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General Farm Management & Strategy

Trends in General Inflation & Farm Input Prices

Farm input costs don’t move in lockstep with inflation. Understanding which costs follow inflation—and which don’t—is key to managing margins in today’s volatile environment.

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Precision Ag Paying Off?—Here’s What the Data Shows

Precision agriculture tools are widely adopted—but do they actually improve profitability? A 21-year study of 570 farms finds most technologies don’t increase efficiency, with gains concentrated among lower-performing operations.

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AgCast 214: Farming with No Margin for Error, Lessons from the Delta, Part 6

Rice farming in the Mississippi Delta offers a look at how farms operate under tighter labor, water, and capital constraints. In this episode, farmers share insights that translate beyond rice—highlighting how production intensity shapes equipment decisions, timing, and risk management in ways Midwestern producers can apply.

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Extracting Value from Precision Agriculture Technology is Difficult

Precision agriculture technology promises efficiency gains, but evidence shows most tools don’t improve farm performance. This analysis of Kansas farms highlights which technologies deliver measurable returns—and why management, learning, and farm efficiency level matter more than adoption alone.

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AgCast 213: Farm Robotics, Labor, and the Future of Field Work, Lessons from the Delta, Part 5

A chance encounter in the Mississippi Delta leads to a closer look at how farm robotics are being used to address labor shortages and improve efficiency. This episode explores small autonomous machines designed for precision weeding, highlighting how automation is evolving from concept to practical field application.

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2026 Purdue Crop Cost and Return Guide

Production costs and breakeven prices in 2026 are expected to be similar to those experienced in 2025. However, production costs are still considerably higher than they were prior to the advent of COVID-19.

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AgCast 212: Inside the Research Center Driving U.S. Rice Production, Lessons from the Delta, Part 4

The Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center plays a critical role in supporting U.S. rice production, located in a region responsible for a large share of national output. This episode explores how research, water management, and production systems come together to support rice farming in the Mississippi Delta, highlighting the complexity and intensity of the system.

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Crop vs. Livestock Confidence: Why the Sentiment Gap Is Growing

February’s Ag Economy Barometer shows livestock producer sentiment nearly 40 points higher than crop producers, reflecting stronger current margins. In this Purdue Commercial AgBrief, Michael Langemeier explains the confidence gap, investment outlook, and why crop and livestock farms still share similar long-term growth and succession plans.

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AgCast 211: How Investors Are Buying Farmland, Lessons from the Delta, Part 3

Farmland investment platforms are creating new ways for investors to participate in agricultural land ownership. In this third episode of the Lessons From the Delta series, Colson Tester of AcreTrader explains how farmland opportunities are sourced, evaluated, and structured while local farmers continue operating the land.

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Farmer Confidence Edges Higher, But Future Expectations Fall

Farmer confidence continues to weaken as producers face tightening margins and growing uncertainty about the future. In this Purdue Commercial AgBrief, Michael Langemeier explains what the latest Ag Economy Barometer survey reveals about financial stress, capital investment plans, and how producers are adjusting expectations for the years ahead.

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