Terrain, a new source of agricultural industry analysis for U.S. farmers and ranchers, launched on Nov. 7, 2022. Three leading Farm Credit Associations – American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit – partnered to establish and offer Terrain to their customers.

“Serving farmers and ranchers – from everything between Iowa’s hog and corn farmers to California’s dairy and vineyard owners – is our shared mission,” said Curt Hudnutt, chief executive officer of American AgCredit. “To continue to grow our customers’ success, we combined the scale of Farm Credit Services of America, American AgCredit and Frontier Farm Credit to create Terrain’s industry-leading team.”

Don Close, an internationally recognized leader in cattle marketing and policy, leads the Terrain team. Close, who serves as Terrain’s chief research and analytics officer, and the rest of the team bring extensive experience providing insight and analysis across the food and agricultural value chain. The team includes:

• David Weaber, senior animal protein analyst, whose career analyzing live animal and meat businesses has spanned the entire meat supply chain for beef, pork and poultry
• Ben Laine, senior dairy analyst, an economist who has dedicated his career to helping dairy producers manage price, trading and other external risks
• Matthew Roberts, Ph.D., senior grain and oilseed analyst, a recognized public speaker, economist and former 15-year Extension grain marketing specialist 
• Cody Barilla, grain and oilseed analyst, who has a wealth of on-the-ground experience in appraising, crop farming and the Extension Service.
• Matthew Clark, senior rural economy analyst, known for his ability to distill how macroeconomic trends impact everyday agriculture, drawing on his experience as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
• Heather Stettner, engagement director, a public relations, communications, and marketing specialist whose career has spanned most of agriculture’s industries

Terrain’s experts share insights on trends and market-moving events through reports, videos, presentations and more. Visit terrainag.com for Terrain’s current perspective on the impact of interest rates on agricultural loans, a discussion on how grain storage costs change with interest rates, and insights on the near-term risks for the hog farming sector.

Mark Jensen, chief executive officer of Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit, said, “We recognize that our customers’ needs are evolving. Many of our customers are looking for more insight to help them navigate the constant changes and complex factors affecting their markets. Terrain provides unique expertise to support the future of agriculture and rural communities.”

Source: Terrain