A Roadmap to Better Decision Making

UK-based “Bactery” has developed a six-inch device that’s designed to be buried in a farm field where it produces enough electricity to power remote IoT devices. It sounds a little crazy at first, but proof-of-concept field trials show that these “soil batteries” - or “bacteries” - really do work!Bactery cofounder Jakub Dziegielowski explains that there is a whole circular economy ...
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A US-led intervention in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro could have significant impacts on global markets this year. While the country’s vast oil reserves are currently taking the spotlight, US agricultural stakeholders are eyeing the reopening of a significant export market.Venezuela’s economy has contracted more than -60% since Maduro took power in 2013, which thrust ...
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Our family will be hosting our annual FARMCON event in KC this week, so no additional Van Trump reports will be released. Our full 2026 coverage schedule will resume next Monday morning, January 12th. I will also be sharing the big takeaways and conversations from FARMCON next week. Thank you for your consideration and support. For those who are attending, ...
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We had the pleasure a few months ago to meet John Puleo from JP Tower Consulting, who specializes in cell tower lease renewals, buyouts, and new lease negotiations. John had recently consulted for one of our clients who was in buyout negotiations and delivered such impressive results that we did some more research and feel there are probably a ton ...
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The good folks over at CoBank recently released their “2026: The Year Ahead” outlook, which examines several key factors that will shape agriculture and market sectors that serve rural communities. Uncertainty surrounding US trade policy is lower than it was a year ago, which brings added stability to the broader outlook for 2026. However, CoBank CEO Thomas Halverson remains concerned ...
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*LAST VAN TRUMP REPORT UNTIL MONDAY, JAN 5, 2026 – Our offices will be closed starting tomorrow for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays. We will be spending quality time with family and friends, while also getting ready for our annual FARMCON event. I will issue a full morning report on Monday, January 5th. If something dramatic happens or I make a sizable adjustment ...
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“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” is not just the iconic first line from the beloved holiday classic “The Christmas Song.” It’s meant to evoke a nostalgic image of the holiday tradition that was common in America. Unfortunately, most of us never had a chance to make that Christmas memory because of a blight that caused the near-extinction of American ...
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The business of Christmas tree farming is like any other crop production operation, in that the opportunity to turn a profit revolves around a once-a-year harvest. Christmas tree farming carries some unique risks, too, not least of which is the seven to fifteen years between planting and maturity, an investment that can be wiped out in an instant by drought, ...
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Technology companies need a lot of computing power to meet the expected demand for artificial intelligence (AI). This massive demand for compute is running up against roadblocks on multiple fronts, including strained electricity supplies, expensive land prices, and increasing pushback from communities. Some think the answer is to abandon these earthly problems entirely, and instead put data centers in orbit ...
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Grain elevators quietly did as much to reshape American agriculture as hybrid seed or the tractor. In just a few decades in the late 1800s, they changed how grain moved, how prices were discovered, and who really held the leverage between farms, railroads, and the trade. Before elevators, grain marketing was local, slow, and labor‑intensive. Farmers hauled grain in sacks ...
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