The Daily Dirt — Morning Edition
Farm bankruptcies spike to record highs; Deere settles right-to-repair case; PFAS contamination on rise; labor bill advances; consolidation pressures mount.
- [Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies are in crisis mode](https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/25/farm-bankruptcies-jumped-46-in-2025-as-debt-loads-and-costs-rise/): 46% surge in 2025 to 315 filings, with April 2026 hitting 62 bankruptcies—a 130% jump and the highest monthly total since February 2020. The Midwest claimed over a third and saw filings rise 70% year-over-year.
- [John Deere's $99 million antitrust settlement](https://www.americanagnetwork.com/2026/04/07/deere-company-reaches-settlement-in-repair-services-antitrust-litigation/) got preliminary court approval in May: farmers will finally access diagnostic tools for equipment maintenance and repair for 10 years, a rare win in the equipment consolidation battle.
- [PFAS forever chemicals are contaminating agricultural land at scale](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/key-epa-actions-address-pfas). The EPA released draft guidance in July 2026 to help utilities and landowners reduce risk from PFOA and PFOS in biosolids; the House Agriculture Committee included PFAS research grants in its draft 2026 Farm Bill.
- [Farmland consolidation is accelerating amid farm stress](https://www.agweb.com/news/business/farmland/44-million-acres-new-frontier-farm-consolidation-and-growth): over 400 million acres of U.S. farmland projected to change hands in the next decade. Mid-2025 WisdomTree acquired Ceres Partners' 500+ properties; Nuveen launched a multi-billion-dollar private farmland REIT.
- [Farm sector debt hit a record $624.7 billion](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/farm-sector-income-forecast) in 2026 forecast, with interest expenses projected to reach $33 billion—the highest on record. High production costs, elevated interest rates, and declining commodity prices are squeezing net farm income to $153.4 billion.
- [A farm labor reform bill is in motion](https://www.americanagnetwork.com/2026/07/07/farm-labor-bill-answers-agricultures-call-for-reform/), codifying Trump administration wage reforms and capping year-over-year AEWR (Adverse Effect Wage Rate) growth to protect farmer margins. Agricultural employers face 2026 minimum wage requirements of at least $15.10/hour in certain states.
- [Regenerative agriculture initiatives are expanding but facing criticism](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/advancing-regenerative-agriculture-and-strengthening-american-farm-resilience/). Concerns mount that loosely defined programs risk greenwashing while diverting resources from organic transition and meaningful environmental protection.
Morning, fam. A lot moved overnight on the farm crisis front—debt hitting record levels, bankruptcy filings spiking to alarming highs, and the consolidation machine rolling forward while farmers fight back on equipment rights and labor protections.
The numbers don’t lie: Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies surged 46% last year to 315 filings, with April’s 62 filings marking the highest month since the 2020 pandemic spike. The Midwest bore the brunt, claiming a third of all filings and seeing year-over-year increases of 70%. Farm sector debt is now at a record $624.7 billion, with interest payments alone projected to hit $33 billion in 2026—a record high.
On the wins side: John Deere’s $99 million antitrust settlement cleared a major hurdle, with the Northern District of Illinois granting preliminary approval in May. Farmers will now have 10-year access to diagnostic tools for equipment repair—a crack in the equipment monopoly that’s kept costs inflated and farmers dependent on authorized dealer markups. More lawsuits against Deere and other equipment makers are in the pipeline.
Policy moves: A farm labor bill is advancing that would codify wage-reform guardrails and cap year-over-year AEWR (Adverse Effect Wage Rate) growth, potentially saving farmers hundreds of millions in inflated labor costs while protecting working conditions. Minimum wage for agricultural workers in certain states now sits at $15.10/hour in 2026.
The consolidation march continues: Over 400 million acres of U.S. farmland are projected to change hands in the next decade, with Wall Street asset managers assembling mega-portfolios. Mid-2025, WisdomTree gobbled up Ceres Partners’ 500+ properties; Q3 saw Nuveen launch a private farmland REIT targeting billions in leased cropland.
Environmental reality check: PFAS forever chemicals are pervasive in agricultural soils, with the EPA releasing draft guidance in July to reduce risk from PFOA and PFOS in biosolids. The House Agriculture Committee included PFAS research grants in its 2026 Farm Bill draft—a necessary move as contamination spreads through irrigation water, sewage-sludge fertilizer, and industrial runoff.
What to watch: Final approval on the Deere settlement (likely in the coming weeks); how the labor bill’s wage reforms play with commodity prices and farmer margins; whether the PFAS research funding actually reaches growers affected by contamination; and whether any of these policy wins can keep pace with the consolidation wave reshaping farm ownership.
—Save US Farms Desk