News, Insights & Interviews Archive

Purdue study finds U.S. soybean farmers face higher costs, limited land, and competition from Brazil, highlighting need for yield gains and diversification.

Rising fertilizer prices are emerging as one of the most immediate agricultural consequences of the escalating U.S. and Israel war with Iran, creating uncertainty for farmers preparing for the spring planting season. Analysts warn that the conflict’s disruption of global fertilizer supplies could affect crop decisions, farm profitability, and ultimately food prices for consumers. It is one more political dynamic that farmers will watch as they are already waiting to see if Pr

Regardless of whether you believe that she was fired or transferred to another position, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is leaving her job, a change announced by President Donald Trump on social media Thursday. Although, President Trump announced the change after Noem’s performance this week at two congressional hearings where she faced questions about a $220 million ad campaign  (funded by taxpayers) that prominently featured her (that she claimed President

In the years ahead, America will need far more power generated than we currently produce. Our ever-increasing hunger for technology – and the power that it takes to operate that technology – demand it. Wind, solar, natural gas, coal and nuclear could be all among the options to produce some of that additional capacity. Data centers could be an integral part of the nation’s economy for the infrastructure to provide the storage, processing, internet, and distribution system to

You may think better trade deals are the answer, or you may believe that American presidents abandoned the concept of much higher tariffs decades ago because of the harm they can cause our country’s families. Either way, you know that the past year has been volatile and unpredictable. American agricultural producers now wait, most likely with little optimism, that the court system could deliver them refunds on the higher prices they paid because of President Donald Trump’s hi

Missed deadline led to another missed deadline, which is only fueling frustration from agricultural industry groups and farmers who keep waiting for the Trump administration and Congress to approve year-round sales of E15 fuel nationwide. Previously, both the Trump and the Biden administration have approved temporary E15 sales through the summer, bypassing decades-long restrictions that claimed smog concerns from the use of higher ethanol fuel over the summer months. But the

President Donald Trump is trying to protect glyphosate, one of the most widely used and effective herbicides. Meanwhile, Bayer is trying to protect its business interests by offering billions of dollars to settle a class action lawsuit that claims that Roundup is making people seriously ill. President Trump’s executive order  invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure continued U.S. production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, arguing that both are es

As longtime investment strategist Ed Yardeni set to begin 2026, he was already thinking about the year’s second quarter. He offered a measured outlook: slower inflation, steady growth, and lingering uncertainty tied to Washington and global trade. Yardeni, President of Yardeni Research , has been a highly sought-after analyst on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business, and the Wall Street Journal. His insight on global investment strategies is formed by deep dives into finan

American consumers may get a break, while American cattle ranchers just got some added competition. President Donald Trump followed through with his talk about importing more beef from Argentina, where his political ally is president. Trump signed off on a deal to quadruple the amount of beef from Argentina coming into the United States as he acknowledged record beef prices. Part of his announcement proclamation  read: “As President of the United States, I have a responsibili

Excitement rippled across the agriculture community this week after the IRS released long-awaited proposed rules for the 45Z tax credit . “Oh, it’s a good day,” said Mitchell Hora, founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, in a news conference to respond to the announcement. RELATED: Hora told American Farmland Owner last July that 45Z would lead to a surge in carbon awareness for landowners.   The Biden administration created the 45Z credit under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to e

A critical part of the rural economy – manufacturing – has continued the slide that began in 2025 and has stretched into 2026, according to Creighton University economist, Dr. Ernie Goss. Goss, who has held his position for 34 years, helps conduct a monthly survey of supply managers to measure the economy in nine states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The manufacturing sector got some recent relief, Goss said i

No growth provides no future. Negative growth brings even more problems. But too much growth could bring issues, too. That is how Wyoming State Representative Jacob Wassenburger, R - Cheyenne, sees it.

Soybean farmers and the various people connected to their industry are asking themselves, “Could it finally be true?” They want to know if a deal really is close in Congress to finally extend E-15 – the 15% ethanol fuel blend – for year-round sales across the United States. They have been hoping that a campaign pledge would turn into action when Donald Trump returned to the White House. President Trump gave them hope this week when he addressed several hundred supporters in a

With 2025 in the rearview mirror, what’s ahead for farmers and landowners in 2026? That question can cause anxiety for those who make their living off the land.  Jim Knuth, senior vice president of lending in Iowa for Farm Credit Services of America, said that when he looks at what happened last year, there is reason to be cautious—but also optimistic. Knuth spoke during one of the breakout sessions at the Land Investment Expo held earlier this month in Des Moines, Iowa.  Her

After complaining about not getting awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, President Donald Trump later announced 10% tariffs against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. The countries opposed Trump’s threats to take over Greenland, which would violate the principles of the countries’ long-standing NATO alliance.  Trump threatened the tariffs until, “a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.” However, he la

After a 15-year absence, whole milk is set to return to school lunches. President Donald Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025  into law. The law marks a significant shift in federal school nutrition policy and has been welcomed by dairy producers, rural advocates, and policymakers who see it as a boost to the dairy sector and an expansion of choice for school nutrition programs.  Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Acts of 2025 The 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids A

National security, farm policy, and modernization are key priorities for the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Speaking at the morning keynote address of the 2026 Land Investment Expo, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden spoke on some of the most important topics happening at the federal level.  Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland With security as a priority, Vaden emphasized the USDA’s commitment to enforce and monitor the Agriculture Foreign Inves

Rural America has long faced a familiar set of challenges: declining populations, limited access to capital, and fewer economic opportunities for younger generations. But according to Ron Diamond, Diamond Wealth Founder and Chairman, a powerful and relatively new policy tool may help change that trajectory: rural Opportunity Zones. Diamond told American Farmland Owner that outside investment could be the missing ingredient rural communities need to regain momentum. “I think i

A new year has delivered a new food pyramid from the Trump administration, and we will see how it impacts what Americans buy from farmers. On January 7th, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled an updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. It was complete with a redesigned food pyramid that departs sharply from models of the past. This policy shift, centered on a message to “eat real food,”  could have significant impl

MAHA, Make America Healthy Again, will influence America’s food system in 2026, although it may be too early to know how deeply. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy, Junior, has made a host of claims about ultra-processed foods, synthetic dyes, and pesticides and discussed thematic changes to better promote good health in Americans, especially children. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 that created the MAHA Commission. I