Iowa Farmer Strives to Be More Than 'A Warm Body in the Seat'

From understanding breakeven price per bushel to finding a mentor who persevered through the 1980s, Alan Hoskins with American Farm Mortgage and Financial Service shares pointers for a long, financially sound career.

Today's smart machines require a robust and fast connection to the Internet, so equipment manufacturers and satellite connectivity providers are partnering up and offering solutions to farmers worldwide.

BASF has developed an innovative tool – Nemasphere – that company leaders expect will become the standard for soybean cyst nematode management. The first-ever biotech trait designed to address SCN produces a novel Cry14 protein that when ingested by nematodes interferes with nutrient uptake in their intestines and leads to death.

Nine months ago, high-horsepower tractors were selling for record-high auction prices. This spring, those same models are selling for more than $100,000 less. As prices trend down, the opposite is happening with inventory on dealer lots.