Ohio Farmers Pop Into Profits: Inside the Growing Market for Popcorn Production

Ohio AgNet’s Dusty Sonnenberg takes us up in the cab with a popcorn farmer bringing in this year’s haul.

HENRY COUNTY, OHIO (Ohio Ag Net) — To the untrained eye, a field of corn looks the same as the next, but we all know that is not true.

Ohio Ag Net’s Dusty Sonnenberg takes us to Henry County for this unique perspective from inside the cab with Mark Hoorman of New Vision Farms to talk about the practice of growing popcorn. The two dive into a discussion about how the crop differs from field corn, the equipment practices it demands, and how the market has changed for Ohio producers in recent years.

The 2022 Census of Agriculture shows Ohio farmers brought in around 14,000 acres of popcorn that year.

Related Stories
Export strength is concentrated in corn and wheat, while soybeans and sorghum lag, keeping basis and logistics dynamics highly commodity-specific into late fall.
If the House concurs and the President signs, USDA services and farm-bill programs resume at full speed with authorities extended for another year.
Experts highlight the importance of monitoring insecticide resistance in crops and improving disease traceability at livestock shows through RFID technology.
Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Jan and Erin Johnson also join FarmHER + RanchHER host Kirbe Schnoor on this week’s Dirt Diaries podcast to dig in on entrepreneurship, legacy, and letting go.
It started as a simple service project for 4-H — collect some shoes, help a few people. But for Franklin Parish High School senior Eli Rogers, it has turned into something much bigger.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Alan Bjerga with the National Milk Producers Federation joined us to review new policies and regulations supporting the dairy industry and what they mean for the year ahead.
Despite rising costs and growing food insecurity, meat demand remained strong in 2025 as higher-income consumers offset cutbacks elsewhere. Economists break down the K-shaped economy, upcoming USDA cattle reports, livestock production outlooks, and renewed debate over beef imports and country-of-origin labeling heading into 2026.
Corn growers are turning to ethanol, E15 expansion, and export markets to help absorb record supplies and stabilize prices. Farm leaders discuss low-carbon ethanol demand, flex-fuel vehicle challenges, input costs, and the role of USMCA as producers look for market relief in the year ahead.
From rising trade tensions in Europe to a pending Supreme Court decision on tariffs and shifting demand from China, global trade policy spearheaded by President Donald Trump continues to shape the outlook for U.S. agriculture—adding uncertainty as farmers navigate another volatile year.
The Surface Transportation Board rejects the proposed Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific merger, prompting concerns from agricultural shippers about rail consolidation, service reliability, and higher transportation costs.
Midland County Livestock Association President Brandon Mitchell reflects on another strong year for the event, including a premium sale that once again topped the million-dollar mark.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.