Two Midwest farmers, Steve Pitstick from northern Illinois and Dennis Bogaards from south-central Iowa, said on Apr. 22 that the future of their operations depends on stronger demand for corn and soybeans as they face tight margins, rising input costs, and uncertain crop prices.
Both farmers reported that they have already implemented most available cost-cutting measures for this season. They believe future profitability now hinges on whether domestic soybean crush and fuel markets can expand enough to support higher prices. Pitstick noted his secure position with fertilizer heading into the 2026 planting season: “We will do pretty much the dry spread program we always do,” he said. “We cut the rates a little bit on the phosphates just because of price. We booked our 32% in September, something we traditionally do. We have all the nitrogen bought, so I feel good about 2026 from that aspect.”
Bogaards described his approach to managing fertilizer purchases by booking anhydrous early at a reasonable price while leaving some sidedress needs open in case of price drops: “I have a little bit of sidedress that we do. We book about half of that, and I sit open on the rest of it. I’ll wait and see where it goes.” Both farmers agreed there is little room left to cut fertilizer use without risking yields or crop health.
Looking ahead to 2027, both expressed uncertainty about their crop mix due to potential changes in nitrogen supply and global trade dynamics affecting U.S. prices. Pitstick said he may shift more acres toward soybeans if nitrogen becomes too expensive relative to corn returns: “That might change how we do things in 2027. We may have to go to more soybeans.” Bogaards echoed this sentiment but cautioned against making long-term decisions based solely on current trends.
AgriTalk Host Chip Flory commented on how global trade flows impact American farm input costs: “Some boats are diverted from the U.S. to other countries,” Flory said. “If you want your share, you have to beat the next guy in line with the price.” He also suggested rebalancing acreage could improve market conditions: “If we can pull some acres away from corn and get this thing rebalanced, maybe that is our bridge to a better time.”
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For now, both Pitstick and Bogaards say survival remains their main goal amid high expenses for fertilizer, fuel, and machinery while they watch for signs of expanded demand leading toward better times.
