was the one that first disturbed her.”

“By no means was he the only one afraid. We had sincere stories from workers about seeing the Lady in Red walking down the road, or her coming up from behind. A lot of people had a ghost story at one point or another.”

May 1969 newspaper headlines on the Lady in Red.

(Photo public domain)

“One year, my brother had a friend over to spend the night, and that turned scary for them. They believed they saw her ghost,” Thomas recalls. “Take it for what you will, but when a preserved lady is dug up right where you live, things get shaky for some people.”

“Let me put it this way: Remember in biology class in high school when they bottled frogs in formaldehyde and you could see them? That’s how preserved the Lady in Red was. How does someone like that get left behind or forgotten?”

Immortal Beloved?
Almost 160 years past her death and 60 years beyond her discovery, the Lady in Red still hides her secrets inside an iron coffin.

“I wish we could find out who she was. I’ll always want to know her story,” Thomas concludes. “I still would love to know how she got here and where she might have been going.”

(Photo public domain)

“I wish we could find out who she was. I’ll always want to know her story,” Thomas concludes. “I still would love to know how she got here and where she might have been going.”

Beyond the possibility of familial DNA testing in the future, the Lady in Red remains a perpetual, puzzling ghost. Someone’s wife, daughter, mother, or sister. Someone’s beloved.

Someone who never made it home.

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

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

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:10:19 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)

Navigating Tighter Margins: What the 2026 Income Projections Mean for Missouri and Kansas

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:36:35 GMT

Key Takeaways: 2026 Farm Income Outlook

Diverging Downturns: While both states face a decline in Net Farm Income (NFI), the causes are different. Missouri is facing a market-driven correction in livestock, while Kansas is navigating a “support cliff” as emergency government payments expire.
The Bottom Line: Missouri’s NFI is projected to drop 6% to $4.84 billion, while Kansas is expected to see a 5% dip to $8.67 billion.
Price Baselines: Producers are eyeing a tighter revenue environment with national price projections of $4.31/bu for corn, $10.39/bu for soybeans, and $5.85/bu for wheat.
Expense Pressure: Missouri faces a “real-cost increase” as production expenses remain flat at $12.24 billion despite falling revenues. Kansas sees slight relief as some input costs, like feed, begin to moderate.
The National Safety Net: Nationally, farm income remains stable only because of a $13.8 billion surge in government support, which now accounts for nearly 29% of all U.S. net farm income.
Management Focus: With narrower margins, the 2026 playbook shifts from “capturing upside” to “protecting downside” through rigorous marketing discipline and yield execution.

Based on the Spring 2026 Farm Income Outlook reports from the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF), new net farm income projections for 2026 are giving producers an early read on what kind of financial year may lie ahead.

Economic Outlook Comparison: Missouri vs. Kansas (Spring 2026)

National net farm income is forecast at $153.38 billion (down 0.7%). This stability is largely driven by a $13.8 billion surge in government payments, which are expected to make up 29% of total farm income this year.

While both states are navigating the same broad ag economy—softer commodity prices, elevated costs, and shifting government support—the details matter. Commodity mix, recent weather patterns, and reliance on livestock versus crops are shaping very different income expectations heading into 2026.

Here’s what stands out—and what it could mean for your operation.

Missouri: A Year of Margin Pressure

The outlook for Missouri points to a clear theme: tightening margins.

Net farm income in the state is projected to fall about 6% in 2026, reaching a total of $4.84 billion, a steeper decline than the modest dip expected nationally. While the decline is broad, the livestock sector is taking the hardest hit with a projected 11% drop in receipts.

For Missouri producers with diversified operations, this creates a double challenge: fewer bright spots to offset losses elsewhere.

Crops Showing Stability

On the crop side, the outlook is more stable—but not strong enough to counterbalance livestock losses.

Crop receipts are expected to edge slightly lower with a projected 2% decrease. This is driven by a combination of price pressure and a slight reduction in planted acreage. Prices remain under pressure across major commodities, and while yields may hold steady in some areas, they’re not expected to drive significant revenue gains.

In other words, crops may help limit the downside, but they’re unlikely to pull overall income higher.

What It Means on the Farm

Missouri farmers are facing a margin squeeze:

Revenues are falling in key sectors
Input costs remain relatively high
Policy support is easing

That combination tends to show up quickly in cash flow. Producers may find themselves relying more heavily on operating lines, re-evaluating capital purchases, or tightening discretionary spending.

Expenses are projected to remain “flat” or “stable,” holding steady at $12.24 billion. When expenses don’t move but income does, the ‘flat’ line on a ledger feels like a loss in the field.

Risk management also becomes more critical in this kind of environment. Whether it’s marketing discipline, cost control, or enterprise diversification, the focus shifts from capturing upside to protecting downside.

Kansas: Stabilizing After a Strong Run

The foundation for Kansas’ outlook is what happened in 2025. Farm income surged, driven in large part by a combination of improved crop production and significant government payments.

That surge reset balance sheets for many operations. Working capital improved, debt positions strengthened, and overall financial resilience increased heading into 2026. Kansas’s decline is primarily a result of a “support cliff,” where a 63% reduction in emergency program payments (a massive $1.20 billion drop) and a 43% decrease in direct government payments outweigh the gains made in market receipts. Total net farm income for Kansas is projected at $8.67 billion (a 5% decrease).

Crops Drive the Outlook

Kansas remains heavily crop-focused, and income is being supported more by yield than by price. Production is expected to improve in several key commodities, particularly where prior-year conditions limited yields. That recovery helps offset the reality that prices for many crops—corn, soybeans, and wheat—are under pressure. Specifically, producers are looking at national price projections of $4.31/bu for corn, $10.39/bu for soybeans, and $5.85/bu for wheat. In Kansas, the path to profitability at these price levels relies almost entirely on hitting or exceeding yield targets.

That makes the outlook highly dependent on weather and growing conditions throughout the season. If yields come through, the numbers can work. If they don’t, margins could tighten quickly.

Expenses Offer Some Relief

One bright spot for Kansas producers is on the cost side. Some expense categories—especially feed—have moderated, helping to ease overall cost pressure.

While not enough to fully offset lower prices, this cost relief does provide a bit more breathing room compared to what many producers experienced in prior years.

What It Means on the Farm

For Kansas farmers, 2026 looks less like a downturn and more like a transition:

Income is stabilizing after a strong year
Crop production is carrying more of the load
Margins depend heavily on yields

That creates a different kind of risk profile. Instead of widespread pressure across sectors, the focus narrows to execution—particularly in crop production.

Strong yields can keep operations in a solid position. Poor yields, combined with softer prices, could quickly erode the gains made in 2025.

A Shared Reality: Tighter Margins Ahead

Even with their differences, Missouri and Kansas farmers share a common reality heading into 2026: the era of wide margins has narrowed. Nationally, the safety net has shifted; while Missouri and Kansas face local declines, the USDA notes that government payments now account for 29% of projected national net farm income, highlighting just how much the industry is leaning on policy to offset market volatility.

Now, the environment is shifting: lower income projections and tighter cash flow.

The playbook looks familiar:

Stay disciplined on costs
Be proactive with marketing
Keep a close eye on cash flow
Plan for variability, not certainty

The Bottom Line

The 2026 outlooks highlight how much local factors matter in agriculture.

Two neighboring states, facing many of the same macroeconomic conditions, are seeing very different income projections. In Missouri, livestock-driven declines and reduced support are creating a challenging year. In Kansas, crop production and a strong recent past are helping stabilize the outlook—for now.

For farmers, the takeaway isn’t just about which state looks better on paper. It’s about understanding the specific drivers behind your own operation—and making decisions that reflect the realities you’re facing on the ground.

Because in a year like this, managing the margins will matter more than ever.

Corteva Unveils Executive Team Lineup For Its Two-Way Company Split

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:58:00 GMT

Corteva Inc. has reached a pivotal milestone in its corporate restructuring, announcing the executive leadership teams that will guide its transition into two independent, publicly traded entities.

The separation, which will result in the formation of New Corteva and SpinCo, is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2026.

New Corteva: A Focus on Crop Protection

Luther “Luke” Kissam has been appointed as the future chief executive officer of New Corteva, the entity that will retain the company’s crop protection portfolio. Kissam is scheduled to join the firm on June 1 as CEO.

Corteva’s Greg Page says the company board of directors selected Kissam following a global search, citing his ability to drive growth through innovation. Page notes that Kissam’s history of leading public companies and delivering market-focused solutions will benefit farmers and shareholders alike, according to a company press release.

Kissam brings a background in both agriculture and specialty chemicals to the new role. He previously served as the chairman and CEO of Albemarle Corporation and held legal and executive positions at Monsanto and Merisant Company.

Joining Kissam at New Corteva in key leadership roles will be:

Jeff Rudolph, chief financial officer
Brook Cunningham, chief commercial officer
Ralph Ford, chief integrated operations officer
Reza Rasoulpour, chief technology officer
Jim Alcombright, chief digital and information officer

SpinCo: Advancing Seed and Genetics

The second entity, provisionally named SpinCo, will operate as a standalone seed and genetics company. This business will focus on elite germplasm and cutting-edge biotechnologies, including gene editing and molecular breeding for row crops.

Current Corteva CEO Chuck Magro will transition to the role of SpinCo CEO at the time of formal separation. Magro says SpinCo’s success will be built on technological investments that allow farmers to increase yields in row crops and potentially new markets.

Along with Magro, the leadership team for SpinCo will include:

David Johnson, chief financial officer
Judd O’Connor, chief commercial and operations officer
Sam Eathington, chief technology officer
Audrey Grimm, chief people officer
Brian Lutz, chief digital and information officer
Jennifer Johnson, chief legal officer

Presumed Guilty? Farm Couple Fights Feds for Fair Trial and Jury

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:48:48 GMT

An agriculture crisis is exploding as farmers protest the administrative state’s power of judge, jury, and executioner.

A South Carolina farm family faces bankruptcy and almost $1 million in federal fines, with no proof of wrongdoing beyond the closed walls of a single agency.

“How can this happen in America?” ask Antonio and Esmeralda Sandoval. “We are presumed guilty and not allowed a jury or outside judge. In our wildest dreams, we never imagined this could be legal.”

Remarkably, it’s not legal, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, yet the Sandovals and other farm families are locked in a bureaucratic vise with no checks or balances.

“Injustice and isolation. Those words only describe part of what our own government is doing to us,” Esmeralda Sandoval says. “We’re supposed to shut up and not ask for a jury of our peers while the government pushes us into bankruptcy and takes what we’ve built for 30 years?”

$1-Million Surprise
In upstate South Carolina, on 400 acres of hilly ground in Spartanburg County, the Sandoval family grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and bell peppers at Del Valle Fresh, a vegetable operation bootstrapped over three decades.

“It’s demoralizing to be charged with abuse when our workers return year after year to help us,” says Esmeralda Sandoval.

(Photo by Del Valle Fresh)

“We believe in old-school farm values of gratitude and responsibility,” Esmeralda says. “That’s how we raised our kids. Two older sons serve in the Marine Corps, and my daughter is currently a commanding officer in the Navy aboard the Arlington. My youngest son, 17, was admitted to an apprentice program in Virginia, to build Navy ships. We work and we serve. We’re not criminals and we don’t mistreat people.”

In a typical year, Del Valle employs up to 100 seasonal employees obtained from the Department of Labor’s (DOL) H-2A foreign worker program. Del Valle’s H-2A employees, sourced from Mexico, typically work at the operation in 6 to 10-month stints.

In May 2021, during the heart of the Covid era, DOL audited Del Valle for the stretch between December 10, 2019 to December 5, 2021.

“It all started when they came out in multiple vehicles, maybe four cars with six to seven people, and flashed their DOL badges,” Esmeralda says. “Honestly, at the time, I thought they were from the FBI. We didn’t hear back from them for almost a year-and-a-half. I thought, ‘They’ll make us do some of the normal regulatory adjustments, but nothing major.’”

Antonio Sandoval, and granddaughter, Amy, catching supper on the farm.

(Photo by Del Valle Fresh)

Instead, 15 months later, Sandoval received a DOL letter and the surprise of her life. “They said we owed them almost $1 million. The public sees that giant number and thinks we must have done terrible things, otherwise we wouldn’t get the penalty. No. We didn’t abuse anyone.”

According to DOL, Del Valle owed $368,123.58 in unpaid wages to 102 workers and was liable for civil monetary penalties to the tune of $511,904.70. The total was $880,028.28, and “due and payable within 30 days.”

The Same Water Cooler
“We never mistreated H-2A workers,” Sandoval emphasizes. “Never.”

“We’re accused of everything from holding back hours to not putting the correct safety posters on our farm walls to fraudulent paperwork,” she says. “We were in the middle of crazy Covid restrictions, and as a family, we were in the middle of losing four loved ones—Antonio’s mother, my grandparents, and our grandbaby. I can’t properly describe the pressure from DOL during all of that.”

Antonio Sandoval faces bankruptcy and almost $1 million in federal fines, with no way out of DOL’s closed loop system.

(Photo by Del Valle Fresh)

Once charged by DOL, the Sandovals were stuck behind DOL walls. The federal government’s departments, agencies, and sub-agencies operate internal courts separate from independent scrutiny. Therefore, the Sandovals faced rulemaking, enforcement, investigation, trial, and judgement—all by DOL personnel. Figuratively, they were subject to government employees who drank at the same water cooler.

The Sandovals requested a jury trial. Denied. On March 10, 2025, DOL Judge Paul Almanza declared that DOL “must adjudicate this matter in accordance with the H-2A regulations, which do not provide for a jury trial.”

On May 2, 2025, the Sandovals sued DOL. “We’re paying out of pocket to defend our farm and our name after being falsely charged with mistreating our workers,” Esmeralda explains. “It’s demoralizing to be charged with abuse when our workers return year after year to help us. It’s straightforward at this point. If we lose, we’ll have to pull the plug on our farm and 30 years of our lives. What they’re doing is unjust and it’s not even supposed to be legal.”

The U.S. Supreme Court agrees with Sandoval.

Bureaucratic Hamster Wheel
In a historic 2024 case, SEC v. Jarkesy, the Supreme Court ruled that citizens are entitled to a jury trial when facing with civil penalties imposed by administrative law judges at federal departments and agencies.

David and Debbie Ross: “People might think there’s no way something this unjust happens in America, but it does. It’s happening on our farm to us.’”

(Photo by Institute for Justice)

However, DOL has continued with in-house adjudication. In 2024, according to Institute for Justice, DOL collected $4.9 million in back wages and imposed $5.8 million in penalties on agricultural employers.

On a parallel track with Del Valle in South Carolina, a Kentucky farm couple faces $70,000 in H-2A related fines. David and Debbie Ross , who
grow corn and tobacco in the northern Kentucky hills of Harrison County, at Triple R Farms, are demanding a jury trial.

“It’s sickening what the government can get away with,” Debbie says. “We’ve done nothing wrong and we want a jury of our peers to hear the evidence. All of it.”

“I don’t want this to ever, ever happen to another farmer or small business owner or American,” says Joe Marino. “The time for change is right now.”

(Photo by Institute for Justice)

The Rosses, like the Sandovals, are suing DOL, and their case carries heavyweight ramifications for agriculture and beyond. “People might think there’s no way something this unjust happens in America, but it does,” Debbie adds. “It’s happening on our farm to us.’”

In New Jersey, brothers Joe and Russell Marino , owners of Sun Valley Orchards, challenged DOL (Sun Valley v. DOL) after a nine-year, bureaucratic grind centered on an H-2A paperwork violation and $500,000-plus in fines. In July 2025, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled DOL violated the Constitution and that charges against the Marinos had to be brought in an independent court. DOL has appealed the ruling and is asking the Supreme Court to hear the case.

“People need to know our whole story because this is how government agencies operate,” said Joe Marino, after his initial court victory. “The public will be sickened to find out what DOL did. I don’t want this to ever, ever happen to another farmer or small business owner or American. The time for change is right now. It has to be now.”

“We are presumed guilty and not allowed a jury or outside judge,” says Antonio Sandoval. “In our wildest dreams, we never imagined this could be legal.”

(Photo by Del Valle Fresh)

Yet, the Marino brothers, along with David and Debbie Ross, and Antonio and Esmeralda Sandoval, are stuck on a bureaucratic hamster wheel.

“We feel terribly alone,” Esmeralda says. “Imagine someone with government power trapping you inside their federal office and then demanding $1 million to get out. No. We want a fair trial in front of a jury, just like the Constitution says.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

4 Things Farmers Should Know About A Lesser-Known Tax Deduction

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:29:47 GMT

“This is something I’ve been talking about since 1992, but all of the sudden in the past five years, people thought it came out of nowhere,” says Roger McEowen, professor at Washburn University School of Law.

McEowen is referring to the residual soil fertility deduction, which the IRS provided comments—while not official guidance—on how landowners can deduct the value of excess soil fertility applied on recently acquired land.

“With the run-up in land values, there is a lot more interest than six years ago. This isn’t new, but it’s like pouring gas on a fire,” McEowen says.

When purchasing farmland, a portion of the purchase price can often be attributed to “residual fertility"—nutrients already present in the soil from the previous owner’s applications that exceed the base levels.

CropQuest, a soil testing business based in Kansas, has been doing reports for this tax deduction since 2020.

“It probably doubles every year or more,” says Nathan Woydziak, precision ag manager at Crop Quest. “Today, we’re doing this testing for hundreds of farmers across our service area.”

Who Qualifies for the Deduction?

Only the owner of the farmland (or pastureland) qualifies for the deduction, and the land must be used for agricultural production. Second, the land needs to have been purchased or transferred with stepped-up basis recently.

What Drives The Value of the Deduction?

“The big driving force is time of purchase,” says Adam Brenneman, a sales representative at Boa Safra Ag, which produces the required soil fertility reports. Boa Safra advises landowners consider any acquisitions since 2010.

“We won’t survey properties older than 2000,” Brenneman says. “For example, our averages for properties are around $1,000 to $1,700 an acre for the value of the deduction, but if it’s acquired in 2005 would be around $300 an acre, 2000 gets closer to $150 per acre.”

In this process, it’s the market value of nutrients multiplied by your excess.

“The deduction based on your excess nutrient load in the property since time of purchase. When you bought the property, you bought the structure and geographic space, you also bought the 8” zone in the soil of where agriculture takes place. The nutrients in that zone, any of them, above baseline are able to be part of the deduction process,” Brenneman says.

What’s Required to Document the Deduction?

Farmers should maintain detailed records, including the purchase agreement, soil test results, and the methodology used to calculate the dollar value of the nutrients.

For the soil test, this includes macro and micronutrients. For example, the Crop Quest and Boa Safra reports detail 11 soil nutrients.

“Good documentation is key. We’ve done some where we went back in history on those fields but regularly we go back 5 years. And your accountant has to be on board,” Woydziak says.
To claim this deduction, you must prove that the nutrient levels are “excessive” compared to a standard baseline.

How is the Deduction Filed?

If land is in a trust, S corp or LLC, the deduction applies to the ownership of the property. And it’s up to the accountant to determine the schedule of the depreciation, which is commonly applied across three to seven years.

“There is no code section. The only guidance we have is the scant things IRS said 34 years ago,” McEowen says. “Have the soil analysis done as close to the time of acquisition as possible. That’s the most bullet proof thing if the IRS challenges it with an audit.”

McEowen says some tax professionals will not include these deductions because of the lack of clarity from the IRS.

“We aren’t sure if it’s depreciation, depletion, or amortization. I think it’s depletion. It’s a natural resource like oil and gas. Fertility gets mined over time. So the theory is you are entitled to the deduction in the nutrient deposit in that soil. So most tax professionals just massage this in as depreciation. And some will put it in section 180 and then separately track it. I don’t know if it’s the wrong or right approach. But that’s as good as we can do.”

Brenneman emphasizes this is a process that requires a team of professionals.

“We don’t do tax advice. We work in the dirt,” he says. “Our audit rate is less than 2%. We stand behind our reports within your auditable years. And we have a 100% audit defense success rate.” Brenneman says.

McEowen adds, “I foresee a statute from Congress and IRS writing rules to carrying out the statute. It could be in the reconciliation bill or the skinny farm bill. That’s the approach I think is going to happen. We need a statute.”

Top Producer Women in Agriculture Award

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:17:15 GMT

The Top Producer Women in Agriculture Award (formerly the Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award) will be given to a female producer who is a shining example for her peers. The winner will be an advocate for agriculture and represent an innovative farming or ranching operation.

Entrants are judged on agricultural advocacy (50%), farm business innovation (30%) and industry or community leadership (20%).

To apply, complete the entry form below and attach your resume and two letters of reference from an industry peer, banker or agribusiness leader. Winners agree to be recognized in articles published in Top Producer magazine and online. Any financial information remains confidential unless entrants agree to its release.

The winner’s prizes include:

A trip for two including hotel accommodations and a flat travel reimbursement stipend to attend the 2027 Top Producer Summit (Feb.15-17, 2027 in Nashville, TN)
Additional prizes provided by award sponsor(s)

Questions? Contact Margy Eckelkamp at meckelkamp@farmjournal.com.

Click here to download the 2027 application

Read about the 2026 winner, Helle Ruddenklau, Amity, Ore.

Read about the 2025 winner, Kimberly Ratcliff, Oakwood, Texas

Read about the 2024 winner, Pam Johnson, Floyd, Iowa

Read about the 2023 winner, Marcia Ruff, Circleville, Ohio

Read about the 2022 winner, Susan Weaver Ford, Kenly, N.C.

Read about the 2021 winner, Jennie Schmidt, Sudlersville, Md.

Read about the 2020 winners, Macey Wessels and Shelly Boshart Davis, Tangent, Ore.

Read about the 2019 winner, April Hemmes of Hampton, Iowa

Top Producer of the Year Award

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:53:49 GMT

You’ve taken the risks and built a successful business.

You give back to your industry and your local community.

Your story would help others push themselves to achieve success.

The Top Producer of the Year Award identifies and honors agricultural producers from whom our readers can learn business concepts, ranging from value-added ventures to succession plans to overcoming adversity. If these characteristics can be used to describe you, then you should apply to be the 2027 Top Producer of the Year.

Entrants will be judged on:

entrepreneurial originality (50%)
financial and business progress (30%)
industry or community leadership (20%)

Any farmer or rancher who derives at least half of his/her income from farming and farm-related ventures may apply.

Prizes: The 2027 Top Producer of the Year finalists will receive a trip for two and be recognized at Top Producer Summit, Feb. 15 to 17, 2027, in Nashville, Tenn. Additional prizes will be awarded depending on sponsors.

For details, email: meckelkamp@farmjournal.com.

Click here to download the 2027 application

Profiles of Past Winners

2026 Top Producer of the Year
Winner: Alsum Farms and Produce , Friesland, Wis.
Finalists: Dalton Farms , Wakeman, Ohio and Splitter Farms , Sterling, Kan.

2025 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Marc Arnusch , Prospect Valley, Colo.
Finalists: Mark Hanna , Joice, Iowa, and Chase Larson , Belleville, Kan.

2024 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Christiansen Land and Cattle , Kimball, S.D.
Finalists: Garrett Land & Cattle , Arion, Iowa, and PJ Haynie , Reedville, Va.

2023 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Silent Shade Planting Company , Belzoni, Miss.
Finalists: MoDak Dairy , Goodwin, S.D., and Engel Family Farms , Hanover, Va.

2022 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Malecha Enterprises , Villard, Minn.
Finalists: Clearwater Farms , Nezperce, Idaho, and Seven Springs Farms , Joe Nichols, Cadiz, Ky.

2021 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: LongView Farms , Nevada, Iowa
Finalists: DX Ranch , Gettysburg, S.D., and Came Farms , Salina, Kan.

2020 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Kristjan Hebert , Moosomin, Saskatchewan
Finalists: Sam Ross , Pioneer, La., and Becky Berger , Hillsboro, Ore.

2019 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Jimmy Tosh , Henry, Tenn.
Finalists: Chris Adams , Grand Forks, N.D., and Ron Rabou , Albin, Wyo.

2018 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Frank Howey , Monroe, N.C.
Finalists: Bailey Family Farms , Iola, Ill., and Jeremie Pavelski, Heartland Farms , Hancock, Wis.

2017 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Chalmers and Lori Anne Carr , Ridge Spring, S.C.
Finalists: Richard and Roderick Gumz , Endeavor, Wis., and John Pagel , Kewaunee, Wis.

2016 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Donald and Cheri De Jong, Hartley, Texas
Finalists: Ron and Zoey Brooks and Brooks Farms, Waupaca, Wis., and Annie Dee and Dee River Ranch, Aliceville, Ala.

2015 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Bill, Albert, Bernard and David Peterson and Peterson Farms, Loretto, Ky.
Finalists: Stan Boshart and SJB Farms, Tangent, Ore., and Roric Paulman and Paulman Farms, Sutherland, Neb.

2014 Top Producer of the Year

Winner: Lee Lubbers, Gregory, S.D.
Finalists: Jay and Cara Myers, Colfax, N.D., and Joe Zumwalt, Warsaw, Ill.

2013

Luke Brubaker; Mount Joy, Pa.
John Carroll; Illinois and Brazil
Dave Nelson; Fort Dodge, Iowa

2012

Gregg Halverson; Grand Forks, N.D.
Tim Richter; Lime Springs, Iowa
Mike Stamp; Decatur, Mich.

2011

Jim Kline; Hartford City, Ind.
Jake Clark; Grand Ledge, Mich.
Justin Crownover; Sunray, Texas

2010

Donny DeLine; Charleston, Mo.
Schmidt Farms; Sudlersville, Md.
Hudye Farms; Burlington, Colo.

2009

Lon Frahm; Colby, Kan.
Andy & Beth Snider; Hart, Mich.
Duncanson Growers; Mapleton, Minn.

2008

Dave Minich, Logansport, Ind.
Star Rock Farms, Conestoga, Penn.
Leroy Shatto,Osborn, Mo.

2007

Kip Tom, Leesburg, Ind.
Joe Nichols, Wallonia, Ky.
Randy Hughes, Janesville, Wis.

2006

Chad Olsen, Hendricks, Minn.
Dean Walker, Orofino, Ida.
Rick Rosentreter, Carlinville, Ill.

2005

Steve Irsik, Ingalls, Kan.
Bill Kubecka, Palacios, Tex.
Craig Yunker, Elba, N.Y.

2004

Brian Mitchell, Elkhart, Kan.
Kevin Green, DeWitt, Iowa
Jay Garetson, Copeland, Kan.

2003

Dean Folkvord, Three Forks, Mont.
Keith Masser, Sacramento, Pa.
Tim Dewey, Cimarron, Kan.

2002

Melvin Winger, Johnson, Kan.
Jerry Hostetter, Ephrata, Pa.
Jay Clasing, Ruthven, Iowa

2001

Ben Riensche, Jesup, Iowa
John Moser, Greeley, Colo.
Gene Veliquette, Williamsburg, Mich.

2000

Marty Klinker, Fairfield, Mont.
Donnie Young, Ulysses, Kan.
Steve and Lola Raska, Great Falls, Mont.

4 Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Give Your Farm A New Edge

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:01:00 GMT

Artificial Intelligence tools are at our fingertips and are amazingly efficient at what they do. Let me give you a few examples.

1. From Spreadsheets to Custom Apps

Our flagship Farm Profit Manager tool has always been Excel-based. It is easy to use, people like the format and it is visually appealing. Then Sam and Mack on the Ag View Solutions team spent a few days building an online app. The best part? We’ve made it completely free — with the help of AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. We can see the real value continues to be in the consulting relationship and the decisions it drives, not just the software. So we spent a few hundred dollars on something that would have cost tens of thousands — or even hundreds of thousands — with a traditional development team. Amazing, when you think about it.

Free Management Tool: Farm Profit Manager is now completely free! Click here for the online tool or spreadsheet.

2. The $20-a-Month Software Developer

A wide range of tools are available to make this happen — Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and Copilot are some of the major ones. Upload a spreadsheet and give it a prompt like: “I want you to build an amazing UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) for this tool. Make it a web-based app I can run on my phone or computer. Fix any errors and make sure it is polished.” Give it a few minutes and watch as it writes code and builds the app right in front of you. You may need a few tweaks, but the results will be remarkably good.

3. Automate the Mundane

Think of every mundane paperwork task you do and ask yourself if AI can do it better. I scanned all of my corn load tickets into a single file, uploaded it to Claude and told it to build me a spreadsheet of all loads to reconcile against my payouts. I proofread, made a few minor adjustments and reconciled 100 loads in 30 minutes — with a clean document to reference in the future. That would’ve taken me half a day in the office before.

4. Your Instant Digital Assistant

Connect Claude Cowork or Microsoft Copilot to your documents. Connect your documents into a smart filing system that can learn your operation and serve as your instant assistant.

A few other practical applications:

Build your own board of advisers
Finally build that farm website
Create a strategic plan for your farm (email me for the tool)

Pro Tip: Download a tool like Wispr Flow — just push a button, speak to your phone or computer, and it transcribes your prompt perfectly. Hit ‘go’ and watch Claude or any of these tools build amazing things.

The future is now — learn these tools, or your operation will get left behind.

Top Producer Next Gen Award

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:32:11 GMT

The Top Producer Next Gen Award (formerly Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award) will be given to a grower under the age of 40, who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming, including:

Marketing
Farm finance
Family and employee relations
Technology
Environmental stewardship

Entrants are judged on entrepreneurial originality (50%), financial and business progress (30%) and industry or community leadership (20%).

Any farmer, rancher or partnership that gets at least half of their income from farming and farm-related ventures may apply.

The winner’s prizes include:

A trip for two including hotel accommodations and a flat travel reimbursement stipend to attend the 2027 Top Producer Summit (Feb.15-17, 2027 in Nashville, TN)
Additional prizes provided by award sponsor(s)

Deadline: Sept. 1, 2026

For questions, contact meckelkamp@farmjournal.com.

Click here to download the Next Gen Award Application

Read about the 2026 winner, Tim Nuss, Lodi, Calif.
Read about the 2025 winner, Dalton Dilldine, Half Moon, Ark.
Read about the 2024 winner, Hallie Shoffner, Newport, Ark.
Read about the 2023 winner, Trey Wasserburger, North Platte, Neb.
Read about the 2022 winner, Brendan and Elaine Martin, Mt. Solon, Va.
Read about the 2021 winner, Matt Splitter, Lyons, Kan.
Read about the 2020 winner, Chase Dewitz, Steele, N.D.
Read about the 2019 winner, Tony Schwarck of Riceville, Iowa
Read about the 2018 winner, Maggie Holub of Scribner, Neb.
Read about the 2017 winner, Cody Goodknight of Chattanooga, Okla.
Read about the 2016 winner, Chris Noble of Pavilion, N.Y.
Read about the 2015 winner, Matt Sims of State Line, Ind.
Read about the 2014 winner, Jeremy Weaver of Needham, Ind.
Read about the 2013 winner, Joanna Carraway of Murray, Ky.
Read about the 2012 winner, Michael Daniels of Salem, Wis.

Inside The Tax Return of Your Farm's Future

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:59:16 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.

Solar Panel Plague or Progress? Controversy Explodes as Farmland Disappears

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:40:39 GMT

Roughly 2,200 acres of prime farmland is vanishing under a blue blanket of glass, plastic, aluminum, and silicon in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The disappearing act, increasingly common in rural America, is a sweet source of income for some farmers, but a bitter pill for many adjoining producers and landowners.

“Giant solar panels mean prime farmland gone forever and the ruin of rural life, not to mention a potential environmental mess,” says Kate Smit, whose farm sits close to the proposed solar facility.

Smit’s property will be the next-door recipient of 461,000 solar panels strung in 5,400 rows, much of it surrounded by 7’-high fencing.

Bill Peter, a homeowner adjacent to the incoming facility and former longtime employee of Liberty Farms, the same operation that leased the acres for a solar transformation, is opposed to the installation: “Don’t insult me by calling it a ‘solar farm.’ I’m not fooled. What’s happening is sick, and whether you live in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, or any other state, it’s coming to your backyard. Today here and tomorrow everywhere.”

Peter was fired by Liberty Farms on March 27, he claims, as a direct outcome of his opposition to the solar lease. “I don’t agree with the ‘tiny percent of overall farmland’ excuse,” he adds. “This is one of the saddest things I’ve seen in American agriculture in my lifetime. It ends with glass and metal covering millions of acres.”

Is Peter correct? How many solar acres are planned: 10 million by 2030? 20 million by 2040? Less? More?

Eyesore or Green Beauty?
Standing at the edge of her 97 acres of grain outside Richland Township, Kate Smit sweeps an arm toward the horizon. She soon will be surrounded by a sea of solar panels. Her property almost rubs nearby Liberty Farms—which leased 2,268 prime acres to Consumers Energy, the second largest electric utility in Michigan, for a solar facility with construction and operation scheduled in 2026.

Proposed coverage of the 2,268-acre solar panel site in Richland Township.

(Image by Consumers Energy)

“Our family farm dates back 100 years and now my kids will inherit our fields beside a sprawling, industrial mess,” Smit describes. “We’re an example of what’s going on all over Michigan and the U.S.”

(The Liberty Farms solar installation is not a done deal. The Richland Township planning commission has not yet approved Consumer Energy’s application.)

“Our area in Richland has gorgeous nature with abundant deer, ospreys, bald eagles, cranes, and you name it. We’re also a wonderful agriculture community, and it’s all the bigger shame because prime farmland is what they’re using for this solar project.”

According to a release, Consumers Energy “expects the Project to be in service for at least 35 years. Consumers Energy has worked diligently with nearby landowners and residents to minimize Project impacts on the surrounding community.”

“Are you kidding me? That farmland is lost way past 35 years or 50 years, or whatever ridiculous number they throw out,” Smit says. “No one wants solar panels here, and Consumers knows that. Our community is fighting this tooth and nail. Consumers came here hush-hush, did deals with MDOT, and suddenly our landscape is permanently destroyed.”

(Consumers Energy declined Agweb interview requests regarding the Richland solar installation.)

“We want to stall Consumers’ solar project until we can get a bill passed in our state senate to where townships and counties have to vote if a solar panel company wants in,” Smit continues.

Solar lease rates for agriculture land are significantly high.

(Graph by AFBF)

Two miles from Smit, Bill Peter, 70, who sits on the Richland Township board as a trustee, lives down a mile-and-a-half road dotted with seven homes. “I’m about to get circled by solar panels,” he says. “Literally, Consumers Energy is putting panels all the way around. They’ll take out the tillable ground and replace it with glass.”

Ironically, until March 2026, Peter was employed at Liberty Farms, the new landlord of Consumers Energy. “I’m not afraid to tell the truth and they fired me for it. That’s their choice,” he emphasizes. “I’m not sitting quietly while 450,000 solar panels permanently replace the best farm soil around.”

Generally, solar panels are made of 76% glass, 10% plastic, 8% aluminum, 5% silicon, and 1% copper.

“There’s nothing green about this green energy,” Peter contends. “They want to put glass, steel, aluminum, and plastic on top of a natural watershed area, and completely cut the ground off from photosynthesis, and then tell you it’s environmentally safe for 50 years, and won’t hurt the soil with contamination? What happens when a tornado or natural disaster tosses grinds all these panels to particles?”

“We’re all tired of this renewable energy talk,” he adds. “It funnels to tax dollars and tax breaks, and backroom deals and mandates. This Richland installation is rumored to be a $50-plus million contract, ultimately paid for by us in one way or another.”

“Wake up,” Smit echoes. “No matter where you’re at in the U.S., the land beside you or the land in your community could be next. How many panels will they put in if they can get away with it?”

Battle of the Pens
In 2021, President Biden (Executive Order 14057 ) mandated that the federal government reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A massive solar push was included in the plan. How much farmland was needed to reach the net-zero goal? Estimates ranged from 10 million to 26 million acres, with upper end projections of 50 million.

“We’re supposed to say nothing while solar panels and data centers explode, and we’re told about the wonders of green, renewable energy,” says Smit.

(Photo by iStock)

However, in 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14148 , revoking Biden’s mandate.

In 2024-2025, solar infrastructure covered approximately 1 million-plus acres of farmland, with roughly half of the acreage directly on cropland. Overall, the U.S. contains almost 880 million acres of farmland.

“It’s not that complicated to me,” says Ed Yelton, a cattle producer in Dearborn County , Indiana. “They’ll build as many as they can get away with. If you think it’s not a big deal because they’re only on a fraction of total farmland, wait till one pops up beside you. Who in the hell wants to see the monstrosity?”

“And if a different presidential administration comes in, they might pick up a pen and sign another executive order and we’ll be at 50 million acres before you know it. Let me be direct: Whatever number the government pushes, that tells me they want far, far more.”

A mile from Yelton’s pastures, Linea Energy has a lease on 1,200 acres of planned solar panels. “It’s beautiful farmland, or was,” Yelton says.

Prime agricultural land is popular for solar installations, partially because it’s often open, dry, and relatively flat. Construction costs for solar conversion on farmland are generally lower than on other types of ground.

The pressure from solar installations and data centers on rural landowners and communities is just beginning, Kate Smit says.

(Graph by AFBF)

“The energy people slipped in here and signed leases with people without nobody knowing it. These are the same people that tell you that solar isn’t permanent while they’re hauling in glass, fencing, and concrete. This is same story you see in North Carolina, New York, Kentucky, Oklahoma—it’s all over the place.”

“We’re pressuring our zoning board to do something,” Yelton exclaims. “That might be the solution in the future: Only allow solar panel installation beside the homes and properties of county officials and board members. Hell, that might sincerely stop some of this.”

Private Land v Public Choice?
Whose ox is gored? When millions of dollars in lease contracts are at stake, how does the right to use private land as a property owner sees fit weigh into the solar equation? Simply, solar pays tremendously well compared with corn, cotton, rice, or soybeans.

“It’s a tough one,” Yelton admits. “I believe a person should be able to do with their land whatever they want, but solar is something else. If you’re the next to get panels beside your land or house, you’ll be sick. The only solution to panels and AI data centers is to let a community decide.”

“The power companies and the government all know this is wrong. That’s why they call them ‘solar farms.’ They use words to trick and influence the public, but that’s an insult to anyone in agriculture. I’m sticking with common sense: Once you put glass, aluminum, and plastic all over a field, that’s no longer a farm.”

Well and Good
As of 2024, American Farm Bureau Federation estimates over 1.25 million acres of farmland has been covered by solar installations:

The ERS (Economic Research Service, USDA) approximates solar’s footprint as of 2020 at 336,000 acres of rural land based on the total solar production capacity installed in U.S. Census designated rural areas. As solar capacity has more than doubled since 2020 and is increasingly coming from utility-scale solar, this estimate is woefully out-of-date. Using SIEA’s current estimate of 200 GW of installed solar capacity, ERS’s estimate of 7.5 acres used per MW of production, and AFT’s estimate that 83% of solar installations are on farmland, we roughly estimate that 1.25 million acres of farmland have been converted for use in solar production. While that may be a startlingly high number to some, it would represent 0.14% of the 879 million acres of farmland in the United States.

“No matter where you’re at in the U.S., the land beside you or the land in your community could be next,” says Smit. “How many panels will they put in if they can get away with it?”

(Photo by iStock)

Whether eyesore and erasure, or energy godsend and income windfall, the pressure from solar installations and data centers on rural landowners and communities is just beginning, Kate Smit says.

“We’re supposed to say nothing while solar panels and data centers explode, and we’re told about the wonders of green, renewable energy,” she concludes. “If it’s all so well and good, then who wants one outside your bedroom window?”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

When Conservation Backfires: Landowner Defeats Feds in Mindboggling Private Property Case

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing