Farmers and ranchers across the country aren’t very positive about their economic prospects in the months ahead.

If you need confirmation, just look at Purdue University’s latest Ag Economy Barometer, which has fallen to its lowest level since March 2016.

No surprise — high interest rates, low commodity prices, falling incomes.

The barometer is a comprehensive measure of farmer sentiment, compiled through a monthly survey of producers. It provides a look at current conditions and producer expectations for future conditions.

In September it fell 12 points to 88, relative to a baseline average of 100, and was down 18 points from a year earlier.

“The continued drop in the barometer reflects deepening concerns among farmers regarding expectations for farm income in 2024 and 2025,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “It’s notable that producer sentiment dropped back to levels last seen in 2016 when the U.S. farm economy was in the early stages of an economic downturn. In addition to commodity prices and input costs weighing heavily on their operations, producers are also facing considerable uncertainty about what lies ahead for their farms with the possible government policy changes following the upcoming 2024 elections.”

We respect the researchers at Purdue, and have found the barometer over the years to be an accurate representation of how producers feel about the economy.

So if the people at Purdue reading their survey results see that part of producer angst is due to uncertainty over what the next president will do, what do the results say about who farmers and ranchers think is going to win?

There are some places that even a Boilermaker fears to tread.

Every four years, Capital Press reporters track down the major presidential candidates’ position on issues important to farmers and ranchers. This year, reporter Don Jenkins was surprised to find that Kamala Harris’s campaign website doesn’t mention agriculture at all. Neither does the Republican Party’s platform.

The candidates’ positions on farm issues had to be pieced together from their previous comments and their responses to the American Farm Bureau’s election year questionnaire. There are also surrogates speaking on their behalf.

Of course, each candidate has a record. Donald Trump was president, Harris has been vice president in the Biden administration for nearly four years. You might expect that the winner in November will continue the policies they’ve already employed. Or, maybe not. Both candidates are nothing if not mercurial.

As has been our policy for many years, we won’t make any editorial endorsements. You don’t need us to tell you how to vote.

We do invite you to read Don’s story, read the Farm Bureau questionnaire and consult your other trusted sources before making your decision.

We have said for months that agriculture is waiting for the election.

With any luck, in less than three weeks we’ll know the winner of the election. In six months we’ll know if farmers’ expectations have been met, or if they were pleasantly surprised.