Farm Policy, Food Supply & Rural Coverage
201 articles · page 2 of 7
RANCH Act Opens 20 Million Acres to Rebuild Cattle Herds
A new bipartisan bill from Klobuchar and Rounds would pay ranchers to restore grazing lands—a rare bright spot for herd economics.
Illinois study pins weed-control costs in the hundreds of millions
Research on a potential glyphosate ban reveals the economic shock to Midwest farmers—and why alternatives aren't ready to scale.
Congress Eyes Cuts to the Programs Saving Small Farms
Two USDA conservation programs are under fire from House and Senate Republicans. Slashing their budgets would abandon farmers trying to go regenerative.
The Economics of Independence Are Starting to Work
As consolidated systems falter and policy shifts, small farmers can finally build viable alternatives. The numbers—and USDA support—are changing.
Who picks the food? Who pays when it sickens
A cyclospora outbreak hits farmworkers hardest—the workers least likely to have health care or time off to recover.
Big Food's Lawsuit Machine Blocks Health Protections
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mars and others routinely sue governments to prevent public health regulations. A new investigation reveals the pattern.
NC's Poultry Boom Is Drowning Its Water Supply
Factory farms in North Carolina house 421 million birds generating 3.6 million tons of manure annually, contaminating drinking water and threatening public health.
45 Million Acres Opened to Logging and Drilling
Trump administration resccinds 25-year forest protection rule, exposing vast tracts of national forest to extraction and threatening rural communities.
Illinois Farmland Values Soften as Fall Auctions Begin
Analysis of 5,000 Illinois farm sales shows high-quality land values down 4% year-over-year. What it means for family farmers as fall market season sets the tone for 2027.
Bees and Soil: Regenerative Farming Reclaims Ground
As pollinator populations plummet, farmers are finding that building soil health and diverse crops offer solutions. Inside the movement to farm for bees.
Illinois Diverts Pesticide Oversight Funds to Broader State Operations
Pesticide registration fees collected for enforcement are being redirected to general operations, leaving the program underfunded and oversight weakened.
Major Beef Processors Shutter Plants as Losses Mount
Tyson and peers close facilities nationwide, eliminating 10,000 head per day of capacity and deepening the squeeze on cattle feeders.
USDA rolls out support for small beef processors
New funding programs and size classifications give independent processors tools to compete as consolidation dominates the meatpacking corridor.
USDA names Iowa farmer Glen Smith to lead rural development
Fifth-generation farmer with ag-finance expertise confirmed to oversee billions in rural infrastructure funding, signaling focus on farm country's economic backbone.
Tyson quietly cuts 3,000 head/day in Midwest beef corridor
Illinois facility shuts without warning, leaving cattle feeders scrambling as consolidation reaches a tipping point in feedlot country.
American Ag Drones Get Affordable—and Farmers Notice
Semiconductor breakthroughs are bringing precision agriculture within reach of family farms, finally challenging Chinese dominance and corporate equipment lockup.
Summer Heat Chokes Cattle Across U.S. as Pasture Quality Fails
Extended heat and drought nationwide have left beef producers scrambling as pasture declines and cattle productivity falters, deepening economic pressure on family operations.
Tyson Shuts Down Illinois Plant, Consolidates Beef Operations
Meatpacking giant is eliminating 10,000 head of daily processing capacity and centralizing beef production, squeezing cattle feeders between plant closures and record prices.
California Moves on PFAS as 'Forever Chemicals' Threaten Farmland
Four consumer safety bills clear appropriations committees, targeting toxic 'forever chemicals' that contaminate drinking water and agricultural soil across California.
FDA tightens antibiotic oversight—what farms need to know
The FDA finalized a new framework to assess antibiotic risks in animal agriculture, marking a shift toward preventing resistance that threatens human health.
Soil Scientist Put His Farm Where His Mouth Was
An NRCS soil specialist bought farmland and rebuilt it with regenerative ag practices to prove that soil health wasn't just theory—it was survival.
Ticks are farming's new climate crisis—and farmers can't escape them
Climate warming is fueling tick populations faster than ever. Farmers and their livestock are paying the price as parasites spread north and multiply.
Tyson doubles profits as beef prices hit $10.49—ranchers see none of it
Record meatpacker profits and soaring beef prices haven't reached family ranches. Consolidation means farmers have no leverage to claim their share.
Illinois farmers hit with nation's steepest diesel spike
As planting costs skyrocket, farmers across the Midwest face a 63% jump in seasonal diesel spending—a $1.4B surge that compounds the farm debt crisis.
Thirty years ended: orchards face a year with no harvest
After three decades of work, family orchard owners are watching their fruit crops fail—a climate-driven crisis hitting aging farmers and young growers hard.
California bans toxic herbicide tied to Parkinson's
After manufacturers voluntarily pulled paraquat from the market, California becomes the first state to phase out the weedkiller linked to neurodegenerative disease.
Grain rally lifts spirits, input costs keep farmers grounded
July's grain price climb boosted farmer morale, but half of producers still rank high input costs as their top worry, a new Purdue survey shows.
Two companies own 70% of your corn. Your tax dollars paid for it.
Corporate patents on seeds are locking farmers out of choosing their crops—while taxpayer subsidies fund the monopoly that locks them out.
AI 'slop' and fossil fuel fear campaigns target rural solar
Foreign-based accounts pump false claims about solar into rural Facebook groups, blocking clean energy on farmland while fossil fuel jobs disappear.
Cotton jassid creeps north—and U.S. growers are not ready
An invasive leafhopper is spreading across Southeast cotton belts, forcing growers to scramble for scouting and control strategies as harvest nears.