A Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City survey says farm debt at commercial banks grew from the fourth quarter to the first quarter of 2018. This is considered unusual since loan volumes pay down annual operating lines of credit after fall harvest. Agricultural economist Cortney Cowley says more farmers are holding onto grain. “Not only have we had record production, but we’ve also had growing inventories particularly for corn and soybeans. That affects farm debt outstanding and when producers don’t sell their crop or what they have in storage in the fourth quarter, then they have to kind of extend those nodes or restructure or kind of extend the terms of their loan out further.” Trade uncertainty is also a curve ball for the farm economy.