News, Insights & Interviews Archive

There are numerous new reports on how the Trump administration’s decision to launch military strikes on Iran has raised prices for American farmers and ranchers, threatened to push costs higher for months, and strained the vital supply chain. And the failure to end Russia’s attack on Ukraine also continues to elevate costs. Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture laid out several numbers in a new report that showed why American farmers are exposed due to supplie

Y Bar O Ranch in Brewster County, Texas. Image courtesy: Hall and Hall. When you think of classic American cattle ranches, Texas is often the first place that comes to mind. And this week, one of the Lone Star State’s well-known ranches changed hands for the first time in 60 years. The Y Bar O Ranch, located in the far West region of the state, was sold last week by the family of original owners, W.B. “Dub” Yarborough and his wife, Kay. The 29,071-acre property was listed at

Listen and subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts The Global AgInvesting World Summit in New York City has long been a bellwether event for institutional capital flowing into agriculture. This year, the gathering of 700 people from across the globe will see a change in focus to reflect issues that will shape the agricultural landscape for years to come. “For ’26, there were things that were a lot different than ’25,” said Global AgInvesting World Summit Conference P

A new set of long-term projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) points to a subtle but important shift in the U.S. farm economy: a significant reduction in the number of acres used to plant row crops over the next ten years. Economists with the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois outlined this trend and wrote about what it means for farmers and landowners on the farmdoc website. Ten-Year USDA Outlook Total Planted

How dire is the escalating price of fertilizer for America’s farmers and ranchers? The American Farm Bureau Federation knew that it was getting more challenging and conducted a nationwide survey of 5,700 farmers in early April to find out. The results: nearly 70% of those farmers reported that they were unable to afford all the fertilizer they need. Some fertilizer costs have already increased 40% since the U.S. military strikes began against Iran in February. Midwestern

Younger generations haven’t been drinking nearly as much milk as their parents’ generation or especially their grandparents’ generation. But America’s new focus on higher protein consumption could increase demand for dairy products. The country’s newfound use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss has emphasized the need for protein to maintain muscle mass. GLP-1 drugs have helped decrease appetite for adults, but they can also lead to decreased muscle during the weight loss process.

Listen and subscribe to our weekly podcast on Spotify | Apple Podcasts The challenges facing rural America aren’t hard to find. Walk into any grocery store, talk to a cattle producer, or drive through a small town that’s lost a major employer, and the pressure points become obvious. But according to Small Business Administration Regional Director Brad Zaun, there’s a coordinated effort underway to change that trajectory—starting with access to capital and a renewed focus on c

John Deere agreed to pay out $99 million to settle a class-action lawsuit for a practice about which farmers have complained for years: right to repair. In the terms of the settlement, Deere did not acknowledge that it did anything wrong but would pay out the money to farmers following the longstanding allegations that it restricted access to tools and repairs. Those restrictions, farmers complained, essentially limited repairs to certain dealers, raised costs, and establishe

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has pushed people to think about perspective as they look at Chapter 12 bankruptcies that increased for farmers by 46% year-to-year. "A quick note on that bankruptcy number,” Rollins told Fox Business . “Any time you hear that number, anyone should panic.” Rollins doesn’t want producers to focus on the percentage increase. “Honestly, it went from 30 farms, I think, to 60 or 70 farms. So, the percentage looks tough, but out of over

New loan opportunities are available for landowners and the food supply chain through a source that farmers don’t typically consider. And they include borrowing limits more than double USDA options. In Marc h, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the “Grocery Guarantee,” aimed at reducing grocery costs by expanding access for its SBA International Trade Loan (ITL) Program. On May 1st, the agency said at least 22 new categories of farm and agribusinesses in the

The years-long increase in farmland values may finally fall victim to financial pressure’s gravity after previously showing remarkable resilience despite inflation, supply chain strains, input cost increases, and declining farmer incomes. That is the feeling from Curt Covington, Senior Director of Institution Credit at AgAmerica Lending.

DEI disdain trumped a federal program that provided funding for some beginning farmers in 40 states. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has become a target by Republican-led governmental entities across the United States over the past several years amid criticism that the efforts to aid groups that have faced discrimination are themselves racist. Supporters of DEI say that the programs help various demographic communities that have not had the same economic opportunities that o

Jackson Creek Ranch. Photo courtesy: Fay Ranches. An 800-acre cattle ranch in southern Oregon sold in February for $5,000,000. Pictures of the high-elevation ground look like something you would see on a postcard. With the Cascade Mountains in the background, rolling terrain, and abundant wildlife, the beauty of the land makes it seem less like a working ranch and more like a place you would go on vacation to get away from it all. But Jackson Creek Ranch is a busy place for t

The decision by the Trump administration to attack Iran in retaliation for that country’s previous and potential future attacks on Americans continues to raise costs for producers, especially fertilizer. The economic hardship caused nearly two dozen U.S. agricultural organizations to already reach out to the U.S. Department of Commerce to ask for reductions in tariffs that have further increased fertilizer costs. Here is how much more expensive it has become for America’s far

Mark Mueller is a fourth-generation farmer from northeast Iowa who has grown corn for three decades and serves in a statewide role with a national voice. Those credentials are likely the reason that he received a V.I.P. invite to an event at the White House.

$22,100 per acre 52.31 taxable acres in Hancock County, Illinois March 12, 2026 PI: 138.5 A Class A Hancock County, Illinois farm sold at auction on March 12, 2026, bringing $22,100 per acre and a total price of $1,156,051. Located in Rock Creek Township, about 3.5 miles northwest of Ferris, the tract included 51.97 FSA cropland acres and carried a strong 138.5 Productivity Index. The farm features Virden, Ipava, Shiloh, and Muscatune soils and was noted as being pattern tile

A northern Kentucky community has overcome the Great Depression a century ago and a poverty rate nearly twice the national average. Residents have been tested again and again. But few of Mason County’s 17,000 residents in Mayfield demonstrated their commitment to the community, their traditions, and their land more than Ida Huddleston and her daughter Delsia Bare. Because of that commitment, the mother and daughter may be the most famous residents since legendary singer and a

When a farm with strong soil and a reliable irrigation system recently sold at auction in southwest Nebraska, the final price surprised even the broker handling the sale. “We were pulling comparables anywhere from $6,500 to $8,000 an acre,” said Scott Dean of Farmers National Company. “We ended up blowing past that.” The 322.73-acre property in Keith County outside Ogallala sold for $10,100 an acre, totaling $3,259,573. The farm was offered in two tracts but ultimately purcha

First came the fast-moving wildfires, damage, and agony. Then came the help from fellow farmers who always seem to rise to the moment to help another farmer in need. High winds and dry conditions fueled some of the worst fires in the history of Nebraska this month, burning more than 800,000 acres and reshaping the outlook for farmers and ranchers heading into the growing season. At the center of the devastation was the Morrill Fire. That fire scorched more than 640,000 acres

Brian Reisinger has worked for a governor who ran for president, a U.S. Senator who ran for president, and another U.S. Senator who thought about running for president. These days, Reisinger has put politics aside as he has focused full-time on agriculture, his business, and his young family.