Cast your mind back to early 2022 and the headline-grabbing trucker shortage. It doesn't take an economics degree to figure out the problem: The compensattion isn't enough to entice and retain workers. Now, a year and a half later, the headline is the demise of one of America’s largest trucking companies – Yellow Trucking – and 30,000 jobs.

Three recent headlines from the financial world have farmers asking how those events could affect their lending situation.

More than 100 “scouts” are organized into teams that fan across 20 pre-determined Midwest routes using a disciplined corn and soybean scouting process.

Whether it’s poultry or pork, economists say the decisions are being driven by economics. “If you look at recent USDA data, it would suggest margins for broiler production have fallen 60% from July 2022 to July 2023,” says Scott Brown with the University of Missouri. Pork producers are coping with similar economic headwinds, with margins crumbling as pork prices remain low and feed prices stay high.