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
Federal shutdown delaying USDA funds for farm improvements
In February, farmers across the U.S. voiced confusion about whether they would be paid by USDA for the approved improvements on their farm operations. Nine months later — with the government shutdown on its 35th day as of Tuesday and on track to become the longest in U.S. history — staffing furloughs at USDA agency
Read More Federal shutdown delaying USDA funds for farm improvements
VIEWPOINT | When conservation funding dries up, so does rural progress.
We have been hearing about USDA staff cuts and office closures that could impact the help we get from NRCS, and when the government shutdown began a few weeks ago, we got a preview of what the impact could be: producers in my area, who had completed large conservation water projects for livestock, were told
Read More VIEWPOINT | When conservation funding dries up, so does rural progress.
Farmers are missing checks USDA promised them as shutdown drags on
They’ve fronted expensive conservation projects. But they don’t know when the Trump administration will send reimbursements.
Read More Farmers are missing checks USDA promised them as shutdown drags on
Government Shutdown, Trade Wars Hit Farmers’ Bottom Line Hard
With commodity prices collapsing and costs of farming rising, the lack of government assistance adds to farmers’ worries about the viability of their operations.
Read More Government Shutdown, Trade Wars Hit Farmers’ Bottom Line Hard
Economic woes threaten push for climate-smart farming
Trade disputes, high operating costs and low crop prices may force farmers to cut back on practices that help the environment.
Read More Economic woes threaten push for climate-smart farming
Federal shutdown hits Louisiana farmers during harvest: ‘the math just doesn’t work’
Each fall, farmers across Louisiana count on the now-shuttered U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies for financial assistance and information. For three weeks, they’ve been unable to get a loan from the agency, apply for a conservation program or receive a market report.
Read More Federal shutdown hits Louisiana farmers during harvest: ‘the math just doesn’t work’
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