Farmers are entering the critical spring planting season under a cloud of uncertainty as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts global trade, causing fertilizer and diesel costs to spike.

Fertilizer shipment disruptions in the Persian Gulf due to the Iran conflict pushed prices to levels not seen since another war began four years ago.

These super-high prices we are experiencing all across the beef industry leave one unanswered question on every producer’s mind: When will it all end?

As we continue the great ride with cattle prices we still must do some things well to be as profitable as possible.

With farm financial conditions deteriorating and fertilizer and fuel prices rising, farmers will continue to face losses, underscoring the need for additional support, reports Jim Henry.

Local livestock auction yards have been around since about the time cattle were first introduced as a commercialized American food source and they are the epitome of a robustly competitive market.

Lease agreements shifted toward more traditional crop-share agreements in 2026.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Legislative Conference is where grassroots policy meets action.

Global disruptions have tightened fertilizer supplies and driven up costs. At the same time, fuel prices continue to rise, further tightening balance sheets.

For decades, farmers and ranchers have been begging antitrust officials for probes into concentrated industries like meatpacking, seed, fertilizer, machinery and grain merchandising.

Southern Illinois planters began rolling in the latter half of March after an extended stretch of warm, dry conditions.

Farmers and ranchers can capture more of the food dollar through value-added production, direct marketing and partnerships that move them deeper into supply chain activities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Renewable Fuel Standard “Set 2” ruling that locks in the highest-ever Renewable Volume Obligations.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture updated its State Nutrient Reduction Strategy — a statewide strategy designed to improve water quality in Indiana, the Great Lakes and beyond.

Installing drainage tile is a strategic investment that maximizes yield potential and boosts net returns for both farmers and landowners.

The rising cost of cars is contributing to increased concerns about affordability throughout American life.

It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger, but cutting those costs requires ranchers like Stephanie Hatzenbuhler to raise more cattle — and that’s not an easy ask.

For our U.S. cattle and sheep industries, do you want free markets or competitive markets? That’s not a trick question as there’s presently significant political tension between these two goals.

Farmland prices are expected to decrease from 1% to 5% this year, according to Illinois professional farm managers.

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers’ comprehensive annual farmland values report also includes various tidbits of interest.

Like other farmers across the nation, my work is not a job, but a calling.

Farmers plan to plant less corn and more soybeans in 2026 than last year, reports Jim Henry, as the Iran war drives up fertilizer and fuel prices in the latest blow to the struggling agricultural sector.

Brazil’s massive dual-fuel fleet — consisting of vehicles capable of running on any combination of ethanol and gasoline — is unique in its scale.

Today’s higher fuel prices will be the norm regardless when, or even if, a U.S.-Iran ceasefire comes together, say market experts.

An overwhelming majority of America’s farmers who responded to a nationwide survey say they cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year.

There’s heightened concern across the Corn Belt due to the surge in fertilizer and fuel prices, combined with a volatile commodity market.

United Producers Inc. announced a leadership transition at its Salem market as Maycey Crain and Mark Kleiboeker step into new roles to serve producers across the region.

For generations, farmers and ranchers have been the backbone of rural communities and a driving force in our nation’s economy.

Land in the Midwest is not just dirt. It’s legacy, livelihood and, increasingly, a line in the sand.

The Irish government survived a confidence vote over how it handled a week of disruptive fuel protests that blocked access to oil supplies, caused gas pumps to run dry and created massive traffic jams.

A commodity brokerage firm’s farmer survey indicates a shift toward more soybean acres in 2026.

Farmer sentiment about the ag economy improved in March despite rising input cost concerns, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

With farmers capturing only a small share of the food dollar, even modest swings in commodity prices or increases in input costs can quickly strain farm finances.

In its program-slashing 2027 Department of Agriculture budget plan, the White House hoped to head off sure-to-come complaints by tying spending cuts to that handy whipping boy, big bad government.

Wheat, corn and soybean season-average price projects were increased slightly in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s balance sheets.

Despite strong demand pace, an expected increase in corn exports wasn’t reflected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.

Cattle, sheep and goat prices are at record or near record levels and fundamentally should remain that way for some time to come.

U.S. producers intend to plant 3% less corn acres and 4% more soybean acres this spring, according to the prospective planting report March 31.

A bipartisan bill passed in 2022 to promote the use of higher biodiesel blends is making a significant impact once again in 2026.

Midwest Dairy released its 2025 Annual Report, demonstrating a strong year of progress building trust and demand on behalf of dairy farmers.

Farmland values remain resilient in spite of a cooling agricultural economy, according to the latest installment of the Maximizing Your Farmland Series presented by Halderman.

Two years after peak highs, the average sales price of top Illinois farmland saw slight year-over-year declines.

There has never been more information available to farmers than there is today — and yet, in many ways, it’s never been harder to know who or what to trust.

According to the latest Feeding the Economy report, agriculture and food industries are a huge part of the U.S. economy.

For the past decade, farm profits have been highly volatile, making farm business planning difficult.

Brush in our pastures is my nemesis and I find myself looking for every opportunity to do damage to every Russian olive and locust tree on the planet.

You drive past or in the fields and lots where we are calving and there are babies running around, enjoying their surroundings and their new playmates.

Year-over-year corn, soybean and wheat stocks are higher halfway through the marketing year.

It may be a surprise that last year’s biggest ag story — tariffs — was swept off today’s front pages by even bigger news: a Middle East war, its sharply higher fuel and fertilizer prices, and the near certainty of another multi-billion dollar farm aid package.

Whether you farm five acres or 5,000, you’re part of something bigger than your own farm. You’re helping support jobs, strengthen communities and power an economy that reaches every corner of this country.