By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Oct. 27. Watch for coverage of these and other topics through the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com.

Note that all report release times are Central Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

1. Election looms: For the past four presidential election cycles, our Progressive Farmer magazine has put finger on the "Pulse of Rural America," with a special package on poll results by that name. You can find the full range of Pulse poll answers in the November Progressive Farmer magazine, which should be hitting mailboxes in the coming days. For a synopsis of that package by DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton, see here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…or check out the Reporter's Notebook video with him at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

2. Chance of showers: The mixing of an upper-level ridge in the East with a moving trough out west could bring badly needed precipitation to the Midwest. Usually such conditions mean big storm systems, but so far our models are predicting more narrow streaks of rain versus broad blobs of the wet stuff. This is similar to some of the systems that went through late the week of Oct. 20. We hope the next round of streaks hit those in need, but prospects look even better as we move into November.

3. Tricky fertilizer timing: We're hearing more reports that throttle fingers have anhydrous going on in some of those warm, dry, areas. Just a reminder -- they call it "gassing the fields" for a reason -- it's a gas, and it stays unstable and ready to head for the atmosphere like a mishandled Disney balloon, unless it makes contact with a decent amount of moisture and/or cold soil temps. Neither of those conditions are in big supply at the moment. DTN subscribers can see details on fertilizer prices in their "Markets" segment. Nonsubscribers can get a taste of our fertilizer price content here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…

4. Export market watch: With a healthy harvest, including photos of tarp-covered grain piles dotting the landscape making the social media rounds, and pretty much baked into fall-winter grain price expectations, we're paying attention to export markets. Those have been showing continuing strength lately. We discussed this some in last month's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report webinar (which, if you signed up for it, you can review for free). Next WASDE report release is Nov. 8. You can sign up for it here: https://www.dtn.com/…

5. The week's economic reports: Monday we will see the 10 a.m. Grain Inspections report followed by 3 p.m. USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report, including DTN analysis. Tuesday sees the 8 a.m. release of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, 9 a.m. Consumer Confidence and Job Openings numbers and at 2 p.m. the latest Livestock and Meat Domestic Data from ERS. Wednesday we'll look for ADP Employment numbers at 7:15 a.m., then the 7:30 a.m. release of GDP, Trade Balance and Retail and Wholesale Inventories figures. Thursday we'll get latest Grain Export Sales numbers at 7:30 a.m., plus Personal Income and Spending, PCE Index and Initial Jobless Claims reports. At 9 a.m. latest Pending Home Sales figures are out. Friday, the Great Halloween Candy Sort begins. Markets will also be busy sorting sweets from sours, starting with the 7:30 a.m. release of U.S. Employment Report, Unemployment Rate and Hourly Wages figures. At 8:45 am, the S&P Final Manufacturing PMI is out, followed by 9 a.m. release of Construction Spending. At 2:30 p.m. we pull the wrapper off of the grain marketer's weekly treat -- the CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

Bonus DTN content: In the latest Field Posts podcast, hosted by Sarah Mock, DTN Senior Livestock Editor Jennifer Carrico brings us the latest on the USDA regulations requiring electronic ID tags for some types of cattle that are moved across state lines after Nov. 5, including dairy animals and intact beef animals and bison. The department's rules carve out a few exceptions, so producers who believe they might be affected should be taking notice. Carrico brings us the latest on what those exceptions are, who is affected by these new regulations, and how producers can take steps to ensure they're in compliance. She'll share additional information on the background of this rule change, where to get tags and what to do if they're lost, plus she will dig into why these updates might prove vital for the industry in an animal disease scenario.

You can listen to this and other Field Posts podcasts at https://www.dtnpf.com/…, https://www.buzzsprout.com/… and they're also available on podcast hosting sites such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Watch for the latest news at www.dtnpf.com, and follow and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer. You can find our news on Instagram as well. Give us a follow @dtn.agnews

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