Cost of Production

Illinois grower Stephen Butz is uber-focused this season on removing the hidden barriers that have kept his bean crops from reaching their true potential.

Today’s market is evolving, not just correcting, according to ag economists. To win the long game, farmers are using generics and delaying machinery purchases as trade shifts to allies and consumers demand premium meat portions.

Fertilizer prices were already elevated, but they’re now surging just weeks before spring planting. What can be done to ease costs in the short term as well as fix the problem for good?

High-yield growers David Hula and Randy Dowdy say three things deserve your sharpest focus now: your planter, fertility program and seed.

One possibility is the country’s vast oil reserves could offer long-term potential to ease diesel prices and help reduce other input costs.

Will 2026 be a repeat of 2016? Chris Barron, Ag View Solutions, shares four strategies to help farmers capture some profit in this down cycle.

A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.

Planning for next season? Review the expert insights and recommendations from farmers and field agronomists on how to reduce costs and strategically reallocate resources.

Several years of low commodity prices, high input costs and thin margins have taken a toll on soil stewardship in some parts of the country. As a result, farmers need to use caution and do their homework before renting ground that’s coming available in their area for 2026.