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Why the Decline in the Heart of Farm Tractor Sales in 2024

Glass Management Group has maintained data on U.S. tractor sales, by horsepower category, by month, since 1969 and this extensive data base has allowed the production of an annual Tractor and Combine Sales Forecast each November for the following calendar year, which has been published publicly since 1999.

As we reviewed our 2024 forecast versus the actual retail activity each month, we noted with the March AEM Flash Report that the retail activity in the Less than 40 HP and in the 40 – 100 HP tractor categories were significantly below our forecasted levels and that sent us back to determine why we had such a serious miss in our forecasting efforts. 

As the year has unfolded, two of those categories have fallen below our forecasted totals for the year-to-date totals, even though the total numbers of tractors forecasted for both categories were down significantly from 2023 levels. The <40 HP category is now about -20.1% below our original year-to-date forecast from November, 2023 while the 40 – 100 HP category remains significantly below our forecast, by -19.6%. 

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Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.