News, Insights & Interviews Archive

As farmers wait to find out how much a new federal bridge payment could replace some of the income that they have lost from higher costs, lower market prices, and international trade complexities, they are assessing their finances for 2026. Jerry Gulke is president of the Gulke Group, an Illinois-based research and information analysis firm that provides marketing strategies for agribusinesses. Gulke has also farmed corn and soybeans for the past 40 years, but he isn’t sure t

For generations, U.S. farmers have competed in global markets on the strength of productivity, innovation, and trust. But today, Brazil seems to be a more difficult challenger. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden laid out a blunt assessment of how Brazilian agricultural practices are reshaping global commodity markets and why American farmers are feeling the squeeze. “Brazil is the reason for so many of our commodity crops that they are in the position that they are in with d

Farmers who failed to accurately report their 2025 acreage reporting by 5 p.m. Friday, December 19, could miss out on their share of the $12 billion USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The program provides emergency help for farmers struggling with repercussions from President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs on imports, low commodity prices, and higher costs. Acreage reporting will help the USDA determine individual assistance for farmers. USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance Prog

A sweeping reorganization that brings a substantial reduction in personnel and shift in geographical footprint is underway at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one that could reshape the direction of the agency.

American farmers don’t yet know how much of the $12 billion aid package – “bridge payments,” the Trump administration calls them – that they will receive. But they may at least get some piece of mind that some assistance could come early next year as they have dealt with a bevy of financial pressures from higher tariffs and inflated borrowing, input, and equipment costs It may or may not cover the losses that they endured for lost or reduced overseas buyers. On Tuesday, the T

Marko Papic was not born in the United States. Papic was born in Serbia. He understands the contributions of immigrants to this country. And he understands the importance of an organized legal immigration process. He does not understand how the current federal immigration enforcement policy will lead to economic success. “On the immigration front, I just don’t really see any solution to the uncertainty,” Papic told American Farmland Owner from his office in Santa Monica, Cali

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

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

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.

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

When you rely on certainty, what choice do you have but to express optimism and skepticism at the same time when it comes to China buying U.S. soybeans? China had quit buying American beans altogether in response to President Donald Trump’s global trade war, which levied some of its most powerful focus on the biggest customer of U.S. soybeans. The Trump administration this month trumpeted an agreement that China would resume soybean purchases. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Be

Some rural communities provide the perfect setting for the nation’s growing demand for data centers to provide artificial intelligence for an industry that is exploding. But many residents in town are kept in the dark until the deal for a new data center is done. Rural America offers large tracts of land, cheap power and favorable zoning regulations to build high-capacity data centers. But an increasingly common feature in the development process is the use of non-disclosure

The Federal Reserve has continued what has recently become a slow step down in interest rates as it navigates limited federal data, rising inflation, a slower job market, and the continued tariff uncertainty. The Fed reduced its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75%-4.0%. This is the second reduction by this rate this year and is less than what President Donald Trump has pressured the independent body to do. The partial federal government

There has been a renewed focus on federal country-of-origin labeling for beef after President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans to quadruple the amount of beef imported from Argentina, where Trump’s political ally is the president. Cattle ranchers have been incensed that Trump would allow more beef imports into the U.S. and pressure them to lower their prices. Fourteen Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives followed the criticism by releasing an open l

President Donald Trump’s plan to quadruple beef imports from Argentina has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. cattle ranchers who warn the move could devastate domestic producers. Ranchers, already strained by drought, wildfires, and high input costs, say cheaper Argentine beef could undercut a recovering U.S. market. While the administration argues that increased imports may lower prices for consumers, industry leaders like Justin Tupper of the U.S.

At the Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés called on President Donald Trump to restore the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Andrés—whose nonprofit World Central Kitchen has fed millions in disaster zones—warned that dismantling USAID endangers lives worldwide by cutting off access to food, water, and health aid.

As family farmers continue to wait for an aid package that President Donald Trump last month claimed that he could fund with tariff revenue, they now watch as the administration considers doubling its financial support for Argentina. The partial shutdown of the federal government could be slowing Trump’s $10+ billion package for U.S. farmers. But the optics of working on giving Trump’s political ally, Argentine President Javier Milei, four times that much doesn’t sit well wit