Diesel is the story of the moment. Escalating military moves in the Middle East, a blunt US warning to Europe, and China’s decision to halt fuel exports for October are tightening global…
Category: markets
Diesel Shock Hits the Highways As Trucking Firms File for Bankruptcy with Harvest Underway
Sixteen U.S. trucking companies filed for bankruptcy in less than a month as diesel prices exploded higher. The national average climbed from roughly $5.60 per gallon at the end of August to…
The Administration’s “Help” for Ranchers Is a Nothing Burger That Favors Big Ag and Cheap Imports
American ranchers and farmers are being told the current administration is riding to their rescue. New executive orders, “Ranchers First” initiatives, talk of cutting red tape on processing, and promises of support…
Brace for Diesel Above $7 National Average and Elevated Prices for Years to Come
American farmers are staring down another brutal hit to their bottom lines. The national average for on-highway diesel has already climbed past $6.50 a gallon in recent weeks. The EIA reported $6.529…
Prediction Markets Are Coming to Agriculture. What Could Go Wrong?
Prediction markets have arrived in agriculture. Platforms like Kalshi added a commodities tab earlier this year, letting users trade simple yes/no contracts on outcomes such as whether December corn futures would close…
When Diesel Breaks the Signs: California’s $9.99 Limit Meets the Golden Age of Expensive Freedom
California gas station signs were never designed for the American golden age. Those digital displays, capped at a cheerful $9.99 per gallon, assumed a world of relative normalcy. They did not account…
Talking a Big Game on Ranchers While Flooding the Market with Foreign Beef
President Donald Trump and the USDA are making plenty of noise about standing up for American cattle producers. They talk about giving ranchers more power to process and sell their own meat….
America Put a Casino in Every Pocket and Now We’re Seeing the Cost
In less than a decade, America has conducted one of the largest gambling experiments in modern history. A product once largely confined to casinos, racetracks and illegal bookmakers is now available 24…
USDA’s Ranchers First Plan Is Damage Control After Flooding the Market with Cheap Beef
American ranchers have spent years watching their cattle herd shrink to a 75-year low. High input costs, drought, regulatory pressure, and now a deliberate influx of tariff-free foreign beef have hammered profitability…
A Reality Check on the Farm Economy: Higher Grain Prices Aren’t Closing the Gap
Corn and soybean prices have climbed recently. Nearby corn futures have traded around $5.00 to $5.05 per bushel, with December contracts higher still, and soybeans near $12.30. Cash bids in many areas…