Tag: farmers

Ag sector alarm bells are going off

There are big warning signs in agriculture right now. And many experts are warning an aid package announced by the Trump administration is not likely to go very far or come soon enough.

New Illinois Farm Bureau president wants to restore communication and credibility for the venerable organization

New Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson said one reason he unseated previous organization head Brian Duncan was a legal dispute with the American Farm Bureau Federation

Trump administration will send $12 billion in bailout money to farmers hurt by trade war

Most of the package is earmarked for row-crop producers. It aims to help farmers – especially those who grow soybeans – balance out losses from high costs and a trade war with China.

Farmers are desperate for workers. They want Trump to make it easier to hire foreign labor

The U.S. agricultural industry depends on undocumented immigrants, but President Trump’s immigration crackdown is further depleting an already tight workforce.

Some Midwest soybeans are headed to China. But farmers still need other buyers

U.S. soybean farmers this fall had faced the grim reality of losing their largest foreign buyer, until President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping struck a deal last week.

China won’t buy American soybeans anymore, leaving farmers with limited options

China typically buys close to half of the soybeans grown in the U.S. But the ongoing trade war means farmers in the Midwest must consider other options — and none are as profitable.

Central Illinois farmers face severe drought with low yields for harvest season

Rainfall has been below average in recent months, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

An American flag is painted on the side of a barn near Mechanicsville, Maryland in July of 2021. The USDA is proposing moving half of its employees currently in Washington, D.C. to five cities across the U.S.

USDA plan to move jobs out of D.C. and closer to farmers draws mixed reviews

A plan to disburse Washington-based USDA jobs to five hubs, including Kansas City and Indianapolis, is making waves across agriculture. Critics say the shakeup could hobble the agency, while proponents it will move staff closer to farmers and save money.

Gov. Pritzker announces new Cronus Chemicals fertilizer plant in Tuscola is moving forward

For more than a decade, Cronus Chemicals has sought to create a fertilizer production facility in East Central Illinois. At the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, the governor announced the company is following through with its $2 billion investment.

USDA canceled a support program for small businesses. This Midwest grower may lose her farm

Farmers who were promised funding through the federal Regional Food Business Centers have been left in limbo after the Trump administration shut down the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will honor grants the program already approved, but it’s unclear when.

Fields of corn and soybeans grow next to a county road in central Iowa.

Will Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ help farmers in the Midwest and Great Plains? It depends

The massive legislation extends tax cuts and increases safety nets for farmers who grow commodities, like corn, wheat and rice. But deep cuts to federal food assistance spending could hurt specialty growers who benefit from programs like Double Up Food Bucks.