In the News
USDA Staffing Shortages Strain FSA and NRCS Services Across Rural America
WASHINGTON (DTN) — Farmers in Polk County, Iowa, still have a Farm Service Agency office to visit. But when they arrive, four out of five days, that office will be closed. Calls are rerouted and employees from other counties come in to staff the office.
Read More USDA Staffing Shortages Strain FSA and NRCS Services Across Rural America
STUDY | The Unfinished Farm Bill: First Reading of Proposed Senate Legislation by Jonathan Coppess
On June 23, 2026, Senator John Boozman (R-AR), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (ANF), released legislative text for the unfinished provisions of the traditional Farm Bill. Chairman Boozman is calling the legislation “Farm Bill 2.0” (Senate ANF, “Farm Bill 2.0” and Press Release, June 23, 2026). This article provides a first
Read More STUDY | The Unfinished Farm Bill: First Reading of Proposed Senate Legislation by Jonathan Coppess
Farmers hit by Trump’s federal funding freeze scramble to respond ahead of spring
With spring approaching, farmers are scrambling for backup plans after President Trump’s executive order froze billions in federal payments.
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Farmers worry about future of conservation assistance funds
Pete Youngblut is a Dysart, Iowa farmer and he says that some of the payments he counts on are in limbo right now, and he is worried about this year’s already tight budget constraints. He says that as a conservation farmer, those programs have helped his family’s operation be able to afford the upgrades they have needed to adopt a more conservationally minded focus on their acres.
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USDA funding freeze, job cuts affecting farmers
Less than 2% of the nation’s population are farmers, Rodney Koch is proud to be one. “I’m a fifth-generation farmer,” said Koch.Thanks to programs from the USDA, their farming practices continue to improve. USDA conservation programs help “reduce our tillage to involve other crops in our rotation, to find regenerative practices and implement cover crops, and to do different things,” said Koch.
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I’m a conservative farmer. We need to protect conservation funding
If you’re like me and running a family farm, getting started with conservation practices would normally be out of reach. But federal conservation programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) help close the gap, and provide necessary technical and financial support – helping to not only build our resilience in the face of extreme weather, but also boost our bottom line.
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New U.S. Farm Bill still out of reach, leaving programs unsettled
“We need to do it because America today is facing a farm and a food crisis nationally,” said U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, a Republican from Centre County and chairman of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
Read More New U.S. Farm Bill still out of reach, leaving programs unsettled
Opinion: Farm bill conservation funding is vital to farmers
Farmers need as much predictability as possible, and federal support programs allow us to plan against the unpredictable and make long-term decisions about how to grow America’s food. Knowing that we can count on federal support for the long term allows us to plan, innovate, reduce costs, and increase yields, all while being better stewards of the land.
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Invest In Our Land is committed to bringing farmers and policymakers together to protect the future of American agriculture.
