Field Posts

DTN/Progressive Farmer
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Learn about and discuss the cutting edge of the ag industry and explore new perspectives on farming’s old adages. Field Posts is a weekly podcast by DTN/The Progressive Farmer that dives deeper into the most important trends in technology, policy, management, and business to explore the ag industry’s cutting edge.

  1. Aug 5

    Episode 304: From the 1980’s Farm Crisis to Autonomous Tractors, The Making of an Ag Journalist

    Since the start of Dan Miller’s career in ag journalism, the pace and scale of news has only increased.  His first gig in the biz, as the very first writer for the old Iowa Farmer Today paper, introduced him to current and future Presidents, to farmers from across the country, and sent him on reporting missions around the world, including to the former Soviet Union. For just a little while long, we know Dan as the Senior Machinery Editor at DTN Progressive Farmer, but as he heads off into retirement, he joins us for one last conversation about his career as an ag journalist, what he’s noticed in more than four decades of watching the ag industry change, and what he thinks might lie ahead. Today, we’ll reminisce about Dan’s early career, how he learned to cover agriculture after starting out in small town journalism covering courts and crime, and hear what it was like to be there to witness history being made first hand. He’ll then look forward to what he sees as the future of farm machinery and the future of agriculture more generally, and shares the best advice he’s learned about farm reporting, and why he thinks this work will remain relevant into the uncertain future.

  2. Aug 2

    Episode 303: Farm Bill Running Out of Runway

    With election day 2026 just over three months away, lawmakers in Washington are facing the end of the runway for passing legislation they can take home to their districts before November.  Farm state legislators in particular would like to finally have a completed Farm Bill to show for their efforts over the last 18 months, but the possibility of passing farm legislation in both houses and getting it to the President’s desk in time is growing more unlikely with each passing day.  And yet, hope springs eternal, and we have our very own, brand new DTN Ag Policy Editor Jake Zajkowski bringing us the latest on the efforts in D.C.  He's here to tell us about current Farm Bill work and what to expect in the weeks ahead, but he’ll also give us an update about the ongoing USDA reorganization, and how it might go on to impact farmers as harvest approaches.  He’ll then talk to us about the current trade picture, from USMCA reauthorization to the latest tariff announcement, and clue us in to happenings around farm aid, labor, and MAHA.  We’ll wrap up with a look ahead at what the outcome of the November midterms could mean for ag policy in the lame duck session.  This episode was recorded on July 31, 2026. See DTN newsroom's coverage on the Senate farm bill markup on dtnpf.com.

  3. Jul 24

    Episode 302: Cattle Posts with Jennifer Carrico

    Today’s cattle market is a wild place, and there is so much to keep up on.   To help us stay up on the latest, DTN Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico is taking over the show today — bringing in multiple experts from across the industry to check in on new proposed policy around grazing CRP acres and other emerging stories.

  4. Jul 21

    Episode 301: Acreage Updates Unsettle the July WASDE

    The July WASDE dropped Friday, July 10th, pulling in the June 30th acreage numbers to give farmers and traders the clearest look yet at the 2026 crop in the field. With some expectations that the report would lean into bullish estimates, watchers also had to keep in mind ongoing conflicts around the world that continue to disturb markets.  To help us dig into the latest, DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery joins us to unpack all the updates to corn, soybean, and wheat balance sheets in the aftermath of the report. We’ll dive a bit into the archives for some of USDA’s recent updates, then zoom ahead to the current and forecasted figures as the growing crop comes into view.  We’ll talk trade, ethanol and crush, global stocks and basis, and hear what Rhett is keeping in mind as the weather picture continues to drive daily trading between now and the August update.  ▶️ WATCH the July WASDE report webinar or read DTN analyst coverage of the report.

  5. Jul 1

    Episode 300: The Rise of the American-Made Drone

    Though it took some time for aerial drones to find the right application on American farms, today, drones are commonplace across much of the countryside, used for everything from scouting to spraying to helping tracking down missing cows.  But as drone technology advances exponentially, and the global geopolitical atmosphere changes, U.S. policymakers grew increasingly worried about where the data these mostly Chinese-made drones were collecting was being stored, and who might be able to access it.  This concern led to the 2026 ban on new Chinese-made drones, which has led to a new race stateside as farmers, companies, and Silicon Valley startups jockey to define the future of American-made aerial drones.  Today, Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Joel Reichenberger takes us behind the scenes to give us the backstory on this emerging space and share some of the details that didn’t make it into the main package. We’ll hear about the emerging companies that are defining the space, and the major barriers they face in standing in domestic manufacturing facilities to building tech here at home.  Plus, we’ll dive into what he thinks might be coming down the pike in the U.S. drone market, and what changes he expects to see as American-made drones become more readily available. He’ll also tease his upcoming story about the perils of farming on World War II battlefields. Read Joel’s full story on American-Made Drones here.

  6. Jun 26

    Episode 299: Strategies for Flexibly Rebuilding Your Cow Herd

    Today, we’re dropping on DTN’s recent Beef Industry Exchange, a beef webinar series hosted by Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico.  This month’s webinar, which took place on June 24th, included a summer weather update from DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick, a cattle markets update by DTN’s analyst ShayLe Stewart, and an deep dive with Aaron Berger, the Beef Systems Education Extension agent at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  We’ll drop in on Aaron’s talk to hear more about cow-calf economics in today’s drought and wildfire-stricken west, and learn what strategies he’s using with as cow-calf producers as they start to think about a future where they rebuild their herd, without missing out on today’s opportunities. Watch the whole Beef Industry Exchange Event here. Clean, high-quality forage doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built from the field up. With research-proven MAGNIVA Forage Inoculants from Lallemand Animal Nutrition, you can unlock clean, quality forage for your herd…every crop, every ton, every year. MAGNIVA Forage Inoculants help drive efficient fermentation, reduce dry matter losses and optimize feed value and intakes, so more of what you harvest turns into performance in the bunk. Improved fermentation. Improved stability. Better use of your forage investment. Gain every advantage, from field to feed, with MAGNIVA Forage Inoculants. Discover how MAGNIVA can elevate your silage quality by visiting MAGNIVA.com

  7. Jun 23

    Episode 298: Celebrating America’s Forefarmers (and Other Ag Policy News)

    We are just days away from celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's Independence Day, prompting many to look back to the earliest days of our country for lessons in how to weather challenging and uncertain times.  DTN’s Farm Business Editor Chris Clayton even took a trip down to Mount Vernon, the historical farm of America’s first President, George Washington, to bring us a vision of how farmers' past survived, and thrived, through war, anemic markets, and trying political conditions.  While Chris will share about his recent visit to America’s founding farm, he also brings us a raft of updates on key ag policy issues from the nation’s capital. First, we’ll talk about President Trump’s recent visit to speak with Wisconsin Farmers, about what the White House is saying about possible additional farm aid and pending discussions of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA.  We’ll also talk about the unfolding New World Screwworm story, and how USDA is responding, especially as the department also continues to undergo a large-scale reorganization.  Finally, we’ll get into the price of beef, long lasting fertilizer impacts from the Iran conflict, and what all this might mean for the midterm elections in November.

  8. Jun 23

    Episode 297: Uncertainty and the Quiet June WASDE

    Register for the June 24th DTN Cattle Webinar here. The June WASDE dropped Thursday, June 11th, offering the latest update on USDA’s thinking since President Trump’s historic trip to China in the middle of May and in light of the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. But these market-moving events are far from the only things disrupting expected trends in the grain complex. So to help us stay on top of all the news, we’re dropping in on DTN Lead Markets Analyst Rhett Montgomery’s monthly WASDE webinar this week, to hear his reactions to the department’s updated figures on corn, soybean, and wheat balance sheets.  He offers special insight on the biofuels and crush pictures as we head into the key summer driving months at the same time that fuel prices remain elevated due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He’ll also dive deep on the current trade picture, with an eye to how things have, and haven’t, changed since the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.  Finally, we’ll look ahead to the heart of the season, taking into account the emerging demand picture, weather pressure, and the state of global markets, to understand what might be ahead in 2026.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Learn about and discuss the cutting edge of the ag industry and explore new perspectives on farming’s old adages. Field Posts is a weekly podcast by DTN/The Progressive Farmer that dives deeper into the most important trends in technology, policy, management, and business to explore the ag industry’s cutting edge.

Information

  • Creator
    DTN/Progressive Farmer
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    305
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Field Posts
  • Show Website
    Field Posts

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