Matt Bennett is Farm Progress’s lead analyst for grain markets and agricultural economics, specializing in risk management strategies for commercial farming operations. His work uniquely blends quantitative market analysis with behavioral insights into farm decision-making.
Recent recognition includes the 2024 Agricultural Communicators Network award for innovative data journalism. Bennett’s analysis regularly informs decisions at agribusiness firms and family farms alike.
Matt Bennett has established himself as a authoritative voice in agricultural journalism through his incisive analysis of commodity markets and farm economics. With over a decade of experience at Farm Progress, Bennett’s work bridges the gap between data-driven market forecasting and practical insights for farming operations.
Bennett’s career began as a regional agricultural reporter in the Midwest, where he developed his signature approach combining on-the-ground observations with macroeconomic analysis. His 2015 move to Farm Progress marked a shift toward specialized coverage of grain markets and risk management strategies.
This comprehensive 2024 analysis dissected the complex interplay between global wheat shortages and biofuel mandates. Bennett employed a novel methodology comparing USDA crop reports with futures market activity across three continents. His finding that speculative trading accounted for 37% of price volatility reshaped how farmers approach seasonal planning.
Bennett’s 2023 guide revolutionized in-season decision frameworks by introducing psychological factors into traditional economic models. Through interviews with 150 midwestern farmers, he identified the “yield paradox” - where above-average harvests often lead to suboptimal pricing decisions.
This 2022 investigative piece combined storage cost analytics with climate risk assessments. Bennett’s team developed a proprietary algorithm comparing historical price patterns against current storage capacity data, providing farmers with dynamic decision-making tools.
Bennett prioritizes stories demonstrating how non-agricultural factors (e.g., energy policy, trade agreements) impact farm economics. His analysis of 2024’s diesel price spikes on harvesting costs exemplifies this approach. Pitches should clearly map external variables to operational outcomes.
With his groundbreaking work on behavioral economics in farming, Bennett seeks data-rich examinations of decision patterns. Successful pitches might explore how generational differences affect risk tolerance or regional trends in contract negotiations.
Unlike journalists focused on immediate market movements, Bennett values analyses spanning 3-5 year cycles. His 2023 series on climate pattern recurrence intervals demonstrates this preference. Provide datasets showing cyclical trends rather than single-season anomalies.
Bennett received top honors for his innovative integration of real-time market data visualization in reporting. The judging panel particularly noted his ability to make complex derivatives trading concepts accessible to family farm operations.
“The true measure of agricultural journalism isn’t just reporting numbers, but illuminating their human impact.”
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Agriculture, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
