Some believe it’s not a matter of if, but when, the U.S. slip into a recession. “As financial conditions continue to tighten, we expect the U.S. economy will steadily soften through the first half of 2023, ushering a brief, modest recession,” said Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBank’s Knowledge Division. The ag industry is expected to deal with continued rising input costs, higher interest rates and weakening demand. Read more from CoBank’s Year Ahead Report.

Sometimes a farmer can stop paying attention in early January. Hopefully after receiving deferred payments, some bills have been paid and the markets don’t get watched for a couple months. Most soybeans have already been marketed, but for corn, the term can be known as “store and ignore.” Roy Plote at AgMarket.Net says this is not the year for that. He discusses the latest marker trends with RFD’s DeLoss Jahnke. READ MORE

Using his own trees or from close suppliers, Miller’s “chaotic herringbone” designs are carved in to charcuterie boards to rolling pins. “I love the backstory, where it came from,” he explained. Learn more about Miller Made Crafts and how his talent and interest has grown since his days in 4-H. READ MORE  

Scott Anderson, video producer, says: “It took eight months to create this hourlong documentary. There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction to be able to explain such a complex issue like nutrient loss from farmland in a very digestible way for EVERYONE — not just farmers. We were also able to showcase the unity between Illinois Farm Bureau, academia and farmers on the ground in tackling this issue. However, what really brings this documentary together is how open and personal the Ganschow family was. Their work ethic, character and heart resonate with many farmers across this state, and I think

Seth Leverenz, video producer, says: “A lot of planning was involved for this video and I couldn’t have asked for it to turn out any better. It was a true team effort as there were about 50 staff and board members participating. One little known fact about this shoot is the first take wasn’t usable since one of the board members didn’t make it to the board room for the final reveal. Due to time constraints, we truly only had one more chance to get it right and we nailed it!”   Watch it here

Seth Leverenz, video producer, says: “Knowing this project required the highest quality in production, I was right in my element creating this one. We had a plan for every shot and lit almost every shot to give it that cinematic look you typically see in Hollywood.”   Watch it here