News, Insights & Interviews Archive

This week’s renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran further underscore concerns about what a prolonged war will do to agriculture and the overall global economy. The International Monetary Fund lowered one forecast and raised another, providing two new indicators about increased concerns about the war harming economic stability. The IMF reduced its 2026 global growth forecast to 3% on Wednesday, while it increased its inflation projection to 4.7%. The new

The National Corn Growers Association has released a new report saying U.S. farmers are paying significantly more for crop inputs than Brazilian farmers, one of their biggest competitors in the global marketplace. In some cases, the report showed that U.S. farmers are paying nearly twice as much as their Brazilian counterparts. NCGA posted the report and reactions from its leaders on Wednesday. "I think there has long been a belief among U.S. farmers that we pay more for the

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released updated information on farmland ownership in the United States and how much of that land is rented to others. The 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) Survey is part of the Census of Agriculture program and is designed to provide a clearer picture of farmland ownership and management across the country. One of the report's key findings is that farmland ownership remains concentrated among older, no

New analysis from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) raises questions about whether the USDA’s staffing changes will be able to meet the needs of local farmers.

More American farmers may have had shrinking profit margins on their minds as they planted their 2026 crops. Lower crop prices and higher production costs could have come into play as some producers chose to shift acres away from crops like corn and wheat and focus more on commodities that could be more cost-effective in the near-term like soybeans and cotton. According to the new Acreage report from the National Agricultural Statistics Services released on June 30, the pla

Some of the largest egg producers have agreed to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food banks and nonprofits after reaching a tentative settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and 17 states. The settlement could resolve allegations that the companies -- using their massive egg producing capacity – colluded to illegally raise egg prices at a time when the United States dealt with the spread of avian influenza. The three companies, according to the co

Most farmers don't dream about testifying before Congress. They are usually thinking about weather forecasts, equipment repairs, markets, or whether they will get the crop in before the next rain. But sometimes, representing agriculture means trading muddy boots for a microphone in Washington, D.C.

It’s not often that a 34,000-acre farm hits the market. Even rarer is finding one that consists of a single, massive, contiguous landholding. That’s exactly what’s happening in central South Dakota, just outside the state capital of Pierre. Gunsmoke Ranch contiguous acres Gunsmoke Ranch, a sprawling dryland organic farming operation, is being offered through a sealed-bid process that runs through July 30th. According to Peoples Company President Steve Bruere, who is managing

Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings last week could affect farmland owners in two different ways: fertilizers and workforce. One involves a top priority for the Trump administration, and the other could prevent numerous lawsuits across the country. The Court ruled 7-2 in Monsanto v. Durnell that federal law overrides state-level claims that require pesticide makers to include cancer warnings on their products. The decision could protect pesticide manufacturers like Bayer (the comp

Every now and then, something comes along that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction movie. It goes something like this: Hydrogen is trapped 8,000 feet beneath Iowa farmland. Private developers extract it. Landowners have a new source of income. Their neighbors have new protections. Eventually – maybe, just maybe – residents across the state could see lower income taxes. They might not pay income taxes at all.

$18,100 per acre 146.27+/- acres in Poweshiek County, IA June 16, 2026 A high-quality Poweshiek County farm sold for $18,100 per acre at an online-only auction on June 16. Located three miles south of Grinnell, adjacent to Interstate 80, the 146.27+/- acre farm featured 139.98 FSA cropland acres with a CSR2 of 87.6. The farm consists primarily of Garwin, Tama, Killduff, and Muscatine soils and has a strong history of seed corn production. Its quality soils, productive history

Farmers and tech companies are working together to build a system that can sell carbon intensity (CI) scores. For over a decade, farmers like Mitchell Hora, founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, believed they would be able to make a profit from their conservation practices. Now, the market could open early next year, pending an update from the IRS on its Section 45Z federal tax credit proposal. Hora has been pushing to make 45Z happen and help farmers profit from it. He has worked

A change in leadership at the Federal Reserve did not lead to the immediate change that President Donald Trump has demanded for months: lower borrowing rates. In fact, the opposite could be happening later this year if the Fed decides to raise rates following implementation of policies since Trump returned to office which included launching a global trade war and military strikes against Iran. Those actions are among the forces that have pushed up inflation higher than when P

Global politics continue to impact the American economy overall. Gas prices initially declined – and fell below $4 per gallon for the first time since March – after President Donald Trump reached a Memo of Understanding (MOU) with Iran that could, in theory, end the war with Iran that has lasted since February 28. However, the framework agreement is only a temporary pause and not yet a final deal. Numerous members of Congress, including both Republicans and Democrats, have pu

If you want to make it rain, you should just pull the combine out of the shed. That’s the joke. The absence of rain…until it arrived much too late…has not been funny to farmers in the Southern Plains.

A new product may soon emerge for farmland owners across the United States: their data. At the 2026 TopSoil Summit June 10 in Riverside, Iowa, speakers emphasized the importance of watching updates on the Section 45Z federal tax credit. By using conservation practices and keeping good records, farmers and landowners can tap into an emerging asset. Mitchell Hora, who created the summit and is also founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, said there was a lot of uncertainty when he fir

The return of the New World screwworm (NWS) may have younger or newer ranchers and farmers searching for information since the past few generations haven’t had to worry much about the potentially fatal parasitic pest. The confirmation this month of seven cases of NWS (6 in Texas and 1 in New Mexico) put the greatest focus on livestock and possibly pets. The parasitic fly can cause severe – potentially fatal – infestations with its unique ability to target living issue rather

For almond growers, the last several years have been defined by difficult choices, tight margins, and a lot of uncertainty. But according to Carl Evers III, President of AgIS Capital Property Management and Director of Sustainability, the industry may finally be finding some balance.