Bracing for a difficult year: More uncertainty as profits still elusive

BREMEN, Ind. — Clay Geyer, a farmer in northern Indiana, is back as a From the Fields contributor for 2026.

He shared the latest news about his farm and family with AgriNews.

Q: Welcome back, Clay! For readers who may be new, can you share a bit about your farm, your family and your role in agriculture?

A: Our 200-acre family farm is located about 20 miles south of South Bend or northwest of Bremen about five miles on the St. Joseph and Marshall county line, where I grow corn, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans.

We also raise enough hay and straw to sell to others, plus feed our own dairy heifers and steers, too. Dairy farming has always held a special place in our hearts as my father started milking cows when he was just 10 years old on this farm.

I wish my 8-year-old nephew had grown up during the 56 years of dad milking cows, so he, too, could have experienced the valuable lessons and hard work that my brother and I endured under the upbringing of my parents and grandparents.

Eight years ago, we exited the dairy business after our milk company told us that our milking facility was out of date and our herd was too small. If the walls of our dairy farm could speak, then my nephew would be able to relive the daily experiences I remember when I was his age.

Every year since then, we have continued raising heifers and steers up until the price when calves became cost-prohibitive.

Both of my parents, Craig and Becky, are now retired. But, regardless of their working status, they both still help out on the family farm.

When I am not busy in the barn or in the fields, I also help my brother Michael, who owns and operates his own construction business, Integrity Builders. My brother and his wife, Natalie, have a son together whose name is Grant. My nephew and I are usually out and about on adventures after school and throughout the summer months, visiting various parks and community agricultural events across northern Indiana.

I have farmed with my family from the time my feet were not quite long enough to reach the pedals, but as a benchmark to the beginning of my farming career it most likely began on the carpeted floors of my bedroom playing with Ertl farm toys.

Besides my role here on the farm as manager, I have several active roles with multiple organizations: St. Joseph County Farm Bureau board member, president of the Indiana Corn Husking Association, member of St. Joseph County Ag Team, an active supporter of local FFA chapters and a member of Tyner United Methodist Church.

Q: Any life or farm changes since you last wrote for us?

A: I can’t believe I graduated from Vincennes University 30 years ago. How can I be looking at 50 in another six months? As last fall concluded, I had a few goals in mind going into the new year of 2026, such as adding grain storage, a round baler and cover crops.

We did indeed find a great deal on a 15,000-bushel drying bin and recently purchased a small grain dryer with a 1,900-bushel wet bin. The ear corn market has all but faded away with only one remaining feed elevator in Topeka in northern Indiana that still accepts ear corn.

Last summer, we raised replacement heifers for a northern Indiana dairy farmer, which also helped keep our pastures grazed. Then on March 14 we received the frantic call from a good friend who needed shelter for his beef herd after high winds and storms leveled his hoop barn.

His new pole barn is nearly completed, but we were glad we could accommodate his beef herd and feed them until a new building could be constructed.

Q: Farming is always a mix of challenge and reward — what’s been testing you lately and what’s been encouraging?

A: Farming is a gamble every year when challenged by the weather and the cost of crop inputs, so there is no thought of gambling the future of the farm away at the casino.

The daily stresses continue plaguing area farmers of the many unknowns with much regret for not locking prices in months in advance, as we witness the gouging that continues to soar out of control from the fuel prices as many of us are already grumbling at these increases, as it slowly trickles down to the increased grocery prices on the shelf.

The price of new farm equipment is not even on the radar this year. The ongoing debacle since the first missiles were dropped plus the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has stalled the movement of precious goods and fertilizer, which has repeatedly jumped the price of nitrogen fertilizer throughout countries all over the world.

The price of nitrogen has jumped over 60% since the first of the year, so I am thankful I locked in some of my fertilizer months ago.

The input production cost of corn and soybeans has me questioning if I should focus my attention on specialty crops or just let the fields lay fallow for a year.

Now that we have lost our markets through trade wars on the other side of the world, we can credit our country’s effort for its thoughtfulness of teaching other foreign countries how to raise a sustainable crop of corn, soybeans or wheat, which has given others an opportunity to flood the market with grain since some countries can raise two crops in a given year to our one.

If it ever stops raining, I have hay orders to fill. I just hope and pray we don’t go from one extreme to another. It is encouraging to see the beautiful sunrises and sunsets each morning and night, and waking up to the birds chirping, but as the rain keeps falling the temperatures will begin climbing right along with the humidity pumping in with the explosion of a well-populated mosquito population, too.

Q: What’s one thing you wish more non-farm readers understood about modern agriculture?

A: Less than 2% of the U.S. population lives on a farm, which creates a significant disconnect between the farmer and the consumer.

Some consumers are dumbfounded from what plant or animal their food was created from, and others shy away from produce grown in a garden or an orchard because their food only comes from the grocery store.

Generational gaps of three or more generations removed from the farm has become more noticeable and apparent when the general public stops by agricultural events to voice their concerns about agricultural issues.

I’ve found hands-on and interactive educational events from Farm Bureau, farmers markets, historical power shows, ag days or even interviews on podcasts, television and radio helps to bridge the gap.

I found a U.S. survey on how food is grown and raised from prnewswire.com — that 72% of consumers know nothing or very little about farming or ranching and 69% of consumers think about food production at least somewhat often.

And more than 96% of farmers and ranchers say that protecting the environment and continuing the practice of humane animal husbandry is very important and rates at the top of their list because those management practices directly impact the livelihood of their business.

It is imperative of farmers and ranchers to continue sharing our story because if we do not step up to the plate to educate then who else will bridge the gap of agricultural literacy from the farm to the fork?

Q: Are there any emerging trends — technology, markets, weather patterns — that northern Indiana farmers like yourself are paying close attention to?

A: A year like this I believe is just as important as any other year when it comes down to the almighty dollar.

Last fall, I had Schaller Ag Enterprises do grid soil sampling across all of our farms to help dial in the areas needing lime and to get the right fertilizer scripted for each field.

We have not adopted any new technology to our own farm, but last year we hired Schaller Ag Enterprises to apply fungicide by drone onto the wheat acres.

Once the next U.S. Department of Agriculture crop report gets released that usually knocks commodity prices down a few notches.

As far as weather patterns, we have seen a wetter than normal spring, which concerns me that it may turn off dry, like it has the last few years from July through September in many spots.

This might be the year to do more no-till crops once soil temperature warms up a bit more, if the quality of field conditions improves.

Q: What are your goals or hopes for this growing season?

A: My goal last fall was to cover every acre of row crops with wheat, and all of my intended acres drilled into soybean stubble looks fantastic. A cover crop of wheat was broadcasted over the fields of corn stubble and some of it is tempting enough to keep for harvest.

But I intend to no-till corn on corn and plow down the remaining cover crop for corn on corn to see which tillage practice works best.

Q: Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

A: I think it is exciting to see all the opportunities FFA members get to experience and become engaged in throughout a county, state and national level.

I know I’m dating myself, but 30-plus years ago when I was a member of LaVille FFA I always looked forward to a few contests, like soils, forestry, livestock, crops and dairy.

Now, as a supporter of several FFA chapters in our district, I am amazed at the vast of selection of Supervised Agricultural Experience options available and the dedication of each member with the willingness to cooperate with neighboring FFA chapters while working together throughout the district with one goal in mine.

You never know as a member of FFA where this organization will take you, but God will place you where you need to be.

I remember the hot summer of 1995 as I waited patiently on the steps of Purdue University ahead of the award ceremony to begin at the Indiana FFA State Convention — and not knowing anyone around me except my FFA adviser, Al Burch, and my good friend, Tim Hoskins.

Looking back on that day, I was reminded of this message: “Through this door pass many friends of the FFA,” which is traditionally spoken by the FFA sentinel.

Little did I know I would meet a young man from Ferdinand in southwest Indiana that would be attending Vincennes University in the fall of 1995 with me.

On the first day of moving day for college, I got a knock at my door from my new farmer friend, Jesse Uelbelhor, from the FFA State Convention earlier that summer. Turns out he was in the same dorm, the same floor and right across the hall from me in Godare Hall Room 204.