Every year, the staff of DTN Progressive Farmer spend time reflecting on the news that was and evaluating which stories did the most to shape producers’ experience in the field, in the markets, and beyond.

Given the non-stop flood of news this year, competition to make the list of the Top 10 Ag Stories of 2025 was particularly stiff.

To walk us through the top stories, we’re joined today by DTN Progressive Farmer Editor-in-Chief Greg Horstmeier. He’ll talk to us about the reporting that stood out to him most in 2025, from dramatic policy changes affecting staffing and programs at USDA to a record-smashing corn crop and the tough market conditions that followed.

We’ll dig into the tariff story, and talk in depth about how it shaped nearly every decision farmers made. We’ll also talk about cattle industry updates, and how the New World Screwworm story continues to shape the narrative.

Then, we’ll dive into a number of key policy stories, from the biofuels situation to the future of the Farm Bill. We’ll also hear what stories Greg thinks will keep evolving in the new year, and what he’ll be watching most closely going forward.

DTN’s 2025 Virtual Ag Summit has just wrapped up, with farmers from across the country convening to discuss what to expect, and how to prepare, for an uncertain year ahead.

The event also gave DTN Progressive Farmer’s Senior Editor Dan Miller a chance to show off some of the stellar producers honored in the 2026 class of America’s Best Young Farmers and Ranchers.

Today, we’ll drop in on the conversation between Dan and two of Best Young Farmer honorees, Lucas Dull and Lillie Beringer-Crock. First we’ll meet Lucas, General Manager at Dull’s Tree Farms in Thorntown, Indiana, where they grow Christmas trees, pumpkins, and operate an agritourism business that attracts more than 80,000 guests a year.

Then, hear from third-generation farmer Lillie from Beringer Family Farms in Cascade, Iowa, who together with her husband Brian runs a feedlot, a cow-calf operation, and a farm store shipping products direct-to-consumer. They talk about their return to the family business, how they started and continue to build the unconventional sides of their businesses, and how they’re preparing for more uncertainty in the years ahead.

The U.S. tax code doesn’t often go through big changes, but with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, or OBBBA, earlier this year, there are plenty of changes to keep an eye out for as 2026 comes into view.

To help us understand what’s new and what matters most, DTN’s Taxlink columnist and CliftonLarsonAllen principle Rod Mauszycki joins us for an update on what’s new, what he’s talking about with his clients now, and what he’s still on the lookout for in 2026.

First, he’ll offer an update on changes to everything from bonus depreciation rules and state and local deductions to deferring crop insurance payments and prepayment credits.

He’ll even highlight the benefits of paying farm kids into designated accounts that help them save for a future where they have the resources to buy the farm. Then we’ll tackle advice on the tax implications of lending and borrowing, hear more about potential changes to farm and estate planning, and learn what questions farmers should be thinking about before the New Year.

Read Rod Mauszycki’s Taxlink blog here.

The December WASDE dropped Tuesday, December 9th, bringing home what’s been a tumultuous year of grain market news in the U.S. and beyond.

Though the Department of Agriculture is still catching up on some reporting that was disrupted during the government shutdown, the coming of this relatively quiet report — which anticipates a more active January WASDE — marks a much-anticipated return to normalcy.

To help us understand the latest we’re joined once again by DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery. This week he’ll give us important insights on his expectations going into the report, and offer analysis on why the market has reacted, and failed to react, to the new information as might be expected.

Then we’ll dive into the global and domestic balance sheets for the major grains, illuminating key hopeful nuggets you might have missed in the corn and soybean data, and highlighting why the world wheat picture continues to look challenging.

Finally, we’ll hear what Rhett will be watching over the holiday season and into the New Year, from weather to interest rates.

The 2025 DTN’s Ag Summit has just wrapped up, with farmers from across the country convening virtually to discuss the year that was, the year ahead, and the key issues affecting their operations.

Forecasts for weather and market in the year to come were, as always, a top issue, and today on the podcast we’re dropping in to hear the latest.

Today, we’ll listen in on DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick’s 2026 seasonal forecast, where he’ll take a closer look at the winter conditions so far, and give us insight on what might be around the corner.

We’ll hear the latest on how the ongoing La Nina is shaping current systems, when we should keep an eye out for the impacts of polar vortexes, and how the combination of the two might shape drought conditions throughout the winter and planting timing come spring.

We’ll get a region-by-region outlook on winter and spring conditions, and then John will offer insight on what the models predict about the summer of 2026.

Finally, we’ll dig into the weather patterns in Latin America, how Brazil and Argentina in particular are fairing, and what still might change in the coming months for our chief competitors.

Another harvest season is just about wrapped, which means that the annual DTN Ag Summit event is upon us once again — coming up on December 3rd and 4th.

This year’s program aims to help farmers prepare for success as they navigate lukewarm markets, and plenty of open questions around everything from farm policy to the global trade landscape.

Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us for a preview of the Summit agenda, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CT over the two days, kicking off with a rich discussion between two of the winners of this year’s America’s Best Young Farmers and Ranchers contest.

Plus, these info-packed mornings will give producers a chance to hear the very latest on cattle markets, grain markets, and the 2026 weather outlook from DTN’s top analysts — and attendees will also be able to ask questions and engage with experts and hosts.

Register for the 2025 DTN Ag Summit at https://www.dtn.com/ag-summit-series-2025/

The November WASDE dropped Friday, November 14th, marking a return to normalcy as the longest government shutdown in history came to an end and USDA began to process and release more than a month of unpublished data.

Surprises abounded, and markets oscillated between responding to new and confirmed information and reacting to the latest comments and updates from the Trump Administration in the hours after the report.

This week, DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery joins us to not only tackle the first WASDE in nearly two months, but also to bring us up-to-date on all the market news we might have missed since the September WASDE release.

In addition to taking a deep look at the balance sheets for the major grains, we’ll also talk about tariff news that’s been driving price fluctuations, and explore the space between trade commitments and actual sales on the books.

We’ll also plug into the global picture, and learn how finding the signal in the noise around stocks and usage offers some optimism for even the most bearish soybean traders.

Finally, we’ll hear what Rhett is on the lookout for as combines are officially put up for the year.

The U.S. federal government began a partial shutdown starting Wednesday October 1st, and after 43 long days it finally came to end on November 12th.

A resumption of funding means that many furloughed USDA employees will be getting back to work, and farmers and ranchers across the country can finally expect some forward movement on issues from biofuels to possible trade aid.

To help guide us through what to expect in the coming days, we’re joined by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, who not only followed every beat of the shutdown, but brings us up-to-date on all the news from Capitol Hill that’s happened in the meantime. We’ll start with an analysis about how the longest government shutdown in history came to a close, and what it could mean for key agricultural issues going forward.

Then, we’ll dive into the latest from the Trump administration, including controversies around trade with China, the soybean market, and prices in the beef markets. We'll also get an update on the tariff picture overall, and look ahead to what we might expect from Congress and the Administration between now and the end of the year.

Finally, we’ll explore the potential for a farm aid package in the coming weeks, the likelihood of reopening the Southern border, and talk about why ag trade groups are focusing on demands around biofuels right now.