Author: staff

Antique and vintage tractors are more than machines. They’re emotional pieces of the past that can carry real weight and memories. Whether it’s a tractor that’s been in the family for generations, or one that’s still a workhorse around the farm, these machines definitely have their place. In this eposide, Dave and Andy chat with Ryan Roossinck, writer of “Interesting Iron” for Successful Farming, about current and past antique tractor values and factors influencing today’s market. As a new generation of collectors enters the scene, there’s a shift in popularity from older models like John Deere As and Bs and…

Just before 9:30 a.m. CT, December corn was down 1¢ at $4.12 per bushel. November soybeans were up 2¼¢ at $10.09 per bushel. “Soybeans are showing a little strength to start the week while grains are struggling.” Karl Setzer, partner with Consus Ag Consulting said, “[It is] taking support from a firming cash market and thoughts the U.S. crop may fall short of current estimates, which are already short of projected new crop demand. Soybean harvest is already winding down across the U.S. and basis is firming. Corn basis is also starting to firm as farmers are showing no interest…

1. Soybean, Grain Futures Little Changed Overnight Soybeans and grains were mostly little changed in overnight trading as investors again face uncertainty over the ongoing tariff war between the U.S. and China.  President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to hit the Asian nation with 100% tariffs starting next month amid a move by Beijing to restrict rare-earth minerals.  The president also said there may longer be a reason to meet with China President Xi Jinping as planned at the end of this month. The two had planned to meet on the sidelines of an economic conference in South Korea in…

By Cami Koons Summerlike temperatures and almost no precipitation over the past week expedited harvest season across Iowa, according to a Monday weather summary from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said harvest was “in full swing” in the IDALS release. Corn and soybean farmers said their harvests are ahead of schedule because of the weather conditions. According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, temperatures for the Sept. 29–Oct. 5 reporting period were 12°–16°F above the climatological normal.  Glisan also said rainfall was “sparse” over the period, with the weekly average rainfall…

By Cassandra Stephenson Jack Daniel’s is terminating a decades-long program that provided the company’s corn byproduct “slop” to local cattle farmers at low or no cost, allowing the farmers to inexpensively feed their cattle. The “Cow Feeder Program” is to end March 31, as the company transitions to a new partnership with Michigan-based Three Rivers Energy, which will convert the waste into renewable fuel and fertilizer. The change has left farmers in and around south-central Tennessee’s Moore County reeling, searching for ways they might continue to earn a living through raising cattle.  Livestock makes up 89% of Moore County’s farm…

By Peter Richards and Seth Meyer U.S. and Brazilian farmers compete directly in global markets for feed, food, fiber, and fuel. Collectively, they supply approximately 58% of the world’s corn and 84% of its soybeans (Trade Data Monitor, 2025). Current discussions on tight producer margins in the United States are putting a strong focus on input costs and use, and the competitiveness of U.S. farmers in a global marketplace. Recent analyses from farmdoc and the USDA have highlighted cost competitiveness of U.S. and Brazilian farmers in soybeans and corn (Colussi et al., 2023, 2024; Valdes, Gillespie and Dohlman, 2023). A closer look at cost data, as…

Problem A conversation isn’t a contract. It’s time to put your farm succession plan in writing. Submitted by email from W.M. My parents own all the assets of the farm: the land, the machinery, and the livestock. Twelve years ago, they invited me back to the farm to work with them. Since then, I’ve assumed most responsibilities for the grain and cow-calf operations. My parents help with labor at peak times. Dad and I do the marketing together, and Mom does the bookkeeping. There is mutual respect and appreciation. Because of my role, my parents have been able to take extended vacations,…

Problem How do you create a new farm succession plan when half of every deed is tied up in a trust? From R.B., via email My wife died 12 years ago. Her half of every deed went into a testamentary trust, per her will. When I die, her trust simply divides everything equally between our four kids with no provisions for farm succession planning. Our son started farming full time just before she died. I promised him we’d make it work, so he could continue to farm after I’m gone. Our goal was to get him the 80-acre home farm,…

The hard reality of the 1950s and 1960s was the farm population was declining … rapidly. The previous decade had experienced renewed interest in agriculture, as farm-boy veterans returned from war. However, the profits, so rich for farmers during the war years, leaned out as the 1950s progressed. This, in turn, forced more farmers to head to town, looking for jobs. The farm population had been on the decline since its 1935 peak of 6.8 million operations in the United States. By 1964, that number had plummeted to about 3 million. In those three decades, 4 million potential buyers for…

Jon and Marcia Kinzenbaw, of eastern Iowa, are beginning to downsize their extensive collection of antique tractors, with an online auction scheduled Nov. 4. A lifelong inventor and builder, Jon Kinzenbaw has been an avid collector for decades, but this is the first time any of this collection has been offered for sale. Many of these tractors have been stored indoors, include like-new tires, and have been started regularly. Offerings range from pre-World War II iron to mid-20th century icons. About 35 non-running-parts tractors and several lots of original tires will be sold as well. The catalog also includes about…