News, Insights & Interviews Archive

Farmers who have been waiting for months for federal help as they are overwhelmed with input costs, borrowing rates, tariff fallout, and low commodity prices may learn some news in the coming weeks. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that a “bridge payment” could arrive next week. Regardless of how it is publicly stated, the commitment would be a tacet acknowledgment that many farmers are not getting immediate benefit from President Donald Trump’s tr

Growers and producers across the country could have reason to pay attention to a landmark lawsuit filed by the City of San Francisco against some of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, accusing them of knowingly producing and marketing ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that contribute to a growing public-health crisis. While the fate of the lawsuit is uncertain and could take years to resolve, it could lead to greater demand for whole foods and minimally processed foods. Perh

Tyson Foods’ decision last month to shut down one of its largest beef-processing plants in Lexington, Nebraska, has organizations scrambling to support the thousands of employees who will soon be out of work and cattle ranchers wondering what is ahead. The company is the nation’s largest meat supplier. It plans to close the 3,000-employee facility—which can process nearly 5,000 head of cattle per day—in January. The shutdown comes as an historic cattle shortage continues to s

Fall brought the early warning about what is likely ahead for Joe Peiffer, a longtime farm bankruptcy attorney in Hiawatha, Iowa. More farmers than he can remember reached out for assistance in August and September, which signals that the typical busier time post-harvest could be even busier this year. “You have to spend time with them,” Peiffer told American Farmland Owner regarding his conversations with farm families in financial distress, “You have to give them time to pr

Thanksgiving week, for those who can, is often a week of overeating and excess. It is also time for appreciation for America’s producers whose year-round efforts help to feed the traditional family gatherings. The partial shutdown of the federal government might be prolonging the wait to find out how deeply some American farmers are suffering during this holiday week. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court   does not yet show third quarter bankruptcy filings. The third quarter ended on Oc

Cattle farmers are doing better since prices have improved. Although, they must also be cautious about what impact the Trump administration’s increased imports of foreign beef could have on those prices. Fortunately for those American ranchers, consumers are focused on protein. That could also help pork and poultry producers, too, with the increased American appetite for protein. Inflation is not the albatross for farmers and ranchers that it was a few years ago after COVID s

Every quarter, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago releases its findings on land values for the states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Its latest report released last week shows a modest increase of 3% in values for the area overall compared to the same time last year. This 3% gain matches the amount recorded in 2024. The Bank sends out a survey to district agricultural bankers each quarter to measure the temperature of the farming economy. This latest co

The UK farmland market continues to evolve under the pressure of changing tax rules, volatile agricultural economics, and shifting investor appetite. To understand who is buying land today—and why—American Farmland Owner spoke with Ed Blundy, a partner at Brown & Co.

November land auctions across Missouri, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and

A new chapter in Iowa’s biomanufacturing story is officially underway. Earlier this month, BioMADE, state leaders, and Iowa State University celebrated the groundbreaking of a pilot-scale bioindustrial manufacturing facility near Ames. The $40 million project, set to open in 2027, is expected to produce everything from national defense products to consumer goods like fabrics and detergents. The company and state leaders say it will boost Iowa’s rural economy and at the same t

For some farmers and producers struggling with depressed commodity prices and tariffs that, at least for now, have limited export potential and increased costs, they may find optimism in legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives that targets high fertilizer costs. Although, the legislation does not promise immediate help. High fertilizer prices remain one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. farmers. House lawmakers have now joined a previous effort in th

“Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) has splashed around in various forms depending on the political party of the current president and court rulings. The administration of President Donald Trump, a Republican, has proposed the latest form of the longstanding guidelines that have previously impacted – and sometimes frustrated – farmers, ranchers, energy producers, and other landowners.   On November 17, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), together with the U.S. Army C

Reducing immigrants in the United States will hurt U.S. agriculture short-term and the country overall longer-term geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan believes.

Larry Rasmussen farm in Buchanan County, Iowa. Image courtesy: Travis Smock, Peoples Company. When a 213-acre farm in Buchanan County, Iowa, went up for auction, it seemed like a typical land sale in the northeast part of the state. But what made it extraordinary was what longtime owner Larry Rasmussen decided to do with the proceeds. Rasmussen, who passed away in 2020, had no living children. Instead, he left his farmland in a trust to be sold, with all profits going to five

It took 43 days, the House of Representatives largely avoiding Washington, D.C. for nearly two months, and countless arguments and finger pointing, but the partial federal government shutdown ended on November 12th, and America’s agricultural producers, growers, ranchers, workers, agribusiness owners, and investors can now try to recover from the damage and stalled progress that Congress’ funding fight caused. Democrats, at least enough of them, finally acquiesced to the Repu

The wine sector—long considered a steady pillar of agricultural value—is facing a cascade of interlocking pressures: falling demand, over-supply, vineyard removal, and volatile global trade. Recent reports highlight how growers, especially in key regions such as California, are being forced into hard decisions. California’s wine-grape sector has become emblematic of the turmoil. California growers ripped out nearly 40,000 acres of vineyards -- which is approximately 7% of the

Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts Consumers could be critical on two fronts for American cattle ranchers, Bill Bullard believes: they can choose American beef over the imports, and they can insist that beef packaging includes on the label the country where the beef originated. Bullard is the CEO of R-CALF USA, cattle producers’ national lobbying association. He told American Farmland Owner from his office in Billings, Montana, that the Trump administration idea to increase

Sioux County, Iowa Two tracts were sold in Sioux County, Iowa, on October 22, 2025, when the heirs of Donald and Janet De Groot sold 120.17 acres of high-quality Lincoln Township farmland at public auction through Zomer Company. The property was offered in two tracts, with Tract 1 (80.13 acres, CSR2 94.5) selling for $26,500 per acre and Tract 2 (40.04 acres, CSR2 90.5) selling for $18,500 per acre, totaling approximately $2.86 million. Located just northeast of Hull, both fa

Listen and subscribe on SPOTIFY | APPLE When lifelong dairy enthusiast and former IT professional Brian Burgett  began researching milk digestion, it wasn’t for a new business venture. It was for his daughter. What began as a personal mission to help her navigate dairy sensitivities has evolved into a potentially industry-shifting proposal: a new certification seal for A2 milk products, called “NonBCM7 Certified.” BCM-7 – “beta-casomorphin-7, is a peptide derived from the di

Jon Kinzenbaw has been a tractor guy for most of his life. The founder and CEO of Kinze Manufacturing in Williamsburg, Iowa, has a lot of them in his personal collection — more than 600, to be precise. But he decided it was time to let some of them go. On November 4, Kinzenbaw held a long-awaited auction, handled by Sullivan Auctioneers, a BigIron company, marking the first time he had ever sold part of his collection. The tractors up for grabs were mostly duplicates, but tha

Even the place where the backhoe was invented was not enough to keep the manufacturing going. CNH confirmed that it would end production of its agricultural and construction equipment next year in Burlington, Iowa. That means 200 employees will lose their jobs, according to the Des Moines Register. CNH’s U.S. operators are based out of Oak Brook, Illinois, and its global headquarters is in the United Kingdom. The company warned a year again of potential long-term obstacles at