Robin Schmahl

DTN Contributing Analyst
Robin Schmahl
Robin Schmahl writes a weekly dairy column for DTN and provides other dairy information. His company, AgDairy LLC, is an introducing broker, and he previously worked from 1996 to 2001 for Allendale Inc. as a commodity broker and as manager of Allendale's Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, branch. In 2001 he worked with DTN on a dairy marketing program that is no longer offered.

Robin was born and raised on a dairy farm in Elkhart Lake. After graduating from high school, he attended Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, to study music. Robin then returned to the fourth-generation family farm in 1980 to work in partnership with his father before taking over the dairy farming operation.

Robin frequently gives speeches, writes articles and does radio commentaries on dairy topics. He lives on his active family farm with his wife and three children.

More From This Author

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures were under pressure due to the continued rage engulfing the JBS plant in Greeley. Workers voted to authorize a strike if JBS does not return to the negotiating table. Hog futures were mixed with uncertainty of...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures may have more than factored in the higher cash trade for the week. The optimism for higher prices is there. Hog futures took a slight breather after the recent surge. Significantly lower pork cutouts may put...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures found solid support on Tuesday. Cattle have the potential to move to close the chart gaps that have remained open since mid-October. Hogs continue to establish new highs in all but the February contract...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures were off to the races on Monday with contracts pushing through resistance. Higher cash last week and the prospect for higher cash this week is keeping buying active. Hog futures pushed to new contract highs in...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures drifted lower into the weekend. Traders were not sure of the cash trade by the close of the market, nor what the Cattle Inventory report was to show. Hog traders could not find anything solid to stimulate...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Early strength ran its course with cattle futures turning lower. The potential for a higher trend to continue was put on hold until cash cattle trade provides direction. Hog futures were able to post a modest close despite the...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures are finding sufficient support to push higher on the anticipation of higher cash trade. Feeder cattle led the charge, pushing through resistance. Hogs ran out of steam, correcting for the overbought status...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    It may take cash trade to move cattle futures above the trading range. It needs more support to turn the trend higher. Hogs continue to work higher as the optimism over pork prices continue.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Traders continue to support the livestock complex with optimism building over demand moving forward. Hog futures continue to make new contract highs on a nearly daily basis. Higher cash trade may continue.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Live cattle showed strength on Friday, leading the gains, while feeder cattle held back. Cash cattle traded higher, providing the support. Hog futures were mixed with the nearby contracts lower, attributed to some profit-taking...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures could not find traction on Thursday, closing mixed. Cash cattle did not trade, and traders are looking ahead to the Cattle on Feed report. Hogs continue to find support despite lower cash.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures are attempting to recover from the losses incurred on Friday. However, traders remain cautious and may remain that way until cash trades. Hog futures continue to find support as traders see promise for higher...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Live cattle futures had trouble picking a direction on Tuesday's trade back from the holiday weekend, closing higher after trading on both sides of the market. Feeders followed suit despite lower index numbers to start the week.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures took it on the chin ahead of the extended weekend with a rumor of the New World screwworm (NWS) in the U.S. floating around. Traders were not willing to remain exposed just in case. Hog futures posted minor gains...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Wednesday, cattle futures did not hold the breakout from Tuesday and closed lower despite optimism for a higher cash cattle trade. Hog futures pushed above price resistance with some contracts, making new highs.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures found ample support Tuesday, pushing contracts above the recent sideways trading pattern. There is bullish optimism as beef demand remains strong. Hog futures were mixed, with the deferred contracts showing...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures remained in a sideways trading range with traders supporting the market, but not providing sufficient strength to push through technical resistance. Hogs are following a similar pattern, but showed weakness on...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures closed under pressure Friday, but late cash trade may provide support to begin this week. Feedlots held out and will hold out again this week. Hogs closed mixed as traders remain uncertain about continued strength.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures pushed higher Thursday as light cattle trade was noted at higher cash. Hog futures were supported by optimism resuming the uptrend with new contract highs.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures took a breather on Wednesday despite no cash cattle trade developing for the week. Some liquidation developed on the uncertainty over the strength of cash. Hog futures showed pressure due to the weakness of...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Live cattle futures closed higher but were unable to hold the triple-digit gains that were seen during the day. Feeder cattle have extended their phenomenal gains since the beginning of the year. Hogs closed mixed, with most...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures extended their gains with continued optimism over tight cattle supplies and renewed demand for beef. Hogs did an about-face, resuming the uptrend with new contract highs.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Traders celebrated the New Year with aggressive buying in cattle futures. Feeder cattle surged higher to close the next chart gaps above the market, setting the stage for further strength. Hogs diverged with the nearby...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures were able to close the year on a positive note with higher prices. Cash cattle trading activity has not yet taken place. Hog futures had little reason to move one way or the...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    The livestock complex found further support Tuesday despite no cash cattle trade taking place and limited cash trading of hogs. Both boxed beef and pork cutouts were lower.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Monday likely set the pattern for the week with mixed trading activity in live cattle futures. The expectation is for the cash cattle trade to be steady. Hog futures showed a similar pattern with mixed futures prices and limited...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures went into the weekend on a positive note as traders felt confident the weekend was not going to show any surprises in the market. Hog futures were mixed, with contracts through August showing minor losses and...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Live cattle futures closed lower across the board, showing greater weakness than feeder cattle. Usually, feeder cattle futures are the ones leading the movement higher or lower. Hog futures were mixed, with contracts through...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures continue to shy away from closing the chart gaps above the market. The less aggressive nature of packers keep traders wary of the upside potential of prices through the end of the year. Hogs found sufficient...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    The livestock complex was higher on Monday. Cattle were higher, but not with the exuberance some had anticipated as a reaction to the bullish Cattle on Feed report. Hog futures increased, with the August contract making a new high.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures showed strong gains with feeder cattle leading the way. However, even with the strength, contracts failed to close the chart gaps ahead of the Cattle on Feed report. Hog futures closed with minimal gains with mixed...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures closed under pressure despite a light higher cash trade. Traders are positioning themselves ahead of the Cattle on Feed report. Hogs closed higher, maintaining the sideways trading range. Prices may hold into the...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures declined in all categories and all months. Cattle were under pressure as futures have been unable to push through price resistance. Hog futures turned lower as traders decided to take profits due to a lack of...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday with feeder cattle far outpacing live cattle. Technical traders may be gunning to close the chart gaps. Hog futures found support with contracts closing at a new high in the uptrend as...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures were mildly higher with traders supporting the market, but were uncertain whether cash will be able to hold or increase another week. Hog futures closed mixed after rejecting significant pressure during the day.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures took a step back ahead of the weekend. Higher cash had been absorbed into the market. Traders took some profit to limit exposure over the weekend. Hog futures closed higher with the February contract taking...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures showed significant support as cash cattle traded higher with similar gains as last week. Hog futures showed strong gains in contracts through August on higher cash and cutouts.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures closed higher in all but the spot December live cattle and lean hog contracts. Traders remained optimistic for at least steady cash trade this week. Hogs found support as demand seems to be building.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    The cattle complex was mixed with traders finding little direction. The boxed beef trade has not been robust, and cash cattle have yet to trade. Although hog futures closed lower in all but the spot December contract, the...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures tried to extend gains but could not move and hold into positive territory. The strong gains of the past two weeks may have run their course. Hog futures found sufficient support to keep them in positive...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures closed higher Friday with December live cattle leading the way due to the strong cash prices. The market has been adjusting to the fundamentals. Hog futures gained ground, pushing through and closing above...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    It was another good day in the cattle complex, and rightly so, with cash trading substantially higher. Packers were short-bought and needed to purchase cattle. Hog futures found buying interest to add to the strength of...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Both cattle and hog futures closed higher on Wednesday. Cattle continued higher, fueled by the optimism for higher cash trade. Hogs may have found some technical support that could provide further strength today.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures had another wild day with strong gains after a higher opening. Futures increased on trader perception and technical buying. Hog futures continued their weakness as more of last week's gains were eliminated.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures began the day with slight gains, but contracts failed to uncover continued support. Traders may be cautious, keeping the market choppy until cash trade develops. Hog futures suffered minor losses as traders found...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle rebounded sharply after the spike bottom that was put in on Tuesday. Short covering through the holiday and the end of the month fueled the rally. Hog futures closed mixed on Friday as traders assessed the market's...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    The cattle market on Wednesday did what cattle futures have been doing recently and may continue to do for some time. Heightened volatility will be the norm and any slight news will create either positivity or uncertainty. Hog...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Nearby live cattle contracts could not pull into positive territory by the close after trading on both sides of unchanged. Differed live cattle and feeder cattle rebounded. Hogs were able to hold gains ahead of the holiday, likely...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Follow-through selling is almost certain to take place today as traders remain uncertain over the impact of the Tyson plant closing in Nebraska. Hogs rebounded somewhat from the losses on...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures attempted to hold higher but could not muster sufficient buying interest to accomplish the task. Lower cash and the Cattle on Feed report kept pressure on the market. Hog futures were unable to find support...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures could not find the buying interest to keep prices in positive territory Thursday. Lower cash trade earlier and the upcoming Cattle on Feed report are not providing support. Hog futures were able to close higher...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures took it on the chin Wednesday as cash traded lower in the country. November feeder cattle closed higher, with Thursday the last trading day for the contract. Hogs rebounded from Tuesday's losses with technical...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures could not generate consistent buying interest on Tuesday, resulting in a mixed close. Traders are uncertain of the impact of the reduction in tariffs on some countries announced last week and the impact on beef...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Cattle futures pushed higher Monday as traders felt more comfortable buying due to the rebound from technical support on Friday. But even with the gains, it did not turn the trend higher. Hogs were mixed in nearby months, but...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Livestock futures closed the week on a positive note, but trader excitement may be difficult to unfold Monday. The lower cash prices for cattle have been absorbed, with little reason to be...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Volatility seems to be the norm in livestock markets anymore. Thursday the livestock futures mostly traded lower and are expected to remain lower to close out this Friday.

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    An exciting start of the week with live cattle and feeder cattle futures trading limit higher. Expanded limits will be in place today, but not expected to be reached. However, a continuation of higher prices is likely. Hogs also had a...

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    DTN Early Word Livestock Comments

    Last week ended with a sharp decline in futures for both cattle and hogs, week-over-week. Traders are exiting long positions quickly as trading headlines has been a volatile game over the last few weeks.