Chris Clayton

DTN Farm Business Editor

DTN Farm Business Editor Chris Clayton has been writing and editing for DTN/The Progressive Farmer since 2005 after working more than seven years as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald.

Chris has been recognized as writer of the year by the American Agricultural Editors' Association and won story of the year multiple times from the organization. He also has won the Glenn Cunningham Agricultural Journalist of the Year Award from the North American Agricultural Journalists and served as the group's president in 2012-13. The National Farmers Union and American Coalition for Ethanol also each have named Chris communicator of the year.

Chris graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1993 with a degree in journalism. He has worked for news organizations in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska. Chris lives in Glenwood, Iowa, with his wife and children.

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  • A farmworker in California moves crates into position as part of the onion harvest near Brawley, California, in April 2024. Farm groups are criticizing a bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that will set the minimum wage for farmworkers at $19.75 an hour starting in 2027. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    California Raises Wage Costs on Farms

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law this week that would set a minimum wage for farmworkers at $19.75 an hour starting in January. Farm groups denounced the legislation, saying it would make labor unaffordable for...

  • Solar panels from an Indiana solar operation. Farm groups and others have filed a lawsuit against USDA for tightening limits for grants and loan guarantees for solar projects under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). USDA cited an executive order by President Trump last year to essentially freeze the program and halt funding for most solar array projects on farms. (DTN file photo by Chris Clayton)

    Groups: USDA Violated Law on REAP Rules

    Farmers in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, along with solar energy groups, filed a lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, suing USDA and department officials over changes to the Rural Energy for America...

  • Because of government debt, Treasury rates are continuing to reach highs not seen in two decades. As bond yields continue to rise, that's going to put more pressure on the interest rates offered to farmers for operating loans, equipment and land purchases. (Ployker, Getty Images)

    The Bond Market and Farmer Loan Rates

    The latest surge in the Treasury bond market threatens to keep borrowing costs elevated and potentially pushes some rates higher at the same time farmers are already facing diesel prices at record highs and other inputs such...

  • Economists and analysts talk about issues with corn and soybean production and markets at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday. From left, Scott Gerlt from the American Soybean Association, Josh Linville from Stone X, and Krista Swanson from the National Corn Growers Association talk with Zach Helder, vice president of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Ag Economy Remains Under Pressure

    Economists at an agricultural outlook forum questioned the impact of an export ban on diesel, while there was also some disagreement over whether farmers need more ad-hoc aid to deal with high diesel and fertilizer inputs.

  • Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer who founded Revolution Drones, has built out his business manufacturing drones for dealers and custom applicators around the country. Like other startup agricultural drone companies, he's trying to onshore as many of his manufacturing parts as possible to avoid tariffs and import bans. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Ag Drone Use Collides With New Tariffs

    New tariffs on imported drones and components are pushing agricultural drone companies to accelerate U.S. manufacturing efforts, though gaps in domestic supplies of batteries, motors and other key parts remain a major hurdle. As...

  • Farmers can make their 2026 elections for the Agricultural Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage (ARC/PLC) through Dec. 11. Enrollment for the 2027 crops will begin Nov. 2. (DTN file photo)

    ARC/PLC Enrollment Begins

    USDA announced enrollment began Sept. 16 for the 2026 crop year and will run through Dec. 11. USDA also will open ARC/PLC enrollment for the 2027 crop year from Nov. 2 through March 15...

  • Dave Walton, a farmer in eastern Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association, said the rally in grain prices has altered the financial picture on his operation. At the same time, Walton said he would like to see input prices come down before locking in purchases for next year's crop. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Grain Rally Improves Farmers' Outlook

    Farm leaders and agricultural economists at the Farm Progress Show pointed to stronger corn, soybean and wheat prices changing the financial outlook from just a few months ago. The rally is giving producers opportunities to lock...

  • Dave Walton, a farmer in eastern Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association, said the rally in grain prices has altered the financial picture on his operation. At the same time, Walton said he would like to see input prices come down before locking in purchases for next year's crop. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Grain Rally Improves Farm Margins, But High Input Costs Remain

    Farm leaders and agricultural economists at the Farm Progress Show pointed to stronger corn, soybean and wheat prices changing the financial outlook from just a few months ago. The rally is giving producers opportunities to lock...

  • An image of the CME grain trading floor in Chicago in 2014. The old trading floors are gone, but the futures industry is now dealing with pressure from new markets that want physical commodities such as oil to be traded 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Energy and agricultural industries that use futures to hedge risk oppose the idea. (DTN file photo by Jim Patrico)

    Perpetual Trading Raises Risks for Ag

    Farm and energy groups this past week warned the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) against disrupting traditional physical commodity markets such as oil and natural gas contracts with the possibility of 24/7 trading...

  • Lenore cattle on a ranch in central Brazil. Beef imports are already up 28% for the first six months of 2026, according to USDA. Ag and livestock groups are asking President Trump to reconsider his plan to import 300,000 metric tons of beef at lower prices to reduce retail prices for consumers. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Cattle Groups to Trump: Halt Beef Plan

    The presidents of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Livestock Marketing Association, National Cattlemen's Beef Association and U.S. Cattlemen's Association co-signed a letter to Trump challenging the value of flooding the market...

  • A look at the top 10 states for Livestock Risk Protection policies for feeder cattle. The top five states make up essentially half the policies and cattle protected by LRP, which covered 6.1 million feeder cattle last year. So far, roughly 570,000 fewer cattle are covered this year, but their value is $1 billion higher. (Chart courtesy of Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics)

    Fewer Feeder Cattle, But Higher Value in LRP

    Economists at Kansas State University highlighted how producers in major cattle-producing states are relying more on USDA's Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) policies, especially to protect feeder cattle prices.

  • Dairy sales between the U.S. and Canada make up a tiny fraction of overall trade between the two countries but take up a lot of space politically. Dairy access remains at the center of President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs that could go into effect on roughly $20 billion in Canadian products on Wednesday unless a deal is reached. (DTN file photo)

    Canadian Dairy Policy Again Looms Large

    Without a deal, the U.S. will hit Canada with 50% tariffs on Wednesday, involving roughly $20 billion in products, including dairy, cement, clothing, wine, furniture, and even hockey sticks. The fight over dairy highlights the outsized...

  • Faribault County in south-central Minnesota is forecast to lead the state with an average corn yield of 223.6 bushels per acre (bpa). Anoka County just north of the Twin Cities is projected to have the lowest county average yield at 124.5 bpa. (DTN map by Scott Williams)

    2026 Digital Yield Tour - Minnesota

    Farmers and analysts who spoke to DTN last week at Minnesota Farmfest said they expect the state's crops to produce yields comparable to last year, which saw record or near-record yields in most counties. DTN's Digital Yield...

  • Grundy County in north-central Iowa is forecast to lead the state with an average corn yield of 234.3 bushels per acre (bpa). Decatur County in south-central Iowa is projected to have the lowest county-average yield, at 151.5 bpa. (DTN map by Scott Williams)

    2026 Digital Yield Tour - Iowa

    DTN's Digital Yield Tour projects Iowa will have the highest corn yield in the country at 214 bushels per acre (bpa). Iowa is also projected to have the second-highest soybean yield at 61.8 bpa. While both yields are strong, Iowa's...

  • Seasonal Price Swings of Key Fertilizers (Progressive Farmer analysis of DTN data)

    Buy Inputs Early to Manage Margins

    Buying seed, fertilizer and crop protection products months before planting can lower total input costs and protect farm profits.

  • USDA released its annual Land Values Summary on Friday, showing the average national value of agricultural land. The national average combining cropland and pasture this year is $4,500 per acre, up about 3.4% from a year ago. (Map courtesy of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)

    Farmland Values Rise, But Gains Slower

    USDA on Friday released its annual Land Values Summary report, covering both cropland and pasture. Nationally, cropland values topped $6,000 an acre for the first time, while pasture values also reached $2,000 an acre.

  • Cattle ranching in Brazil is considered one of the main drivers of deforestation in the country. But new tariffs handed down on July 15 by the Trump administration exclude Brazilian beef imports, which have hit record volumes in the past two years. (DTN photo by Chris Clayton)

    Brazil Beef Spared From New Tariffs

    The Trump administration announced new tariffs on Brazilian products on July 15, but excluded some key agricultural products such as beef and coffee. Brazilian ethanol will face a tariff; however, Brazil hasn't been exporting...

  • Agricultural economists in Ohio and Illinois examined how the farm safety net compared to profit and costs of production for nine major crops going back to 1975. The report shows more stretches with losses than profits, but the multiple safety net programs are now providing more profitable times for crop sectors, even in downturns. (Chart from University of Illinois farmdocdaily)

    A Long-Term Look at the Farm Safety Net

    Over time, the farm safety net has shifted from primarily offsetting market losses to increasingly boosting profitability for major commodity crops since 2007, according to economists at Ohio State University and the University of...