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The voters have spoken! The blue wave or blue tsunami flattened almost everything it wanted to last week. Ryan and Charlie try to examine what it really means to Agriculture, and generally, the answer is "not much". We'll even hit state level impacts of the obvious voter discontent. Plus there is a USDA "screwjob" — we mean USDA report this week, and harvest continues to move closer to completion

What happens when a health system stops treating food as advice and starts treating it as infrastructure? On this episode of Agbioscience, host Eric Pfeiffer sits down with Joel Hungate of Hancock Health to unpack the Food Is Medicine campaign he's built as part of a broader strategic shift the system calls the "Infrastructure of Well-Being." Food Is Medicine has become a national conversation, but health systems implement it very differently — and Hungate walks through what it actually looks like at Hancock Health, and why the organization chose to build it rather than just talk about it. The conversation starts on the medical fitness campus in Greenfield, where Hancock Health recently installed a 24-foot autonomous, climate-controlled hydroponic growing container in partnership with agtech startup Anu. Hungate explains why the garden went there rather than into a clinical setting, and why the produce is sequenced deliberately — first to participants in the clinical exercise program, then to employees and members — and what the system hopes to learn from that order. From there, the discussion turns to the harder questions: how Hancock Health is measuring outcomes and how long before anyone can say a Food Is Medicine intervention paid off. With large multi-site evaluations showing produce prescriptions improve diet, food security and cardiometabolic markers, and the American Medical Association now affirming food is medicine, Hungate separates the evidence that drove the decision from what he's seeing locally. He also takes on the reimbursement question, as roughly 15 states provide or pursue produce prescriptions through Medicaid waivers, and explains where Food Is Medicine sits alongside Hancock Health's year-long weight management initiative — the program blending lifestyle medicine, clinical care, medical fitness and medication when appropriate that won recognition for Best Comprehensive Wellness Program. The episode closes on scale and place: what a health system's role looks like in Hancock County's SR 9 Innovation Corridor, the long-term vision positioning the county at the intersection of agriculture, health and bioscience with proposals for an ag tech TIF district north of Greenfield, and what it would take for Hancock Health's Food Is Medicine work to reach beyond its own patient population over the next three to five years. Episode Highlights What the Food Is Medicine campaign is, what it consists of today, and why Hancock Health decided to build it inside the "Infrastructure of Well-Being" strategy Why Hancock Health built Food Is Medicine rather than just talking about it — and…

On the HAT Podcast Eric Pfeiffer and Greg Allen report on HAT news including one final trip around Indiana as harvest winds down, and Purdue has named its new president. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin calls for warm and dry during the first part of this new week, and the Friday corn and soybean markets closed just above even. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst Brian Basting. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

On the latest episode of the Hoosier Ag This Week Podcast for Nov. 7-8, 2026: 1. Critical Animal Health Warning: H5N1 Detected in Indiana Dairy Herds The Situation: Animal health officials are on high alert following the state's first confirmed cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza in dairy cattle. Two operationally connected dairy herds in Newton County have been quarantined after the virus was detected via national milk testing surveillance. New Regulations: Indiana has lost its "unaffected state" status. Under USDA mandates, pre-movement testing is now required for all lactating dairy cows and dairy-beef crosses leaving the state. Producers can enroll in the voluntary Dairy Herd Status Program to conduct weekly herd testing and avoid individual animal testing delays. Biosecurity Imperative: Officials emphasize that biosecurity must be a 365-day commitment across all species. Producers are urged to maintain strict "clean hands, clean feet, clean equipment" standards and eliminate shared traffic or untreated milk exposure between operations. Immediate veterinary contact is required if cattle show fever, decreased appetite, or a sharp drop in milk production. 2. Sobering Financial Update: Farm Balance Sheets Under Severe Strain The Numbers: The latest Purdue Ag Economy Barometer survey reveals that the percentage of farmers reporting a "strong" balance sheet plummeted from 76% in January to just 62% in October—a 14-point drop in nine months. Underlying Causes: Dr. Michael Langemeier (Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture) notes that 3–4 consecutive years of tight margins are rapidly draining liquidity and working capital. Current Risk: 40% of producers report lacking a solid working capital position ahead of 2027 crop preparation. Experts advise caution on spending, restructuring term loans, and leveraging owned land to free up capital. If farmland values—which currently anchor balance sheets—begin to erode, the industry could face a crisis scenario. 3. Weather & Harvest Outlook: Clear Window to Finish Strong Short-Term Outlook: Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin forecasts a 10-day stretch of predominantly dry weather across Indiana. Freeze Danger: A colder air mass dive late in the week (Thursday/Friday night) could bring a killing frost/freeze down into the 20s, officially ending the growing season. Harvest Timeline: Temperatures moderate heading into the following week, with the next well-organized rain system pushed back until around November 19–20, giving growers a wide-open window to wrap up harvest operations. 4. Commodity Markets Roundup Corn & Soybeans: Following aggressive liquidation by managed money after late-summer rallies, corn and soybean futures faced a quiet Friday…

On the HAT Podcast C.J. Miller and Greg Allen report the HAT news including one final harvest weather update and a check on what is next for the farm bill and E15 now that the blue wave is headed for Washington. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin does have a dry period ahead as colder temperatures have taken over late-week, and the Thursday grain and oilseed markets were mixed, but soybean liquidation continued. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst Karl Setzer. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

On the HAT Podcast Eric Pfeiffer and C.J. Miller report the HAT news including funny looking soybeans this harvest, and a look at factors impacting soybean prices, including soybean demand. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin calls for drier conditions across Indiana today but cloudy, and the Wednesday grain and oilseed markets were mixed but showed no strength in any sector. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst Tom Fritz. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

On the HAT Podcast C.J. Miller and Greg Allen report the HAT news including a preview of Indiana Farm Bureau's annual member gathering and a new Purdue University survey reveals a sharp erosion in farm balance sheets. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin sees maybe just a one-day rain event for Indiana, and that will be today. The Tuesday ag markets were all about a nickel lower. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst Arlan Suderman. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

Are soils supplying the nutrients crops need? Millions of soil tests from across the U.S. and Canada offer a revealing picture. In this episode, Dr. Karl Wyant is joined by Dr. Leanna Nigon, director of agronomy and research at The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), to explore findings from the latest TFI Soil Test Summary, drawing on approximately 10.2 million soil samples from across the U.S. and Canada. With more than 40 percent of samples testing below critical levels for phosphorus and potassium, Leanna explains what those thresholds mean for fertilizer decisions and how nutrient needs vary across regions. They also explore soil pH and soil organic matter levels, why regional averages only tell part of the story and how consistently testing your own fields can help you track changes and plan ahead. Explore the new data as soon as it's available: https://www.nutrienttools.org/getting-started/soil-test-summary/ Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

On the HAT Podcast C.J. Miller and Greg Allen report the HAT news including Indiana's first confirmed cases of H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cattle, and a first responder program supported by Indiana Corn Marketing Council that may potentially be saving the lives of farmers across the state. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin says mostly dry today but rainy tomorrow across Indiana, and the Monday ag markets saw a sharp soybean selloff while corn and wheat worked above even. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst John Zanker. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

🌽 The latest Crop Chat Podcast is here! How is harvest progressing across Indiana? Host Eric Pfeiffer sits down with Purdue Extension’s Shaun Casteel and Dan Quinn to discuss the latest harvest conditions, what farmers are seeing in the fields, and some of the challenges and opportunities as the 2026 harvest season continues. Get the latest insights and perspectives from Purdue’s crop specialists in this week’s Crop Chat Podcast! #CropChat #IndianaAgriculture #Harvest2026 #PurdueExtension #HoosierAgToday

This week after getting an update on Charlie's harvest bingo card (which inexplicably now has a 5 way bingo and is heading toward "blackout"), we dive into the latest merger and acquisition in the ag space with Keystone Coop's latest potential "gobbling up" of another competitor. When is enough enough? Who gains from this vertical integration and who loses? The local farm economy continues to get beat up, and the guys try to find any kind of worthwhile-ness to this trend.

Joaquín Alarcón spent his career in industrial enzymes and chemical bio-products watching good green chemistry ideas die on the way to a plant. Catalyxx, the company he founded in 2017 and now leads as CEO, is built to avoid that fate. It takes plant-based alcohol — in the U.S., largely corn ethanol — and turns it into the same molecules the chemical industry has made from oil for a century. Same performance, same specifications, no reformulation required. This week on Agbioscience, Joaquín walks Eric Pfeiffer through a decade of work on the innovation platform behind it, from a demo facility in Seville to the 120 million euro commercial plant now rising in Sines, Portugal — the first production of its kind at scale. Along the way: why the Consider Corn Challenge win in 2021 and years of Indiana Corn Marketing Council support for the GrenOl renewable fuel project matter, what Indiana’s corn and ethanol base could offer Catalyxx, and what still has to change in policy, infrastructure and capital markets before bio-based chemicals scale in the U.S. the way they are starting to in Europe, Highlights include:  Plant alcohol, not petroleum: Catalyxx turns plant-based alcohol into the same molecules the chemical industry has made from oil for a century — what that means for agbioscience, and what drew Joaquín to the innovation platform for the last decade of his career. Founding to first plant: Founded in 2017 and now building its first commercial plant — the moment he knew it would work, and what it actually took to get a first plant off the ground. Why most green chemistry dies: Years in industrial enzymes and chemical bio-products taught him why a few green chemistry ideas reach a plant and most never do — and how Catalyxx was built differently on purpose. No reformulation required: Most sustainable chemicals ask a manufacturer to alter a process, a specification, even a supply chain. Catalyxx’s product is identical to what they already buy — and that is the point. Volatility as a business model: Working from ethanol, which in the U.S. largely means corn ethanol — building on a commodity that moves constantly, with policy behind it that moves too. How the business stays profitable through that volatility, and how much of the model depends on ethanol staying cheap. The Indiana relationships: How the Consider Corn Challenge win in 2021 and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council’s multi-year backing for the GrenOl…

On the HAT Podcast Eric Pfeiffer reports the HAT news and it is a look at harvest around Indiana last week, a week of major progress with all of the dry weather. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin does call for more clouds today around Indiana with some rain chances the first half of the week, and the Friday grains and oilseeds were mostly lower. Andy Eubank is joined by market analyst Brian Basting and Eric has the final numbers. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - proudly serving local farms, families, and agribusiness for 140 years. Visit them online at FFBT.com to learn more.

If you were looking for the latest Indiana and US farm news, congratulations! You found it! This is Hoosier Ag This Week! Eric Pfeiffer, Andy Eubank, Greg Allen, and C.J. Miller deliver the news and market info you need, and Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin is here with his Indiana Farm Forecast. On today’s show: diesel fuel relief is on the way, but when? A big honor for the former leader of the Indiana State Fair; ag land owned by foreign entities increased in the latest report; and harvest/fieldwork updates from around the state!

The AgriNovus team has returned from Minneapolis having attended the Reuters Transform Food + Ag USA 2026, a convening of industry leaders across the entire value chain. We get into our team takeaways on where food and ag is headed, resilience in the food system and empathy and understanding for farmers. Christy presented at the event, and we give a sneak peek into an upcoming research report on Food is Health as a durable market for the future. We also get into upcoming events! Our research will be the topic of discussion at our final Quadrant of 2026. Register for the free networking event in Indianapolis here. Velocity is an agbioscience accelerator focused in three critical areas: bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health. Throughout the five-month program, 12 startups have been developing and refining solutions to defined challenges and now they will compete for the grand prize. Join us for Velocity Pitch Day on November 18 at Launch Fishers to connect with entrepreneurs, innovators, industry and academia to hear about the future of agbioscience innovation and watch as the participating teams take the stage to share their solutions. A total of $75,000 in prize money will be awarded to the three track winners to help the founders move their companies forward. Register for that free event here.