Items by Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Global Shipping Disruptions and the Recent Increase in Nitrogen Fertilizer Prices
By Gerald Mashange and Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Apr. 30, 2026
Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for fertilizer markets because of its role in both energy and input trade. Roughly 20 million barrels per day of oil move through the Strait, along with nearly all liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar and the UAE.
Brazil’s Expanding Corn Ethanol Sector and Global Corn Markets
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor and Julio Bellodi Cortarelli | Graduate Student
Published on Mar. 27, 2026
Brazil’s rapid expansion in corn-based ethanol production carries meaningful implications for U.S. corn markets. While Brazil has long been viewed primarily as a sugarcane ethanol producer, its growing reliance on safrinha corn is reshaping domestic grain flows and potentially altering its role in global trade.
Understanding SCO and ECO After the Big Beautiful Bill: Expanded Protection for Shallow Losses
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Jan. 28, 2026
The Big Beautiful Bill, passed on July 4, 2025, made significant changes to the farm safety net and crop insurance subsidies.
2025 Overview & 2026 Economic Outlook for Kentucky Agriculture
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor,
Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor,
Jerry Pierce | KFBM Program Coordinator,
Jill Stowe | Professor,
Jordan Shockley | Associate Extension Professor,
Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor,
Tim Woods | Extension Professor,
and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Dec. 29, 2025
2025 Overview
More Base Acres, More Protection
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2025
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, makes a landmark change to federal farm programs. For the first time since the 2014 Farm Bill, farmers will have the opportunity to expand their base acres under the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.
Could Bourbon Help Kentucky Producers Survive Another Tradewar?
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor and Tyler Mark | Professor
Published on May. 30, 2025
International markets support U.S. agriculture, particularly in Kentucky, which benefits from its proximity to the Mississippi River, enabling quick and low-cost transportation to Louisiana ports.
ARC vs PLC Decision for 2025
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor and Will Snell | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 27, 2025
Slumping row crop prices have induced greater attention among grain farmers regarding farm bill safety net programs.
Where Is the Base? Farm Bill Enhancements Could Be Negligible Without a Base Acre Update
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2024
The current farm safety net can be found in Title 1 of the farm bill, a piece of omnibus legislation
To Store or Not to Store? Old Crop Exit Strategies
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 29, 2024
The June Grain Stocks report indicated 37% more corn and 44% more soybeans stored on-farm than last year, indicating that many producers still have grain in storage (Maples, 2024). Some of this stock has likely been sold, but many producers are still sitting on old crops, trying to determine whether to hold through harvest or sell.
Drivers of Commodity Prices: Seasonality
By Grant Gardner | Assistant Extension Professor
Published on Jun. 27, 2024
Since the onset of COVID, agricultural commodity charts have resembled the track of a roller coaster, with huge peaks and valleys. During the 2023/24 marketing year, commodity prices have transitioned downward. We can likely expect less volatile commodity prices as prices level out.