Field Posts

DTN/Progressive Farmer
  • 4.3 (6)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. 2D AGO

    Episode 293: Boots-on-the-Ground View of Planting 2026

    Coming into the 2026 planting season, many expected a significant crop shift thanks to the war in Iran. Little sign of this shift has been seen so far, but with less than half the crop in the ground and weeks left for farmers to finalize decisions, there are still plenty of wild cards on the table. To give us an update on planting thus far, and help us understand what might be ahead for the emerging crop, we’re joined today by DTN Crops Technology Editor Pamela Smith and DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins. They start out with their expectations around conditions going into planting this year, including discussion of drought impacts and unusual temperatures this spring throughout much of the country. Then, we’ll dive into updates on planting so far, with data from across the corn belt and the southern plains that suggests that inconsistent temperature and precipitation are helping some farmers stay ahead of schedule while others are dealing with setback after setback. Finally, we’ll dig into what all this means for the crop ahead, with insights on what diseases, weeds, and insects are most likely to be at play, given the conditions we’ve seen so far.

    32 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Episode 292: Trump in China vs. the May WASDE

    The May WASDE dropped Tuesday, May 12th, offering some bullish surprises for the wheat market, and giving the whole grain complex a boost in advance of President Trump’s long-awaited trip to visit American agriculture’s most important trading partner — China.  With both news and the latest report driving markets this week, we’re joined once again by DTN Lead Markets Analyst Rhett Montgomery who helps us find the signal in the noise in one the USDA’s heftier annual publications. Today, Rhett walks us down the balance sheets for the major grains, offering updates and insights on the latest new and old crop figures, and fills in the details on how these updates are shifting world stocks as well.  After he gives an update on the basis picture, we’ll also hear what he’s on the lookout for from the Trump-Xi meeting, from the fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf, and from weather outlooks across the Americas.  Finally, he’ll flag current trends to watch that might indicate unusual opportunities, and growing risks, being created by speculators in the grain markets.

    35 min

  3. MAY 5

    Episode 291: Uncovering Yield with 2025 National Wheat Contest Winners

    The winners of the National Wheat Yield Contest, hosted by the National Wheat Foundation, represent some of the best wheat growers in the country. And today, we're ducking behind the curtain to learn the secrets of growing bin-busting crops.  DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins takes the reins to lead us through a conversation with Greg Anthis, a wheat grower and agronomist from Wheatland, Indiana, and Alec Horton, a grower and seed supplier in Leoti, Kansas. These long-time contest participants discuss how participating in the annual contest has become common in their areas, and along the way, they dig into what they’ve learned about management, technology, seed selection, quality, and wheat rotations while being part of the community of state-of-the-art wheat growers.

    46 min

  4. APR 27

    Episode 290: Have We Hit the Spring Cattle Market Peak?

    With challenging conditions across much of the ag economy, cattle markets are a bright spot in the first few months of 2026.  Despite high prices, consumers are continuing to buy beef, even in advance of what is usually the peak demand period for the year. Add that to the fact that the Southern border has been closed for nearly twelve months with no signs of reopening anytime soon, and you'll find cattlemen across the country are still motivated to take advantage of top dollar prices — keeping the herd firmly out of the rebuilding cycle.  But all that doesn’t mean that there aren’t potential risks on the horizon. To help us make sense of all the news that’s affecting cattle markets today, we’re joined by DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart. She'll walk us through the market-moving meaning behind the latest cattle-on-feed report, bring us up-to-date on the most recent confirmed case of New World Screwworm in Mexico, and help us understand what we might expect from the worsening drought situation across the American West. We’ll also hear her advice on how to make sense of the firehose of news coming out of the Middle East and Washington at the moment, and finally, give us a boots-on-the-ground update from her own cattle operation in Wyoming.  This episode of Field Posts is brought to you by MAGNIVA Forage Inoculants from Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Research-proven MAGNIVA helps drive efficient fermentation, reduce dry matter losses, and optimize feed value — so more of what you harvest turns into real performance in the bunk. Gain every advantage from field to feed. Learn more at MAGNIVA.com.

    24 min

  5. APR 17

    Episode 289: War Shapes Planting in April WASDE

    The April WASDE dropped Thursday, April 9th, representing the third big update from USDA in two weeks following the Prospective Planting and U.S. Grain Stocks reports. Though expectations from analysts were relatively low, wider uncertainty in the markets related to the ongoing US-Iran conflict and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz have left farmers hungry for any clarity on what might be in store for markets in the coming months. To help us dig into all three of these reports, we’re joined today by DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery. He’ll offer insight on the latest news, and then take us beat-by-beat through USDA updates to the balance sheets for the major grains, highlighting the biggest changes along the way. Then, we’ll hear updates on the Latin American crop, the current corn trade picture, and hear Rhett’s thoughts on the world wheat market and what that might mean for U.S. growers as 2026 continues. Finally, we’ll talk about the Prospective Planting report, understanding how last year’s crop is influencing this year’s acres, and thinking about how planting plans might still adjust as concerns about war-disrupted fertilizer continue to crystallize.  Plus, we’ll hear what Rhett will be watching most closely in the common weeks, from Trump’s trip to Beijing to energy markets.

    42 min

  6. APR 10

    Episode 288: How Rural America is Surviving (and Thriving)

    Lamenting the “hollowing of rural America” has become standard fare across certain types of media and policy leaders, but for those who live, work, and raise their crops and family in and around small towns, rural America feels far from hollow.  While these communities still face their fair share of challenges, these places are chock full of resilient, vibrant businesses, organizations, and families thriving all across the rural map. That’s what the DTN Progressive Farmer team found when they took to the countryside to tell a whole series of stories about a rural America that’s not only surviving, but thriving, and today, Content Manager Anthony Greder joins us to discuss these stories.  We’ll start by taking a closer look at the rural economy today, how towns are being affected by the difficulties in the farm economy, and how they’re using past experiences and new tools to weather the storm. Then we’ll tackle some of the key challenges in rural places, from healthcare availability to school funding to rural broadband. Anthony will help us understand how those challenges are evolving, what’s holding small towns back, and the innovative ways communities are finding to attract doctors, support students, and bring cutting edge technology to every corner of the country.  Finally, we’ll hear about young entrepreneurs who are choosing to build businesses (including farms) in rural communities, and the vision they have for their futures.

    32 min

  7. APR 1

    Episode 287: How to Use Dicamba in 2026

    Three different dicamba herbicide products are making a comeback in 2026 with new labels and new rules for use from EPA.  Whether farmers are aiming to use BASF’s Engenia, Syngenta’s Tavium, or Bayer's newly-renamed Stryax products, there are some changes that farmers and their applicators need to be aware of.  That’s why today, DTN Crops Editor Jason Jenkins is here to walk us through the very latest updates on the legal use of dicamba products. He’ll talk us through what’s changed on the labels — from temperature restrictions to acid equivalence per acre limitations — and what’s stayed the same, especially in terms of safety precautions. Then, he’ll clarify some of the recent confusion around the annual maximum usage amounts, and talk us through some state-specific regulations that sit on top of the federal label in specific geographies. Finally, we’ll learn more about the new Endangered Species Act points system that’s rolling out this year, and talk about where farmers can get more information about staying in compliance and using these products safely.

    35 min

  8. MAR 30

    Episode 286: Boots on the Ground in Brazil

    We’ve been keeping up with weather and crop conditions in Latin America from afar this winter, but any farmer will tell you that the national data doesn’t tell you as much as seeing a crop with your own eyes.  That’s one of the key reasons that DTN Progressive Farmer Editor in Chief Greg Horstmeier journeyed down to Brazil earlier this month, eager to put boots on the ground and bring us the latest updates on the Brazilian crop as it’s being harvested.  Today, we’ll hear about Greg’s trip down South, including what he saw of a large soybean crop and an equally promising corn harvest. He’ll offer insight on the infrastructure situation as the crop goes from field to bin to port, and give us an update on what he heard from farmers there as far as critical issues they’re facing, both this year and into the future.  On his way back home, Greg also stopped in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 2026 National Ag Day on Tuesday, March 24th. He’ll tell us about the announcements he heard from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and about the bigger conversations happening around the event about livestock, food, and the challenging state of affairs in the ag economy. Finally, we’ll hear what Greg is working on next, flag stories he thinks are currently flying under the radar, and pay tribute to the ag communications great Orion Samuelson.

    32 min
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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
    294
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Field Posts
  • Show Website
    Field Posts

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