Top Farmer Conference: January 10, 2025

As one of the most successful and longest-running management programs specifically crafted for farmers, the Purdue Top Farmer Conference is a one-day event for agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals looking to navigate the complexities of today's agricultural landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers and hear from farm management experts and agricultural economists from Purdue, Farm Credit Services of America, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Acres, a land value data analytics company.

July Crop Basis Movement Varies Significantly by Region as Marketing Year Nears End

August 8, 2024

Through July, we have seen a wide variation in the movement of both corn and soybean basis across Indiana. In East Central Indiana, corn basis has stayed within a $0.04/bu. range over the last four weeks and is currently $0.01/bu. lower than during the first week of July.

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Comparing Net Returns for Alternative Leasing Arrangements

August 7, 2024

Obtaining control of land through leasing has a long history in the United States. Leases on agricultural land are strongly influenced by local custom and tradition. However, in most areas, landowners and operators can choose from several types of lease arrangements. Flexible cash lease arrangements provide a base cash rent plus a bonus which typically represents a share of gross revenue in excess of a certain base value or threshold.

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Farmer Sentiment Improves Despite Financial Performance Concerns

August 6, 2024

All three broad-based measures of farmer sentiment improved in July as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index rose 8 points to 113, the Index of Current Conditions increased by 10 points to 100, and the Index of Future Expectations at 119 was 7 points higher than a month earlier. Purdue ag economists James Mintert and Michael Langemeier share some insight into the results of the July 2024 Ag Economy Barometer survey on this Purdue Commercial AgCast episode.

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Agricultural Jobs & Labor Update

August 2, 2024

Labor availability and labor retention are big issues in the U.S. economy and that’s especially true for agribusiness firms and for commercial scale farm operations. According to the latest Purdue Agricultural Job Market Report, job postings are up by 50%. More employers are seeking entry-level candidates with higher levels of education. Additionally, it has become more common for employers to include salary information in their job postings as a way to encourage applications. In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, host Brady Brewer joins Josh Strine, a Ph.D. student in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics, to discuss the Purdue Ag Jobs Dashboard.

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Conventional & Organic Enterprise Net Returns, FINBIN data from 2019 to 2023

July 12, 2024

This article summarizes net returns for conventional and organic crop enterprises using FINBIN data from 2019 to 2023. Organic corn and soybean enterprises had lower crop yields, higher crop prices and gross revenue, and higher net returns. However, there was a much wider difference in enterprise net returns among organic corn and soybean enterprises than there was among conventional corn and soybean enterprises.

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Corn & Soybean Basis Strengthen Through June & July

July 12, 2024

Depending on where you are located, Indiana corn and soybean basis have seen large swings in the last six weeks. For example, SE Indiana corn basis was -$0.13/bu. in the first week of June but was $0.03/bu. on July 10th. Unlike history suggests, the movement has generally been a strengthening in basis for both corn and soybeans.

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Corn Was King: The Transition to Soy in U.S. Production Agriculture

July 11, 2024

Margaret Lippsmeyer presented during agri benchmark’s 2024 annual conference in mid June, which was hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture in Valladolid, Spain. An increase in soybean acreage may come from either (a) shifting away from continuous corn rotations to corn-soy and (b) shifting corn-soy rotations toward corn-soy-soy. Based on agri benchmark data, Margaret showed that option (a) would require an increase in soybean prices of 6% and option (b) of 8% to make these rotations preferable over existing ones.

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Farmer Sentiment Drifts Lower on Weaker Future Expectations

July 2, 2024

Farmer sentiment drifted downward in June as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading of 105 was 3 points lower than a month earlier. The overall decline in sentiment was due to a five-point drop in the Index of Future Expectations, which fell to 112, while the June Current Conditions Index increased to 90, 1 point higher than the May index. High input costs, the risk of lower prices for their products, and rising interest rates continue to weigh on farmer sentiment.

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Farm Retirement & Succession Preparedness

June 25, 2024

Brady Brewer is joined by Dr. Maria Marshall and Renee Wiatt to discuss the findings of a recent survey conducted across the Midwest, examining the readiness of farm families to transition their businesses to the next generation. The conversation highlights the challenges and emotional complexities involved, emphasizing the importance of early planning and open communication to ensure both the business’s sustainability and the family’s cohesion.

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Stay Tuned for Possible Basis Swings This Summer

June 7, 2024

Since early May, Indiana corn basis has flattened or improved modestly, depending on the location. Corn basis levels throughout Indiana remain well below their three-year average.

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2023 Farm Custom Rates for Indiana

Top Farmer Conference 2025

January 10, 2025

A management programs geared specifically for farmers. Surrounded by farm management, farm policy, agricultural finance and marketing experts, and a group of your peers, the conference will stimulate your thinking about agriculture’s future and how you can position your farm to be successful in the years ahead.

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Purdue Income Tax School: Ag Tax Webinar

December 19, 2024

The 2024 Ag Tax Webinar, part of the Purdue Income Tax School, will provide in-depth coverage of selected agricultural and farm income tax issues to supplement material provided at the two-day in-person or virtual tax schools. The 2024 webinar will be taught by Guido Van Der Hoeven, an expert on agricultural tax issues and one of the authors of the 2024 Agricultural Tax Issues book, on Monday, December 19, 2024, starting at 9:00 am ET.

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Find out where we will be presenting next as we collaborate with others.