Successful Farming: The USDA forecast net farm income, a broad measure of profits, of $69.4 billion this year. If accurate, the total would be the third year of net income below $70 billion since 2015. “We’re starting to see … a new average coming out here,” said USDA economist Carrie Litkowski during a webinar on Wednesday. Farm income in 2019 will be far below the halcyon levels of early this decade, when a seven-year commodity boom propelled income to a record $123.4 billion in 2013 before collapsing due to abundant harvests worldwide. “In 2019, global production will continue to expand, trade challenges will persist, and these factors will continue to impact commodity prices,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in House testimony last week. “As a result, many farmers will continue to face tight bottom lines with fewer resources.”