Chad Hart, aka Dr. Doom, retires after an illustrious career as Iowa State University’s premier crop markets specialist. 

Chad Hart never set out to become an expert on the ag economy.

“The joke was that I ended up in economics because when I went to college at Southwest Missouri State, I studied a bunch of everything and never settled down into a major,” Hart recalls.

A year from graduation, Hart’s advisor told him to hurry up and “pick something.”

“Well, what do I have most hours in?,” Hart asked.

“Astronomy … but we don’t have a major in that,” was the reply. “OK, what’s next?,” Hart asked. “Economics … so I said, OK, I...