Education

The Best Leaders Share These Three Behaviors

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:25:25 GMT

Leadership might sound like a big, formal word, but on the farm it’s really just about how you work with people every day. It’s how you talk to your team, how you handle mistakes and how you treat people when things get stressful.

When you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go. According to Marcel Schwantes, author of “ Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss ,” when you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go.

He suggests regardless of the operation or title, strong leaders consistently rely on a small set of practical skills that can be learned, practiced and improved over time.

These skills include:

Show Real Interest in Your People

Take time to get to know the people who work for you, not just the job they were hired to do. Ask what they enjoy, where they want to improve and what they hope to learn next. That might mean running new equipment, taking on more responsibility or growing into a leadership role themselves.

“The best leaders genuinely want their people to thrive,” Schwantes says. “They’re willing to put the team’s needs first, share credit freely and take responsibility when things go sideways.”

He recommends supporting raises and added responsibility when they are earned and looking for chances to stretch people’s skills instead of keeping them in the same position. When employees feel genuinely valued, they take more pride in their work and show up differently every day.

Have Empathy

Many farm leaders were raised to believe emotions stay out of the workplace. Unfortunately in agriculture, empathy is often misunderstood as being too soft or letting things slide. But Schwantes notes empathy is actually one of the strongest leadership characteristics a person can have, because it helps leaders understand problems sooner and lead more effectively.

“Empathic leaders don’t just hear what people say; they understand the context, emotions and challenges behind it,” he says. “That perspective creates psychological safety, and safety unlocks creativity, problem-solving and collaboration.”

On a farm, this might look like noticing when a team member is struggling, checking in when someone seems overwhelmed or understanding the pressures your employees face at home. It’s about listening, recognizing stress and creating an environment where people feel safe asking for help.

Be Clear and Transparent

On a farm, clear communication makes everything run smoother. When your team knows what’s expected and why decisions are being made, they can work more confidently and avoid mistakes.

“A transparent culture builds trust and fosters collaboration,” Schwantes says. “When people feel safe voicing their thoughts, it deepens engagement and creates a more resilient, trustworthy team dynamic.”

Transparency also means being honest about challenges and inviting input. If something’s not working, your team should feel comfortable speaking up. The more open you are, the more trust you build — and the better your crew can handle the ups and downs.

Lead by Serving Your Team

A leadership role can feel overwhelming in some workplaces, but on the farm it doesn’t have to be complicated. Schwantes says it comes down to a few core skills — showing real interest in your people, practicing empathy and being clear and transparent.

Strong farms are built on strong teams, and strong teams are built by leaders who serve first. A leader who’s willing to jump in, listen and set a positive tone creates an environment where everyone can do their best work. And over time, that kind of leadership builds trust and creates a crew that’s ready to take on whatever comes their way.

How the $15 Million Estate Tax Exemption Changes Your Farm Succession Strategy

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:05:13 GMT

The world of estate planning for farmers has changed dramatically after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This permanently increased the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption to $15 million indexed starting Jan. 1. With the federal estate tax exemption at historically high levels, most family farms are no longer at risk of paying federal estate tax. However, this shift has brought a new focus to income tax planning and the importance of preserving the step-up in basis at death.

Understand the Step-Up in Basis

When a person passes away, the value of their property is generally reset to its fair market value at the date of death. This is known as a “step-up in basis.” For farm families, this is a crucial benefit. Farmland and other agricultural assets often appreciate significantly over time. If heirs inherit these assets, they receive them at the new, higher value. This means that if they later sell the property, they will owe little or no income tax on the appreciation that occurred during the original owner’s lifetime.

Why Estate Tax Is Less of a Concern

With the current high exemption, only the largest farm estates face federal estate tax. For most families, the bigger risk is not estate tax; it’s the potential for large income taxes if the step-up in basis is lost. This can happen if assets are given away during the owner’s lifetime, rather than being passed on at death.

The Pitfalls of Lifetime Gifting

Many farmers consider making large gifts during their lifetime, worried that the estate tax exemption will drop in the future. While this can be a good strategy for very large estates, it can be costly for smaller farm operations. When assets are gifted during life, the recipient takes over the original owner’s basis, which is often much lower than today’s value.

If the recipient later sells the property, they could face a significant income tax bill. In contrast, if the property is inherited, the basis is stepped up to current value, minimizing or eliminating income tax.

Likely the best asset to gift during lifetime is farmland that will be retained in the family for multiple generations. The step-up in this case is not as valuable because we can’t depreciate farmland, and if it is not going to be sold, the heirs are not worse off. Plus, appreciation in farmland can be very volatile and could cause the farm couple to owe estate tax.

Hidden Cost of Gifting Negative Capital

Many farm operations are structured as a partnership for income tax purposes and farms with debt will typically create what is called a negative capital account and, in many cases, this can easily exceed $5 to $10 million for larger farm operations. Gifting any interest in these partnerships during a lifetime will create ordinary income to the farmer because the “debt” eliminated exceeds the basis in the partnership’s assets, which is typically zero. Whereas holding until death eliminates the tax for their heirs. However, a drawback is that the older generation might still be on the hook for the debt until they pass.

For the vast majority of farmers, estate tax planning is now about smart income tax planning. Preserving the step-up in basis at death can save heirs substantial taxes and help keep the family farm in the family. Careful planning today can help protect your family’s legacy for generations to come.

Paul Neiffer has been tracking the latest in tax policy and government programs. Learn more about what you should factor into your farm business and potential tax implications at Top Producer Summit, Feb. 9-11 in Nashville. View the agenda and register today !

How to Handle Tension Before it Becomes Conflict

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:43:17 GMT

Conflict on farms isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t have to show up as a dramatic argument or a big blow-up moment. Most of the time, it starts as frustration over a task, strain between coworkers or even just someone quietly checking out.

While conflict can feel messy, it’s not a sign something is broken. According to Hernando Duarte, farm labor outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it’s a reality of farm work.

“In labor-intensive environments like farms and other agricultural operations, conflict between employees [and family] can happen,” Duarte explains. And on farms, that friction is hard to avoid.

Conflict Can Feel Personal

Duarte notes conflict feels uncomfortable for a reason. On a farm, long hours, physical work and constant pressure can make disagreements feel personal, even when they’re not. Sometimes, just a simple disagreement can feel like a personal attack.

“Our brains often perceive conflict as a threat, which makes it uncomfortable and leads many people to avoid it,” he says.

That instinct to avoid tough conversations is understandable, but avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear. According to Duarte, the difference between a farm that struggles and one that moves forward often comes down to how leaders respond when tension shows up.

Most Conflict Starts Below the Surface

Sometimes a disagreement looks like just part of the daily grind, but Duarte emphasizes that understanding what’s underneath the issue is the first step toward solving and preventing conflict in the future.

On farms, those underlying causes often include:

Misunderstandings about expectations or tasks
Different work styles and decision-making speeds
Unclear roles or responsibilities
Cultural or language barriers within diverse teams
Stress and fatigue during peak seasons
Generational differences in values and priorities

None of these are unusual in agriculture, they’re often just a natural part of running a farm. More hands and different perspectives can sometimes cause small misunderstandings, but that’s just a normal part of working together as a team.

Turning Conflict Into Progress

It can be tempting to hope tension works itself out. But Duarte warns that avoiding conflict usually makes the situation worse.

When conflict is ignored, Duarte says farms often see:

Lower morale and growing frustration
Reduced productivity and focus
Higher employee turnover
Declines in performance, quality and safety

Unresolved conflict doesn’t just go away. Left unaddressed, small tensions can grow and start affecting how the team works together.

“Conflict doesn’t have to be a negative thing,” Duarte says. “When handled properly, it can lead to stronger communication, better teamwork and long-term improvements and innovation.”

Handled well, conflict can actually move a team forward. Duarte encourages leaders to:

Create space for private, respectful conversations
Listen to all sides without interruption
Look beyond surface issues to understand the real concern
Refocus discussions on shared goals, including a safe, productive, respectful workplace
Agree on clear next steps, responsibilities and follow-up
Bring in additional support if issues repeat or escalate

Addressing conflict early helps keep small issues from turning into long-term setbacks and gives teams a chance to work better together.

Leadership Sets the Tone

At the end of the day, Duarte says resolving on-farm conflict starts with leadership. If managers ignore tension, people notice. If they step in and handle issues calmly and fairly, the whole team feels more confident.

Leading by example, communicating clearly and checking in regularly all help reduce future conflict. Training supervisors to handle small issues early can keep them from becoming bigger disruptions later.

Conflict isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When it’s handled the right way, it can actually make the team stronger. It’s a chance to build trust, clear up expectations and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

Why EPA Says Farmers and Ranchers Won't Need a Lawyer to Understand the Newly Proposed WOTUS Rule

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:10:31 GMT

Agricultural groups have been asking for a new WOTUS rule that eliminates red tape and clears up confusion for farmers and ranchers. As EPA unveiled its latest proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule this week , Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi says the agency’s goal was simple: clarity, consistency and fewer regulatory headaches for farmers and ranchers.

Fotouhi joined “U.S. Farm Report” for an exclusive interview to break down what this new rule means and why EPA believes it hits the mark.

A Rule He Says Brings Clarity and Certainty

Fotouhi says the agency’s top priority is eliminating uncertainty farmers have faced under previous interpretations of WOTUS.

“We really emphasize the need for farmers, ranchers and all stakeholders to have clarity in terms of how broad or narrow federal regulation of waters is in this country,” he says. “From Day 1, we start working on a proposed rule to bring that clarity and certainty to landowners across the country. On Monday, we are able to announce a proposal that is consistent with the law, that provides needed clarity on the extent of federal regulation, and that recognizes the primary jurisdiction of states and localities because they know their resources best.”

He adds that the proposal strikes what he calls a good balance.

“We think we really strike a good balance between protecting our nation’s waters and making sure farmers and ranchers can do the work that feeds Americans and produces the fuel this country relies on — without adding unnecessary regulatory burden to their day-to-day life,” he says.

EPA Says Farmers “Won’t Need a Lawyer” to Understand the New Rule

Fotouhi stresses one of EPA’s biggest priorities in rewriting WOTUS was ensuring farmers no longer need legal help just to determine whether they can work their own ground. He says the agency intentionally crafted the language to be plain, practical and rooted in the realities producers face every day.

“We take a fresh look at the Supreme Court’s direction and try to apply that in language that is easily understandable. Producers should not need a lawyer to understand how this rule applies to their property. We write it in a way that lets farmers look at their land and have a clear sense of whether federal permits are required.”

Fotouhi explains past WOTUS rules often included terminology that was vague, overly technical or open to interpretation, something EPA heard repeatedly during outreach with farm groups.

He says the agency makes a conscious effort to eliminate that ambiguity.

“We listen to farmers tell us repeatedly that the rule has to be understandable,” he says. “So instead of broad definitions that leave too much room for interpretation, we focus on concrete, workable language. We take geographic differences into account, we remove subjective criteria and we make exclusions, like the groundwater exemption, explicit so there’s no second-guessing.”

Fotouhi says that level of clarity is a direct response to years of frustration in rural America.

“We know farmers need certainty,” he says. “They need to know what they can and can’t do without waiting months for an answer. That’s why we put so much effort into making this rule clear, transparent and grounded in what the Supreme Court actually tells us to do.”

EPA Pushes Back on Claims the Proposal Overpromises

Some critics argue the agency risks overpromising. Fotouhi strongly rejects that idea.

“We take a fresh look at all the critical issues the Supreme Court lays out in the Sackett decision,” he says. “We think the previous administration does not faithfully implement that decision when they revise the rule, so we come back, reassess everything and come up with a definition that fully implements what the Court tells EPA and the Army Corps to do.”

He notes the agency made readability a priority.

“We try to apply the Court’s direction in language that is easily understandable, that takes geographic differences into account, and that doesn’t impose unnecessary burdens on farmers when they’re trying to decide if they need a permit,” he says.

Groundwater Exclusion: “We Want It Crystal Clear”

One standout change is the explicit exclusion of groundwater — language EPA says is included to eliminate confusion.

“Groundwater has never been part of the Waters of the United States, but we think it is absolutely necessary to make that exemption clear as day so there is no confusion about whether someone would need a permit for a discharge that may impact groundwater,” Fotouhi says.

He says repeated questions from stakeholders and newer case law convinced the agency to spell it out directly.

“Based on the case law that’s come out in the last few years and the general confusion we hear from stakeholders, we think it is incumbent on us to clarify this as clearly as we can,” he adds.

Final Rule Expected in Early 2026

EPA filed the proposal with the Federal Register , which means the rule’s comment period is officially underway.

“We publish the rule today, and it will be out for public comment for 45 days,” he says. “We know there is an absolute need for certainty and clarity and one nationwide standard, so we move quickly. We are hopeful that in the first few months of 2026, we can have a final rule out for the public.”

RFS: EPA Reviewing Comments, Aims for Certainty

Fotouhi also discusses EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes, including record-setting biomass-based diesel levels.

“We understand how important it is to get this exactly right. From day one, Administrator Zeldin is laser-focused on ensuring the RFS strikes the right balance,” he says. “We know farmers and all stakeholders implicated by this program need certainty. We are working as quickly as we can to take final action.”

EPA’s Deregulatory Push: More Actions to Come

Fotouhi says the agency’s deregulatory actions announced earlier this year will have significant impact on agriculture.

“Reducing the cost of energy is one of our biggest focuses,” he says. “Many of the actions we identify are aimed at reducing energy prices for farmers, ranchers and manufacturers so we can reduce input costs and ultimately reduce the cost of the products they produce.”

This is evident through their efforts on WOTUS.

“The WOTUS proposal is a prime example; it’s designed to reduce unnecessary and illegal regulatory burden, and we are undertaking a score of additional actions across offices, working with USDA, the Department of Energy and the Interior Department, to identify ways to reduce input costs for agriculture,” Fotouhi says. “A thriving agricultural sector is a priority for the president, and lowering consumer prices is something we have to achieve.”

Second Stage of Disaster Relief Program Going Into Effect

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:13:45 GMT

Stage two of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) is moving into the initial stages of implementation, USDA officials announced during a media briefing on Monday.

In what USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden described as the “first major action” since the end of the government shutdown, Stage two of SDRP is designed to provide financial relief to farmers who suffered losses from natural disasters that occurred in calendar years 2023 and/or 2024.

While Stage one of SDRP focused on crop losses for major commodity crops covered under crop insurance, Vaden said Stage two of the program brings in more specialty crops.

“SDRP Stage two is focused on those who suffered ‘shallow, non-indemnified losses’ — losses for which they either didn’t have crop insurance or couldn’t purchase crop insurance,” he said. “So that’s going to bring in ... a lot of your specialty crop producers in places like California, Arizona, those points out West who were unable to participate in Stage one.”

The aid is also available to eligible producers participating in the Milk Loss Program and the On-Farm Storage Loss Program.

“This will provide much-needed cash flow as we head into calendar year 2026 and the new crop cycle,” Vaden said.

The timing for payments to roll out to farmers was not addressed during the USDA briefing, though media asked for that information.

📢 The Trump Administration today announced Stage Two of disaster assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for producers with non-indemnified (shallow loss), uncovered and quality losses due to 2023 & 2024 natural disasters. https://t.co/HsFR9uEwLa pic.twitter.com/hFvFnTVp2I
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) November 17, 2025

Between the two stages of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, USDA will deliver more than $16 billion in Congressionally approved assistance to America’s farmers, he added.

Eligible producers will be able to receive payments from both Stage one and Stage two, if applicable, and for one or both years, depending on their losses.

Paul Neiffer, The Farm CPA, says it is his understanding that FSA will not be mailing a filled-in application to farmers. He believes farmers will have these options to enroll for both Stage one and Stage two by:
* Going to the office in-person,
* Electronically using Box and One Span,
* Sending an Email or Fax

“We believe that if you have crop insurance and had a shallow loss (you did not receive a claim but would receive a claim with the higher SDRP %), a filled-in application is available for you to review and then apply for SDRP Stage 2,” says Neifer, author of the blog, The Farm CPA, and a tax principal with CLA.

Neiffer discussed his understanding of the two SDRP stages on AgriTalk earlier this week, available here:

Kinds Of Losses Stage Two Will Cover
The program covers losses from disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, floods, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze events, smoke exposure, excessive moisture and qualifying drought.

For the latter, USDA defined that as “a D2 drought for eight weeks, or D3 or more severe drought for any period of time and related conditions that occurred in calendar year 2023 and 2024.” A list of counties that are eligible for SDRP due to drought for 2023 and 2024 is available here .

This marks the first time that USDA disaster assistance will cover the so-called shallow losses, according to Richard Fordyce, a Missouri farmer and newly appointed Under Secretary for USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area.

“If a producer suffered a loss that did not exceed their crop insurance deductible, they will now be indemnified for their loss and receive the same crop insurance premium and fee refund as producers did in SDRP one. This addresses a clear gap in previous disaster assistance programs,” Fordyce said.

He noted that what is different from previous iterations of aid is there will be no progressive factoring. “Hurricanes, derechos and wildfires do not bias producers based on their race or ethnicity. So the assistance provided by USDA should not, either,” he said. “The quality loss component of SDRP will cover the decrease in value based on discounts due to the physical condition of the crop, as well as decline in nutritional value of forage crops.”

Payments to eligible producers will be limited to $125,000 per calendar year, or $250,000 per calendar year if at least 75% of their adjusted gross income is derived from farming, ranching or forestry. Farmers that grow high value or specialty crops can receive up to $900,000 per calendar year if crop production accounts for at least 75% of their adjusted gross income.

Fordyce noted that FSA is establishing block grants with four states — Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts — to cover crop losses there. Farmers with losses on land physically located in these states are not eligible for SDRP program payments.

However, farmers in those states will be able to participate in the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program and the Milk Loss Program.

For Stage Two program details, including fact sheets, please visit fsa.usda.gov/sdrp .

On-Farm Stored Commodities And Milk Loss Programs
The Milk Loss Program provides up to $1.65 million in payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market because of a qualifying natural disaster event in 2023 and/or 2024.

“The Milk Loss Program provides relief to producers who were forced to dump milk or remove it from the commercial market due to adverse weather, while the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program covers losses of eligible harvested commodities in storage,” Fordyce explained.

Producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities while stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event may be eligible for assistance through the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, which provides for up to $5 million to impacted producers.

The enrollment period to apply for milk and on-farm stored commodity losses is Nov. 24, 2025, through Jan. 23, 2026. Information and fact sheets for both programs are available online at milk loss and on-farm stored commodity losses.

No Trade Aid For 2025 Announced
During a question-and-answer period, one of the media asked for the status of any type of relief program that might be announced for calendar year 2025.

That question was met with a protracted response from Vaden, placing the blame for no action by USDA and the Trump administration for this calendar year squarely on Democrats.

“This department only woke back up on Thursday of last week. We spent the past 45 days needlessly with more than half of our employees sitting at home unable to work on the important business the department had before it,” Vaden said.

“Rest assured that the undersecretary and his team are very busy crunching those numbers now, and we’ll let you know when we have an announcement. But we would have had an announcement much earlier, if we’d been open over the past 45 days, and unfortunately now, thanks to the minority in Congress, we’re playing catch up,” he added.

Your next read: New WOTUS Proposal Could Reduce Red Tape for Farmers and Ranchers

Fertilizer Prices Under Fire: Monopoly or Markets to Blame?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:11:27 GMT

As President Donald Trump demands a federal investigation into meatpackers for inflating beef prices , another battle over farm input costs is already heating up. Fertilizer, long one of the most volatile and least transparent costs in farming, is now drawing renewed scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has reintroduced The Fertilizer Research Act, a bipartisan measure requiring USDA to study pricing and competition across the fertilizer market. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says that effort will go hand in hand with a Department of Justice probe into market concentration, promising to take a look at whether farmers truly have fair choices when buying the inputs that feed the nation.

“Pressure Cooker” on Capitol Hill

Two weeks ago on Capitol Hill, lawmakers took up the issue farmers have long demanded answers for: Why fertilizer, seed and input prices keep rising while competition keeps shrinking.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing, titled “Pressure Cooker: Competition Issues in the Seed and Fertilizer Industries, ” drew fiery testimony from across agriculture. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they’re hearing growing frustration from rural America.

Grassley tells the committee that farmers are being boxed in by consolidation at every level of the ag supply chain.

“Over the last 20 years, a few big companies have bought up many of the smaller seed and chemical businesses,” he says. “Those same companies now sell not just the seeds, but also the pesticides and digital farming tools that tell farmers what to plant and when. Because all these products and data systems are tied together, it’s hard for farmers to switch to a different brand.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D–N.J., delivers one of the sharpest warnings of the day.

“What’s happening in America is dire,” he says. “Congress must not just talk about the problems; we’ve got to fix them. Otherwise, American farming as we know it will be forever changed.”

Farmers Take a Stand

The goal of the hearing was to understand what’s driving record-high input prices and what, if anything, Congress can do to restore fairness and competition.

Of the six witnesses called that day, two were farmers who spoke candidly about what they’re experiencing on the ground.

Noah Coppess, a fifth-generation farmer from Cedar County, Iowa, tells senators the volatility of fertilizer pricing has turned crop planning into a gamble.

“If the market becomes too constricted, it is ultimately the farmer who loses,” Coppess says. “Fertilizer pricing has become very volatile, with wild swings of 25% to 50% from year to year. We’re asked to prepay for fertilizer three to six months before it’s applied to the soil and up to 14 months before harvest. Many contracts have a narrow window for application. If we miss it, the contract expires and the input is repriced higher or we’re charged monthly fees just to extend it.”

He says it’s forcing farmers to cut back in ways that threaten long-term soil health.

“Phosphate fertilizer has become a bare-minimum usage fertilizer on our farm because of the cost,” Coppess adds. “We simply can’t afford to apply it like we used to.”

Kentucky farmer Caleb Ragland tells the committee the same pressures are weighing on his operation.

“Farmers are paying more than ever to grow their crops,” he says. “In just five years, seed prices have increased by 18%, fertilizer by 37%, pesticides by 25%, machinery by 23% and interest expense by 37%. Seed is a key cost consideration for farmers. Advancements in seed technology and pesticides have delivered real agronomic benefits — but at an added cost. Those costs are eating away at what little margin we have left.”

Industry Response: “A Perfect Storm”

But the hearing wasn’t just about farmers. Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), appeared before the committee to represent the industry’s view. Speaking later with “AgriTalk” host Chip Flory, Rosenbusch says the pressures farmers face are real but are largely the result of global dynamics, not domestic decisions.

“It’s a challenging time for growers,” Rosenbusch says. “In some cases, it’s even harder for the American farmer right now than it was a few years ago when markets exploded because at least, back then, commodity prices were high. Right now, it’s a perfect storm. Commodity prices are low, and input costs keep going up and up. Our message is simple: We need farmers to be successful because if they’re not, we don’t exist. But the factors driving this market are frankly outside of our control and, honestly, outside of this country’s control. Geopolitics is taking the headlines when it comes to supply and demand.”

He says Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s fertilizer export restrictions and global energy volatility are all rippling through fertilizer markets — forces far beyond the industry’s ability to manage.

“These are global supply and demand pressures,” Rosenbusch says. “When geopolitics dominate, prices react worldwide.”

Farmers Push Back: “Too Few Suppliers”

Farmers listening to the hearing say those global explanations don’t tell the whole story.

Mark Mueller, a farmer from Bremer County, Iowa, was supposed to testify on behalf of the Iowa Corn Growers but says he was disinvited, which he believes was because of Iowa Corn’s strong stance on lack of competition in the fertilizer market.

He still attended the hearing in person and says one statement from the fertilizer industry blew him away.

“The bottom line is that we don’t have many places to get our inputs from,” Mueller says. “I might have a half dozen retailers in my county, but when you go a little farther, they all get their phosphorus from one company, their potash from two companies, and their nitrogen from maybe three, and it’s the same problem in the seed industry.”

Mueller says one comment from the industry’s leadership stuck with him.

“The most disingenuous statement I heard came from the CEO of the Fertilizer Institute,” he says. “He said there are 20 unique companies supplying fertilizer inputs to the industry. That’s like General Motors saying they’re made up of four or five unique companies — Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac. It’s all one company.”

“It’s Not a Monopoly — It’s an Oligopoly”

Josh Linville, vice president of fertilizer at StoneX Group, agrees the U.S. fertilizer market isn’t a monopoly, but he says it operates much like one.

“Here’s why I can’t be a politician,” Linville jokes. “No, there isn’t enough competition. It’s not a monopoly, but it’s definitely an oligopoly. When you look at nitrogen, three players control the vast majority of production. For phosphate, there’s one main producer. For potash, we’re highly dependent on imports. Almost all of it comes from Canada. So yes, we have some competition — but not enough.”

Linville says fewer players mean tighter supply chains, and that amplifies every global shock, from wars to tariffs.

“A lot of what’s happening is global supply and demand,” he says. “But the lack of competition doesn’t help. Tariffs, countervailing duties and even the fear of new sanctions on Russia are inflating prices that global trade already pushes higher.”

Concerns Potential Government Trade Aid Payments Further Inflate Fertilizer Prices

There’s yet another wildcard this year: the potential for the White House to release tariff aid payments. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden confirmed on AgriTalk the agency is preparing to roll out $12 billion in trade aid once the government reopens.

Linville says the potential for new government aid has some unintended consequences for the fertilizer market.

“Unfortunately, no,” Linville says when asked if fertilizer prices might ease if aid payments don’t go out. “If the payments come out, I’m afraid it’s gonna boost fertilizer prices. It doesn’t change the supply and demand for most of these products, but it does change the timing, and timing is everything.”

Linville says the fertilizer market is as much about when farmers buy as it is about how much they buy. Injecting fresh cash into the market at once could cause a surge in demand that suppliers can’t absorb smoothly.

“If there’s a big fat check that goes into the farmer’s pockets and that gets spent on fertilizer, and you pull all that demand into one period, fertilizer is going to see its prices boosted as a result,” he adds. “We saw that the last time the checks went out.”

Read More: Tariff Aid Payments Could Backfire, Boosting Fertilizer Prices, Analyst Warns

Little Hope for Price Relief

When asked whether fertilizer prices could ease before spring, Linville doesn’t sugarcoat it.

“You know me — I’m never going to deal in guarantees,” he says. “I’m not going to say prices can’t fall between now and spring, but the second I do, the market will humble me again. We’ve got some improvements: China’s exporting a little more, Russia’s exporting more, there’s more peace in the Middle East, but we still have production problems in Europe, and China’s slowing exports again. Phosphate exports are being cut in half this year, and the world doesn’t have anyone ready to fill that gap. So could prices fall? Yes. But I’m not holding my breath.”

Stockpiling Isn’t a Solution

When asked on “AgriTalk” whether stopping exports and stockpiling product domestically could help ease prices, Rosenbusch says the U.S. doesn’t have that capability.

“Even if we wanted to take a page out of China’s book and stop exports, we couldn’t,” he says. “We still have to import 40% of our phosphates. We don’t have the infrastructure to stockpile fertilizer in this country. It just doesn’t exist.”

A Critical Step Forward

In what’s being hailed as a small but meaningful win for the U.S. farm economy, the Trump administration recently added phosphate and potash to the list of 10 minerals deemed critical to national security. The designation could help accelerate mining permits and spur new domestic investment — something both industry and lawmakers say is badly needed.

But for farmers testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the message was clear: They can’t wait years for market reform.

“Fertilizer is the biggest pain point on farms today,” Coppess says. “We need change, and we need it soon.”

Turning Light Into Yield: How Quantum Dots Could Revolutionize Tomato Production

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:45:19 GMT

The way food is growing is changing. Labor constraints or increased water regulations out west are some of the catalysts behind that shift.

At the University of Minnesota, researchers are experimenting with new technology to help growers use less water and produce more food — but all indoors — and it’s opening a new field of opportunity to change the way food is grown.

Taking Controlled Environment Agriculture Into Uncharted Waters

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) isn’t new, but with a renewed focus, there’s a revolution in how it’s used.

Just take the University of Minnesota for example. Step into one of the many greenhouses on campus, and one in particular doesn’t look like the rest. There are bright lights and various crops being grown indoors, but there’s something missing in this particular greenhouse: soil.

“One of the major factors that we have going on is hydroponics here. Hydroponics is literally water working. In Greek, that’s what it means, working with water,” says assistant professor Nate Eylands. “And so a lot of our plants here, if I were to pull these out, there is not a soil substrate in there. It is pretty much just roots hanging out in water. And so in order to do that, what we need to do is take all the traditional benching out of here and put in our own systems here.”

Eylands says hydroponic systems like this use a fraction of the water compared to traditional agriculture. The benches he crafted just for his research are angled at about two and a half degrees slope. He says that allows the water to gravity feed down to a drain, then it’s pumped back up to the beginning. It’s a recirculating system that saves on water, nutrients among other resources.

“Having this recirculating system is probably that primary benefit. We’re able to use about 9[%] to 10% of the water that you would for growing these per kilogram basis, per biomass basis — this 9[%] to 10% of that water that use out in the field,” he says. “We’re not having any runoff. Any of our nutrients aren’t leaching out into our environment, into our waterways. So by recircling, we’re only providing and the plants are only taking what they need at that very moment.”

The Introduction of Quantum Dots Sounds Crazy, But It’s Showing Promise

But saving water is just the start. Eylands’ team is experimenting with quantum dots — microscopic particles that transform light to make plants grow faster.

“Quantum dots are little nanoparticles, and they absorb photons of light and change that photon into a different photon,” Eylands says. “Say you have blue light coming in, it might be red light coming out of it. So, what we’re doing is taking a liquid quantum dot and we’re spraying it on some of these plants. You can’t tell which ones of them have it. And then on the leaf surface, they are absorbing that photon, say a blue photon, and converting it to a red photon. And that might speed up the process of photosynthesis at different stages of the plant growth.”

By altering the light spectrum, researchers hope to speed the flowering on these plants — boosting yields and making indoor production more efficient.

“What we’re trying to find out is: Can we get to an earlier flowering time? Can we get more fruit out of an individual plant? Can we speed up the vegetative cycle? Can we do any of these phenology benefits that help growers out in an economical way that leads to profitability?” Eylands continues.

Today, that research is being done on tomatoes. While it’s in its early stages, the goal is for this research to reach commercial tomato production.

“We have a lot of different factors that might inhibit that right now. For one, we don’t really know the cost of this,” Eylands says. “It takes a plasma reactor to make these quantum dots. It’s very arduous, very difficult. We have plasma physicists over on the East Bank making these quantum dots, so it’s not something that I’m making in-house. However, through these collaborations, we’re able to get our hands on some of these and formulate some of this to work with plant growth.”

The Goal? Make Controlled Environment Ag More Profitable

The larger mission, Eylands says, is clear: make controlled environment agriculture more profitable for commercial growers — and bust the myth that growing indoors doesn’t pay.

“In controlled environment agriculture, we run into a problem of profitability. The economic model always has to work out,” Eylands says. “We pay for lights, we pay for infrastructure — all this equipment around us. That capital cost is pretty expensive. So, what I want to see is more productivity out of these plants so that when we look at production costs overall they come down for growers.”

One example in the Minnesota greenhouse: dwarf tomatoes growing in systems designed for leafy greens. Eylands says this approach could open new opportunities for farmers.

“What I think is really cool about this project is in most cases what you’re seeing in tomato growth is these tall houses with vining structures to trellis these tomatoes,” Eylands says. “They might be harvested on scissor lifts that are 20' tall. So, what we’re doing here is we’re also showcasing a way that you can take a setup that was made maybe for leafy greens like lettuce or kale or bok choy, something of nature, and allowing those growers to diversify their crop offerings by saying, ‘Hey, look at these dwarf tomatoes. These fit right in your your NFT (nutrient film techniques) hydroponic system here,’ so it’s allowing them options out there. Is this economic model going to work? If you can’t quite sell all your leafy greens, maybe sell.”

From light-bending nanoparticles to water-saving hydroponics, the work at the University of Minnesota could reshape how America’s produce is grown — and take profitability, for those growers, to new heights.

Widespread Warmth, Lingering Drought Dominate Early November Outlook

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:07:21 GMT

It’s been an unusually warm start to November, a trend that’s gripping the West and preventing moisture from reaching areas that need it. But that trend could shift later in the month, at least in terms of temperatures.

Several parts of the U.S. experienced their warmest November days on record in 2025, including Denver, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz. Other locations like Goodland, Kan., Sidney, Neb., and La Junta, Colo., also set daily record highs. But just how high are we talking?

Denver : Broke its all-time record November high, reaching 83°F and significantly exceeding the previous record of 78°F
Tucson : Set a record for the hottest day of the year on Saturday with 88°F, then broke its own record the next day with 92°F
Cheyenne : Recorded its latest-ever 70°F
San Jose : Reached 80°F

Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe, of Brian Bledsoe Weather, says through the first half of November, he expects above-normal temperatures across the western two-thirds of the country, with the Southeast seeing slightly cooler conditions.

“The western two-thirds of the country are just going to be a blowtorch,” he says.

Not Good News for Chances of Rain

It’s not just the warmth, but also the lack of moisture in the forecast. Bledsoe says rain chances will stay limited for most regions, especially the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast, where below-normal precipitation is likely. The Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Rockies are the exceptions, potentially seeing wetter-than-average conditions.

“We’re continuing to build on some of these dry areas that have expanded across much of the country,” Bledsoe says. “If you look at the current drought monitor, there’s still a good bit of the country suffering from drought.”

The most recent look at the U.S. Drought Monitor paints a troubling picture heading into winter.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

He notes that drought persists in the Southwest, where the monsoon season failed to deliver consistent rainfall. Washington, Idaho, and northwest Montana are also struggling with dryness, while parts of the Corn Belt — and even sections of the Northeast — remain abnormally dry.

“Absolutely, we have areas we need to work on,” he says. “But the current pattern just isn’t conducive to big storms bringing widespread moisture.”

Ridge Holds Firm Across the West

Bledsoe explains a strong ridge of high pressure anchored over the interior West — covering Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico — is pushing most storm systems northward.

A look at how the warmth will shift in November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

“That ridge is basically diverting the storm track,” he says. “Meanwhile, farther east — across the eastern Great Lakes and into the far eastern Corn Belt — we’ll be under the influence of a trough of low pressure. That brings a few chances for colder air and maybe some brief moisture, but it’s not a setup for big storms.”

Pattern Shift Possible Later in November

There is some hope for change as the month progresses. Long-range European models show the upper-level ridge beginning to weaken, opening the door for a more active storm track.

“As that ridge gradually breaks down, we’ll start to see less of the drier-than-average pattern,” Bledsoe says. “Areas farther north will likely see moisture first, and then hopefully that extends farther south into the Plains.”

Precipitation outlook for the first half of November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

Snow in the Forecast?

While the heat was the headline to start November, and continues to be the case in the western U.S., there will be a blip of not just cooler air, but much colder air that could bring snow to the central and eastern parts of the country. But it won’t last long.

AccuWeather says you’ll need to brace for a big change this weekend and early next week in the central and eastern United States . AccuWeather meteorologists warn the weather pattern indicates a surge of cold air and at least one storm capable of producing a band of accumulating snow across parts of the Midwest, followed by lake-effect snow and perhaps a bit of snow in portions of the Appalachians to the south.

AccuWeather says cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast.

(AccuWeather)

AccuWeather is calling it “Christmastime cold” that’s on the way.
Their meteorologists say a large push of cold air arrives this weekend, which will cause conditions to drastically change.

A significant dip in the jet stream is forecast to begin this weekend for the Central and Eastern states.

“Temperatures will feel more like mid-December or even Christmastime in many places by next week,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok says.

A storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

(AccuWeather )

But the cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

It may be temporary, but the colder air will bring chances of accumulating snow in areas of the Midwest and the Appalachians that are farther south and rather low in elevation, according to AccuWeather. The storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

“As we see it now, the most likely time for snow showers in Chicago that can bring a small accumulation is late Saturday night to Sunday morning,” Pastelok says. “Around Detroit the most likely timing for accumulating snow showers is from Sunday morning to Sunday midday.”

While an excessive accumulation of snow is not anticipated on the roads, AccuWeather says the snow can fall at a heavy enough rate near the Interstate 94 and 80/90 corridor to make for slushy conditions in some areas.

La Niña Watch Is On — Here’s How It Could Shake Up Drought and Winter Weather

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:42:11 GMT

Farmers across the U.S. are gearing up for a potentially volatile winter as the National Weather Service has placed the country under a La Niña Watch. But what does that really mean for the months ahead? Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions , says this winter’s pattern could be one to watch closely.

Weather Highlights from Now Through December

Expect an early-peaking La Niña, with the strongest impacts likely around Christmas.
Look for cold, snowy conditions in the north and dryness in the south.
Watch for frequent Arctic intrusions and an active Ohio Valley storm track.
Recharging soil moisture before freeze-up is critical, especially in the Midwest.
Persistent Cotton Belt drought could influence next summer’s Corn Belt outlook.
South America faces a wetter north/drier south split, which could affect global crop markets.

What a La Niña Watch Means

The Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 71% chance of La Niña conditions developing from October through December. CPC also issued a La Niña Watch , which means conditions are favorable for the development of La Niña within the next six months.

“La Niña just means the trade winds are fast across the equator,” Snodgrass explains. “When that happens, it tends to give us a very loopy jet stream throughout winter.”

That looping pattern is something Snodgrass says influences everything from temperature swings to precipitation.

“When you think about La Niña winters, they all have different flavors,” he says. “We’ve had four La Niñas in the last five winters. This would be the sixth one in that time frame. And the big question we have is: Is it going to deliver typical La Niña conditions?”

Historically, La Niña brings colder and snowier conditions across the northern U.S. and drier conditions in the South.

“We typically find that we’re dry from the Southwest, the Sun Belt to the Cotton Belt,” Snodgrass says. “We tend to be snowier and colder to the north — across parts of the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes. La Niña winters tend to be cold, tend to snow, but that’s not a guarantee — it’s a tendency.”

Early Peak, Quick Exit

This year’s La Niña is expected to be relatively short-lived.

“We think it’s going to peak early, probably right around Christmas, and probably quickly exit,” Snodgrass notes. “The big question I have is: What’s going to happen to the drought monitor between now and next April when we’re thinking about a La Niña winter?”

Moisture Deficits Are a Big Concern

Moisture is already top of mind for many growers. After an unexpectedly wet spring in some regions, conditions turned dry quickly, leaving soil moisture depleted.

“We need to get a lot of moisture before the ground freezes in parts of the Midwest,” he says. “If we can do that, we’ll lock that in and save it for spring.”

But getting there might involve a bumpy ride.

“There are a lot of indications right now that this winter could be fun,” Snodgrass says with a laugh. “When I say fun, that’s fun for me to forecast. That means most people don’t like those kinds of winters. They’re probably going to be pretty volatile — frequent but brief intrusions of really Arctic air.”

He says we recently saw a hint of that with the rain that hit the East Coast last week.

“That’ll set up an active storm track through the Ohio Valley most likely. We already saw our first nor’easter go up the East Coast just last weekend, and you look at all of that and you’re going, is this kind of the way things are going to shake down,” he adds.

If the pattern develops as expected, it could dramatically shrink drought coverage , which currently is covering 73% of the continental U.S.

“You add La Niña into the mix, and it could be a winter that takes the drought monitor from 73% maybe down to 43% or even below that,” he explains. “But the question will remain: Where did the drought stick around?”

Snodgrass is particularly concerned about lingering drought in the South.

“What I always worry about with La Niña winters is if Cotton Belt drought survives, especially in the Delta. And if it’s there by the time we get to spring, then I start to worry about Corn Belt drought the next summer,” he says. “So yes, this is going to be a critical winter for us.”

Analog Years Point to a Volatile Pattern

When asked about potential analog years, Snodgrass points to a recent and familiar one.

“The best analog is actually last year, 2024, which is kind of funny,” he says. “There are five different areas around the globe, and the ocean temperatures, plus the fall drought in the Mississippi basin, plus what’s going on in the Indian Ocean, plus what’s going on in South America — all of these things are like, hey, we just saw this. It was called last October, November.”

That year brought some memorable weather swings. Does that mean we should set ourselves up for a mild rest of fall and then a brutally cold January and February where it snows as far south as New Orleans? That’s what the U.S. experienced last winter, followed by a super wet spring.

“I hate to say it, but 2024 is kind of setting itself up to be an interesting analog to this year,” Snodgarass says. “But like I said, there’s no such thing as a perfect analog — we’ll have to sit and wait to see how it all unfolds.”

South America’s Split Forecast

La Niña’s impacts won’t be confined to the U.S.

“It tends to split South America from Brazil to Argentina,” Snodgrass explains. “Brazil tends to have a decent monsoon — tends to be wetter. They tend to love La Niña if you’re in the Cerrado. If you’re in southern Brazil, they start to get worried. They tend to see drier conditions. You get into Argentina, historically, it’s drier.”

Some areas have already received favorable early rains, while others are still waiting for the monsoon to ramp up. Not only have areas of Brazil seen good rains, but they’ve also been able to plant at a rapid pace.

“And others are going, wait a minute, we haven’t seen this monsoon get really going yet, and they’re waiting. I think it’s going to be a north versus south issue — wetter north, drier south,” Snodgrass says.

From Despair to Hope: Why a Farmer on the Brink of Suicide Chose to Keep Going

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:41:22 GMT

It’s starting to feel similar to the 1980s. Not only are farmers on the brink of financial collapse, but there’s another grim reality setting in: The number of farmers dying by suicide is on the rise, and it could be at a rate U.S. agriculture hasn’t seen since the 1980s.

Even though statistics on suicides among farmers aren’t reliable from the 1980s because many were deemed “accidents” during that time, some estimates point to more than 1,000 farmers dying by suicide during that crisis.

“Unfortunately, it just almost seems like it’s a pandemic situation. I mean, there’s a lot of it, and it’s sad,” says Brent Foreman, a farmer in Shelby County, Mo., who knows the impacts of farmer suicides all too well.

“From an agricultural perspective, there’s a lot of stress in this industry, especially now,” Foreman says. “And somebody that’s contemplating this. I would say, we as farmers, we like to try to fix things, and we’re pretty good at it, but you can’t fix everything. If you get to a point like that, please reach out to someone, a family member, a good friend. Just please try to get some help.”

Touched By Suicide Three Times

Foreman isn’t just a fellow farmer concerned about the number of farmer suicides today. He’s a life-long farmer who’s been impacted by farmers dying by suicide three times, and the first loss happened when he was just 12 years old.

“My grandfather was a wonderful man, the most important male figure in my life,” Foreman says. “It happened 54 years ago, and it leaves a heck of a hole in your heart still today.”

Sixteen years later, his younger brother died by suicide, another sudden and tragic loss where there were no signs something was wrong.

“And then just a little over two years ago, my brother-in-law, who was 68, took his life,” Foreman says. “I’m telling you, it’s a devastating thing for loved ones to have to go through. It is tough. It’s really tough.”

Foreman says with his brother-in-law, there were signs he was struggling. He tried to take his life one time, but didn’t succeed. That’s when the family tried to get him help, which he agreed to, even going in for treatment.

“We thought that things were getting better, but they weren’t,” Foreman says. “At the beginning, I consulted our preacher, and I said: ‘I need some prayer and I need some advice.’ And he said: ‘Well, I do want to tell you something. I want you to be able to be prepared if you fail. Can you handle that?’ And I said: ‘Well, what I can’t handle is if I don’t try. I have to try.’

Experiencing three suicides, all by loved ones he was extremely close to, has been devastating. Foreman says the emotions are still raw today.

“It’s tough to live with, going through that so many times,” he says. “When I was a youngster I always told myself, the hurt, that’s something I would never do to anyone else. I just made like a pact with myself that I would never do that, because I’ve seen and lived firsthand how it affects you. From a family’s perspective, the pain goes on and on; it doesn’t quit. My wife, from her perspective, I can just see it in her eyes almost daily, the devastation.”

‘When We Lose Hope, It’s a Dangerous Place to Be’

When a person loses hope, that’s when the situation turns bleak.

“Sadly, that is the end all for a lot of people,” Jolie Foreman, executive director at Shelby County Cares , says. “Hope is key. If you have hope, you can keep going. When you lose hope, it’s just a very dangerous place to be.”

Lafayette County, Mo., farmer Ethan Daehler has been there.

“It was actually 2019 was kind of my low point,” he says.

Just six years ago, this Missouri farmer hit rock bottom.

“I was pretty much just down in the dumps, ready to just give up on life,” he says. “Thank the Lord something happened that kind of changed my way of thinking.”

In his early 30s, Ethan Daehler knows what it’s like to be on the verge of suicide. In 2019, he hit a low point. But something saved him, and he hopes by sharing his story, he will reach other farmers in a similar state of mind, reminding them that life is worth living.

(Ethan Daehler, Missouri Farmer )

Battling ongoing pain from an accident and stress of work, as well as struggles with the dynamics of a family farm, it all compounded the issue and pushed Daehler to a breaking point.

“I had a full-time job at the time working for another farmer and trying to do my own small operation,” he says. “We had family issues, which happens to a lot of farmers. There is a lot that compounds into thoughts, it’s just not financial problems, and I think that’s what people need to understand.

Daehler is now proof that it’s worth finding a reason to live, and he is only sharing his story to possibly save someone who’s in a similar spot as he was in 2019.

“There’s more to life,” he says. “I’m in a tractor now, baling hay, this is my fourth cutting. This is what I kind of dreamed of. Find something you love doing.”

A Mission to Prevent Farmer Suicides

That pain is something that fueled his daughter-in-law’s work. Jolie Foreman is the executive director at Shelby County Cares , a nonprofit whose goal is to improve the quality of life for children, youth and adults.

“I knew that we were very resource poor,” Jolie says. “So when I heard that this opportunity was available, we jumped on it, and we’ve just grown from the bottom up. We are definitely grassroots. They had faith in us in what our vision was, and they invested in it.

Through a grant,Jolie’s initial focus wasn’t suicide, but as she started doing research, she discovered there was a desperate need to provide help.

“My family had been impacted by suicide, and that’s kind of why I had jumped on board in the beginning,” she says. “But once we sat down at the table and really started to dive into the names and being in a small town, we know all of those lives that have been lost to suicide up here, that the producer was the one that was struggling.”

Fall Typically Heightens the Stress and Struggles

Jolie says they are currently seeing an increase in the number of farmer suicides happening across the country. Some of that is due to the various stresses involved with farming, but she says the fall is typically when the number of suicides in agriculture rises even more.

“In the spring, there’s a lot of hope,” Jolie says. “You’re planting, you’re coming off of the year that may have been good, may have been bad, but there’s always hope in the spring. And come September, I think the stark reality starts to set in either the pricing and the yields.”

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month , and when it comes to agriculture the facts are startling. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. The suicide rate among male farmers, ranchers and ag managers is 43.7 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the National Rural Health Association.

The mounting financial pressures unfolding across the agricultural economy are adding another layer to an industry that already faces one of the highest rates of suicide compared to any other profession.

“Suicide is one of those things that’s hard to put on a scale,” Jolie says. “I mean we know the lives we’ve lost. We unfortunately can’t see the lives that we’ve saved, but I do know from talking to the local ambulance district that the calls have definitely increased; 988 is a huge resource here, and those calls have gone up and increased exponentially. And just through conversations I know that that rural agricultural piece is pressing behind it.”

She says one of the most startling discoveries she’s made during her research and work is the desensitization to death among farmers. She says through various conversations, it’s a reality that’s sad but true.

It’s Not Just Financial Stress That Causes Strains on Farmers’ Mental Health

Jolie says it’s not just financial stress that causes these struggles. It’s also the fact farming comes with many stresses, and for the most part, many farmers are so isolated and might not have access to adequate healthcare.

AgriSafe says if you’re a farmer, rancher, or farmworker, you already know that your work can expose you to a variety of hazards. They believe that with proper education and access to knowledgeable health professionals, farmers can live a long, healthy, and productive life.

(The Total Farmer Health Model, AgriSafe)

According to AgriSafe’s Total Farmer Health , the financial factor is one that can compound mental health struggles, but there are other factors that lead to the risks of farmer suicides including:

Weather
Sleep
Cognition
Social
Diet
Hazards
Spirituality
Healthcare
Fitness

Signs to Watch

And for family and friends, there are signs to watch out for, including neglect of the farm or ranch or even an individual who makes a big financial moves.

“Financial moves are also huge, which is why we’ve talked to attorneys, and we also talked to the financial providers like different banks,” Jolie says. “Are they moving their money? Are they giving away prize possessions? Are they changing their wills? Are they creating a sudden will? We just want to give those resources the tools that they need just to be like, ’Are you okay?’

Daehler says his message for someone in a dark place is you’re not alone. That message is something the Foremans also wants farmers to know.

“I want them to know that we care. I want to know they feed and fuel the world, but if their bucket is empty, they can’t pour into others,” Jolie says. “It’s OK to not be OK, to talk about it, to reach out, to ask your neighbor, to not afraid if you do see something or change in behavior or more isolation. Don’t be afraid to have that conversation. And there are a lot of people that care.”

Suicide Prevent Hotlines

It’s important to remember no matter where you are, there is help. 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline .

And for farmers, there is a specific farmer crisis hotline you can call that is toll-free at 866.586.6746.

The American Farm Bureau also has a Farm State of Mind campaign which builds awareness to reduce stigma and provides access to information and resources that promote farmer and rancher mental health wellness. You can visit that list of resources here .

President Trump Threatens New Round of Tariffs Over the Weekend: Here’s the Latest

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:39:36 GMT

U.S. commodity markets were down to start the week in Sunday night trade as the markets digested the latest tariff announcement by President Donald Trump. On Saturday, President Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1. The announcement came after a string of new tariff threats last week, as the Trump administration’s deadline for trade deals came due.

On Monday, President Trump continued with tariff talk, saying he would implement “severe tariffs” on Russia unless a peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days.

He provided few details on how they would be implemented but described them as 100% secondary tariffs, meaning they would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy.

The latest tariff threats weren’t good news for farmers looking to price fertilizer for fall, as StoneX Group says Russia is the United States’ top destination for both urea and UAN imports. StoneX points out Russia’s market chair has “grown substantially in recent years.”

Monday’s news follows a week where many anticipated trade deals. Instead, President Trump made a series of announcements with new tariffs. The new tariffs on Mexico and the European Union, which Trump announced Saturday, capped off a week of sweeping tariff threats.

Earlier in the week, Trump warned of a possible:

50% tariff on all copper imports
50% tariff on all goods from Brazil
35% tariff on Canadian goods
25% tariff on goods from Japan
25% tariff on imports from South Korea
200% tariff on imported pharmaceuticals

The positive side of the announcements is the Trump administration says any products covered under the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (UMCA) won’t face the new tariffs.

President Trump also sent letters to both Japan and South Korea last week, saying their goods will be taxed at 25% starting August 1st.

The President posted the two letters he sent to those countries’ leaders on his Truth Social site. In the letter to South Korea, he stated when it comes to Korea’s tariff and non-tariff polices and trade barriers, the relationship between the two countries has been far from reciprocal. He added the 25% tariff was far less than what he says is needed to eliminate a trade deficit disparity.

The letter to Japan added if Japanese companies decide to build or manufacture a product within the U.S., there will be no tariffs. Japanese and U.S. negotiators have been working for several weeks to try and reach a deal.

Lack of Progress Impacts Commodity Prices
The lack of trade announcements last week was just one factor that caused corn prices to tank, according to AgMarket.net’s Matt Bennett. While rain in the upper Corn Belt was also bearish for the markets, little to no movement on trade is also pressuring prices.

“We had no trade announcements, and then we continued to talk about tariffs. The unfortunate reality right now is it appears the administration is playing the long game, trying to get people to come to the table with better trade deals than what we currently have seen. But it certainly isn’t doing any favors for the corn market,” Bennett said on U.S. Farm Report this weekend. “I think something like a big trade agreement certainly could tilt the tide more in the favor of the corn market moving higher. Until you get that, with weather being as good as what it is, there’s nothing there.”

It’s not all bearish, though. Arlan Suderman of StoneX Group says the 50% tariff on Brazil is actually bullish for beef.

“We already have a shortage of protein in America with the cattle herd being shrinking over recent years because of lingering drought in the western half of the country, and supplies are tight. We’re just getting to the point of trying to rebuild those supplies, which holding back heifers, tightens up the supply of meat even more. We’re feeding to record-high carcass weights to try to fill the void. We’re increasing imports to record levels. Brazil is the primary supplier of those imports: 27% of our imports come from Brazil in the first five months of the year, according to the latest data we have available, that’s 666 million pounds. That’s 4% of consumption,” Suderman says.

If you think 4% doesn’t sound like a big deal, Suderman says it is - especially considering meat demand in the U.S. has turned out to be inelastic.

“We’ve been shifting from a starch-based diet more heavily toward protein-based. And as the prices go up, we’re actually increasing demand for beef and the other proteins - but we don’t have the supply of it. I think that could be a real problem going forward for the meat industry and the meat supply. We will have to find somewhere else to get that meat,” Suderman says.

Are Trade Deals Close?

While President Trump initially stated he had reached trade agreements with 200 countries, only a few have been officially announced. These include deals with China, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, however. Negotiations with other countries are ongoing, with the administration extending the deadline for tariff-related negotiations to August 1.

The European Union says it was working on sealing a trade deal with the U.S. by the end of this month, and the European Commission president says the EU was working closely with the Trump administration to reach a deal.

USDA Takes 'Bold Action' to Crack Down on Foreign-Owned Farmland, Targets China

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:04:07 GMT

The Trump administration is focusing on national security in agriculture, which includes action to help eliminate foreign-owned farmland. USDA unveiled the National Farm Security Action Plan this week, a strategy that is aimed at protecting and securing American farmland from foreign influence, as well as defending innovation.

The plan is the next pillar of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ Make Agriculture Great Again initiative. USDA calls it a “historic plan” that “elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation’s national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation’s food and agricultural systems.”

The Trump administration has been facing increased pressure to crack down on the amount of foreign-owned farmland in the U.S., especially surrounding U.S. military bases.

“We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods,” said Rollins. “This Action Plan puts America’s farmers, families, and future first — exactly where they belong. Under President Trump’s leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers.

“Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries, and more than 265,000 acres in the United States are owned by Chinese nationals, much of which is located near critical U.S. military bases ,” Rollins also told reporters Monday.

USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan, announced today under @SecRollins' Make Agriculture Great Again initiative, safeguards our food supply, strengthens infrastructure, & defends U.S. ag innovation from foreign adversaries.

🔗https://t.co/8wl5YfIzju pic.twitter.com/cqRv4PU6Th
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) July 8, 2025

In what USDA calls “aggressive action,” the agency says it is addressing seven critical areas, which include:

Secure and protect American farmland — Address U.S. foreign farmland ownership from adversaries head on. Total transparency. Tougher penalties.
Enhance agricultural supply chain resilience — Refocus domestic investment into key manufacturing sectors and identify non-adversarial partners to work with when domestic production is not available. Plan for contingencies.
Protect U.S. nutrition safety net from fraud and foreign exploitation — Billions have been stolen by foreign crime rings. That ends now.
Defend agricultural research and innovation — No more sweetheart deals or secret pacts with hostile nations. American ideas stay in America.
Put America first in every USDA program — From farm loans to food safety, every program will reflect the America First agenda.
Safeguard plant and animal health — Crack down on bio-threats before they ever reach American soil.
Protect critical infrastructure — Farms, food and supply chains are national security assets — and will be treated as such.

Rollins wasn’t alone in unveiling the new plan. Along with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and several state governors, Rollins says the Trump administration is creating a united front to address foreign threats.

FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, the Trump Administration launched the National Farm Security Action plan to protect our farmland and food supply from foreign threats. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/hUwxknmGYK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2025

“Getting an understanding of why foreign entities, companies and individuals buy up land around those bases. That’s something I should be paying attention to,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the press conference this week.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins conducts a news conference to announce the National Farm Security Action Plan and “discuss actions being taken to protect American agriculture from foreign threats,” outside the USDA Whitten Building on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also appear.

((Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA))

USDA says it’s launching a new online portal for farmers, ranchers, and others to report possible false or failed reporting and compliance with respect to Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA).

“Further, the portal will receive and review claims of adversarial foreign influence on federal, state, and local policymakers with respect to purchases of U.S. farmland and business dealings in other facets of U.S. agricultural supply chains. Submissions may be accepted anonymously or contact information may be provided for appropriate follow up by USDA.”

As background, USDA explained AFIDA requires foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture. USDA says In January 2024, the Government Accountability Office published a report on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land, which provided recommendations for enhancing efforts to collect, track, and share key information to identify national security risks.

Increasing Biosecurity Threats

Rollins specifically mentioned increasing biosecurity threats from China.

As AgWeb reported in June , another Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological materials related to roundworms into the U.S. for work at a University of Michigan laboratory. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements.

That followed two Chinese nationals charged with trying to smuggle a fungus , Fusarium graminearum, into the U.S. just a week prior.

USDA says those recent events highlight the critical need for this action.

“Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with smuggling a noxious fungus into the United States — a potential agroterrorism weapon responsible for billions in global crop losses. The scheme involved a U.S. research lab and highlighted a disturbing trend: America’s enemies are playing the long game — infiltrating our research, buying up our farmland, stealing our technology, and launching cyberattacks on our food systems. These actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America’s food and agriculture supply chain,” USDA said in a release.

Foreign-Owned Farmland By the Numbers

The foreign-owned farmland piece drew this biggest coverage out of USDA’s announcement this week . As AgWeb reported last year , when you look at the numbers, China doesn’t own the most farmland in the U.S.. According to a USDA report, it’s actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres. But as USDA said on Tuesday, the concern is the amount of farmland owned by China is growing.

Foreign-Owned Land by County

(USDA)

Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%. Together, citizens in those countries hold 13 million acres, or 29%, of the foreign-held acres in the U.S. China owns less than 1%, or 349,442 acres.

All told, 43.4 million acres of forest and farmland in the U.S., or 3.4% of all ag land, is foreign owned as of Dec. 31, 2022. Roughly 30 million of those acres are reported as foreign owned, with the remainder primarily under a 10-year-or-longer lease. Of the 30 million, 66% is owner-operated, 14% has a tenant or sharecropper as the producer and 12% report a manager other than the owner or a tenant/sharecropper as producer. The remaining 7% are “NA.”

USDA says the two biggest Chinese-owned companies with land holdings in the U.S. are Brazos Highland and Murphy Brown LLC, which owns Smithfield Foods. Brazos Highland reported owning 102,345 acres, and Smithfield owns 97,975 acres.

The top five states with the largest Chinese holdings are:

Texas at 162,167 acres
North Carolina at 44,776 acres
Missouri at 43,071 acres
Utah at 32,447 acres
Virginia at 14,382 acres

USDA reports those five states combined account for 85% of China’s farmland ownership. In Texas, USDA reports China has long-term leases associated with wind energy, and in North Carolina and Missouri, ownership is tied to Smithfield and producers who contract for pork production.

Unintended Consequences?

Foreign-held farmland has become a hot-button topic on Capitol Hill, but some warn unintended consequences could impact agriculture, especially for those industries who have companies that are Chinese owned. Just take Smithfield as an example. If Smithfield is targeted, some fear that could create more consolidation in the hog industry.

“It’s an emotional issue, and it’s not a simple issue either,” Jim Wiesemeyer, a long-time Washington analyst, told AgWeb. “I was recently in Missouri, and some commodity leaders worry about the negative consequences of going too far. No one’s saying China should not be watched relative to buying farmland near airports, national security is involved in that case, but more than a few farmers are looking at the potential downsides for pork producers who contract with Smithfield and the number of acres they own.”

While there isn’t a single, comprehensive ban on China owning farmland across all states, many states have introduced or enacted laws restricting or prohibiting foreign ownership of agricultural land, with a focus on China. That includes Texas, Florida and several Midwestern states that have enacted laws restricting or banning purchases by specific countries, including China.

One of those unintended consequences played out in Arkansas when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders

In 2023, Arkansas became the first state to enforce a law banning certain foreign entities from owning agricultural land, specifically targeting those deemed “prohibited foreign parties.” This action was taken against a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds , a Chinese-owned company, ordering them to divest their farmland.

“I’m announcing Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned agrichemical company, must give up its landing holdings in Arkansas,” said Sanders, referencing a 160-acre research site owned by Northrup King Seed, a Syngenta subsidiary.

Sanders was present as USDA rolled out the new plan this week.

“Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security,” said Sanders. “I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rollins for putting America first with this bold USDA Action Plan to protect our food supply, our economy, and our freedom.”

It’s an issue that’s not going away. More states are considering addressing foreign-owned farmland with legislation, as well.

🇨🇳There’s a troubling correlation between Chinese-owned farmland in America and the location of our military bases.

🌾Assembly Bill 4781 by Asm. Alex Sauickie, Asw. Dawn Fantasia, and me would stop this in its tracks in New Jersey.

🚨With today’s announcement by the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/1CGA7K9Iwj
— Mike Inganamort (@MikeInganamort) July 8, 2025

States Applaud USDA’s Aggressive Plan

Governors and state agriculture secretaries were on hand for the announcement this week, applauding USDA’s plan.

“Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children’s heritage. The National Farm Security Action Plan puts America First by defending our farmland from foreign adversaries and protecting our food supply, and I thank the Trump Administration for its bold leadership,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

“Farm Security = Food Security = National Security. Thanks to these actions taken by President Trump and his team, we can further protect the backbone of Nebraska’s economy from foreign adversaries like China. Homeland security starts at home, and we will continue to do our part in Nebraska,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a news release.

“I am grateful for Secretary Brooke Rollins’ bold leadership in advancing USDA’s Ag Security Agenda, which prioritizes safeguarding American agriculture and farmland from those who seek to undermine our nation’s food and energy security. Iowa’s multi-generation family farms are the backbone of our state’s economy and way of life. For decades, Iowa has banned the foreign ownership of farmland, a law we strengthened in 2024, to preserve our agricultural integrity and security while balancing the need for foreign business investment in our state. I fully support Secretary Rollins’ and the Trump Administration’s efforts to bolster enforcement, increase reporting, and enhance transparency of land ownership laws at the national level to guarantee that our American farmland remains in the hands of Americans,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

A Sigh of Relief? Trump Orders Pause on ICE Raids of Farms, Meatpacking Plants

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:58:53 GMT

President Donald Trump is reportedly ordering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) to pause raids on farms and meatpacking plants, softening the potential blow to industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor. The news comes after a week of ICE seemingly targeting dairy farms, California produce farms and a meat packing plant in Nebraska.

New York Times first reported on Thursday Trump said he would issue an order soon to address the effects of his immigration crackdown on the country’s farm and hotel industries, which rely heavily on immigrant labor. According to reports, the new directive still allows for investigations into serious crimes such as human trafficking.

“We will follow the president’s direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America’s streets,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told “U.S. Farm Report” in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security and top White House officials continue to say that ICE is targeting “criminals” and “criminal illegal aliens.” However, as more dairy farms and a meat production plant were targeted, that called into question if it’s just criminals ICE was targeting.

Recent Raids on Farms and Meatpacking Plants

The raid on Glenn Valley Foods, a meat production plant in Omaha, Neb., drew national attention. That raid is what the Department of Homeland Security called the “largest worksite enforcement operation” in the state during the Trump presidency.

Glenn Valley Foods was founded in 2009 by Gary Rohwer, and according to their website they sell steak, chicken and corned beef products to restaurants and grocery stores. Rohwer said he was surprised by the raid and had followed the rules regarding immigration status. The plant used E-Verify, a federal database used for checking employees’ immigration status. But the warrant by ICE officials that said they had identified 107-people who they believed were using fraudulent documents.

Congressman Don Bacon, R-Neb., told local media 75 to 80 people were detained, but four people were also arrested for assaulting ICE agents during the operation. Officials say an investigation is ongoing and additional arrests could be forthcoming, authorities said.

“While carrying out an enforcement operation in Omaha, Nebraska an illegal alien from Honduras threatened federal officers and agents with a box cutter. These are the type of threats and assaults our brave law enforcement face every day as they put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens,” McLauglin also said in a statement to Farm Journal. “Our ICE enforcement officers and agents are facing a 413% increase in assaults against them. Thankfully, no ICE law enforcement was hurt in this operation. The operation was successful and resulted in the arrest of 76 illegal aliens. This was the largest worksite enforcement operation in Nebraska under the Trump administration.”

It’s not just meatpacking plants that saw increased ICE presence last week. Immigration officials also continue to visit dairy farms across the country. There were reports of raids from South Dakota to New Mexico.

@HSIElPaso executed a search warrant at Outlook Dairy Farms in NM & arrested 11 illegal aliens for violations of fraud & misuse of visas, permits & other documents. 1 was previously removed from the US, 9 banned from the US. LeaCountySO HSILasCruces HSI Roswell #EROElPaso #WSE pic.twitter.com/PzLKBJIdQE
— HSI El Paso (@HSIElPaso) June 4, 2025

ICE shared a photo on X saying it executed a search warrant at “Outlook Dairy Farms” in Lovington, N.M. Officials say they arrested 11 people for violations of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, including nine who investigators say were already banned from the U.S.

The owner of the dairy farm told the Albuquerque Journal that the people arrested supplied him with false paperwork and that following an audit before the raid he’d been required to fire 24 other workers on the farm.

Worries were starting to mount as ICE raids ramped up on dairy farms, according to DairyHerd.com .

By the Numbers: A Heavy Reliance on Immigrant Labor

The news this week of the Trump administration putting a pause on raids of farms and meat processors is welcome news for those in agriculture. From dairies and produce farms, to meatpacking plants across the U.S., those are sectors that rely heavily on immigrant labor.

Immigrant labor makes up a substantial portion of the meat processing workforce, with estimates ranging from 37% to over 50%; however, states like South Dakota and Nebraska have even higher concentrations of immigrant workers in meat processing, reaching 58% and 66%, according to the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute

And a large portion of U.S. dairy farms rely on immigrant labor, with estimates indicating that over half of all dairy workers are immigrants. Specifically, these workers account for 51% of the total dairy workforce and are responsible for producing 79% of the U.S. milk supply.

Farmworker Justice estimates 70% of the produce industry’s farmworkers are immigrants. USDA’s estimates are lower, estimating that number is closer to 60%.

Ripple Effect of Immigration Crackdown

No matter the exact number, it’s clear agriculture- and the produce industry- relies on an immigrant workforce. According to an exclusive report by Farm Journal’s The Packer , the ripple effect of Trump’s immigration crackdown on agriculture could be far-reaching, if the administration revives its focus on ag.

Kevin Kelly is CEO of Emerald Packaging, which is the largest flexible packaging supplier to the leafy greens industry and based in Union City, Calif. The company has been in the packaging business for 62 years, and says the immigrant workforce in California is feeling uncertain and afraid.

“We’ve certainly heard that folks aren’t turning up to work in the fields, and we’ve seen it in our facility. And we verify everybody, so we know everybody in our facility is documented and can legally work in the United States,” Kelly tells Jennifer Strailey, editor of The Packer. “In our case, it’s brothers and sisters being deported, and other family members being afraid, and our employees staying home to help their family members move, to take care of them or to take them to see an attorney, that kind of thing.”

In an early morning raid, ICE agents are seen chasing farmworkers through an Oxnard field. The raids coming as the federal gov't ramps up immigration enforcement in SoCal. Continuing coverage of the ICE raids, protests and unrest - Tonight at 11 from ABC7. https://t.co/bSJpCk8byb pic.twitter.com/oQQismAu2j
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 11, 2025

He says there’s an irony taking place, as some of their employees voted for the current administration with the assumption only criminals would be targeted in an immigration crackdown. But he says “that’s clearly not what’s happening.” He says harvesting lettuce is back-breaking work, and it’s work that they can only find immigrant labor to do.

“We should be handing them gold stars, not throwing them out of the country,” Kelly says.

Kelly adds that half of the nation’s farm labor is undocumented. That includes electricians, plumbers and welders that the U.S. all relies on.

“And now it’s suddenly occurring to us that we rely on them?” he says.

The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE), a national association focusing on agricultural labor issues from the employer’s viewpoint, recently sent a letter to the Trump administratio n.

“The Council and our members are encouraged by President Trump’s recent comments recognizing the critical importance of the agricultural workforce. His comments are spot on. After years of being subjected to pejorative policies that ignored the realities of rural America and often demonized those living and working in those communities, the President’s comments are a welcome change of pace: we must protect our Farmers,” NCAE stated in the letter.

NCAE also said “he success or failure of America’s hardworking farmers and ranchers largely depends upon their ability to find ready, willing, able, and qualified labor to help them complete the countless tasks it takes to grow food to feed the nation and the world.”

Why Can’t Congress Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform

It’s evident immigration reform is a major issue for agriculture. No matter who you talk to in agriculture, if they use any part of the immigration system, they will tell you it’s broken.

With an inadequate immigration system in the U.S., why can’t it be fixed? According to agricultural economists surveyed in Farm Journal’s Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor , it’s too political.

One economist said, “Immigration reform is a huge issue for the U.S. economy and must be addressed. However, it is so politically sensitive that very few Senators or Congressmen are willing to push the issue.”

“Congress has a vested interest in keeping this issue unresolved in the current partisan environment,” said another economist.

“Getting anything started and passed in an election year will be tough, let alone something as confrontational as immigration,” was another economists’ response.

Greater border enforcement and mass deportations were two major pledges made by Trump as he campaigned to reclaim the White House. But as Congress continues to debate Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” immigration reform doesn’t seem to be on Congress’ near-term agenda.

Your Next Reads:

Bracing for Significant Disruption: Q&A with Emerald Packaging CEO Kevin Kelly in Wake of ICE Raids

Worries Mount as ICE Raids Ramp Up On Dairy Farms

5 Options to Consider During Farmland Transitions

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:40:34 GMT

Transitions are hard. It doesn’t matter what the transition involves, the nature of moving from one thing to the next is complicated. Farmland may be one of the toughest, says Steve Bohr of Farm Financial Strategies in Lisbon, Iowa.

“Farmers often believe that what differentiates him or her is their ability to own the land,” Bohr explains. “And by God, you’re not taking it away from them. A lot of times, land ownership doesn’t transfer until death, and I’m OK with that. But we’ve got to drill down and figure out how that land is going to transition from one generation to the next.”

Over the years, he’s discovered there are three fundamental areas of concern in an estate and farm transition plan that each family should independently address — cost of administration, creditor protection, and transition plans for land and operating assets.

He shares five options to consider for the transition of land assets.

1. Give the land to the farmer.
The first option is to get the land transitioned to those who are farming it or have an affinity to own it, Bohr says. Each generation cannot afford to take a step back in equity and expect to compete in today’s marketplace.

“The clear problem with that is, how are we fair to the ones who aren’t interested in farming? Every family is different,” he says.

If your family is expecting to farm the same (or more) acres with a land base that has been divided across siblings, each generation will be in a weaker position to complete. How many times will your family have to pay for the same land? Which generation will eventually lose it due to no fault of their own (other than choosing to carry on the legacy)?

2. Divide the land equally.
An undivided ownership in real estate can cause great anxiety for the owners of the land who want to farm it or who want to continue to own it, he explains. There is a greater chance of peace if you divide the land, but also a greater chance it gets away from the family.

“Most people believe this is the answer,” Bohr says. “I don’t believe that, because the problem with dividing the land is that it’s a recipe for the land to get away from us. Whether it’s divorce, bankruptcy or poor planning.”

At some point in time, the more people involved, and the more independence those people have, the land’s going to get away from you. If it doesn’t, then it has to be divided again at the next generation. By the time you divide a farm two generations, the grandkids don’t have enough to be able to farm.

“We are dividing ourselves right out of the plat book,” Bohr says.

3. Deed land into a family trust.
Leaving the land in trust after death may be a wise option for families who cannot afford to get the land to one heir and who do not want to divide their land. There are solid reasons to leave the land in trust for management, including if one or more children have marital, money or addiction issues or if one or more children are independently wealthy.

Oftentimes, leaving land in trust gives a false sense of security that may be deferring the problem to the future.

“When we leave it in trust, we’re asking for big problems. Whenever that land comes out of trust, it can be very inflexible,” Bohr says.

4. Create a family land entity.
A land entity like a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Family Limited Partnership (FLP) has become popular for a family where the first three options do not fit.

“I call this the boomerang plan because the rules in the operating agreement of the entity always bring the land back to the family,” he says.

Those entities will have rules, and within the entities, those rules will talk about lease options and purchase options at family pricing and terms, whatever that looks like. A vast majority of them are special use paid over a 30 -year contract so they can guarantee opportunity and affordability for family members.

5. Develop a hybrid plan.
There is not one plan that fits all families. That’s why a combination of multiple options sometimes works best for most families. A hybrid plan gives everybody an opportunity.

“Right now in succession planning, I think we have to give a huge amount of understanding to what will or won’t cash flow,” Bohr says. “What are the tax ramifications? What is the timing of the transition? And are we going to give an adequate opportunity to those who are going to be that next generation in our communities, paying taxes, going to churches, going to schools?”

Your Next Read: How an Iowa Family is Passing on the Farm from One Generation to the Next

When Farmers Can Expect the Next Round of American Relief Act Payments

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:51:12 GMT

USDA is currently in the trenches of issuing the nearly $31 billion in total disaster and emergency relief aid to farmers and ranchers in four stages. That money was appropriated by Congress as part of the American Relief Act, which was passed in December of 2024. In an exclusive interview with Farm Journal on Monday, USDA Deputy Undersecretary Brooke Appleton said the next round of disaster aid payments could be coming the first full week of July.

USDA began issuing the $1 billion in emergency livestock relief program payments last week, which is the latest in a series of disaster and emergency relief. Appleton told Farm Journal that instead of holding the money and issuing it all at once, USDA decided to issue the payments in four phases, as USDA wanted to get assistance out to producers as quickly as possible.

“We had ECAP (Emergency Commodity Assistance Program) , we now have the Emergency Livestock Relief Program, we’re going to have supplemental disaster relief, and then we’re going to have another emergency livestock relief program to cover the flood losses that we saw in ‘23 and ’24,” Appleton said. “So, we’re kind of doing it in stages, it should stream out all through the summer really, and so I’m hoping that that kind of can relieve some of that financial stress.”

Appleton said USDA has issued $7.7 billion out of the appropriated $10 billion in direct payments under ECAP so far, which was the first stage of payments. Sign-ups for that program began in March. USDA initially issued 85% of a producer’s projected payment, with the remaining 15% expected after sign-ups close on Aug. 15.

Just last week, USDA announced the details surrounding $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments , which is the second phase of the American Relief Act. Those payments are being dispersed now, and it covers grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events that happened in 2023 and 2024. That round of the program doesn’t require producers to sign up, as USDA is using existing information. Since the program was announced on May 29, USDA says it’s dispersed more than $641 million in payments to livestock producers who suffered grazing losses during that time.

“FSA is leveraging existing livestock forage disaster program data to streamline these payments and calculations to expedite that relief. So this was unlike most of our programs, farmers and ranchers didn’t have to go into the office to sign up,” Appleton said. “We already have the information. So those emergency relief payments were automatically issued to producers who had already had their data into their FSA office. And those payments started going out in earnest last week, so May 30.”

The next round of American Relief Act disaster aid payments is the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, which is the larger amount appropriated by Congress. Appleton told Farm Journal details surrounding those payments are being prepared now, and USDA expects to issue those payments next month. The amount of money that will go out during the next round isn’t known at this time, as a USDA official says the agency is still “working diligently to balance the needs with the available funding.”

“The larger supplemental disaster program that is part of that is making its way through the process right now at USDA and other government agencies,” Appleton said. “The timeline for that, we’re targeting to sign up farmers by the first full week in July, so maybe the week of July 7. That will be literally every crop production loss that has happened for ‘23 and ’24, and that’s just additional disaster assistance that was legislated by Congress.”

Once those payments are released, USDA’s final phase of the American Relief Act will be another emergency livestock relief program, but this covers flood losses producers saw in 2023 and 2024.

Appleton says that’s been the most difficult program to outline and detail, as USDA has never administered a disaster program for livestock that covered losses due to flooding.

“We’ve never had a disaster program for livestock that triggered on flooding, so that piece of it is going to take us a little bit longer,” she said. “And that’s something that’s another piece of this larger disaster package. It’s going to roll out later this summer, but as these programs are ready to go and ready to roll out, we’re focused on doing it as soon as we can, rather than holding them all and doing it all at once. We want to make sure as soon is the assistance is ready to go, we are getting it out and we’re getting it to the folks who need it.”

Congress earmarked $2 billion for livestock losses due to droughts, wildfires and floods. The first livestock disaster aid announced last week totaled $1 billion, which means another $1 billion should be dispersed through the livestock disaster payments that cover losses due to flooding.

USDA says it is fully committed to expediting remaining disaster assistance provided by the American Relief Act 2025. On May 7, it launched its 2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance public landing page where the status of USDA disaster assistance and block grant rollout timeline can be tracked.

Ross Chastain's Win in the Coca Cola 600 is a Big Win for Agriculture and the Florida Watermelon Industry

Mon, 19 May 2025 20:07:51 GMT

In a remarkable story of resilience, NASCAR driver Ross Chastain won his first race of the season on Sunday, marking his sixth win of his career.

What made the win at the Coca Cola 600 so impressive is he actually started the race in last position after a crash during practice on Saturday meant he was unable to set a lap time in qualifying. But what makes the win even more remarkable is he was in a backup car.

The first win of the season meant he also got to smash a watermelon in victory lane to celebrate, which is a tradition he started to toast to his farming ties. Chastain, who’s known as The Watermelon Man, because of his family’s background in watermelon farming.

“This thing is fresh from Florida,” Chastain said with a laugh after his win. “It just came up from our family farm. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that’s your watermelons you’re getting right now, so y’all better go buy a dang watermelon to celebrate. I want to see videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I want to see it. Florida watermelons are in season.”

As a Kid, Chastain Just Wanted to Farm

Behind the wheel of this No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1 race car is exactly where you’ll find Ross Chastain today, but growing up on a farm in southern Florida, NASCAR wasn’t his original dream. As a kid, all Chastain wanted to do was farm.

“I wanted to be like my dad and like my granddaddy and my uncle and be like those guys that told me stories of our ancestors and generations before us growing up in south Georgia during the hard times, but seeing we were living through good times,” says Chastain.

Chastain’s father, a seventh-generation watermelon farmer, raced as a hobby. Chastain and his brother, Chad, are the eighth generation. His family got their start in south Georgia before moving to southern Florida in the 1950s. It’s a place his brother and the rest of his family still farm today.

“Even as I started in NASCAR I thought it was just still a hobby, and I going to school, even started college to get a business education to try to be a little better well versed in what the farm was going to be tasked with in the next couple decades,” says Chastain. “But I never went back. I moved to North Carolina in 2012 and decided to make this a career.”

How He Got His Start in Racing

While his dad raced as a hobby, Chastain is a first-generation NASCAR driver. With a natural love to be behind the wheel, Chastain says he was infatuated with driving anything he could as a kid.

“I just remember driving stuff,” he says. “My dad would have me drive things on the farm as a kid. And then when I first raced, it was late 2005, and my dad asked if I wanted to try driving a race truck. So, he let me drive it around our packing house first. We had a metal building that we packed the watermelons in. It had a shell with dirt driveway around it, and he let me drive until I got going too fast.”

After a couple of laps, his dad stopped him and said, “Let’s go to the track.”

“So, we packed up that Friday night, went over to the track I remember the first time on the track, then that Saturday night racing,” Chastain says. “I crashed, but I fell in love with it. And it didn’t scare me. It was something I liked. I wasn’t good at it by any means, but I fell in love early on.”

Chastain says he was hooked, not only to the adrenaline rush of racing, but also hooked to the wrecker after he crashed.

“But they pulled the bumper bar back out, my dad did, it was still hooked to the wrecker,” he says. “He hooked the chain to the four-wheeler and jerked the bumper out and sent me back out. He asked, ‘Do you want to go back out?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I want to finish the race.’”

Chastain Wants to Share the Story of Agriculture

The Ross Chastain on the track is a fierce competitor whose goal is to win, but off the track he wants to share the story of ag.

“A lot of what I want to do now is tell the stories,” says Chastain. “I want to tell our family’s story. I think I’ve done a decent job of that, but also other farmers.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Like a Farmer (@likeafarmerpodcast)

Through a series called “Ag to Asphalt,” Chastain is shining a light on agriculture and bringing those stories to a national stage.

“To grow our food here in the us is only getting harder, and there are less people and less families involved all the time,” he says. “I like hanging out with farmers. So, if i get to go and hang out with them for the afternoon, see their operation, let them tell their story, show off their family, let him brag a little, and then sit around on the tailgate when we’re all done and have a Busch Light. I mean, I am the Busch Light guy, I’m a beer drinker, and we get to sit around and then just, once the cameras are off, just hang out and actually get to know them. One, selfishly, that’s cool. I like that, and i have this unique platform to share it.”

My family farm, and family farms all across our country are harvesting, farming, or planting watermelons.

🍉 Fact! You need 3️⃣ things to grow watermelon ➡️ ☀️ 🐝 💧 #MelonPartner #WatermelonEveryday pic.twitter.com/4X27vquUyY
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) May 8, 2025

Social Media Amplifies His Love for Ag

With nearly 140,000 followers on Instagram and 130,000 followers on X , Chastain is making an impact both on and off the track

“I have a social media platform, and I have the NASCAR platform to amplify it,” says Chastain. “The main job is to go race on Sundays, but if on a Thursday afternoon I can travel in early to a race weekend like here and go out to a farm, that’s cool for me, and I like that. No one is making me do it, but I like it, and it’s rewarding to see these operations and see how they’re adapting, what the new technology is and how they are continuing to survive .. and it can be scary at times to think about American ag and agriculture in general, but there’s families out here doing it.

At just 32 years old, Chastain hopes he gets to continue his dream of racing for years to come. But what does he want his legacy to be? Well, it’s twofold.

“Winning on Sundays is the ultimate goal, and then agriculture gets to come along with that; all the extra stuff gets to come along with that, but my life’s goal is to win more in Cup,” he says.

Chastain’s main sponsor partners include Busch Light, Kubota, Chevrolet, Trackhouse and more, but he is also sponsored by several agricultural companies, including New Leaf Symbiotics.

Watch the U.S. Farm Report segment featuring Ross Chastain’s journey to NASCAR and life on the farm.

59% of Ag Economists Think Congress Won’t Pass a New Farm Bill Until 2026

Thu, 08 May 2025 20:25:18 GMT

It’s a contentious battle continuing to play out in Congress. Two years overdue, Congress still hasn’t passed a new farm bill, and as the calendar approaches the half-way point of 2025, optimism of passing a farm bill this year is waning.

The April Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found most agricultural economists think it could be 2026 before we see Congress finally pass a new bill. One reason why, according to agricultural economists, is the fact Congress passed $10 billion in financial relief payments late last year.

The April Monthly Monitor asked the nearly 70 ag economists surveyed each month when they think Congress will pass a new farm bill:

59% said 2026
24% think it won’t happen until 2027
18% said the second half of 2025.

April Ag Economists’ Monthly Montior

(Lindsey Pound)

None of the economists think Congress will pass a new farm bill in the first half of 2025. The survey also asked economists, “Does the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) program make it more difficult for Congress to pass a new farm bill this year?

62% said yes
38% responded no.

Most major agricultural groups argue that the current farm bill is outdated. Passed in 2018, it was designed to cover five years. Congress has passed an extension for two straight years that’s helped agriculture limp along, but another extension might not suffice in addressing the current financial pain being felt on the farm, especially for cotton and rice farmers.

Other Hurdles for Passing a Farm Bill in 2025

Even with the GOP in control of the House and Senate, it’s no secret one of the main obstacles in passing a new farm bill, or any bill in Washington, is the budget.

The April Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor asked economists what are the biggest hurdles in passing a new farm bill, the top response was budget. But economists also say Congress is racing against a calendar, and deeper cuts to SNAP could end up hurting agriculture priorities in the end. One economist even argued ARC and PLC just aren’t effective programs.

“The farm bill just isn’t as important to the administration as is getting their policy agenda through Congress,” said one economist.
“The budget. If farm legislation is approved in 2025, it will likely be part of the budget reconciliation bill and passed without Democratic support, meaning increased support for farmers is provided by deeper cuts in SNAP. Only if that effort collapses is there any real possibility of a bipartisan farm bill,” said another economist in the anonymous survey.
“In general, Congress has difficulty passing any legislation. This is very detrimental to the long-run health of U.S. agriculture and the U.S. economy. We simply have to address entitlements and deficit spending in the next few years.”
“If the new farm bill has to have no new spending similar to the 2018 farm bill, then which title wins and which title loses is the biggest fight,” an economist said in the April survey.
“They have to be working on a bill first. Currently, I do not think a bill is even in the works,” said another economist.
“Pushing back on SNAP,” stated an economist.

Bottom line: The likelihood of passing a farm bill this year is low. Both the Senate and House Committees say it’s a top priority and are working behind the scenes to get a farm bill passed this year, but similar bottlenecks remain, which are a lack of additional funding and a polarized Congress. Debates were heated this week, and the blame game continues. Until Congress can find a way to compromise on Title I and SNAP, the stalemate could continue.

Concerns About a Recession in Agriculture

The farm economy doesn’t seem to be improving. The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor shows agricultural economists are also growing more pessimistic about the ag economy. The April survey found 72% of ag economists say the row crop side of agriculture is in a recession, up from 62% last month. Eighty-two percent of economists also think this could force more consolidation in agriculture.

Desert blooms: How urban farming transforms Las Vegas schools

Mon, 05 May 2025 19:30:38 GMT

Editor’s note: The following is part of an ongoing “Sowing Change” series about urban farming.

In the heart of Las Vegas, a quiet revolution is taking place in schoolyards. Green Our Planet , one of the largest school garden programs in the U.S., is transforming how students connect with their food, their environment and their future.

The Packer spoke with Elizabeth Schroeder, senior farmer for Green Our Planet, about the program’s growth from a single pilot to a citywide movement changing young lives.

A program takes root

Every movement starts with a spark. For Green Our Planet, that spark ignited from a desire to connect students to the natural world while addressing critical issues like nutrition, STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) and water conservation in a city known more for its bright lights than its greenery.

The program is achieving its goal, now in 44 states and five countries, with impressive results; in surveys, 93% of students show an increase in STEM content knowledge; 83% of students show an increase in behavior, STEM engagement and healthy eating habits.

What began as a few raised beds in Las Vegas has grown to over 200 school gardens across the city. These gardens aren’t simply beautifying the schoolyards; they’re also improving student engagement, boosting science test scores and fostering healthier eating habits.

Elizabeth Schroeder, senior farmer, started at Green Our Planet in September 2022.

(Photo courtesy of Green Our Planet)

A need to learn the land

Before heading to Las Vegas, Schroeder farmed in South Carolina and Florida. The move to the desert brought new challenges.

“This is the place I’ve had to be the most resilient, because in South Carolina and Florida we [literally] stuck a tomato in the ground and it grew with barely any irrigation,” Schroeder says.

The desert environment leads to a short planting window as well.

“If you don’t get your seeds in early, it just won’t work,” she says. “For example, in planting pumpkins, we get them in as early as possible in the hopes that the plant will be big enough to withstand the extreme summer heat.”

It gets so hot that the plants experience a dormant season in the middle of summer, says Schroeder, adding that farmers use cover crops as part of organic practices.

“We use the chop-and-drop method to mulch the soil because we really like to have physical barriers to shade the soil,” she says. “That helps so much.”

A calling to teach

Schroeder started at Green Our Planet in September 2022. After staying home with her daughter for two years and growing food together in their backyard, she says she learned the value of teaching children to grow food.

“We learned together, composting and getting our hands dirty, so when I got the position with Green Our Planet, I knew it was the perfect job,” she says.

The chance to work in gardens and get children involved felt like a calling.

Schroeder started as a farmer and worked up to the senior farmer position, in which her main role is educating the rest of the farmer team about growing practices.

Three teams of two people work the gardens and visit each school garden once every two weeks. To fill the time when they’re not on site, Schroeder says they educate students and teachers to care for their gardens in the interim.

In addition to learning from the growing experience, students put on a large student farmers market twice each year.

(Photo courtesy of Green Our Planet)

Fruits of their labor

In addition to learning from the growing experience, students put on a farmers market twice each year, which Schroeder says is the largest student-run farmers market in the nation.

“The students come out and harvest on the morning of the market. During the week, they’re out there pulling weeds, planting stuff as part of the garden clubs,” she says. “At the farmers markets, the students take the vegetables and crafts they’ve created and sell them. Then all of the profit gets reinvested back into the garden club at each school.”

Students also take home produce to enjoy.

“It’s not fun that there are food deserts, but it is fun that I get to show kids that they can eat fresh food in the food deserts around Las Vegas,” Schroeder says. “There are some places you can only go to a corner store for anything to eat or a food truck or something.”

But now, children and adults alike are learning where bees come from, where peas come from and how strawberries grow, she says.

“It’s cool to teach people how their food grows, where it comes from and how long it takes to grow things that we can readily buy at the grocery store,” Schroeder says. “So many people don’t realize where our food comes from.”

Your next read:

How Growing Gardens builds resilient communities

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:06:00 GMT

Growing Gardens in Portland, Ore., is planting more than just vegetables — it’s planting hope.

The nonprofit has been an important part of the city’s food landscape for nearly 30 years, creating what Executive Director Jason Skipton calls “garden-based interventions,” in an effort to “build and create equitable communities centering garden-based education and leadership development in agriculture.”

Growing Gardens has three core programs: Home Gardens, which plants in Portland backyards; Lettuce Grow, a hands-on, garden-based education for incarcerated students; and Youth Grow, a program that works with Portland public schools to provide learning gardens and hands-on education.

“Home Gardens is a three-year program where we offer support to gardeners who are interested in learning to grow their own food,” says Rashae Burns, who directs this program for Growing Gardens. “We give them seeds, plant starts, workshops and one-on-one support to the gardening spaces at home or spaces [elsewhere].”

Roma Leiva, home gardens partnership coordinator for Growing Gardens, says the Home Gardens program is an empowering process for home growers.

“This is a place where you can learn. You can learn constantly and be empowered to create your own garden, even if it’s to grow in a pot at home,” Leiva says.

Through hands-on support, education and ongoing mentorship, Growing Gardens is helping families grow their own fresh food, right at home. For many participants, this is a first step toward food security, better health and community ties, showing that food justice can start one seed at a time.

“Now is the time to invest in our local food system,” Skipton says. “Come and join us.”

Your next read: Portland’s urban farmers fight to keep fresh food flowing to underserved communities

Promising Potential? Why India Poses the Biggest Opportunity for Trade, But Also the Biggest Challenge

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:45:47 GMT

As trade tensions continue to impact both commodity and financial markets, the White House says the Trump administration is making progress on additional trade deals. The news comes as Vice President JD Vance was in the middle of a four-day visit to India, with both countries saying they had made progress in negotiating a bilateral trade deal. Delhi hopes this deal will help it avoid higher tariffs.

Vance announced the U.S. and India have “officially finalized the terms of reference for the trade negotiation.” He called it a “vital step,” saying it sets a roadmap toward a final deal.

India is just one of several trade deals in the works, according to the Trump administration. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday the Trump administration now has “18 proposals on paper” for trade deals.

“You have Secretary Bessent, Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, NEC Director Hassett and Peter Navarro, the entire trade team meeting with 34 countries this week alone,” Leavitt said in the press briefing. “We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people.”

Leavitt also announced “the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China.”

The Wall Street Journal reported the White House is considering slashing tariffs in order to de-escalate the trade war. Currently, tariffs are at 145%, but the White House isn’t considering cutting those to zero. Instead, the Wall Street Journal reports those tariffs will likely fall anywhere between 50% to 65%.

However, Treasury Secretary Bessent declined to comment on that report, saying there’s no unilateral offer from President Trump to cut tariffs on China. He also said it could take two to three years to reach a full trade deal with China.

Progress With India
Before the White House’s 90-day pause on higher tariffs for other countries expires on July 9, India is one country rushing to negotiate a trade deal with the U.S.

Just this week, Vance and Prime Minister Modi announced the t erms of reference for a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and India. The progress toward the agreement was a result of the meeting between the two this week.

“I am pleased to confirm that USTR and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry have finalized the Terms of Reference to lay down a roadmap for the negotiations on reciprocal trade,” Greer said. “There is a serious lack of reciprocity in the trade relationship with India. These ongoing talks will help achieve balance and reciprocity by opening new markets for American goods and addressing unfair practices that harm American workers. India’s constructive engagement so far has been welcomed and I look forward to creating new opportunities for workers, farmers and entrepreneurs in both countries.”

During Vance’s speech in Jaipur prior to that, he said that the two countries had finalized the terms of reference for the negotiation.

“This is a vital step toward realizing President Trump and Prime Minister Modi’s vision because it sets a roadmap toward a final deal between our nations,” Vance said.

India’s Tariffs on U.S. Agriculture Products
India’s tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods are significant, which is a major point of contention in the U.S. and India trade relationship. Walnuts, for example, face a tariff of 100% into India. Vegetable oils have a tariff of up to 45%.

The United States has one of the lowest average applied tariff rates on agricultural products. But many of our trading partners maintain prohibitive tariff rates that constrain export opportunities for American farmers and ranchers.

Unfair and non-reciprocal practices have… pic.twitter.com/mmy5spBEzl
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) April 23, 2025

The U.S. argues these tariffs are unfair trade barriers, and Mark Knight of Farmer’s Keeper Financial told AgDay the U.S. relationship with India over the years has been complex and strange.

“Sometimes it’s friendly, for the most part. But that’s a giant population, and it would go a long way toward making a potential deal with China less important if we could strike some deals with some of these other countries — especially India. We haven’t had something in place with India for years.”

India Has the Most Potential, But Poses the Biggest Problem
If you want to understand just how problematic India has been for trade in the past, just talk to Gregg Doud. He’s the current CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMFP) but served as the chief ag trade negotiator during the first Trump administration.

During an episode of “Unscripted” earlier this year, he said India has the most potential, but is the biggest problem.

Doud says history shows you India has been a problem, as the U.S. essentially kicked India out of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the past. The U.S. did finally agree to allow India back into the WTO, but under certain terms.

“I don’t want what I’m about to say to be seen as being negative toward the discussion between Modi and President Trump earlier this year, but one of the wins we did get in agriculture — which is my understanding based on some conversations — is that India lowered the tariff on U.S. bourbon from 150% to 100%,” Doud says.

He says while that may not have been the only win, it serves as an example for how difficult it is to negotiate with India.

India is a big customer of one main U.S. ag product, though: almonds .

In the 2023/24 crop year, the U.S. exported over 400 million lb. of almonds to India, making it the largest export market for California almonds. This was a 21% increase compared to the previous year. India’s almond imports from the U.S. were valued at $932 million in FY 2023.

India is the United States’ top buyer of almonds.

(U.S. Almond Board )

Doud says India has high tariffs to protect their own farmers.

“Think of it as a half billion farmers in India whose electricity, water, fuel, fertilizer and seed is all subsidized. India wants to keep that out in the country, and if we do anything that drives rural Indian folks into the cities, it would overwhelm them. This is the mindset,” Doud says. “I remind people, it was 5 or 6 years ago that India made a modicum of reforms of their domestic agricultural markets. There was so much unrest over those changes that Modi agreed upon to make, that three years later, they had to repeal the law.”

India’s Tariffs Crushed Apple Exports
U.S. apples are one commodity that has suffered from India’s retaliation in 2018.

“In 2018, India was the No. 2 market for U.S. apples until their retaliatory tariffs crushed our exports to near zero. They are rebounding back, but it might take years to return to the previous levels,” says Jim Bair, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association, in an interview with Farm Journal’s The Packer. “If the White House can facilitate that in a trade agreement with India, U.S. Apple wishes them Godspeed, and not a moment too soon.”

U.S. Apple says in 2018, India was the number two market for U.S. apples until retaliatory tariffs crushed their exports to near zero.

(U.S. Apple Association )

Potential With India
As the world’s most populous country, India holds massive potential if a trade deal can be struck. It boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world with households that are seeing a high levels of consumer spending. That means agricultural products would be more accessible to a larger number of people.

According to USDA , top agricultural prospects for U.S. exporters include:

Cotton
Dairy products
Ethanol
Fresh fruit
Forest products
Processed food and beverages
Pulses
Tree nuts

USDA says in FY 2023, India imported $37 billion of agricultural and related products from across the world, with imports up 51% over the past five years.

“Proportional to its population, India imports a relatively small value of products. Comparatively, China, a country with a similar population size, imported $262.7 billion during the same period. Currently, India ranks behind much lower population countries like Canada and South Korea in total agricultural and related imports. This relatively low level of imports suggests good opportunities for future growth,” the USDA report stated.

Much of the recent growth of imports in India is with vegetable oils, which is the country’s top imported ag product.

USDA says imports of vegetable oil increased by $9 billion, nearly doubling in 5 years, to a total of $18.4 billion in FY 2023.

The United States has occasionally been a supplier of soybean oil to India, but imports face stiff competition from other substitutable oils like palm and sunflower, and from imports from India’s traditional soybean oil suppliers: Argentina and Brazil.

Trump Administration Celebrates Earth Day by Spotlighting 'Unfair Trade Practices' That Harm Environment

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:32:20 GMT

The United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Office took to social media to celebrate Earth Day, but with a twist. In honor of Earth Day, the Trump administration outlined a list of 10 “unfair trade practices that harm the environment and undercut U.S. producers and exporters.” Of the 10 items on the list, two directly mentioned agriculture.

The No. 1 issue, according to USTR, is deforestation in Brazil. The Trade Representative’s office says deforestation in Brazil reached a 15-year high in 2021, which was driven by “weak environmental regulations and lax law enforcement.” They went on to say that due to those issues, Brazilian ranchers were given an unfair advantage in agricultural production.

“In 2024, the U.S. had an agricultural trade deficit with Brazil of $7 billion. Brazil is a major competitor with the U.S. in soybeans, corn, meat, poultry and other agricultural products,” the official United States Trade Representative’s posted on X on Tuesday.

In honor of #EarthDay, USTR is spotlighting 10 unfair trade practices that harm the environment and undercut U.S. producers and exporters. pic.twitter.com/4xdJfVa1tN
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) April 22, 2025

To fully understand the issue, you must first understand just how massive the forest area is in Brazil.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with a surface of 850 million hectares. That’s twice as big as the European Union. And nearly two-thirds of that is occupied by forest.

Deforestation has been a long-standing issue within Brazil. In fact, the Brazilian Amazon has the highest rate of deforestation of the planet. The ecosystem, which is known as one of the richest on Earth, is massive. A study based on satellite images by the National Institute for Space Research of Brazil (INPE) found a total loss of 72 million hectares since 1970, or 17% of its total area.

Deforestation Fuels Growth in Brazil’s Beef Production
Deforestation in Brazil is directly tied to agricultural production, really impacting commodities like beef and soybeans.

For beef production, ground zero for deforestation is in the Amazon and Cerrado regions. Cattle ranching is known as a major driver of deforestation, with ranchers often clearing new land for pasture as existing pastures become less productive, leading to a cycle of forest conversion.

The map shows the amount of forests around the world replaced by cattle, which paints the picture of just how severe the situation is in Brazil.

(World Resources Institute )

According to the World Resources Institute, cattle replaced nearly twice as much forest as all other commodities combined. The Institute analyzed seven commodities total, finding cattle pasture now occupies 45.1 million hectares (Mha) of land deforested between 2001 and 2015, accounting for 36% of all tree cover loss associated with agriculture during the time period.

Oil palm ranks second (10.5 Mha), followed by soy (8.2 Mha). The number has only grown since then.

The Role of Deforestation in Brazil’s Growing Soybean Production
When it comes to soy production, deforestation in regions like the Mato Grosso state are linked to deforestation as land is cleared for soy plantations, according to the World Resources Institute.

But it’s not just deforestation leading to the explosion in growth of soybean acres in Brazil. Based on geospatial databases, a recent study led by Embrapa found approximately 70 million acres of planted pastures in Brazil with intermediate and severe levels of degradation that have the potential for conversion into cropland. Pasture degradation is caused by overgrazing, insufficient weed and pest control, and lack of soil fertilization and occurs in practically all regions of Brazil.

The report by Embrapa also found a conversion of 70 million acres of degraded pasture to cropland would represent nearly a 35% increase in Brazil’s total planted area compared with the 2023/2024 crop season projection by the National Supply Company (Conab) – Brazil’s agency for food supply and statistics.

According to University of Illinois farmdoc daily , in Mato Grosso, which is Brazil’s largest agricultural state, the planted area could increase by 25% compared to the 2023/2024 season by converting degraded pastureland into cropland. Currently, soybeans and corn occupy more than 90% of the crop-planted area in Mato Grosso in the double-cropping system.

Additionally, in the Center-West states, the potential for agricultural expansion is notably higher in Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás, reaching 69% and 67%, respectively, compared to the acreage in the current crop season.
·
#7 Environmental Issue on the List: Mexico’s Avacados
The U.S. is the top destination for Mexico’s avocado exports. USTR says in 2023, those exports were valued at $2.7 billion, and some of that production was harvested on illegally deforested lands.

“Some Mexican avocado producers have expanded avocado production to illegally deforested lands, threatening biodiversity and disrupting local ecosystems, including the forest habitat of monarch butterflies,” USTR said on “X.”

Fair Trade USA Serves Up Solutions
It’s a known issue within the produce industry. According to Farm Journal’s The Packer , Fair Trade USA is offering solutions to producers and retailers seeking ways to improve environmental and human rights conditions in the avocado sector.

The Packer reports an estimated one-third of all avocado farms in Mexico are reported to be illegal farms, and up to 70,000 acres in Michoacán and neighboring state of Jalisco have been deforested for avocado farming in the last decade, the release said. Fair Trade USA said water reservoirs are being illegally emptied to support farming, and farmers who speak out against deforestation and working conditions are often at risk.

The organization said western demand for avocados has grown exponentially over the last decade, and people and the planet are paying the price. Forced to keep pace with what farmers call the “avocado gold rush,” negative environmental impacts are rampant in many avocado farming regions — for communities as well as production.

“Fair Trade USA exists to partner with farms, workers, retailers and brands to create safe and fair working conditions and protect the environment,” said Felipe Arango, who was serving as interim CEO for Fair Trade USA. “Strong standards are needed to better the avocado industry, and we are excited to partner with producers to certify more farms and improve the lives of farmers.”

Avocado Institute of Mexico Rolls Out “Path to Sustainability” Plan
The Avocado Institute of Mexico announced their “Path to Sustainability” last week. The plan includes dealing with deforestation. The summary of the plan includes:

Collaboration with governmental authorities to achieve net-zero deforestation by 2035.
The Avocado Landscape Restoration and Reforestation Project, which has planted more than 3.6 million pine trees in the Avocado Landscape.

“We are dedicated to protecting, managing, conserving and restoring forests in the Avocado Landscape to achieve net-zero deforestation,” the Avocado Institute of Mexico said.

Pro-Forest Avocado Program
There’s also another program to help wean Mexican avocado growers off the need to produce avocados on illegally deforested land. According to Grist , there’s a Pro-Forest Avocado program, which is a Mexican initiative to certify sustainably grown avocados. An estimated 10% of avocado packing houses that send avocados to the United States have signed on to the Pro-Forest Avocado program. However, it has roadblocks to increasing participation.

According to Grist, the first is that growers must pay for the certification, while packagers get it for free. This has made many growers feel like they have to comply with standards and pay for them to offload produce at all. There’s a lot of distrust among producers of the government as well.

For this program, qualifying growers must have had no deforestation since 2018, no forest fires since 2012 and not operate on protected land.

Your Next Read:

Brazilian Soy Exporters Want Changes to Deforestation Regs

Tariffs Aren’t Going To Be Our Largest Trade Issue

Report shows Mexican avocado imports fuel U.S. economic growth

California Winegrape Growers Hope Trump's Tariffs Can Save Their Industry

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 21:12:15 GMT

California is the first state to sue the Trump administration over tariffs. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the announcement last week on an almond farm in the Central Valley, saying 43% of the state’s almonds, pistachios and dairy products are export dependent.

Newsom says no state is poised to lose more due to the tariffs than California, but not all farmers agree. California winegrape growers and producers like Rodney Schatz hope tariffs can help save the waning wine industry in the state.

“It’s tough now in the fact that the world market really is affecting everything we do. [That’s] on top of the fact that we’re in California where regulations are even more dramatic than most places could even imagine,” Schatz told Farm Journal.

2025 Could Be the Most Challenging Year Yet

Schatz is a third-generation grape grower and wine producer, situated just outside of Lodi, Calif., which is home to nearly 40% of California’s premium wine grape production. He’s been in the business for 50 years and coming off of one of his most challenging years yet.

“This is going to be a very tough summer, because right now there’s no activity by wineries purchasing fruit for this upcoming harvest, which is about five months away,” he adds.

The fact Schatz thinks 2025 could be more severe than 2024 says a lot considering some growers left entire vineyards unharvested last year, as they had no home for their grapes.

“It was probably one of the worst harvests we’ve seen in the last 50 years,” says Stuart Spencer, executive director for the Lodi Wine Grape Commission. “There were an estimated 400 to 500,000 tons of grapes across all of California that went unharvested.”

Spencer estimates 15% of the total crop in California went without a contract in 2024, which means those growers left that crop to either wither on the vine or rot in the field.

“This was the lightest harvest we’ve seen in 20 years, going back to 2004, and a good part of that was because of the unharvested grapes where there was just no market for them,” Spencer says.

Schatz harvested every acre of his grapes last year — a decision he now regrets. And that means he’s already making tough calls for 2025.

“What we’ve done is since harvest last year, we’ve already removed over a hundred acres of vineyard. So, we just took them out,” says Schatz. “And the last piece that’s being kind of considered sits in front of my home ... . I didn’t even prune it, so it’s probably going to come out through the summer as well.”

What’s Causing the Wine Industry to Hit a Wall?

Schatz is trying olives and different crops to diversify, working to weather the current storm. The reason? Well, it’s complex. It goes back to too much supply, not enough demand, non-tariff trade barriers hitting the wine industry especially hard, and a flood of imports.

“A big issue now, being in a world market, there’s wine grapes produced throughout the world and wine coming from all over the world to the United States. That’s going to be our biggest challenge,” says Schatz.

“There’s still a great deal of uncertainty in the marketplace, and then the whole trade tariff discussion has added additional uncertainty to it,” says Spencer.

After 30 years of growth, Spencer says demand for wine has shrunk the last three years. But there’s also a global oversupply of wine from places like Europe, Australia and South America.

“Consequently, that’s left a lot of farmers — you know, the grower is kind of the last on the food chain and left without a home to sell their grapes, and that’s what we’re seeing right now,” he says.

35% of the Wine in the U.S. is Imported

Even prior to the recent tariffs, demand for U.S. wine was on the decline. With a slump in wine sales, that’s created a deficit in demand, says Chris Bitter, senior wine analyst for Terrain.

“Approximately 10% of U.S. grape or wine production by volume is exported,” says Spencer. “So, it’s a relatively small portion. And in terms of the U.S. market overall, we import about 35% of the wine that is sold in the U.S.”

Since more wine is imported than exported in the U.S., Schatz believes President Donald Trump’s push for tariffs could be a turning pointed for family-owned vineyards in the U.S.

“Here’s how hopeful I am: I’ve lost, in the last couple weeks, deals into China — of course Canada’s on hold — and into Sweden,” says Schatz. “So, these are places where we semi-regularly send wine to, and they’ve all run for the hills and said these deals are on hold and we’re not going to ship those wines. So, that even backs us up more.

“OK, fine, and I’m willing to stomach that,” he continues. “I’m hoping these tariffs change the dynamics right here in the United States. I would much rather do business right here than ship overseas.”

But not everyone is in that boat. Bitter isn’t confident that throttling back the amount of wine imported will translate to more domestic wine being sold and consumed in the U.S.

“It’s going to vary by location, by variety, by type of wine,” says Bitter. “So, it’s a complex issue. But at this point, I’m not seeing those tariffs as kind of the potential solution to the problem facing the grape market. While there could be some benefits in some areas, I don’t see that as something that is going to be turning the tide for grape growers in this state.”

As Bitter stated, the wine industry is complex, which is why the answer isn’t simple.

“Wine is highly regulated because it is an alcoholic beverage. And in the United States, we have something called the three-tier system where it is mandated that to import wine, you first have to import it through an importer. That importer then sells it to a distributor, and then that distributor sells it to the retailer,” says Bitter. “So, at all the various stages of that chain, the business doesn’t necessarily have to pass on that full tariff.”

Bitter says that means it’s unlikely to be a one-for-one increase with the tariffs, and distributors and retailers may find ways to eat those costs in the short-run.

“Now, if the tariffs last for a long period of time and are perceived to be permanent, we might see a switch in that. But I think that we will probably see some increase in differential between imported wines and domestic wines, but i don’t think it’s going to be as big as the kind of headline tariff numbers that we’re seeing,” Bitter says.

Canada is the top export market for the U.S. today, according to Spencer. In response to the Trump administration’s tense rhetoric regarding the country, Canadian liquor buyers, which are government controlled, have essential quit buying U.S. wine and spirits.

“And that one is problematic, because they’ve removed all California or U.S. wines and spirits from their store shelves. And so, that has had an impact,” he says.

But on the domestic side, Spencer says orders coming from areas of Europe, Australia and South America are on hold.

“On the domestic side of things though, and specifically coming out of Europe, we have already heard of a lot of orders getting put on hold, going both directions,” says Spencer.

“We have also heard indirectly that, you know, some of the orders have been picking up domestically for some of our wineries as well, too,” he adds.

Is There Enough Domestic Supply of Wine?

Spencer says from retailers to restaurants, some reports say there’s not enough domestic supply to make up for the imports that could be lost. That’s a claim he says simply isn’t true.

“Well, there’s thousands of tons unharvested last year that the tanks are full with wine, so there is definitely a spot for this domestic wine, yes,” he says. “It’s not all completely interchangeable, but at the same time, there is still a lot of opportunity domestically here to support California wines and domestic wines.”

For Bitter, it depends on the category and the types of grapes or wine. Sparkling wine is one example, he says. The U.S. imports 60% of all sparkling wine sold in the U.S.

“We don’t have the capacity to make up for that level of switch to domestic wines, so we don’t the capacity produce enough sparkling wine. To fully offset that if foreign sparkling wine sales fell to zero, we simply don’t have the capacity to do that, at least in the short term,” says Bitter. “But at the high end, folks who are drinking like high-end burgundies or Champagne or Bordeaux bridles may not see domestic wines as a direct substitute for what they’re drinking. So, they might drink less as opposed to just switching to domestic brands.”

Growers are Hopeful Tariffs Can Give California Farmers a Fighting Chance

Considering roughly one-third of the wine consumed in the U.S. is imported wine, grape growers and wine producers like Schatz are hoping the move to slow imports could give California farmers a fighting chance.

“If you go to your local grocery chain and there’s a floor stack of, say, this time of year you’d have a pink rose from Provence, and it’s beautifully stacked and labeled, and it sitting there and it’s $6.99 a bottle — that is what I’m hoping is clocked. That’s where my wine can come in,” he says. “And so a lot of these imports plop down on the floor, and I’ll never get a chance to compete with them. So, I’m hoping this tariff puts a kibosh on some of that and allow some of our wines to come in.”

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School cooking and nutrition education programs to share $250K in grants

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:57:48 GMT

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation says it has awarded $250,000 in Get Kids Cooking grants to support youth cooking and nutrition education programs at schools.

An estimated 7,000 students at 25 schools will participate in these new programs , with help from Sprouts, according to a news release.

“Hands-on experiences preparing fresh snacks and meals help kids build real skills and a positive connection with healthy eating,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “At school, these lessons also bring science, math and problem-solving to life, making learning more engaging and fun.”

The schools were selected from more than 1,300 nominations submitted by Sprouts Farmers Market customers as part of its Get Kids Cooking contest in January, the release said. Each winning school will receive educational materials and supplies for operating a student cooking program.

Each grant, valued at $10,000, includes a mobile cooking cart, small appliances and kitchen essentials, classroom-friendly recipes, plus gift cards to purchase fresh ingredients at Sprouts, and a stipend for the educator teaching the program, the company said.

“This grant will help energize our culinary science program and give our school the extra boost we need to provide all 450 students on campus with regular cooking experiences throughout the year,” Janet Ankrum, a middle school STEM/exploratory teacher at Catalina Ventura School in Phoenix, said in the release. “It’s a dream come true for our students.”

Sprouts says it has championed school-based gardening and cooking programs since 2015, recognizing the positive impact growing, tasting and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables has in shaping a child’s long-term preferences for healthy eating. An estimated 3 million children will participate in nutrition education programs funded by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation this year, the release said.

Researchers look at how early harvest, storage affect tomatoes

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:20:43 GMT

New research from the University of California, Davis, examines changes in tomatoes at the molecular level to better understand what happens during postharvest handling and cold storage.

The findings, published in the journal Horticulture Research, are a first step toward establishing optimal tomato handling and storage guidelines and could reduce food loss and waste, Diane M. Beckles, the senior author on the research and a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, said in a news release.

“Growers need the flexibility of being able to harvest fruit at different times to maximize profitability,” Beckles said. “We want to extend shelf life but lose as little quality as possible. Looking at how these processes are regulated at multiple levels — including changes in the activity of genes and connecting them to processes that are important to quality — is key to a better understanding.”

When growers harvest early or store at low temperatures, fruit can suffer, she said.

In the research, the scientists monitored differences in hormones, DNA makeup, gene expression and other biological activities when the fruit were stored at different temperatures, Jiaqi Zhou, the lead author on the paper and doctoral candidate in horticulture and agronomy, said in the release.

“We’re trying to understand why the quality is different between the postharvest and the fresh harvest fruit using molecular biology approaches,” Zhou said in the release.

Postharvest fruit refers to fruit that undergo various handling processes, such as early harvesting and low-temperature storage.

Researchers examined unripened green fruit warmed to room temperature after being stored at 41 degrees, 54.5 degrees and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Storage at 41 degrees led to poor fruit quality but the longest storage time, while the fruit quality at 68 degrees was good but had a shorter storage time, the release said. At 54.5 degrees the fruit had acceptable quality and a moderately long shelf life.

The need to reduce loss is there, Beckles said, because 30% of harvested fruits and veggies worldwide are never eaten due to damage, spoiling or appearance.

“This is absolutely unacceptable, given nutritional insecurity and the difficulty in successfully growing crops in the face of climate change,” she said. “Any research that helps us to understand shelf life and qualities is important in helping to reduce the percentage of fruit that would potentially be lost or wasted.”

The work was supported by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Henry A. Jastro Graduate Research awards and the Ministry of Higher Education in Thailand, the release said.

The Fresh Factor: 5 ways zucchini will surprise you

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 19:08:25 GMT

Don’t underestimate the humble zucchini. A summer staple of gardeners, the slim, soft skinned squash is versatile, low-maintenance and comes to life with a little thoughtfulness and flavoring in the sauté pan.

For the August entry of The Fresh Factor series, The Packer and Healthy Family Project have teamed up to share some of our favorite facts and tips about zucchini and why hungry shoppers should give this produce underdog a moment in the limelight.

Before you assume you’ve got zucchini all figured out, here are five facts about the verdant green summer squash that might surprise you.

1. Zucchini has many cousins: Zucchini is just one popular variety of soft skinned summer squash. Not only is zucchini interchangeable with its non-identical twin, yellow squash, but there’s the Mexican Chayote squash, both round and stripped zucchinis, not to mention the UFO-shaped patty pans that come in green and buttery yellow speckles. The common denominator? All varieties sport a tender skin and white-seeded interior.

2. Keep cooking for rich flavor: Zucchini does just fine with a little bit of butter, Parmesan and summer herbs like basil or parsley, but if you’ve got the time, it’s worth giving your slow-cooked zucchini coins a little extra love.

“With tender young squash, the simplest preparations are sufficient. Don’t be afraid to really cook the summer squash,” writes Deborah Madison in the seminal cookbook, “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” “Brief cooking preserves its texture, but longer cooking brings out much more of its good squash flavor.”

3. Potassium-rich powerhouse: Zucchini is a good source of potassium, not to mention rich in fiber and vitamins A and C. Read more about the health benefits of zucchini on Healthy Family Project.

4. Bigger isn’t always better: While zucchinis can grow as big as their hefty, winter squash pumpkin cousins if left unattended, if you want to enjoy your squash as a culinary treat and not a front porch statement piece, opt for a slender zucchini, around 1 pound. The larger the zucchini lends itself to a tougher, more fibrous texture and tougher skin — decidedly not delicious.

5. Don’t skip the squash blossoms! If you believe the green zucchini is all the plant has to offer, think again! Delicate and lacy, squash blossoms are sought after at farmers markets and restaurants across the U.S. If you spot a squash blossom for sale, it’s worth tucking in your cart to cook for a special treat.

One unsurprising fact about this cheery green veggie is that, like bananas, zucchini is a great addition to sweet quick breads. If you want to try your hand at this classic, home bakers can’t go wrong with Alison Roman’s take on zucchini bread.

“A quintessential quick bread, zucchini bread blurs the line between breakfast and cake, making it acceptable for both,” Roman wrote in her popular New York Times recipe. “This version is on the sweeter side, the vegetal flavors mellowed by brown sugar, cinnamon and a bit of browned butter. While not always necessary, squeezing excess water from the zucchini will prevent the batter from being too wet while keeping the end result moist.”

More from the Fresh Factor

What is your favorite way to enjoy zucchini? Share it with one of The Fresh Factor’s social media posts or drop us a line at news@thepacker.com.

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Next month, The Fresh Factor is going to put a spotlight on mushrooms. Check out other fresh produce highlights from the series such as watermelon, beets, asparagus and kale.

The Fresh Factor: Watermelons

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 20:00:31 GMT

Juicy and incredibly hydrating, watermelon makes summer so much sweeter. This fresh produce heavyweight rules the hot summer months and is a kitchen counter mainstay for good reason.

The Packer and Healthy Family Project have teamed up to share some of our favorite advice on how to select the right watermelon, top tricks for preparing the behemoth melon and favorite recipes for enjoying the fruit synonymous with summer.

How to select the perfect watermelon

First things first, it can be a little intimidating when choosing the perfect watermelon to take home. The large fruit is an investment in time and money, so it pays off to be choosy when selecting a watermelon.

Related news: Ripe or not? Solving the perfect melon puzzle

The National Watermelon Promotion Board breaks it down into three basics steps in its approachable how-to video.

First, look at the watermelon and confirm that it is free of cracks, soft spots and bruises.

Second, pick the watermelon up. Does it feel heavy? Watermelon is over 90% water so it should feel heavy for its size.

Third, turn the watermelon over and find the “ground spot” or the buttery yellow oval on the bottom of a watermelon that indicates where the watermelon sat on the ground as it ripened.

Summer melon favorites

Once you’ve picked the perfect melon, it’s time to take it home and break it open. Watermelon is an incredibly versatile fruit — it can be prepared with no fuss as a casual snack, enjoyed straight off the cutting board in slices that include the rind or cubed in a simple fruit salad.

For more adventurous watermelon treats, it pays to get creative and experiment with this juicy fruit. Watermelon can make the leap from sweet to savory with the help of lime juice, peppers, mint or salty cheeses. An unexpected summer salad of watermelon and feta with a simple dressing of lime, mint and a grind of pepper is a Deborah Madison-inspired favorite.

“This is a sweet-salty-tart fruit salad that’s enormously refreshing — and quite surprising,” says Madison in her James Beard award-winning cookbook, “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.”

Not only is watermelon good in sweet-savory salads and even cold soups, but it is a foundational ingredient to delightfully bright smoothies, popsicles and even cocktails.

One of Ina Garten’s summer drink staples is a watermelon cosmopolitan, she writes in her bestselling cookbook, “Go-to Dinners”.

“[This] delicious variation on a Cosmo has become my go-to summer drink because everyone loves this refreshing blend of watermelon puree spiked with a hint of fresh lime juice plus vodka,” Garten writes.

Beyond basic watermelon varieties

Watermelon cultivars and varieties go far beyond the basic seeded, seedless, mini and yellow and orange varieties. For the adventurous, a little research and hunting goes a long way to secure an heirloom variety watermelon that boasts exceptional flavor along with a captivating history.

Two swoon-worthy heirloom varieties highlighted in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste are worth seeking out in particular: moon and stars and Bradford watermelons.

“A magical melon, the dark green and yellow speckled skin of the moon and stars watermelon evokes a living galaxy while its happenstance return suggests a storybook ending. Graced with white seeds and a slightly ridged, thick rind, this watermelon can reach up to forty pounds in weight when thump-ready for eating,” says Peter Henderson in the Ark of Taste database entry.

Beyond its captivating appearance, moon and stars watermelons are prized for their exceptional sweetness and flavor.

“When heirloom aficionados such as Roger Yepsen and Benjamin Watson describe Moon and Stars, the discussion always returns to flavor, given that this pinkish red variant is extraordinarily sweet and flavorful,” writes Henderson. “But flavor is not the entire attraction of this peculiar melon: it is legendary for many reasons.”

Another notable watermelon, the Bradford watermelon, while not suited as a commercial bestseller due to its sizeable heft — clocking in at 30 pounds when fully grown — it’s prized for its flavor and storied history in the South. The Bradford watermelon came into existence in South Carolina in the 1840-50s and the variety has been guarded by southern seed breeders and farmers because of its unique flavor and lineage with the Bradford family.

Preparing and storing watermelons

If you plan on enjoying your melon, rind and all, give your watermelon a quick rinse with soap before preparing to remove any field dirt or debris from transport. A watermelon can keep on a countertop for at least a week but, once you cut into the juicy interior, refrigerate and plan to use within 3 days.

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Learn more about watermelons on The Healthy Family Project.

More from The Fresh Factor

What is your favorite way to enjoy watermelon? Share it with one of The Fresh Factor’s social media posts or drop us a line at news@thepacker.com.

Next month, The Fresh Factor is going to put a spotlight on XX and check out other fresh produce highlights from the series such as asparagus, beets, kale and artichoke.

Related news: The Fresh Factor: How to pick, prep and store beets

The Fresh Factor: How to pick, prep and store beets

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:47:51 GMT

Your average beet boasts a deep scarlet hue — bright and unmistakable amid a sea of root vegetable earth tones — like a flashy sports car that turns heads on the highway.

But the root vegetable is all too often sidelined and forgotten in the produce department, however, there are many reasons to toss these earthy-sweet and nutrient-rich fresh produce staples into your cart.

The Packer has teamed up with Healthy Family Project to share our favorite tips, tricks and produce inspiration about some of our favorite fruits and vegetables in 2023. In June, we’re spotlighting how to pick, prep and store beets.

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Beet recipe MVPs

“The beet is a wonderful vegetable, but people resist it, partly because of its sweetness,” says James Beard Award-winning author Deborah Madison in her seminal cookbook, “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” “When beets are treated to the acidic nip of vinegar and lemon or the warmth of spices, however, many take to them with enthusiasm.”

The humble beet is a chameleon when it comes to flavors. Anyone who’s tucked into a steaming bowl of borscht can attest to beets’ savory properties. At the same time, these ruby red root veggies can lend earthy sweetness to baked goods, salads and smoothies.

Record-braking long-distance runner and athlete Shalane Flanagan relies on beets not only for their delicious flavor, but also because beets are packed with nutrients — they’re rich in antioxidants and minerals, perfect for fueling her intense runs and workouts.

In her three cookbooks that focus on nutritious, whole-food recipes for athletes, Flanagan and co-author Elyse Kopecky tuck beets into dishes across the flavor spectrum and for every eating occasion — from hummus to smoothies to salads to muffins.

Their Can’t Beet Me Smoothie recipe is a vibrant smoothie and go-to breakfast favorite.

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If you’re looking to enjoy your beets straight up, Mark Bittman’s raw beet salad with fennel recipe is a solid choice. The vinegar acid complements the earthy beets wonderfully and makes for visually stunning and bright salad with plenty of crunch.

How to select the perfect beet

Like carrots, beets can be sold with their leafy greens, bunched or loose, or without their green tops entirely.

Red beets are the most common variety to find in the produce aisle, but if you’re cooking up a colorful roasted root vegetable mélange, it’s worth seeking out a few golden beets to toss your cart. And if you’re looking to pull together a dreamy summer salad, the unusual cherry red-and-white-striped chioggia beet variety is a showstopper thinly sliced atop a bed of salad greens.

Regardless the variety, look for unblemished medium-sized beets for ease of handling. Smaller beats can prove tedious to prepare for little payoff and oversized beets can be cumbersome to store, cut and bake.

Storing beets

Tuck your beets into the produce bin for safekeeping. To hold the beets longer, remove any green tops and wrap in a thin produce bag.

Learn more about the health benefits of beets, preparation and storage tips on Healthy Family Project.

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Preparing beets

While these bright red orbs can be intimidating if you’ve never handled them before, a little prep can make them a favorite veggie on frequent rotation. After a thorough washing, the greens can be enjoyed fresh like salad greens or cooked like chard.

Beets can be cooked much like any root vegetable; they’re great steamed, roasted, boiled and baked. If you have a Vitamix blender, you can even puree beets raw — just make sure to peel the skin first!

With red and golden beets, avoid using wood cutting boards and have a sponge handy unless you don’t mind staining from the vibrant juices.

When handling and serving warm beets, use caution!

“The rule when plating beets is: Put them down confidently, and do not move them or they will stain, leaving a messy trail in their wake,” says culinary icon Samin Nosrat in the book “Salt Fat Acid Heat.”

More from The Fresh Factor

What is your go-to beet recipe? Share it on one of The Fresh Factor’s posts or drop us a line at news@thepacker.com.

Stay tuned to learn more about mushrooms in July and check out other Fresh Factor highlights on asparagus , artichoke and kale on Instagram!