Farm Policy, Food Supply & Rural Coverage
201 articles · page 5 of 7
Heat Wave Hits Corn When It Matters Most
Extreme temperatures and dry spells are stressing corn crops during critical pollination, threatening yields across the Corn Belt as farmers face another tough season.
Plains Wheat Collapse Smallest Crop Since 1970s
Drought devastates hard red winter wheat production across Kansas, Colorado, and the Oklahoma panhandle, with crop down 41% and farm economics facing crisis.
Pennsylvania Heat Wave Triggers Drought Disaster Declaration
USDA declares four Pennsylvania counties disaster areas due to drought and heat, offering emergency loans to stressed growers as temperatures soar and pastures wither.
12 States Stand With Farmworkers Against DOL Wage Cuts
California AG leads multistate coalition backing UFW legal challenge to Trump administration's effort to slash H-2A and domestic farmworker pay by up to $2.46 billion annually.
After 18 Months, Deere Settles: Farmers Win Right to Repair
The FTC forced John Deere to share diagnostic software and repair manuals with farmers. A decade-long battle finally closes.
Grounded: USDA Enrolls 2.2M Acres in Soil-Saving Program
The USDA accepted 2.2 million acres into the Conservation Reserve Program in July, signaling a renewed push to pay farmers for protecting soil and water.
John Deere's FTC Loss is Farmers' Right-to-Repair Win
After a 18-month antitrust battle, the FTC just forced Deere to hand farmers the repair tools they've been locked out of. A decade of diagnostic access ahead.
EPA's Forever-Chemical Pesticide Blitz: What Farmers Need to Know
In a single June 2026 approval, the EPA greenlit four new pesticides—three classified as PFAS—raising alarms about soil and groundwater contamination risks.
Farm Bankruptcies Spike as Debt Hits Record High
Chapter 12 filings jumped 46% in 2025 and hit a six-year peak in April 2026. Farmers are drowning in record debt as costs soar and margins collapse.
EPA Approves PFAS Pesticides, Poisoning the Soil
The EPA just approved three 'forever chemicals' for spraying on food crops. Scientists warn of irreversible soil and water contamination.
Trump Declines USMCA Renewal: A 10-Year Countdown to Ag Chaos
The Trump administration refused to renew USMCA on July 1, triggering a decade-long countdown that could dissolve North American free trade and destabilize US farm markets.
USDA Bets Half a Billion on Domestic Fertilizer
USDA announced a $500M investment to expand U.S. fertilizer production, targeting input costs that are crushing farm debt. The FIELDS program opens applications August 15.
Deere Settlement: A $99M Win for Farmer Repair Rights
John Deere agreed to give farmers access to diagnostic tools for a decade. What the settlement means for equipment independence and what's left to fight.
Labor Unions Challenge USDA Reorganization Plan
Labor unions, nonprofits, and local governments filed a court challenge to a proposed USDA reorganization, raising stakes for farmworker protections.
Colorado Wheat Harvest Collapses Under Late Freezes, Drought
Late-season freezes have wiped out wheat harvests across eastern Colorado, forcing farmers to abandon crops. Drought and climate have made survival impossible.
When the Farmer Ages Out: Succession Debt and the Next Crisis
Farm succession is becoming a crisis. Aging operators and mounting debt mean the next generation faces an impossible choice: take on inherited liabilities or let the land go.
The robot farmer question: as automation cuts labor costs
Autonomous agriculture is becoming economically viable faster than expected—and farmworkers may be first to feel the shift.
Reading the Rancher's Playbook in Cattle Market Signals
Beef cattle auctions reveal a strategy of survival: producers hold back heifers to rebuild herds, but the numbers show they can't afford to rebuild fast enough.
When the Feds Drain the Well
Rural communities and farms face water scarcity as federal detention centers claim priority over agricultural needs. A New Mexico town's crisis reveals how power flows with resources.
Robots to the Rescue? How Automation Is Replacing Farm Labor
Falling sensor costs and labor shortages are making autonomous machines economically viable for large operations—but farmworkers will pay the price.
Why Your Cookout Costs More, But Farmers Aren't Getting Paid
Beef prices at the grocery store hit a record high this Fourth of July, while the farmers behind the meat struggle with razor-thin margins.
Congress Moves to Override Supreme Court Pesticide Immunity Ruling
Bipartisan lawmakers introduce legislation to restore farmworker and consumer legal protections against pesticide manufacturers after the Supreme Court blocked lawsuits.
EPA Approves 'Forever Chemicals' on Food Crops—No Warning to Farmworkers
The EPA has quietly approved three PFAS pesticides for use on crops, including one flagged by its own scientists as a carcinogen risk.
Young Farmers Win Court Battle Over USDA Grant Cuts
A federal court ordered the USDA to restore 24 grants for beginning farmers after the Trump administration cancelled them without due process.
China Buys US Soybeans Again—But a Trade Trap Looms
China resumes soybean purchases after a trade deal, lifting prices and morale. Yet farmers warn the deal leaves them exposed to sudden policy shifts and volatile markets.
Meatpackers Pocketed $500M in Tax Breaks—Then Consolidated Anyway
States and cities spent half a billion to attract meat processing plants. Instead, just eight companies now dominate the industry, and rural plants keep closing.
Thompson's H-2A Overhaul Would Slash Worker Wages, Boost Farm Profit
The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act would let migrant workers stay year-round while cutting their pay. Farm-worker groups already oppose it.
Trump suspends phosphate tariffs, cutting fertilizer costs by 22%
Emergency order lifts duties on Morocco imports for 8 months, saving farmers $1.82 billion annually as input costs continue crushing margins.
Puerto Rico's Fishers Face Climate Crisis Alone
As warming seas disrupt fishing, Puerto Rico's coastal communities are adapting without federal support—leaving working fishers to shoulder climate costs alone.
EPA Buried Its Own Nitrate Damage Assessment
Food & Water Watch sues to force release of EPA's withheld nitrate health study as industrial agriculture poisons rural drinking water with no federal oversight.