Adaptation & Strong Relationships: A Conversation with Ben Brown
Adaptability and strong relationships are becoming just as important as yields and costs in today’s farm economy—and that’s the focus of this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast. Chad Fiechter is joined by Ben Brown of the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), along with guest hosts, graduate students Avery Pound and Jonah Armstrong, for a conversation that builds on Brown’s recent presentation at the Purdue Top Farmer Conference.
Following his talk on the long-term outlook for corn and soybean markets, Brown expands the discussion to explore how global economic conditions, energy markets, and commodity pricing trends influence farm profitability over time. While cotton is used as a case study in parts of the conversation, the focus remains on broader lessons that apply across crop and livestock operations, including long-run decision-making, strategic partnerships, and how changes in capital and land ownership are reshaping agriculture. The episode highlights why understanding market signals—and building the right relationships—matters for farmers navigating uncertainty and positioning their operations for the future.
Content:
[00:01:08] Cotton Acres Moving to Corn
[00:09:42] Global Energy Markets
[00:13:29] Long-Run Decision Making
[00:17:28] Farm Financing & Land Markets
[00:22:31] Creating Strategic Partnerships
[00:27:52] Regional Differences & Conclusion
Learn more about FAPRI: https://fapri.missouri.edu/
Podcast provided by Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture. For more economic and farm management information, visit us at http://purdue.edu/commercialag.
Transcript from the discussion can be found at https://purdue.ag/agcast205.
Subscribe to audio: https://purdue.ag/agcast
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