Most machinery dealers are sitting on a mountain of customer data, but still can’t answer the questions that actually move iron: Who’s growing, who’s slowing, and what are they shopping for right now?

In a recent Farm Country Update session, Candace Bergesch (Director of Data Insights) and Casey Seymour (VP of Machinery) broke down thousands of producer records to reveal who’s really driving equipment demand in 2025.

The Consolidation Index: Spotting Growth Before It Happens

Farm Journal’s predictive model (Consolidation Index) segments producers into three categories — Growing, Maintaining, and At-Risk of Consolidation — based on their present risk factors around consolidation.

• Producers on Growing operations are actively more likely to be ready to invest in newer, high-capacity equipment.
• Producers who have Maintaining operations are focused on replacing and maintaining existing machinery and ensuring the longevity of their farm without significant growth.
• Producers At-Risk of Consolidation are more likely to be interested in replacement parts and maintaining existing machinery rather than upgrades and may be looking for an auction partner to offload equipment.

The session shows how data can be used to identify which bucket your prospects fall into, down to the territory, county, or individual level to be able to better serve their needs.

A Taste of What the Data Shows

• Size Matters: Size Matters: As row crop operations scale up, their consolidation risk falls fast — and the majority of 500+ acre farms land in the “growing” category.
• Shopping surprises: Drills are currently outpacing planters in research activity, challenging even seasoned dealers’ expectations.

The session also covers other critical insights, including technology adoption, brand loyalty trends, and what buyers are focused on in the market right now.

Bonus Insight: What Dealers Told Us Matters Most

We polled attendees on the intelligence they rely on most when evaluating a buyer. Here’s their top 4 categories:

• Predicted next-purchase timing – 20.8%
• Trade-in frequency – 20.8%
• Ag production type – 16.7%
• Age of machinery at purchase – 16.7%
  

The takeaway is simple:
You don’t want fluff. You want signals that point to intent.

Opportunity to Connect with the Prospects That Actually Buy

Casey calls this out directly:
Combine your customer history with Farm Journal’s data, and you can predict next-purchase timing and preferred make.
That trims a bloated CRM list into a short, actionable call list your sales team can actually act on.

Watch the Full Session to See the Data in Action

This session includes:

• State-level mapping showing where growing operations are concentrated
• Examples of how top dealers are using these insights to refine territory strategy and inventory allocation
• Live demonstration of the Consolidation Index via Farm Journal’s Dynamic Profile Dashboard Tool and Strategic Advisor Tool

Watch the full session now to see the data in action.

Have questions about applying this intelligence to your market? Contact: talktoanexpert@farmjournal.com