Traction Ag, the leading farm accounting platform built for production row crop operations, today announced the acquisition of PcMars, a trusted desktop-based accounting system used by over 7,000 farms across the U.S
The move brings together two of the most respected names in ag-specific financial software and marks a major step forward in serving the full spectrum of farm accounting needs, from traditional desktop systems to modern, connected platforms.
“PcMars has been a rock-solid product for farm bookkeepers for decades,” said Dustin Sapp, CEO of Traction Ag. “We’re honored to carry that legacy forward—and excited to give their customers a clear, supported path into the future.”
The acquisition allows Traction Ag to:
Expand its reach among Midwest production farms who trust PcMars and prefer desktop software
Implement proven PcMars features in Traction’s platform to accelerate innovation
Offer connected pathways between PcMars and Traction for users ready to modernize
Combine decades of ag accounting expertise under one roof
Serving Farmers at Every Stage
While many farms are transitioning to cloud-based tools, not all are ready. By bringing PcMars into the fold, Traction Ag becomes the only company offering both desktop and cloud-native solutions purpose-built for agriculture.
“We’re not forcing change,” said Sapp. “We’re giving farms options and making sure that no matter where they are, they’re supported.”
A Future Secured for PcMars Users
Led by Kent Vickre, PcMars has long been a trusted choice for farms seeking simplicity and farm-specific functionality. Ensuring a thoughtful and secure future for its customers was a top priority for the PcMars team.
“My whole career has been helping farmers make better financial management decisions with detailed farm records,” said Vickre. “I am excited for producers to make profitability decisions for each field using the Traction software technology.”
What’s Next
The PcMars brand will continue to operate as it does today, with ongoing support and product maintenance. In the months ahead, Traction Ag will introduce new options for customers who want to transition platforms.
Together, the combined company brings unmatched agricultural expertise, expanded product capabilities, and a deeper commitment to helping farms run stronger, more financially mature businesses.
The process to grant a tax abatement to Cargill Inc. began Monday during the Montgomery County Council meeting. Representatives of the Linden grain marketing facility were present at the meeting to request a 10-year abatement on a planned $17.5 million expansion.
Cargill Linden Plant Manager John Barrett shared expansion plans with council members. The expansion is expected to take three years to complete and will include a new office building, two new large grain bins and enclosed grain conveyor belt, grain pit and an additional lane inside the property.
The expansion is projected to increase capacity at the facility by 10 million bushels per year.
Barrett explained the plant is presently serving more trucks than what it was built for. Because of the heavy truck traffic problems such as trucks waiting to enter the facility causes traffic backups on C.R. 1100N. The goal is to unload and load trucks quicker and have more room within the facility to keep the trucks off of C.R. 1100N.
“Our present facility was built to handle 100 grain trucks today,” Barrett said. “We are averaging 145 trucks per day. This expansion will allow us to take care of the truck traffic more efficiently and more quickly.”
Barrett reported that he recently met with county commissioners to present the plan as a way to solve the truck backup problem.
As part of the expansion project, merchandising agents will work in Linden and the site will be a regional office hub. Currently, grain buyers are located in an office on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette.
All 20 present employees will be retained.
Additionally, the expansion plan includes Cargill connecting to the town of Linden’s water and sewer systems. The company currently uses a well and septic.
The plan is to have the phased expansion complete in July 2029.
The council approved a declaration to start the procedure to award a tax abatement. The actual abatement could be approved at the Dec. 9 council meeting.
In other business, the council:
Approved the introduction of the 2026 Montgomery County Compensation Plan.
Approved the introduction of the 2026 Montgomery County Solid Waste District Appropriations Ordinance.
Indiana Farm Bureau has outlined its legislative priorities for 2026 and this week. Katie Nelson, the organization’s Executive Director of Public Policy, joins this week to talk about the three buckets of prioritization heading into session, why they’re focused on broad issues and the call to action for agbioscience innovators. We get into:
A legislative recap of 2025 and lingering challenges that persist for the industry
The broad policy scope that Indiana Farm Bureau has casted heading into 2026 and the “why” behind that
Investment in agriculture, the challenges farmers are facing and how Katie hopes some measures move forward to enable operational success
Helping rural communities thrive, the uphill battles being faced – from education to healthcare – and where Indiana Farm Bureau plans to be most active
Supporting Indiana farmers through helping them to have the resources they need (water, land, etc.)
How Indiana Farm Bureau is navigating federal challenges, the shutdown and conversations on behalf of farmers
Trade agreements they’re eyeing heading into 2026 that may impact Indiana farmers most critically
The call to action for the agbioscience community to drive these priorities forward
Grain Ecosystems, a climate-tech company building digital and financial infrastructure for biochar and renewable energy projects, and ElectraTherm Inc. announce the integration of ElectraTherm’s Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology into Grain’s flagship equipment selection software. This enhancement enables project developers to evaluate and incorporate the value of waste heat-to-power solutions directly within their system design planning.
The integration represents a major step forward for the biochar and pyrolysis industry, allowing accurate modeling of the financial and environmental benefits of electricity generation from waste heat recovery—including potential investment tax credit advantages. ElectraTherm’s ORC systems convert low-temperature waste heat into usable power, making them ideally suited for coupling with pyrolysis operations to transform previously lost energy into a valuable resource.
“With the addition of ElectraTherm’s ORC technology, developers using the Grain Ecosystems platform can now model electrical generation outputs, assess revenue potential, and quantify low-carbon energy contributions from waste heat recovery,” said Ryan Letourneau, CEO and Co-Founder of Grain Ecosystems. “This feature brings vital transparency to project financials and helps accelerate investment in clean technology infrastructure.”
The new software functionality aligns with U.S. tax incentives for Waste Energy Recovery Property (WERP), carbon credit generation, and energy offtake monetization. It empowers developers to explore more project configurations and make data-driven decisions that maximize both climate impact and economic return.
“ElectraTherm is proud to partner with Grain Ecosystems to enable smarter, more sustainable biochar projects,” said Natalie Van Dyke, Director of Sales at ElectraTherm. “This integration makes it easier for developers to capture pyrolysis waste heat and convert it into reliable, renewable energy.”
The Grain–ElectraTherm collaboration is already progressing from concept to implementation, with multiple live projects underway and set to go online soon. The enhanced platform is now available to all Grain Ecosystems subscribers. To learn more or request a demo, visit www.grainecosystems.com and select JOIN ECOSYSTEM.
Everyone has a story of how they’ve come into their career and many times on this podcast we hear the phrase “I got here by accident.” This week, we are joined by Angel Vazquez, a Field Atlas Ambassador and Ball State University student, who is exploring his interest in agbioscience careers, sharing the industry story with his peers and what he hopes to accomplish after graduation. We get into:
How he is thinking about his career journey as college winds down
Angel’s personal story, why medicine is the path he chose and how he hopes to make a difference in the lives of others
The curiosity of agbioscience and wanting to be a Field Atlas Ambassador
Agbioscience conversations on Ball State’s campus and how his peers engage when discussing career opportunities in the industry
Learning from his peer Ambassadors on other college and university campuses
What he thinks students are seeking in a career
What employers should know about connecting with students
His favorite Field Atlas experience and what it taught him
Indiana agriculture took center stage today as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited Everett Farms and Seed LLC in Lebanon ahead of her keynote address to the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The visit, hosted by U.S. Rep. Jim Baird (R-Dist. 4), State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle), the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA), highlighted how trade and biofuels policy shape the success of Indiana’s farm economy.
Tyler Everett, Board treasurer of ICGA and owner of Everett Farms and Seed, along with his family, welcomed Rollins to his multigenerational family farm and shared the importance of market consistency for corn growers.
“With over 43 percent of Indiana’s corn going into ethanol, what happens in the biofuels space directly impacts not only my farm and my neighbor’s farm, but our entire state’s economy,” Everett said. “We encourage USDA to continue working with EPA to finalize nationwide, year-round E15 sales and ensure the program has the regulatory clarity it needs.”
During the visit, Rollins toured the farm, harvested a few rows of a cornfield in Everett’s combine, and participated in a roundtable discussion with Indiana farmers and agricultural leaders. The conversation focused on the role of trade in keeping rural economies strong and the impact of new international agreements.
Rollins shared breaking news of a recent trade development with China that includes significant soybean purchase commitments.
“Until this week, China had purchased zero, which was devastating to our soybean farmers, especially when we rely on them for 62 percent of our market,” Rollins said. “The agreement includes 12 million metric tons of soybean purchases over the next two months and at least 25 million tons annually in the coming years, plus commitments on sorghum, hardwood and the removal of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. ag products.”
Denise Scarborough, chair of ISA and a farmer from LaCrosse, emphasized how global trade directly impacts local farm profitability.
“We’re like a well-oiled machine as long as global markets are open and stable,” Scarborough said. “But uncertainty, whether from tariffs, politics or shifting regulations, hits our farms fast. We want free trade, not aid. Open markets are what keep our rural economies thriving.”
Scarborough, who also represents Indiana on the American Soybean Association Board and works as an agricultural lender, added that farmers are facing tight margins and increased volatility.
“Whether it’s a good plan or a bad plan, we just need a plan so we can move forward with confidence,” she said.
In addition to Rollins, the event drew participation from Indiana’s agricultural, state and federal leadership. U.S. Rep. Baird and members of Indiana’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Dist. 2), U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.); U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Dist. 5), U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer (R-Dist. 8) and U.S. Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-Dist. 6) attended, along with Dr. Scott Hutchins, USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics and retired District 8 U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon.
Representatives from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the Indiana General Assembly and major farm organizations including ISA, ICGA, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Pork, Indiana Poultry Association and Beck’s Hybrids also participated.
The visit showcased Indiana’s leadership in agriculture and reinforced the importance of continued federal engagement on trade and energy policy to sustain farm profitability.
