Too often, performance is summarized in a single number: click-through rate. CTR is easy to report, easy to benchmark and easy to optimize toward. But easy does not mean effective. Clicks do not sell combines. Clicks do not move high-horsepower tractors. And clicks do not build dealer trust. The issue is not CTR itself. The issue is the alignment of the metrics with your outcomes. 

An OEM go-to-market campaign and a dealership-focused demand campaign serve fundamentally different business outcomes. Yet many GTM strategies default to the same measurement framework regardless of objective. When success metrics are not aligned with the intended outcome, campaigns optimize for activity rather than equipment movement.

Before launching any GTM initiative, we must answer one foundational question: What outcome is this campaign built to drive?

Is it an OEM brand scale focus? Or dealership-level demand? The answer determines not only the audience strategy, but the metrics that define success.

Start With the Business Outcome

An OEM-focused GTM campaign operates at the brand and market level.

OEMs are responsible for positioning products across regions, strengthening brand presence and driving long-term demand generation. Their campaigns often support new product launches, reinforce market leadership and build sustained visibility across broad agricultural audiences.

At this level, scale has value. Reach matters. Share of voice matters. Market penetration matters.

Appropriate performance indicators that provide both optimization and drive outcomes may include:

• Reach and frequency within target segments
• Engagement trends over time
• View-through conversions
• Service or dealer locator interactions
• Branded search lift

Clicks can be part of that performance picture, but they are rarely indicators of reaching the right audience profile, nor do they provide the level of impact to meet your business outcomes. A high CTR may indicate creative resonance or surface-level interest, but it does not confirm buyer qualification or downstream equipment demand.

OEM campaigns require measurement of attention, not just reaction. Attention is reflected in sustained exposure among relevant agricultural decision-makers and measurable engagement tied to real market presence.

Dealership-focused GTM campaigns should operate at a different altitude.

Dealers are accountable for moving inventory within defined geographies. Their marketing must translate into immediate, qualified local demand. Timing, seasonality, their existing machinery, and available equipment all influence performance.

For dealerships, success is tangible and direct:

• Phone calls
• Form submissions
• Test drive inquiries
• Showroom visits
• Confirmed local buyer engagement

Dealers should not evaluate campaigns based on impressions served. They evaluate them based on whether the right buyers showed up. This is where metric misalignment becomes visible.

A campaign promoting combines that generates calls about unrelated equipment may show a strong CTR. But that engagement reflects misalignment with the audience, not success. In this context, optimizing for clicks creates noise rather than opportunity and revenue.

Dealer campaigns require precision. They require audience filtering tied to geography, inventory type and verified buying behavior. Attention, in this case, is demonstrated through conversion events, on-site engagement depth and qualified inquiries, not just traffic volume.

Why CTR Alone Falls Short

CTR, a popular advertising metric, measures interaction. It does not measure intent.

A click can represent curiosity, distraction or misdirected interest. In high-consideration categories like agricultural machinery, buyers often research over time. They may engage with content without clicking immediately. They may revisit. They may convert offline without ever clicking.

When campaigns are optimized primarily for CTR, algorithms prioritize users most likely to click, not necessarily those most likely to purchase. Over time, this skews the audience composition toward high-frequency digital engagers and away from serious buyers.

For OEM campaigns, this inflates engagement metrics without strengthening true market penetration. For dealership campaigns, it increases unqualified inquiries and erodes confidence in marketing effectiveness.

Measuring attention shifts optimization toward meaningful engagement signals:

• Time spent with product content
• Repeat site visits
• Dealer locator interactions
• Form completion rates
• View-through conversions
• Conversion events tied to geographic relevance

Campaigns optimize toward what they measure. If leadership measures clicks, marketing will produce clicks. If leadership measures buyer intent and qualified demand, marketing will optimize accordingly.

Aligning Metrics to Move Equipment in 2026

Farmer and producer budgets are tightening. Dealer relationships are under pressure as discriminating buyers look for options and terms beyond their local dealer. OEMs are expected to demonstrate brand value while supporting downstream sales performance. The margin for inefficient marketing is shrinking.

The solution is not abandoning broad reach or dismissing CTR entirely. The solution is disciplined alignment.

1. Define the objective. 
2. Select the audience strategy. 
3. Choose the measurement framework.

For OEM-driven campaigns, scale must be intentional, and attention must be validated within relevant agricultural segments.

For dealership-driven campaigns, precision must drive qualified local demand.

Audience quality becomes the bridge between brand scale and revenue outcomes.

When ag machinery GTM campaigns are structured around clearly defined business objectives and measured against the right signals, marketing stops optimizing for traffic and starts optimizing for equipment movement. Clicks may start the conversation, but attention and qualified intent move iron.

The post How to Define Success Metrics for Your Ag Equipment GTM Campaign appeared first on Farm Journal.

It sounds like a product question. It’s actually a trust question.

Farmers aren’t asking you to crown a winner. They’re asking whether this decision will cost them time, money, or sleep when it matters most. Dealers who lead with a brand name risk missing the moment. Dealers who anchor the conversation in a reliability framework buyers already follow earn credibility.

“Choosing the right machine isn’t about the flashiest specs or the biggest logo,” says Casey Seymour, VP of Machinery at Farm Journal. “It comes down to serviceability, market conditions, budget alignment, and long-term resale.”

Here’s how leading dealers are reframing reliability, and how many dealers are choosing to market it.

Step 1: Reframe Reliability as Uptime, Not Brand

Instead of answering the question head-on, reposition it:

“The most reliable tractor is the one we can keep running for your operation.”

Then guide the buyer with questions that matter more than paint color:

• How far are you from our service department?
• What does an hour of downtime cost you during planting or harvest?
• Do you rely on dealer service, or do you wrench in-house?

This shifts the discussion from opinion to operational reality, and positions your dealership as part of the reliability equation.

Dealer takeaway: Market your service footprint, response times, and parts availability as aggressively as horsepower and hydraulics. Reliability starts with support, not brochures.

Step 2: Clarify the Ownership Strategy Early

Reliability means different things depending on how the farmer plans to own the machine.

Ask:

• Is this a 10–15 year workhorse?
• Or a 3–5 year asset you plan to trade?

Long-term owners often value simplicity, familiarity, and deep parts availability. Short-cycle buyers should focus on depreciation curves and resale demand.

Neither approach is wrong, but each requires a different recommendation.

Dealer takeaway: Market machines as assets with a lifecycle, not just products. Show you understand how farmers manage risk over time.

Step 3: Use Auction Data to Let the Market Speak

Auction data removes emotion — and removes pressure from the dealer.

You don’t need to sell against competitors. You can say:

• “Here’s what machines like this bring after five years.”
• “In this region, this model typically retains X% of its value.”

Often, two tractors with similar specs bring very different prices at auction. That premium reflects serviceability, familiarity, and resale confidence — not marketing slogans.

Farmers trust this data because it represents real money, paid by real buyers.

As Greg Peterson, known to most farmers as Machinery Pete, puts it:

“Farmers vote with their checkbooks every day.”

Dealer takeaway: Use auction results as a neutral credibility tool in both marketing and sales conversations. Data builds trust faster than opinions.

Step 4: Be Honest About Market Timing

Reliability isn’t just about the machine — it’s about when you buy it.

If inventory is heavy, say so.
If supply is tightening, say that too.

In early 2026, some segments remain elevated compared to historic norms, while others are tightening regionally. That changes where farmers have leverage — and smart dealers help buyers navigate that reality.

Dealer takeaway: Lead with transparency, not urgency. Helping a farmer buy at the right time builds trust that outlasts any single transaction.

The Dealer Reliability Framework (What to Market)

When farmers ask about reliability, your answer shouldn’t be a logo.

It should be a conversation that connects:

• Service and uptime support
• Ownership timeline
• Market conditions
• Real-world resale performance

That’s the intelligence delivered every week by Farm Journal, Machinery Pete, and Moving Iron — auction data, inventory trends, and buyer behavior that explain why machines hold value, not just which ones do.

Dealers who market this way don’t just sell equipment. They help farmers make confident decisions.

In today’s ag machinery market, trust is the most reliable asset you have.

The post How Dealers Should Answer the “Most Reliable Tractor” Question appeared first on Farm Journal.

Attention time reveals whether a farmer stays with content, scrolls further and explores more. These behaviors are far more valuable to advertisers because they signal real interest and create stronger opportunities for brand messaging to be seen and remembered.

How is attention time measured?

To amplify the point, let’s look at recent updates to AgWeb.com that were intentionally designed to increase user attention and performance. The results show why this matters for marketers.

AgWeb’s Redesign: How to Increase User Engagement

Farm Journal redesigned AgWeb to create a simpler, more focused reading experience. Layout changes were made to reduce distraction, improve readability and encourage users to stay with the content longer.

The data shows clear improvements as we continue to test and optimize for deeper engagement and better performance.

Stronger Scroll Behavior on Desktop

By removing the right rail and centering the content, readers moved deeper into articles:

• 54% increase in readers reaching 75% of an article
• 21% increase in readers reaching 90%

These deeper scroll patterns indicate that readers remain engaged, increasing the value of adjacent ad placements.

Viewability vs. True Attention

AgWeb’s redesign reflects how people really read online. In a world where most users scan content and absorb only a portion of each page, simplifying layouts and guiding deeper scroll behavior increases the chances that ads are not only viewable, but genuinely noticed.

• 79% of users scan pages rather than read them word-for-word
• Only about 16% read every word, even on content that interests them
• During a typical visit, readers absorb at most ~28% of page text

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-people-read-online/ 

Mobile Users Are Reading More Articles Per Visit

On mobile, the new in-article, “related content” module encourages users to continue reading without leaving the story.

• Daily article pageviews per mobile user increased 33%

More articles per visit mean more opportunities for your brand to appear in front of engaged readers.

Why Attention Time Matters for Advertisers

Attention time is a clearer indicator of real impact than CTR because it measures what happens after a user arrives. It shows whether:

• They stayed with the content
  
• They scrolled with purpose
  
• They consumed multiple articles
  
• They were in an active, focused mindset
  

These behaviors directly influence brand recall, message retention and the effectiveness of advertising.

High-attention environments consistently deliver stronger results because your brand is present during engaged moments, not fleeting ones.

What This Means for Your Marketing Strategy

The improvements on AgWeb translate directly into more value for brands and provide a template for increasing engagement and attention.

More time with content. Your ads appear in an environment where farmers linger, not skim.

More content consumed per session. This increases the total number of exposure opportunities within a single visit.

Higher quality impressions. Engagement-rich placements build stronger trust and recognition.

Better alignment with how farmers search today. When attention is the priority metric, your message lands in the moments that count.

Why This Matters for Ag Marketers

AgWeb’s redesign was built around improving attention not chasing clicks. Farmers and ag professionals are spending more time with the content, scrolling deeper and exploring more articles per session. For advertisers, this creates stronger visibility, higher quality impressions and more impact from every campaign.

If your goal is to reach farmers in focused, engaged moments, AgWeb, with ongoing optimization of content and design, offers one of the most effective digital environments in agriculture. Better attention leads directly to better outcomes, and these performance gains increase the impact of your message and investment.

The post Why Attention Matters More Than Response for Advertisers appeared first on Farm Journal.

“The Avocado Conference represents a pivotal moment for the entire produce industry,” said Jennifer Strailey, produce editorial director at Farm Journal. “By bringing every link of the supply chain together in one collaborative setting, we’re creating a forum where data, insights and shared challenges can translate into real progress. This event will help strengthen the avocado category at a time when consumer demand, innovation  and industry alignment are at an all-time high.”

The Avocado Conference is built to serve as the premier forum for collaboration, data-driven insights, supply-and-demand analysis and strategic industry alignment among producers, exporters, importers, packers, retail and foodservice buyers, and key supply-chain partners.

The program will deliver a forward-looking agenda focused on the forces shaping the future of the U.S. avocado industry. Sessions will examine global avocado production and trade, along with differentiated retail and foodservice market insights and perspectives from customers and buyers across both channels. The program will also explore consumer and shopper trends, evolving avocado marketing programs, broader economic and investment dynamics impacting the marketplace, and how the Hass Avocado Board continues to expand demand by positioning avocados at the center of nutrition and healthy eating.

“There’s no other conference like this one for the avocado industry,” said Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board. “The Avocado Conference creates a unique platform for meaningful collaboration, data-driven dialogue and strategic alignment that will help strengthen the industry and accelerate sustainable growth in avocado consumption across the U.S. market.”

With HAB’s collaboration on content development and its critical role in uniting the avocado industry, the conference will deliver indispensable insights and year-round strategic value. Stakeholders attending the event will include growers, packers and shippers, importers and exporters, retail and foodservice buyers, input suppliers, logistics and packaging companies, storage and ripening professionals, financial and consulting services, and data and insights providers including, CIRAD, Circana, and Dataessential.

Visit www.theavocadoconference.com for more information about how to become a sponsor or attend the event.

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

About the Hass Avocado Board

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB)’s job is to make avocados America’s preferred healthy food for every meal. HAB is the only avocado organization that equips the entire global industry for success by collecting, focusing, and distributing investments to maintain and expand demand for avocados in the United States. HAB provides the industry with consolidated supply and market data, conducts nutrition research, educates health professionals, and brings people together from all corners of the industry to collectively work towards growth that benefits everyone. The organization also collects and reallocates funds to California and importer associations to benefit specific countries of origin in promoting their avocado brands to customers and consumers across the United States.

The post Farm Journal and Hass Avocado Board Launch The Avocado Conference appeared first on Farm Journal.

The post Stop Chasing Leads. Start Designing the Right Offer. appeared first on Farm Journal.

Let me be direct. The way farmers find information has fundamentally shifted, and most ag marketers are still playing the old game. As discovery evolves, so must the way we show up, build credibility and earn trust. Likewise, we need to evolve how we build trust with that audience. Brands need to change how they show up.

While you’ve been optimizing for traditional Google search, your audience has been quietly spending more time on ChatGPT, taking the easy road with Google’s AI Overviews and discovering the ease of mobile voice search. These and other AI answer engines provide instant, direct answers to producers’ most nagging questions. If you’re not present in these new discovery channels, you might as well be invisible.

At Farm Journal, we’re on the front lines of this shift in discoverability. We’re observing and adapting, watching the data change in real time, and what we’re seeing should prompt every ag marketer to reevaluate their 2026 strategy. An answer-driven content strategy and amplifying trusted voices will matter more than ever.

The Secret Sauce to Working with Answer Engines

As AI-powered engines take over traditional, organic search, brands are seeing a widening gap between search impressions and search clicks. A quick glance at Google Search Console will make the case. The “SEO alligator” or “crocodile effect” shows how brands are present in search results but suffer from zero-click answers in Google’s AI Overviews. What we’re seeing in the chart with Drovers, a prominent Farm Journal editorial brand serving ranchers, is true for almost every media brand out there.

However, there is one Farm Journal brand where we do not see the dreaded crocodile: AgWeb.com, Farm Journal’s digital platform that delivers daily agriculture news, market updates, weather and decision-making insights for farmers and ag professionals. 

Why AgWeb?

Here is what we learned is working in an increasingly AI Answer-led world:

1. Alignment around highly respected, expert voices
2. These experts share experiences that build trust with farmer audiences
3. This then builds brand authority, something highly valued by AI systems

We are also learning that effective/high-performing SEO and AEO requires mastering these same fundamentals:

• Experience
• Expertise
• Authoritativeness
• Trustworthiness

While this is the superpower of our journalists, it should also be the formula for every agriculture brand to build trust, establish authority and be discoverable by customers and buyers.

Right now, in this moment of uncertainty in agriculture (due to volatile commodity prices, shifting policy and unpredictable weather, to name a few), farmers are hungrier for information than ever. That information gap is your competitive advantage. How you structure and deliver that information is key.

Advice From What We’re Learning at the Farm

Farm Journal has been stress-testing our content strategy against these new realities. Here’s what we’ve discovered works:

1. Personalities drive brand value 

In a world overwhelmed with “AI slop,” trusted human voices matter more than ever. We’re doubling down on amplifying our experts in agronomy, ag equipment, policy and farm management, taking them out of the shadows of print and upskilling them for video, podcasts and social hits. These “dirty boots and deep roots” voices have spent decades building up credibility. We do this because AI can synthesize facts, but it can’t replicate trust. 

Ultimately, brand awareness + brand trust = growth in branded search and direct traffic.

When farmers see Michelle Rook or Pro Farmer analysts providing a market perspective, that carries weight no algorithm can manufacture. That’s human credibility, and it cuts through the noise.

Opportunities for ag marketers: 

• Identify your internal experts and give them a platform
• Make them quotable, citable and findable 
• Give “voice” to your people 
• Build their trust and authority by aligning with others who already have it 

Your 2026 market budget should support this by including media training and tech to enable quick, good-quality production across media. 

2. Shift from “quick hits” to information-dense content that anticipates and answers the full question

AI answer engines favor comprehensive, data-rich content. They’re hungry for credible sources that fully address a topic, not surface-level articles optimized for a single keyword. So, we’ve shifted our content model toward more substantive pieces that pack in:

• Data and charts (yield comparisons, market trends, input cost analysis)
• Multiple expert perspectives and high-authority sources cited
• “What’s in it for me” actionable framework for farmers (be the sherpa)
• Primary research and proprietary insights

We’re not focused on word count for word count’s sake. We’re focused on becoming the definitive source on topics that matter to our ag producer, channel and professional audiences. When AI picks up our answers, which is unique to our perspectives and expertise, our brands are [hopefully] cited. The citation drives brand awareness, which in turn drives branded search and direct traffic.

Opportunities for ag marketers: Build out information-dense topical clusters for key themes that your brand has the authority and trust to discuss. Include related articles, videos, podcast interviews and links to other high-authority sources that tie a topic together into a linear deep dive. Make sure the topic is clearly structured for machine extraction. Create a model around one or two topics, perfect and then expand from there.

Remember: Disparate articles covering a topic won’t cut it anymore. Pull them all together in a comprehensive topical cluster.

3. Integrated, multichannel programs

A single article won’t cut it anymore. Those winning in this new AI-driven world are building integrated programs across multiple touch points.

We’re creating content ecosystems around key topics:

• Long-form analysis on AgWeb.com
• Short-form video breakdowns for social (we call these “social hits”)
• Expert-led video podcasts that go deep
• Next-gen newsletters that keep the conversation going
• Data visualizations that make complex information instantly graspable 

Why does this matter for AI discovery? Because answer engines are increasingly pulling from video transcripts, podcast discussions and other sources beyond text articles. 

Opportunities for ag marketers: In your content marketing strategy, build out a plan for each topic to span across text, video and audio channels. Include meaningful data visualizations that help answer the question.

The Performance Numbers That Should Excite You

We’re seeing deeper engagement. Farmers aren’t just landing and leaving, they’re diving in, conversing and exploring. The metrics that matter have a real business impact:

• Increase in branded search
• Increase in user engagement time (attention hours earned)

For marketers, extensive research shows the quality of leads generated by optimized, AI-friendly content is measurably higher.

I’m sure you’ve heard most of this before. The industry has been discussing the impact of AI on ag marketing for years. However, we at Farm Journal think it’s important to share our path through the “AI slop” and the constantly shifting AI landscape. As we like to say here at Farm Journal: No one grows alone.

Next Steps for Ag Marketers

• Audit your content for AI readiness. Is it comprehensive? Is it citable? Does it feature real human expertise? If not, you’ve got work to do.
• Build your expert bench. Identify the three to five people in your organization who can be the next voices of your brand. Give them training, give them airtime and make it consistent.
• Create “topical clusters” that answer complete questions. Stop thinking in terms of individual articles or blog posts. Start thinking in terms of definitive guides. What are the 10 questions farmers ask about your category, and have you answered all 10 comprehensively?
• Go multichannel quickly. Every major piece of content should have a video component, a visual data element and a social-friendly snippet. If it’s worth saying once, it’s worth saying three different ways.

The Bottom Line

The agricultural marketing landscape has changed, but the basics remain the same. AI answer engines will become the first stop for farmer research, and the brands that win in this space will be those that show up as credible, comprehensive and human (the same strategy as always).

At Farm Journal, we’re actively shaping how agriculture information flows in the AI age. The strategies I’ve shared aren’t theoretical. They’re battle-tested, data-backed approaches that are driving real performance.

Producers are asking better questions in better ways. The only question that matters now is: Will your brand have the answer?

Want to see how these strategies could work for your brand? Let’s talk about what we’re seeing in the data and how Farm Journal can help your brand navigate this new landscape.

The post Brand and Content Discoverability Is the New Battleground in Ag Marketing appeared first on Farm Journal.

Kansas City, Mo., (Dec. 15, 2025) – Farm Journal has announced three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Top Producer of the Year Award, honoring some of the most progressive and successful farm operations in the country. The winner and finalists will be formally recognized at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, agriculture’s premier executive-level conference for elite farmers and ranchers, which is set for Feb. 9-11 in Nashville, Tenn. Also presented at the event will be the Next Generation Award and Women in Agriculture Award.

“The Top Producer Awards celebrate operations that are building resilient, innovative and future-focused businesses,” said Margy Eckelkamp, brand leader of Top Producer. “These finalists and award winners represent the very best of modern agriculture: strong family leadership, diversification, technology adoption and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”

2026 Top Producer of the Year Award Finalists:

Alsum Farms, Friesland, Wis. – A multigenerational family operation producing potatoes, pumpkins, hay, alfalfa and other rotational crops across more than 3,600 acres. The business is fully vertically integrated, overseeing production, packing and marketing. Leadership spans generations with the founder serving as CEO since 1981 now working alongside his two daughters who hold leadership roles in the business.

Dalton Farms, Wakeman, Ohio – A seventh-generation family farm led by Rebecca and Edward Dalton. The operation includes 2,000 acres of corn and soybeans, a 400-head cattle herd with direct-to-consumer beef sales and a growing on-farm market offering locally-sourced chicken, pork and maple syrup. Their story reflects both diversification and successful generational transition following a family split in the 1990s.

Splitter Farms, Sterling, Kan. – Led by Matt and Janna Splitter, this Kansas row-crop operation spans 1,400 owned acres with nearly 18,500 acres farmed annually through cash rent and custom work. After the sudden passing of Matt’s father in 2010, the couple returned to the farm and scaled the business using data-driven decision-making, strong landowner relationships and disciplined business management. Notably, this marks the first time a previous Next Generation Award winner has advanced to a Top Producer of the Year finalist.

The 2026 Top Producer of the Year award is sponsored by BASF and Fendt.

2026 Next Generation Award Winner

Tim Nuss, El Dorado Hills/Lodi, Calif., is the 2026 Next Gen Award winner. Nuss farms garlic, tomatoes, peppers, melons, herbs, pumpkins, cucumbers and grains with his father and brother while also building a powerful off-farm ag influencing business. He serves as CFO of Nuss Farms. He’s also head of business development at Polaris Energy Services, an ag tech irrigation company, hosts the “Modern Acre” podcast, and recently co-launched AgList, an online biologicals review and ratings platform designed to bring transparency to the ag inputs marketplace.

The 2026 Next Generation Award is sponsored by Pioneer and Fendt.

2026 Women in Agriculture Award Winner

Helle Ruddenklau, Amity, Ore., is the 2026 Women in Ag Award winner. Ruddenklau farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, growing grass seed, wheat, vegetables, peas and hazelnuts. Originally from Denmark, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 15, later meeting her husband, Bruce, while on an exchange program in New Zealand. In addition to serving as CFO of their farming operation, she is deeply involved in ag advocacy and economic development, working through organizations such as Oregon AgriWomen, AgLaunch and SEDCOR to strengthen regional agriculture through supplier and industry partnerships.

The 2026 Women in Agriculture Award is sponsored by Pro Farmer.

All finalists and award winners will be recognized on stage for their excellence in the business of farming at the 2026 Top Producer Summit, where the nation’s best producers gather to advance leadership, management, technology adoption and succession planning in agriculture. Learn more about Top Producer Summit and Top Producer of the Year awards at tpsummit.com.

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

The post Farm Journal Announces 2026 Top Producer Award Finalists appeared first on Farm Journal.

Agriculture is in one of its most consequential periods in decades. Today’s farm economy is under prolonged financial strain that is reshaping how growers make decisions, a moment economists describe as “not a collapse, but a grind.” (AgWeb) In this environment, the rules for marketers and sellers are changing fast. These are not short-lived trends or cyclical headwinds. They are structural shifts redefining who buys, how they buy and what they expect from the partners they trust. 

Winning in this environment requires more than campaigns or product expertise. It requires clarity on the forces shaping producer behavior and confidence in engaging ag buying groups that increasingly look and act like enterprise organizations.

Below are the three forces every ag supplier, manufacturer and service provider must navigate, and the specific actions marketers and sellers should take to strengthen relationships, increase discoverability and win business in today’s market.

In this environment, marketers need clarity, data and intelligence to navigate what comes next.

Inside the Reality of Today’s Farm Operation

To understand how quickly agriculture is changing, picture a modern farm. In one season, the family is watching cattle prices climb, grain prices soften and input costs shift. A decision in the cow herd affects whether they invest in a new sprayer. A change in grain markets influences what technology they buy next. These cross-pressures are becoming the norm as operations diversify and become more complex.

Consolidation is also accelerating. Larger operations are taking on more acres and greater responsibilities, while consumers are demanding greater transparency and trust in the food chain. Every part of agriculture influences another. What happens in the field affects the supply chain, and what happens in the supply chain shapes decisions back on the farm. Agriculture now functions as a single ecosystem, not a collection of separate markets.

With this new reality, ag sales and marketers must adapt their strategies, understand the mindset, needs and operations of each farm and evolve the programs and tactics they use to generate and expand relationships and revenue.

1. Consolidation Is Changing Who Influences and Makes Decisions 

Farms are consolidating and the direction of the industry is unmistakable. Scale is a priority for success, as 500+- and 1,000+-acre growers continue to expand their footprint and influence. The data support what we already see happening in the field. Average farm size is increasing, the total number of farms is going down and a small group of operations now generate the majority of U.S. farm revenue. 

With nearly 300 million acres set to transition in the next two decades (American Farmland Trust) it is essential to understand who will be operating that land and influencing the decisions about the providers and suppliers they work with. Large-scale growers are driving consolidation and they will hold even more buying power in the years ahead.

For ag marketers, this level of consolidation means your customers have greater buying power and make decisions in very different ways. More and more, Farms are less like small owner-operated units with one person calling the shots. Instead, they look more like enterprise organizations with roles, operating budgets and internal stakeholders who all shape the purchase process. CEOs, herd and crop managers, agronomists, nutritionists, veterinarians, financial officers and trusted advisors are now at the buying table. Your audience is no longer a single farmer. It is an entire ecosystem where each operation represents major acreage, multiple product categories and significant annual spend.

 How Consolidation Changes the Playbook for Ag Marketing and Sales

This shift requires moving from speaking to a single decision-maker to understanding the complete decision environment. Farms rely on multiple roles, each with its own priorities and biases that influence outcomes. Messaging must align to these roles, insight must reflect how modern operations actually run and data must go deeper than past assumptions. Broad rural targeting wastes investment by missing much of the buying group that can drive growth, and channel messaging that does not match producer needs leaves out influential voices in that group. Content that is not built for online research, with clear summaries and data points, will not move through internal meetings where choices are made. In this environment, the brands that refine their data, strengthen their messaging and create content that is easy to use across the buying group will gain meaningful ground.

2. AI Isn’t Replacing Marketers. But It Is Raising Expectations.

AI has made information abundant and instantly accessible. Farmers, suppliers, dealers and food companies can prompt a tool and generate content, comparisons or recommendations in seconds. This creates a common misconception that expertise is no longer required. In reality, AI is only as reliable as the quality of the information and data behind it, and that is precisely where ag suppliers can lead.

Here are recent cross-industry collaborations that are helping accelerate AI adoption in agriculture:

• Land O’Lakes and Microsoft partner to accelerate AI innovation in agriculture
• WinField United Deploys Artificial Intelligence To Improve Its Agronomic Adviser Retention
• Microsoft and Bayer Aim To Accelerate and Unlock Digital Agriculture

Your advantage in an AI-assisted world is trust. Buyers can quickly tell the difference between generic answers and insight grounded in real conditions, real performance and real outcomes. You are no longer competing with the volume of AI-generated content. You are competing on the credibility of your data, the usefulness of your insight and the speed at which you help buyers cut through noise.

Your role is to anticipate and answer the buying group’s questions based on their needs, biases and decision criteria, not just your products. This level of relevance is what sets trusted suppliers apart.

Why Credibility and Expertise Matter More in an AI-Driven Market

As AI reshapes how information is created and consumed, your expertise must be easy to find. This shift raises new expectations for every marketer and seller, because AI can only perform as well as the data on which it is trained. Any gaps in your understanding of the operation put your brand at an immediate disadvantage, and content that is not present on authoritative sites with strong AI-driven engine increases the likelihood that buyers receive answers built from competitor data rather than your own. Strong discoverability across search answer engines, audience targeting and location-based strategies keep your brand in front of buyers who are already seeking solutions. When trusted data, human expertise and discoverability work together, brands do not lose relevance in an AI-driven landscape but strengthen their position within it.

3. Regenerative Agriculture Is Becoming a Business Mandate

Regenerative agriculture has moved into the center of business strategy for ag operators and owners because consumer expectations, food company commitments and climate volatility now converge at the farm gate. It is driven by consumer demand, supply chain pressure and the need for long-term resilience. Consumers want confidence in the food they buy, and food companies are responding with measurable targets that shift expectations back to the farm.

The stakes behind these expectations are rising. A 2021 survey from Interos found that the average cost of a supply disruption in U.S. companies is $ 228 million per event, well above the global average of $ 184 million. These disruptions include extreme weather, climate shocks and supply instability, all of which affect agriculture more than most industries. When a single event can carry this kind of cost, regenerative practices become a tool for risk management and business continuity.

For producers, regenerative programs offer new income streams and potential market advantages, but the landscape can be confusing. Requirements change often, verification is complex and programs vary widely. Trusted advisors help farmers identify which programs fit their operation and where the actual value lies. This is also where precise comparative data becomes powerful. Vendors that provide information showing how specific practices improve soil compaction, water utilization, stand counts or livestock performance gain a meaningful advantage in both marketing and sales conversations.

How Regenerative Expectations Are Reshaping Decisions Across the Value Chain

You can simplify a crowded regenerative landscape and show how sustainability connects consumer expectations, food company requirements and farm-level opportunity. Producers want clarity and value, and everyone wants trusted data that proves what works. Every input, animal health and technology company is now competing with food companies for the same limited capacity that farmers have to change practices. At the same time, rising input costs and softening commodity prices mean producers are spending less time on yield maximization and more time identifying practices that reduce financial risk. The brands that win will be the ones that make regenerative agriculture understandable, credible and clearly linked to business performance across the value chain.

Today’s Ag Market Demands Clear Insight and Trusted Expertise

Across the entire ag value chain, the expectations for ag suppliers and providers are rising. Farmers and producers are making decisions that are more data-driven, collaborative and accountable, and they must balance speed with quality as they determine when, what and how to invest. Providers and suppliers are selling into buying groups that include trusted advisors, family members and business stakeholders. Winning in this environment requires four priorities that match how modern producers search, evaluate and decide:

1. Strong discoverability to make the consideration list, win early
Your brand must be easy to find, understand and validate because buyers build their lists fast. Search behavior, social signals and AI tools all rely on structured information and clear value messaging. If your content is not present, accurate and optimized, you are simply not in the running.

2. Data-backed insight included in your content and communications
Producers want clarity they can trust because every decision carries operational and financial risk. Proof points, comparisons and performance data help buyers evaluate options with confidence. This reduces uncertainty and positions your brand as the safer, smarter choice.

3. Multi-channel presence and consistency to increase your solution visibility
Buyers move between broadcast, digital, streaming, social and in-field conversations and they expect the same message everywhere. A steady, unified presence reinforces who you are and what you stand for. It keeps your brand top of mind when decisions are made.

4. Human-centered trust to engage and make a meaningful connection
With AI generating more content than ever, credibility is the differentiator. Producers respond to real expertise, operational context and an authentic understanding of their challenges. Showing that you genuinely understand their world builds trust that no algorithm can replace.

Your role is increasingly strategic as you help customers navigate complexity with trusted information and a full view of the decision environment. Ag sellers and marketers cannot control the forces reshaping agriculture, but they can align with them.

The post The Three Market Forces Reshaping Agriculture Sales and Marketing appeared first on Farm Journal.

The Business Innovation Award recognizes ag retailers who demonstrate digital transformation in their business. These include outstanding examples of how ag retailers are taking their enterprise resource planning, agronomics and business data to elevate customer service and build a sustainable business. The award is presented to a single ag retail location and its team in the U.S.

“Especially in volatile economic times, farmers need partners they can rely on, and increasingly, technology is fortifying how those relationships grow,” said Margy Eckelkamp, editor of The Scoop. “With greater transparency, real-time data sharing and easy-to-use communication tools, retailers such as Five Star Cooperative are rewriting the playbook for being a business in which it is easy to do business.”

Five Star Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural supply cooperative that serves rural communities across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Their client base includes individual farmers and farms of all sizes, providing quality products, expert service and a commitment to long-term success for each and every member. One of the paths to that success is Operation Easy, an implementation of internal processes to increase efficiency and improve every aspect of the customer experience for the farmer.

“Digital innovation at Five Star Cooperative isn’t about adopting technology for technology’s sake, it’s about listening to our members and responding with real solutions that make their day easier,” said Scott Black, CEO of Five Star Cooperative. “Operation Easy gave us direct, honest customer feedback, and our team used that input to build tools that improve transparency, access and the overall experience of doing business with us. Receiving the Business Innovation Award from The Scoop is a meaningful recognition of that work, but the true reward is hearing from our farmers and team members that these tools are making a difference. This is only the beginning of where we’re headed.”

Learn more about Five Star Cooperative.

“Digital transformation isn’t about replacing the fundamentals of ag retail; it’s about protecting them,” said Alexander Reichert, CEO at AgVend. “The retailers leading this industry forward are modernizing their business to give their teams more time, more clarity and more capacity to serve their growers, especially when markets turn. Innovation isn’t a luxury in tough cycles; it’s how great retailers stay resilient, aligned and relentlessly focused on their customers.” 

About Farm Journal

Farm Journal is the nation’s leading business information and media company serving the agricultural market. The company serves the row crop, livestock, produce and retail sectors through branded websites, eNewsletters and phone apps; business magazines; live events including conferences and tradeshows; nationally broadcast television and radio programs; and an array of data-driven, paid information products. Farm Journal owns the online equipment marketplace, Machinery Pete LLC. Trust In Food is a Farm Journal initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of conservation practices and regenerative agriculture in ways that work for producers and enhance connection to consumers. In 2010, the company established the non-profit, public charity, Farm Journal Foundation, dedicated to sustaining agriculture’s ability to meet the vital needs of a growing population through education and empowerment.

The post Five Star Cooperative Wins The Scoop’s Business Innovation Award appeared first on Farm Journal.

In a recent Farm Country Update session, Candace Bergesch (Director of Data Insights) and Casey Seymour (VP of Machinery) broke down thousands of producer records to reveal who’s really driving equipment demand in 2025.

The Consolidation Index: Spotting Growth Before It Happens

Farm Journal’s predictive model (Consolidation Index) segments producers into three categories — Growing, Maintaining, and At-Risk of Consolidation — based on their present risk factors around consolidation.

• Producers on Growing operations are actively more likely to be ready to invest in newer, high-capacity equipment.
• Producers who have Maintaining operations are focused on replacing and maintaining existing machinery and ensuring the longevity of their farm without significant growth.
• Producers At-Risk of Consolidation are more likely to be interested in replacement parts and maintaining existing machinery rather than upgrades and may be looking for an auction partner to offload equipment.

The session shows how data can be used to identify which bucket your prospects fall into, down to the territory, county, or individual level to be able to better serve their needs.

A Taste of What the Data Shows

• Size Matters: Size Matters: As row crop operations scale up, their consolidation risk falls fast — and the majority of 500+ acre farms land in the “growing” category.
• Shopping surprises: Drills are currently outpacing planters in research activity, challenging even seasoned dealers’ expectations.

The session also covers other critical insights, including technology adoption, brand loyalty trends, and what buyers are focused on in the market right now.

Bonus Insight: What Dealers Told Us Matters Most

We polled attendees on the intelligence they rely on most when evaluating a buyer. Here’s their top 4 categories:

• Predicted next-purchase timing – 20.8%
• Trade-in frequency – 20.8%
• Ag production type – 16.7%
• Age of machinery at purchase – 16.7%
  

The takeaway is simple:
You don’t want fluff. You want signals that point to intent.

Opportunity to Connect with the Prospects That Actually Buy

Casey calls this out directly:
Combine your customer history with Farm Journal’s data, and you can predict next-purchase timing and preferred make.
That trims a bloated CRM list into a short, actionable call list your sales team can actually act on.

Watch the Full Session to See the Data in Action

This session includes:

• State-level mapping showing where growing operations are concentrated
• Examples of how top dealers are using these insights to refine territory strategy and inventory allocation
• Live demonstration of the Consolidation Index via Farm Journal’s Dynamic Profile Dashboard Tool and Strategic Advisor Tool

Watch the full session now to see the data in action.

Have questions about applying this intelligence to your market? Contact: talktoanexpert@farmjournal.com

The post Your Next Big Customer Isn’t Guesswork. Clues Are in the Data appeared first on Farm Journal.