Agriculture Today: March 23, 2026

·25 min·2 clips

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA must think outside the box to deliver faster disaster aid to ranchers.

The episode opens with Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins addressing the need for faster, more flexible USDA disaster relief programs following Nebraska wildfires, including potential deregulation and cross-sector assistance. Kellan Havikin reports on rancher concerns and ideas like incentivizing row crop farmers to help with grazing. Matt Bennett, co-founder of agmarket.net, then provides pre-report estimates predicting a record combined planting of 94.4 million corn acres and 86.1 million soybean acres, citing shifts from cotton and rice. Barry Ward, an ag economist at Ohio State University, discusses ongoing price volatility, noting rising input costs as a primary concern and how the Strait of Hormuz situation adds uncertainty, potentially pushing marginal acres to soybeans. Southwest Iowa farmer Kevin Ross shares his planting approach, emphasizing dependence on soil temperatures and frost dates rather than fixed dates, and mentions input cost differences between corn and soybeans. The episode includes a market recap by John Perkins and Megan Grebner, covering soybeans, corn, wheat, cattle, and hogs. Charlie Martinez from the University of Tennessee explains how rising diesel prices impact livestock profitability and row crop costs. Nicole Heslip reports on House Republican efforts to expand the H-2A guest worker program, with input from Congressman Bill Huizenga and Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCrosse. Kurt Blumgren details disaster assistance for Minnesota dairy producers affected by a March blizzard. The episode concludes with an interview by Cara Hart featuring Garrett Toy from AgTraderTalk, analyzing how President Trump's delayed ultimatum to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz influences commodity futures, fertilizer prices, and fuel costs, with insights into planting progress in southern states.

As heard by us

A practical episode on how disaster aid and fuel prices shape farm-level costs and decisions.

The episode keeps its business stakes clear, moving from USDA disaster relief to the pressure of rising fuel costs. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA should look for faster ways to deliver assistance after the Nebraska wildfires, while cattle producer Adam Grabenstein…

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Why you'd press play

You want to know how Nebraska wildfire relief ideas and $5.15 diesel land on the farm balance sheet.

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