Some big 2021 unknowns persist, including how COVID-19 will continue to disrupt markets and demand, whether government payments will continue to be robust and whether or not U.S. farmers can pivot to gathering more of their income from the marketplace.

The latest forecast from the University of Missouri’s Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute projects farm earnings will be lower this year than what USDA economists are expecting.

As trade tensions continue to rise, the thought of having to deal with another tough year of tight or absent financial margins can be daunting. According to the USDA's latest forecast, net farm income for 2018 is expected to fall to $59.5 billion, a 12-year low.