You're viewing a specific archive. Looking for something and want to search by keyword or just take a general look at ALL our resources? Click Search below!
Search our entire resource library
General Farm Management & Strategy
Farmer sentiment rose again in August. But what’s really behind the improvement? Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier take a closer look at the August Purdue Univeristy-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer and discuss what they think is driving the changes in farmer sentiment. The Ag Economy Barometer rose from 126 in July to 135 in August, with most of the improvement coming from farmers’ expectations for the future. But producers remain cautious about current conditions and capital investments. Michael and Joana discuss what may be behind that disconnect, including the outlook for corn prices, farmland values, farm financial conditions and producers’ willingness to invest.
Read MoreFarmers are feeling better about their financial future, but that optimism hasn’t translated into stronger plans for machinery and building investments. The August Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose to 135, and for the first time since June 2025, more farmers said they expect their financial situation to improve over the next year than said they expect it to worsen. But there’s a catch. The Farm Financial Performance Index has climbed from 90 at the beginning of the year to 103 in August, while the Farm Capital Investment Index fell to 45. So what’s keeping farmers cautious?
Read MoreFarmer sentiment improved again in August, but the details behind the increase are more interesting than the headline. The Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer rose 9 points to 135, marking its second consecutive monthly increase. The key driver was future expectations.
Read MoreIf you’ve followed Purdue’s Crop Basis Tool or the Center’s monthly basis updates, you’ve probably already heard from Josh Strine. After completing his PhD at Purdue, Josh is staying with the Center for Commercial Agriculture as a postdoc, where he’ll continue working on extension tools and research involving farm markets, technology and agricultural finance. In this episode, Josh talks about his path from growing up on a corn and soybean farm in central Ohio to agricultural economics and Purdue. He also explains what he hopes to explore next.
Read MoreFarmers in the United States and Argentina are facing many of the same pressures, but their outlook for the future is strikingly different. A new comparison of the two countries’ producer sentiment surveys finds a particularly wide gap in expectations for the crop sector and points to differences in farm income, policy and financial conditions that may help explain why.
Read MoreThis paper computes a ratio equivalent to the P/E ratio for farmland, the farmland price-to-cash-rent ratio (P/rent), and discusses trends in the P/rent ratio.
Read MoreHave crop farms or livestock farms generated better long-run returns? Michael Langemeier compares rates of return for beef, dairy, diversified, and crop farms from 2007–2025, revealing why recent livestock price strength hasn’t translated into a clear long-run advantage.
Read MoreDoes upgrading to the latest planter technology actually improve a farm’s bottom line? A Purdue field trial comparing modern and 30-year-old planter technology found no measurable difference in corn yield but the economic value of newer technology may extend well beyond yield.
Read MoreThe latest Ag Economy Barometer shows livestock producers remain more optimistic than crop farmers, but both groups agree that marketing, input costs, and commodity prices are their biggest challenges.
Read MoreThe latest Ag Economy Barometer shows farmer sentiment rebounding after three consecutive months of decline. In this month’s discussion, Purdue agricultural economists Michael Langemeier and Joana Colussi go beyond the survey results to explain what producers are thinking about the farm economy and the risks shaping their outlook.
Read More