Author: staff

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun listing planned lease terminations to impact 59 Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service offices as part of an effort to cut costs, according to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) website. The move is part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce agency spending, affecting numerous office spaces across the country. So far, 748 lease terminations totaling 9,587,384 square feet and approximately $660,000 in lease savings have been listed on DOGE’s website. A spokesperson from General Service Administration sent an email to a media outlet in Cincinnati saying that Acting Administrator…

By David Lawder and Kylie Madry WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada took effect on Tuesday, along with a doubling of duties on Chinese goods to 20%, sparking trade wars that could slam economic growth and lift prices for Americans still smarting from years of high inflation. The tariff actions, which could upend nearly $2.2 trillion in annual U.S. trade with its top three trading partners, went live at 12:01 a.m. (0501 GMT). Trump declared that all three countries had failed to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid…

During a time of increased uncertainty in farm and food markets and a prolonged period of low commodity prices, Congress has again failed in its responsibility to pass a new five-year farm bill, and instead extended the 2018 farm bill for a second time, through September 2025. As one recent Wall Street Journal article stated, “America’s Farm Recession Is Here.” When a sports team can’t seem to “get ‘er done,” the coach often has the team get back to the fundamentals. The goals of the original farm bill were threefold: Keep farm and food prices fair for farmers and consumers.…

The United States Department of Agriculture is a massive agency with dozens of programs, departments, and services aimed at supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. But let’s be real — if you’ve ever tried to navigate USDA resources, you’ve probably felt like you needed a secret decoder ring. The agency loves its acronyms, and unless you deal with them daily, they can be confusing. Here I break down some of the most important USDA agency acronyms, what they stand for, and why they matter to agriculture: 1. RMA: Risk Management Agency The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is all about protecting…

By Cami Koons U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley joined an Iowa Farmers Union virtual town hall on Monday to discuss federal actions that have impacted farmers in Iowa, including freezes on grant programs and imposed foreign tariffs.  Aaron Lehman, IFU president who moderated the call, said farmers are feeling the effects of the top-down changes on their bottom lines and their ability to innovate as planting season approaches.  Grassley, who also serves on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, said Congress needs to pass a farm bill this year to give farmers certainty. “Certainty for farmers, looking ahead five years is very…

Lucas Hoge is a Nashville recording artist who grew up on a farm near Hubbell, Nebraska. He released his first album in 2002 and has a new autobiographical album, Book About Me, coming out this summer. A single from that album, Farmhand, was just released. Hoge shares his journey from the farm to the stage in this episode of the 15 Minutes With a Farmer podcast. Listen to the Podcast Subscribe to 15 Minutes With a Farmer on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review us! Meet Lucas Hoge Hoge grew up on a…

By Nada Hassanein State departments of agriculture say they welcome an expected federal infusion of up to $1 billion to fight bird flu, including millions of dollars for biosecurity measures on farms, and repayments to farmers who’ve had to cull their poultry flocks. Some state health officials have been worried about the vast layoffs of scientists across the federal government in recent weeks under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency task force, known as DOGE. Officials told Stateline they also worried that by scrubbing some public health data from government websites, the Trump administration may undermine efforts to track the…

By Ryan Hanrahan Reuters’ Joe Cash, Mei Mei Chu and Xiuhao Chen reported that “China has American agricultural exports in its cross hairs as it prepares countermeasures against fresh U.S. import tariffs, China’s state-backed Global Times reported, raising the stakes in an escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies.” “U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened China with the extra 10% duty set to take effect on Tuesday, resulting in a cumulative 20% tariff, and accused Beijing of not doing enough to halt the flow of fentanyl into America, which China said was tantamount to ‘blackmail,’” Cash, Chu,…

The Latest To date, more than 166.2 million reported birds have been affected by HPAI since February 2022, with cases found in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Cases slowed down significantly for most of 2024, but have risen since the start of November. Cases have continued to rise in the opening months of 2025. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 110 new cases of Highly Pathological Avian Influenza (HPAI) over 27 different states in the past 30 days. What Producers Can Do Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard to the large…

China has American agricultural exports in its crosshairs as it prepares countermeasures against fresh U.S. import tariffs, China’s state-backed Global Times reported, raising the stakes in an escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies. U.S. President Donald Trump last week threatened China with the extra 10 percent duty set to take effect on Tuesday, resulting in a cumulative 20 percent tariff. It accused Beijing of not doing enough to halt the flow of fentanyl into America, which China said was tantamount to “blackmail.” “China is studying and formulating relevant countermeasures in response to the U.S. threat of imposing…