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Thursday, Aug 6
Save US Farms
The Daily Dirt · 2026-07-13-morning

The Daily Dirt — Morning Edition

Wheat prices spike, heat protections crumble, and farmworkers face triple-digit weather in the peak of summer farming season.

The bottom line
  • Winter wheat production is down 29% from 2025 as drought grips the Southern Plains, with [USDA projecting $7 wheat prices](https://www.farmprogress.com/wheat/wheat-prices-surge-as-drought-grips-southern-plains) as the crop shrinks to 990 million bushels.
  • Millions of farmworkers face dangerously hot conditions across the South with heat index values above 100°F, while [Texas and Florida have actively banned heat protections](https://www.npr.org/2026/07/03/nx-s1-5876237/some-states-rolling-back-worker-heat-protections) despite federal rulemaking continuing.
  • [Corn yields expected to drop 5-6%](https://www.farmprogress.com/marketing/july-heat-dry-periods-threaten-corn-pollination) from current 80-90% good-to-excellent ratings as heat and dry conditions stress pollination in the Corn Belt.
  • A federal court [ordered USDA to restore 24 of 49 cancelled young farmers grants](https://civileats.com/2026/07/01/judge-orders-usda-to-restore-half-of-cancelled-grants-for-young-farmers/), reversing part of the March purge of the $300M ILCMA land-access program.
  • The [DOJ filed an antitrust brief arguing that seed patents obstruct competition](https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/06/08/the-usda-fired-its-experts-on-seed-industry-concentration-then-it-proclaimed-it-was-working-on-the-issue/) in crop breeding, as four corporations now control 60% of global commercial seed markets.
  • [Farmworker Sun & Heat Protection kits](https://equitablefood.org/sunprotection/) updated in June by the Equitable Food Initiative provide free resources for employers and workers, but adoption remains patchy as temperatures peak.
  • Drought monitor reports show a fourth consecutive week of U.S. drought reduction, but cotton remains [55% of acreage in moderate or more intense drought](https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AgInDrought.pdf), with barley and rice similarly stressed.

The Daily Dirt here — summer heat is hitting hard from every angle. Heat index above 100°F across the South, wheat prices at $7, corn pollination under stress, and farmworkers getting less protection just when they need it most.

The drought that’s shrinking wheat hasn’t lifted much. Winter wheat is down 29% from last year, cut to 990 million bushels. USDA’s July crop report shows corn yields slipping 5-6% as heat and dry conditions stress the Belt during pollination — a narrow window where plants either set or fail. Cotton, rice, and barley all showing heavy drought stress.

The heat is worse on farmworkers than crops. Millions across Dallas, Tampa, and Boston face triple-digit conditions, and some states are moving backward: Texas and Florida have banned heat protections while others like California and Washington have them on the books. Federal OSHA heat rules remain pending. The Equitable Food Initiative updated a free Sun & Heat Protection toolkit in June with guidance on water, shade, and shift timing—but toolkits don’t mandate what bosses do. Farmworkers die of heatstroke at nearly 20x the rate of all U.S. civilian workers.

In better news for beginning farmers: a federal court forced USDA to restore half of the $300M young farmers land-access grants it cancelled in March. Twenty-four organizations can restart their programs. The other 24 are still fighting.

Meanwhile, the DOJ told a court that seed patents are blocking agricultural competition. Four companies—Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, BASF—control roughly 60% of the world’s commercial seed and pesticide markets. Patent walls make it nearly impossible for new breeding programs to even start.

What to watch: The wheat market is watching summer rain forecasts. Farmworker groups are tracking state-level heat protection enforcement. Farmers dealing with heat-stressed pollination are waiting for the next USDA crop report to see where yields shake out.

Save US Farms Desk

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