Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Diesel & AI Weed-Killing Robots | Daily Farm Brief Sept. 16

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Good morning, Farm Nation, and welcome aboard Truck City. Is where would Farm Nation be without Truck City? This morning, weeds are getting shot with lasers, robots are looking for farm jobs, truckers are getting hammered at the diesel pump, and three giant beetles have been stopped at the border. And somehow, that's not even the strangest part of agriculture today. I'm Rick Portonova, and this is FarmTales Unplugged Daily Farm Brief for Wednesday, September 16th, 2026. We'd like to thank our sponsor, World TradeX, the future of food, for making this podcast possible. We've also got the USDA buying $25 million worth of mandarins, drones bossing around robots, something specifically for the men and women behind the wheel, today's markets, a truck stop meal worth knowing about, and a little wisdom from the farmer's almanac. So grab your coffee, climb in the truck, tractor, combine, whatever you're driving, and let's see what happened while you were busy actually working. Now for the tech minute. Let's start in Texas, where one farmer is experimenting with something that sounds more like Star Wars than farm equipment. Texas producer Neil Frois is moving towards organic production while working with researchers on laser weed control technology. Instead of spraying weeds, the technology identifies unwanted plants and uses concentrated energy to destroy them. That's potentially important because weed control is one of the biggest headaches and expenses in organic farming. And if you're wondering whether agriculture has officially entered the future, apparently we're now at the point where the weeds need to worry about being shot by lasers. And we should probably worry too. Frois is also experimenting with artificial intelligence and other technology as he moves his information and his operation towards organic production. And it looks like today's tech minute is going to be two minutes because there's more. Farm labor problem, send in the robots. Speaking of technology, farmers continue to struggle with finding enough people to do agricultural work. A new farm progress report looks at how automation and artificial intelligence could help fill some of those labor gaps. The idea isn't necessarily a farm with no people. It's using machines for repetitive or difficult jobs where farmers simply can't find enough workers. Machines don't complain about starting before sunrise, they don't call in sick, and so far, dot dot dot. Nobody has caught a robot leaning against the barn checking Facebook. The challenge will be making the technology affordable for ordinary farms, not just the big operations. It's time for the fruit minute. The USDA is going shopping for mandarins. Here's one American fruit growers will appreciate. The USDA has announced plans to purchase $25 million worth of fresh mandarins from American growers. The fruit will be used in domestic food assistance programs that can provide another market for U.S. citrus growers while putting fresh fruit into nutrition programs. $25 million buys a lot of mandarins. So somewhere in America, a kid is about to open a school lunch and wonder why are suddenly oranges everywhere? Well, it looks like we have a lot of high-tech minutes today. A researcher at the University of Nevada, Reno, has received a five-year federal grant to develop a precision agriculture system pairing drones in the air with robots on the ground. The drone gets the big picture view from above, identifies areas that need attention, and ground robots move in for a closer look. In other words, the drone finds the problem, then sends somebody downstairs to deal with it, which is basically management. It is time for the Road Report for the men and women Moving America. And now if you're listening through 18 wheels instead of four, this one's for you. Diesel remains one of the biggest expenses hanging over American trucking. And when fuel moves higher, an owner operator doesn't just notice it at the pump, he notices it hundreds of gallons at a time. Agriculture feels every bit of that because nearly everything on the farm has to move. Seed comes in, fertilizer comes in, machinery and parts come in, grain, cattle, milk, vegetables, and fruit have to go out. And when freight gets more expensive, eventually somebody gets handed the bill. Usually several somebodies. The industry is also becoming increasingly digital. Electronic loadboards, real-time tracking, and freight matching systems are helping carriers reduce empty miles and keeping equipment moving. That's great when everything works. But no computer program has yet invented a way to make road construction disappear. Or convince four-wheelers that cutting directly in front of an 80,000-pound truck is a poor life decision. And agriculture has its own transportation crunch during harvest. Everybody seems to need a truck at exactly the same time. So if you're hauling grain, livestock, produce equipment, or anything else keeping America fed, we see you. Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down. Quick market watch. Now let's check the grain markets. Corn, soybeans, and wheat all finished higher in Chicago yesterday. December corn closed around $5.35 a bushel, while November soybeans finished around $13.19. Soybeans posted the stronger move, while rain forecasts that could slow portions of the U.S. harvest were also getting traders' attention. So once for once we can say corn up, beans up, weed up, everyone remain calm. And now, three beetles have been detained. Time for today's story from the category Agriculture Inspectors See Some Very Stran Things. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists in Philadelphia recently intercepted three live chief Goliath beetles that authorities say were being smuggled to Germany. And these aren't your average little beetles crawling around the porchlight. Goliath beetles are among the world's largest insects. The shipment was stopped because moving live insects internationally without proper permits can pose agricultural and ecological risks. So apparently, the Beatles' European vacation has been canceled. And somewhere in Philadelphia, three enormous bugs are waiting to speak to their attorney. Today's Farm Fact. Earthworms can be surprisingly useful indicators of soil health. A healthy population helps break down organic material and create channels that improve the movement of air and water through the soil. So next time you find a worm in your field, don't complain. He's working for free. And unlike everything, almost everything else on the farm, he doesn't burn diesel. And that's your farm tails unplugged daily farm brief for Wednesday, September 16th, 2026. Today, we've got lasers fighting weeds, robots looking for farm jobs, drones supervising robots, truckers keeping America moving, and the USDA buying mandarins. And three enormous beetles being detained in Philadelphia. I'm Rick Portanova. Thank you for listening. To our farmers, stay safe in the field. To our truckers, keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down. And remember, the future of food starts with the people who grow it and depends on the people who move it. Thank you to World TradeX for sponsoring this podcast and making it possible. World TradeX, the future of food, empowering farmers.