Farming in America today is an expensive endeavor.

Even as commodity prices continue to slump ahead of a record big crop, farmers are already having to make decisions about purchases for next year’s crop. There are many hard conversations with lenders, agronomists, and family members ahead, with questions about how to finance land deals, equipment purchases, and seed and crop protection needs weighing heavily.

As farmers sharpen their pencils, DTN Progressive Farmer reporters and columnists are doing the same with a full slate of stories on financing the farm. DTN Progressive Farmer’s Associate Content Manager Elaine Shein joins us this week to give us a peek behind the curtain of this reporting, shedding light on the farmers she visited, the lenders who offered their perspective, and what experts say might be ahead for the farm economy.

She’ll offer insight on how farmers are tackling questions of generational transition, business planning, and off-farm jobs in light of current challenges, and share how lenders are advising their clients on everything from input and equipment purchases during down cycles to how young farmers today can get the experience — and reputation — they need to succeed in a rapidly changing farm landscape.

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The U.S. federal government began a partial shutdown starting Wednesday October 1st, disrupting services and efforts across sprawling agencies– though workers deemed essential remain on the job without pay. Farmers and the agricultural industry writ large have been affected, from delays at local FSA offices to lost momentum on trade deals to missed national reports.

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton has been following the shutdown as it unfolded over the last several days, and brings us the very latest from Washington and around the country on how producers are being impacted and what might be ahead. Today, he’ll guide us through the latest shutdown news, bringing us up-to-date on how key USDA agencies and activities, from FSA loans and NRCS payments to disaster aid and WASDE reports, are being disrupted, and what the long-term fallout might be. We’ll also get updates on work that’s still being done, including pest detection at the Southern border, and touch on how trade discussions are being affected both by the shutdown and by Trump’s recent announcement about an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Then we’ll hear about some recent reactions from farmers, and learn where Congress and the Administration sit today and what might be a path forward towards a more stable outcome for farmers and the American people.

The battle for year round E15 is not new, but in the last several weeks, it has become increasingly urgent.

Though lawmakers have expressed support again and again for expanded rules that would create additional demand for ethanol around the country, farmers and their advocates continue to wait for changes, and now with a gigantic corn crop about to flood the market, and hamstring prices, any bit of extra demand could provide relief.

To help us understand where the E15 story currently stands, DTN Environmental Editor Todd Neeley joins us today with analysis of the latest announcements. The conversation continues with updates on the Small Refinery Exemption issue — a longer range issue that’s been lingering at the EPA and in the courts since the first Trump administration.

Then we’ll get updates on the latest RFS volume announcements and what’s happening on the trade front as the U.S. disputes Brazilian biofuel tariff levels. We’ll also talk through the latest news on the 45Z tax credit, a recent plant acquisition, and what might be ahead as more federal uncertainty — and a potential government shutdown — loom.