Purdue Commercial AgCast

Lessons From the Delta continues — and this time, the conversation turns to an unexpected connection between rice farming, water management, and wildlife. In the 8th and final episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe travel to eastern Arkansas to explore how rice production systems intersect with conservation—and why organizations like Ducks Unlimited are working directly with farmers. What starts as a discussion about rice fields quickly expands into a deeper look at water use, groundwater depletion, and how wildlife habitat can create additional economic value on farmland. The conversation explores: Why rice fields function as surrogate wetlands for waterfowl How duck hunting and recreation influence land values in the Delta The scale of water use in rice production—and why it matters How farmers are adapting to groundwater decline with new practices The tradeoffs between yield, water efficiency, and management complexity Why agriculture in the Delta requires a fundamentally different system approach With water becoming an increasingly binding constraint, this episode highlights how farmers are balancing productivity, conservation, and long-term sustainability—and what that means for the future of agriculture. We’ll continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series. Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series. Learn more about Ducks Unlimited: https://www.ducks.org/ For more farm management resources, visit:👉 https://purdue.ag/commercialag Subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://purdue.ag/agcast Follow us:X: https://twitter.com/PUCommercialAgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUCommercialAgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-commercial-agriculture

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time from the edge of a 120-acre on-farm reservoir. In Part 7 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe visit a rice farm in Arkansas to understand how farmers are managing water, labor, and costs in ways that look very different from the Midwest. What starts as a farm tour turns into a practical discussion about irrigation strategy, groundwater replacement, and the economics behind building large on-farm reservoirs. The conversation also covers: How farmers can save up to $31 per acre by pumping surface water instead of groundwater Why reservoirs reduce energy costs and improve water temperature for crop performance Capturing and recycling nutrients through tailwater recovery systems The tradeoff between taking land out of production and lowering long-term costs How pump automation reduces labor needs and improves quality of life Why water management is becoming a central constraint in modern farming systems This episode builds on earlier conversations in the Delta series and brings the focus directly to how farmers are making real-world management decisions under different constraints. We’ll continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series. Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series. For more farm management resources, visit:👉 https://purdue.ag/commercialag Subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://purdue.ag/agcast Follow us:X: https://twitter.com/PUCommercialAgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUCommercialAgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-commercial-agriculture

Farmer sentiment improved in March—but the underlying pressures in the farm economy haven’t gone away. In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, Joana Colussi and Michael Langemeier break down the March 2026 Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. Despite rising input costs and global uncertainty tied to geopolitical conflict, farmer sentiment moved higher—driven in part by stronger crop prices and government payments. But the improvement comes with important caveats. Tight margins, rising breakeven costs, and shifting risk priorities are shaping how farmers approach investment, production, and long-term strategy. More importantly, these signals highlight how producers are balancing short-term optimism with longer-term uncertainty. In this episode, we discuss:• What’s driving the recent increase in farmer sentiment• How $35/acre payments and higher corn prices are influencing outlook• Why only 4% of farmers plan to increase machinery purchases• How rising input costs are impacting breakeven prices and profitability• Why financial risk has overtaken marketing risk for many farms• What farmers expect for inflation and interest rates in the year ahead• How solar leasing is evolving across regions and land markets• What’s driving farmland value expectations in 2026 📊 Read the full Ag Economy Barometer report:https://purdue.ag/barometer126 — For more farm management resources, visit:👉 https://purdue.ag/commercialag Subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://purdue.ag/agcast Follow us:X: https://twitter.com/PUCommercialAgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUCommercialAgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-commercial-agriculture

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time from the perspective of farmers managing one of the most intensive production systems in U.S. agriculture. In Episode 6 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe visit with Terry and Trent Dabs of LTD Farms near Stuttgart, Arkansas, to discuss what it takes to operate a rice-based farming system in the Mississippi Delta. What emerges is a detailed look at a production environment shaped by water management, labor demands, and capital intensity—where daily decisions around irrigation, equipment, and timing carry significant economic consequences. The conversation also discusses: • Why rice production requires constant water management and monitoring• How labor constraints shape daily operations and long-term strategy• The impact of intensive field conditions on machinery and capital decisions• How rice is marketed and how payment differs from corn and soybeans• The role of global markets in determining profitability As Delta farmers navigate a system defined by irrigation dependence and production intensity, the discussion raises important questions:What does it take to manage risk in a high-cost production system?How do labor and water constraints shape farm structure?And what lessons apply beyond the Delta? This episode builds on earlier conversations about production systems and farmland economics, and brings the focus directly to the farm level. We’ll also continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series. Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series. For more farm management resources, visit:👉 https://purdue.ag/commercialag Subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://purdue.ag/agcast Follow us:X: https://twitter.com/PUCommercialAgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUCommercialAgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-commercial-agriculture

Lessons From the Delta continues — this time with an unexpected conversation about farm robotics. In Episode 5 of the Purdue Commercial AgCast mini-series, Chad Fiechter and Todd Kuethe meet Sarah Hinkley, CEO and co-founder of Barn Owl Precision Ag, during a chance stop at a farm in Arkansas. What begins as a serendipitous encounter turns into a discussion about labor shortages, farm profitability, and how automation is being applied in real-world field conditions. The conversation also discusses: • The economic pressure driving labor-saving technologies• How autonomous “nano tractors” are designed for precision tasks• The shift from large equipment to networks of smaller machines• Challenges in scaling robotics across different environments• Opportunities to reduce chemical inputs through precision weeding As labor constraints and cost pressures continue to shape farm decisions, technologies like this raise important questions:What does practical automation look like on the farm?How quickly can these tools scale?And where do they fit in existing production systems? This episode builds on earlier discussions of production systems and research infrastructure, and sets up a return to the farm level in the next episode. We’ll also continue sharing video clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the Arkansas trip on our YouTube channel throughout the series. Subscribe to the Purdue Commercial AgCast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes in the Lessons From the Delta series. For more farm management resources, visit:👉 https://purdue.ag/commercialag Subscribe to the podcast:👉 https://purdue.ag/agcast Follow us:X: https://twitter.com/PUCommercialAgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PUCommercialAgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-commercial-agriculture