Corn is over $5 and beans are near $13, and a lot of farmers still won't make any more money than they did at $4.50 corn. Every time the grain price goes up, something takes it back, and the front half of this Hot Topics episode is about what's doing the taking.Diesel is $6.13 in Iowa. One Illinois farmer spent $1,000 filling a single semi. Anhydrous is close to $1,000 a ton, up 25% from a year ago. Refineries over there are putting out about 60% of the diesel they did before the Iran war, so more oil doesn't mean cheaper diesel. The White House is letting dyed diesel run on the road for the rest of the year with the federal tax deferred, about $640 million of relief by USDA's count. Deferred, not forgiven.Then the bigger point. Farming spent decades specializing, and that bill is coming due. We don't think 10,000 acres is big enough to win on scale anymore, and at that size you're a CEO, not a farmer. For everybody else the answer is diversity: livestock back on the ground, manure in place of high priced nitrogen, shared equipment. And China cut tariffs on corn, wheat, meat and dairy but kept 10% on soybeans, so bean marketing is about politics now, with Brazil getting better every year.Also in this one: 17,000 fewer cattle through the packing plants in one week, why immigration reform keeps dying with no middle left in politics, a Kentucky family turning down $26 million for 900 acres, 70 to 80 trucks showing up to pull a sick neighbor's beets, and a 2,598 pound pumpkin.Maybe that's why we don't just grow corn and soybeans on every acre. Maybe we need to diversify.What's taking the $5 back on your operation this fall? Drop it in the comments and we read them.JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER & GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to get 10,000 subscribers, and once we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn! Sign up to get exclusive access to tickets and details.👇🏻Help us get there: https://www.joinbarntalk.comTHIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:● Conterra Ag ➱ https://www.conterraag.com● AcreEdge Soil NXT ➱ https://www.acreedge.comTIMESTAMPS:SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ➱ https://bit.ly/3a7r3nRSUBSCRIBE TO THIS'LL DO FARM ➱ https://bit.ly/2X8g45cLISTEN ON:SPOTIFY ➱ https://open.spotify.com/show/3icVr4KWq4eUDl7Oy60YMYAPPLE ➱ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barn-talk/id1574395049FOLLOW BEHIND THE SCENES 👇🏻● Barn Talk Instagram ➱ https://www.instagram.com/barntalkshow● Barn Talk TikTok ➱ https://bit.ly/3qciekS● Sawyer's Instagram ➱ https://bit.ly/3BtX0n4● Tork's Instagram ➱ https://bit.ly/3LGZJxS● Sawyer's X ➱ https://x.com/SawyerWhisler● Tork's X ➱ https://x.com/TorkWhisler-------------------------------⚠NO FINANCIAL ADVICE / DISCLAIMER⚠Barn Talk is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, with no warranty of accuracy or completeness. Nothing here is financial, investment, or trading advice, and none of it is specific to you. Do your own due diligence and consult a licensed professional before making any financial decision. Trading stocks, crypto, and NFTs carries real risk and is not suitable for everyone. You use this information at your own risk.#ConterraAg #Landus #EP221Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices