Pennsylvania's state farm bill could serve as a blueprint for other states

Streams flow through farmland on their way to the Susquehanna River, in Union County, Pennsylvania. 
(Photo by Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program)

Pennsylvania hasn't been waiting for Washington lawmakers to move the stalled federal farm bill forward. In 2019, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a state farm bill that "provides farm-to-school grants, business development for farms looking to produce higher-value products, and farm workforce development," reports Lisa Held of Civil Eats. "It has been continually funded with bipartisan support — and it could serve as a model for other states."

Instead of passing a new farm bill in 2023, U.S. lawmakers have only reached agreement on repeated extensions of the expired 2018 Farm Bill; then punting, delaying, or otherwise putting the more contentious parts of a new Farm Bill on hold.

Additionally, under the Trump administration, the Department of Agriculture "has also proven willing to cancel contracts with farmers enrolled in programs funded by the federal bill," Held explains. In some cases, farmers enrolled in USDA programs were left on the hook to pay for improvements or farming changes that the USDA committed to covering through grants.

Because of its independent farm bill, Pennsylvania "is building stronger agricultural economies and communities, the kind of work a federal farm bill was designed for," Held reports. "Several other states are considering similar packages or are investing in agriculture one small bill at a time."

Even when a new federal Farm Bill is passed, it may not be what many farmers need. Pennsylvania is a state with highly diversified crops that are often left out of the national farm bill. Pennsylvania's farm bill goes further to address the unique needs of its farming communities.

“Pennsylvania has been trying really hard to create policies that broaden the reach of ag policy and include producers that have traditionally been ignored or left out," Lindsey Shapiro, a vegetable farmer and federal policy organizer for a sustainable farming company, told Held.

Many Pennsylvanians "attribute a good portion of that focus to the state’s secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding, who has had the job for 13 (non-contiguous) years under three different governors," Held reports. "In Redding’s mind, states should start to think about their own laws as the central tool for agricultural policies, with complementary federal laws— not the other way around." 

Quick hits: Cigarette smoking hits record low; hay rescue for ranchers hit by wildfires; rodeo women return; Yonder Radio

Less than 10% of Americans reported smoking cigarettes
in 2024. (Photo by A. Siimon, Unsplash)

For the first time in recorded U.S. history, the number of Americans who smoke cigarettes has dipped below 10%, reports Sarah Todd for STAT. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected the data, the U.S. government took the unusual step of releasing it without scientific comment. The lack of a CDC analysis led independent analysts at the digital New England Journal of Medicine Evidence to synthesize the information, which turned out to be good news. "It shows that 9.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking cigarettes in 2024, down from 10.8% in 2023. E-cigarette use remained unchanged from the previous year at 7%."

Wildfires in drought-stricken parts of the U.S. can threaten ranchers' livelihoods by burning through vast swaths of grassland meant to feed a cattle herd, forcing livestock owners to purchase feed or sell livestock. But recently, ranchers have been getting a helping hand from Farm Rescue’s 'Operation Hay Lift,' which steps in and provides free hay, including its delivery, to "help ranchers who lost pasture and feed supplies," reports Jennifer M. Latzke of Kansas Farmer. "With the recent historic wildfires burning more than 701,000 acres across Nebraska, Operation Hay Lift is likely to expand."

Unlike this 1981 couple, some Reese's fans aren't 
as excited about new ingredient mix-ups. 

Once upon a time, when chocolate and peanut butter crashed into each other, it was a happy accident. At least, that's how the 1981 Reese's peanut butter cup ad told the story. But when Reese's food designers create new shapes or design twists, known as "line extensions," not everyone appreciates the new mix-ups. Jonathan Deutsch for The Conversation explains, "Brad Reese, grandson of the founder, issued an open letter criticizing the Hershey Company for introducing line extensions – in this case, mini hearts for Valentine’s Day, with the flavors familiar to Reese’s lovers but made with cheaper ingredients, such as “chocolate candy” and “peanut butter creme.” While Brad Reese and other vocal Reese's fans may not like the ingredient switches, it's a common food industry practice.

The past few years have burdened many American farmers with high costs and low incomes. Farmers' stress can increase with every extreme weather event, fertilizer cost increase or spiking fuel price. It's good to remember that the Farm Aid Hotline (1-800-FARM-AID) is available Monday–Friday to farmers across the U.S. The Farm Aid Hotline connects farmers with resources for stress, legal or financial issues. The AgriStress HelpLine (833-897-2474) is an option for farmers in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. The free, confidential helpline is open 24/7.

Hali Williams, right, in action. She won RodeoHouston's breakaway 
roping title in 2026. (Photo by Mallory Beinborn, RodeoHouston)

If they'd waited for an invitation or a welcoming wave to take a seat on the horse, they'd still be waiting. "Rodeo said bronco riding wasn’t a sport for women. They got on anyway," reports Haley Potter for Offrange. "Rodeo has tried everything to keep women from it. . . . We were long limited to timed events like barrel racing. . . . Despite a deep history of women in roughstock going back well over a century, modern bronc riding has largely been a man’s game. . . . But all that is changing now."

           

It's new, it's all about rural, and it's served fresh every week. Say hello to Yonder Radio -- an hour-long show designed to cover current events and "feature nuanced stories that represent the 60 million people who live in rural America, and the distinct communities they call home," reports The Daily Yonder. Each topic will add depth to how news and events impact rural lives. Interviewees on the show will highlight arts, music and community projects geared toward rural audiences. Jared Ewy, a veteran radio personality and regular contributor to the Daily Yonder, is Yonder Radio's host. The show is also available as a podcast. If you’re a station interested in broadcasting Yonder Radio, get in contact with the team at info@yonderradio.com 

'Onerous' reporting requirements prevented many specialty crop farmers from applying for USDA aid

Specialty crop farmers don't grow hundreds of acres of one 
type of plant. (Photo by Zoe Richardson, Unsplash)

Despite the need for an economic boost, many specialty crop farmers chose not to participate in the Department of Agriculture's recent $1 billion Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program. 

"Small-scale fruit and vegetable farmers are skipping out on federal farm aid, citing onerous reporting requirements they say are not compatible with their farms and may not substantially pay off," reports Rebekah Alvey of Civil Eats.

Although the USDA let smaller-scale farmers know they had until March 13 to complete their acreage reports to apply for assistance, the agency did not inform them when and how the aid would be distributed. Alvey explains, "Without knowing the potential benefits of the assistance, many specialty-crop farmers decided not to submit an acreage report, disqualifying them from the aid."

The current USDA acreage reporting forms are geared toward commodity row-crop farmers, leaving many specialty farmers unsure how to meet the requirements. Minnesota-based farmer Sara George told Civil Eats, "If you have kale, you have to do acreage reporting of your kale. I don’t plant an acre of kale, I plant two rows of kale.”

An average corn farmer is likely to plant thousands of acres, which is far different from the "small, diversified specialty-crop operations [that] grow a range of crops, on a fraction of an acre of land, and sell to a variety of sources," Alvey explains. "Under those conditions, a detailed crop report can be difficult to put together."

Specialty farmers who chose to apply for the ASCF program were told to work with their local Farm Service Agency to resolve reporting questions, but getting help from the FSA proved difficult for some. "George reached out to [her] local FSA offices with questions about the forms," Alvey reports. "But staff seem to have limited information as well and are also new to filing these reports for specialty crops."

Specialty crop farmers and corn growers urge lawmakers to make needed changes to upcoming bills

U.S. specialty crops include fruits and vegetables.
(Adobe Stock photo)

U.S. farmers and farming advocates are pushing lawmakers to draft bills that include additional aid for specialty crop growers and include wording that allows for the year-round use of 15% ethanol-blended gasoline (E15), write Pro Farmer editors for Farm Journal.

Many specialty crop growers were disappointed with the Trump administration's 2025 aid package, which allocated $11 billion for row-crop farmers and $1 billion for specialty crop farmers. Specialty crops include fruits, veggies, nuts, nursery crops, Christmas trees and maple syrup.

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance co-chair Cathy Burns told Nicole Heslip of Brownfield Ag Network, "Specialty crops account for one-third of crop sales in the U.S., and we have the same harmful headwinds that the rest of agriculture is experiencing."

Burns suggested "5 billion in relief would help alleviate some of the unprecedented economic challenges facing growers from labor, input costs, lost markets, and unfair competition from competitors," Heslip writes.

Allowing year-round sales of E15 gasoline has been on farmers' wish lists for years. Michelle Rook of Farm Journal reports, "Analysis from the National Corn Growers Association indicates that it would boost corn use by approximately 2.4 billion bushels annually and be one of the quickest ways to increase demand and chew through the record pile of corn in the U.S."

In the past, states had to apply for waivers to extend E15 sales into the summer months. 

Trump announces $12 billion in farm aid, but many farmers don't think bailout checks address bigger challenges

American farmers need more markets. (USDA photo)

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers hurt by the president's “long-reaching tariffs,” report Brian Schwartz, Natalie Andrews and Patrick Thomas for The Wall Street Journal. “Much of the aid —$11 billion— will be in the form of one-time payments through the Farmer Bridge Assistance program.” 

International tariff wars, particularly those between the U.S. and China, have contributed to a financially challenging year for American farmers, with soybean farmers bearing the largest losses. “Crop prices have remained low, especially after harvesting the largest crop on record this fall,” Schwartz explains. “Through the first nine months of 2025, farm bankruptcies rose by nearly 50% compared with the same period in 2024.”

Although many farmers need the additional funds to pay down debt and invest in next year’s planting, many see them as a short-term solution. Erin Ailworth, Ilena Peng and Michael Hirtzer of Bloomberg News report, “Growers who have struggled with low crop prices, rising costs, and lost markets, [have called] Trump’s farm aid a temporary fix for deeper economic challenges.”

Missouri farmer Marty Richardson told Bloomberg, “This is kind of a Band-Aid — we need more markets more than we need aid.”

While U.S. soybean farmers suffered from a summer and fall without sales to China, presumably due to Trump’s tariffs, many know the country has been working for years to reduce its dependence on American soybeans. Bloomberg reports, “Trump’s first trade war resulted in China accelerating a diversion of its supply chain away from the U.S. to places like South America. U.S. farmers have lost crucial market share to competitors, particularly Brazil.”

Some American growers don’t think 2026 will be any better than this year. Sam Taylor, a farm inputs analyst, told Bloomberg, “This time next year, we’re going to be having much the same conversation about margins for growers, about the potential need for economic support.”

Farmers can start applying for the aid package next month. WSJ reports, "Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the money will start going out at the end of February." 

Farmer opinion: 'The pain has spread far beyond my fields. Every person and business in rural America is feeling it.'

U.S. farmers sold nearly half of nation's 2024 soybean crop
to China. (Adobe Stock photo)

Even with a relief package, U.S. farmers can't recoup losses from the U.S.-China tariff war. "We’re on the verge of the nation’s worst farm crisis since the 1980s," writes Mark Heckman in his opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal. Promises from China to "buy a 'tremendous' amount of soybeans, as President Trump put it, aren’t good enough either. We want fair trade."

American farmers sold $12.6 billion in soybeans to China in 2024, which equals roughly half of the soybeans grown in the U.S. But in retaliation against Trump's 2025 tariffs, China snubbed U.S. farmers and bought billions of bushels of beans from South American countries. Heckman writes, "Most of mine will sit unsold in a warehouse."

He said the media often describe "potential relief payments to American soybean farmers as a 'bailout.' I see it as a slap in the face," Heckman adds. "The money won’t come close to making up for the hurt in farm country. . . . The pain has spread far beyond my fields. . . . Every person and business in rural America is feeling it."

"Meanwhile, Trump is boasting," Heckman writes. "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s elaboration on Trump’s promise from China — feels hollow. What happens if the Chinese don’t come through? More tariffs causing more pain to American farmers like me."

Border taxes serve "no financial purpose if the federal government simply intends to redistribute the money it collects," Heckmans explains. "It turns self-sufficient producers into supplicants pleading for subsidies. . . .The government should get out of American farmers’ way and allow market forces to work. Don’t give us handouts. Let us sell what we grow to the people who want to buy it, at home and abroad."

Mark Heckman is a hog, cattle, corn and soybean farmer who serves as vice chairman of the Global Farmer Network.

USDA will release $3 billion and reopen Farm Service Agency core services

Despite some bumper crops, American farmers have
had a tumultuous season. (Photo by Jed Owen, Unspash)

U.S. farmers are harvesting big crops, but many are reaping little or no profit. To address some of their economic strife, the Department of Agriculture is "planning to release more than $3 billion in aid to U.S. farmers that had been frozen as a result of the government shutdown," report Natalie Andrews and Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal.

Bumper crops should be a boon for American farmers, but instead they are "fueling a glut that is driving down prices. Rising costs for fertilizer and farm equipment are also squeezing their balance sheets," Andrews and Thomas explain.

In addition to cash assistance, the USDA will "resume Farm Service Agency core operations, which have been closed for three weeks during the government shutdown," Andrews and Thomas write. "This will allow farmers to access aid, including some safety-net programs." 

President Donald Trump considered using tariff revenue to fund a bailout package for farmers earlier this year; however, the $3 billion comes from the Commodity Credit Corp., the same fund Trump tapped to help farmers weather his first-term tariffs. 

Before the government closed, the Trump administration was considering another $10 billion for farmers "struggling because of Trump’s trade war, but that new relief is on hold while the government is shut down," the Journal reports.

President Trump will be in Asia next week, where he "plans to push Chinese leader Xi Jinping to buy U.S. soybeans to help struggling American farmers," Andrews adds. "The two leaders are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of a summit in South Korea."

Agriculture economists say farming recession, trade without China causing 'severe' financial squeeze

Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor graph

Agriculture economists share a bleak outlook for American farmers."The financial squeeze gripping row crop agriculture is only growing more severe, according to the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor. As of September, 91% think the U.S. crops sector is in a recession, which is an all-time high for the anonymous survey," reports Tyne Morgan of Farm Journal.

Without orders from China, low soybean sales continue to be the "biggest drag on the farm economy," Morgan explains. "In fact, 77% of economists surveyed say current U.S.-China trade policies are hurting farmers." More than half of experts surveyed think China will eventually purchase U.S. soybeans.

Morgan writes, "Ag lenders in some regions, such as the mid-South, warn farmers are experiencing the most financial stress since the 1980s."

Graph by Lindsey Pound, Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor

Looking ahead to next year, agricultural economists are divided. Morgan writes. "Fifty percent say it will be somewhat worse off or unchanged, while the other half expect the situation to slightly improve."

The Department of Agriculture plans to release its farm aid package sometime over the next two weeks. Morgan adds, "Sixty-two percent of surveyed economists said government direct payments benefit crop producers."

Farm Aid turned 40 this year: U.S. farmers still need the concert to raise public awareness and financial support

John Cougar Mellencamp performs at the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 22, 1985.
 (Photo by Seth Perlman, The Associated Press via The Daily Yonder)

Farm Aid began as a mega-concert event in 1985, featuring the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and John Cougar Mellencamp, who performed to raise awareness and funding for American farmers in crisis. The musical event, which turned 40 this year, spurred a homegrown tradition that recognizes the struggles American farmers face to stay afloat. "Farmers need just as much support now as they did 40 years ago," reports Claire Carlson of The Daily Yonder. 

Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Farm Aid 2024 provided an opportunity for farmers and their families to connect with others who are also trying to survive the "difficulties of competing with large-scale agriculture, the disconnect between producers and consumers, and the vanishing federal support as some of the most pressing challenges facing farmers today," Carlson writes.

Jesse Womack, a policy specialist at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, told Carlson, "This is not a favorable economic time for producers, period. We are watching a lot of our leaders in this country totally ignore how difficult producers have it right now and really neglect their duty to make tools and services readily available and easy to use for producers."

In addition to this year's performances, a "separate corner of the arena hosted booths for farmer advocacy organizations that spoke on topics like factory farming and regenerative agriculture," Carlson writes.

During the concert, Farm Aid T-shirts and food sales highlight all things American-grown and made in the USA. Carlson adds, "The sales of these items and the festival tickets go to Farm Aid initiatives like their Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network and Family Farm Disaster Fund."

Many U.S. producers are anxious for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill, but "farmer advocacy organizations have been critical of the proposals they’ve seen," Carlson reports. "The Farm Bill, which authorizes federal spending on agricultural and food programs, is two years past its expiration date."

Farm Aid photos, swag and information about performances can be found here. 

Trump announces plan to use tariff dollars to fund U.S. farmer bailout checks

Many U.S. farmers are harvesting crops that don't 
have a buyer. (Adobe Stock photo)

President Donald Trump announced plans to use tariff dollars to help U.S. farmers facing extreme economic strain due to high input costs and poor trade opportunities. Grace Yarrow and Meridith Lee Hill of Politico report, "Trump said he will use tariff revenue to offer cash bailouts for farmers who are struggling with trade uncertainty and other economic headwinds."

Trump told reporters, "We’re going to take some of that tariff money that we made, we’re going to give it to our farmers, who are, for a little while, going to be hurt until the tariffs kick into their benefit. . . .So we’re going to make sure that our farmers are in great shape, because we’re taking in a lot of money.”

Some Republicans share Trump's preference for tapping tariff dollars to help farmers, but other GOP lawmakers worry the plan "could run into roadblocks if the Supreme Court decides Trump’s tariffs are not legal," Politico reports. Several Republicans also cite what Democrats might ask for in return for agreeing to use tariff dollars to fund farmer checks.

While the Trump administration has promised to deliver better trade deals, American farmers are still waiting. Meanwhile, lobbyists and lawmakers from farming districts are pushing hard for a farm aid package to be passed soon. 

Opinion: Farmers don't need bailout checks; they need to make money by selling their crops

U.S. farming income ratio in 2024 was negative.
(Photo by Betty Haynes, Farm Progress)

Many U.S. farmers are already struggling to make ends meet as costs for equipment, labor and fertilizer remain high and crop income continues to drop. In her opinion piece for Farm Progress, Holly Spangler writes, "Grain prices are down, input prices are up, and not enough folks are buying U.S. products." Spangler shares insights on what Congress and the Trump administration can do to help farmers without sending bailout checks.

The National Corn Growers Association just "released a survey of U.S. corn growers, and nearly half — 46% — believe the U.S. is on the brink of a farm crisis," Spangler writes. "More than 75% are very or moderately concerned about the farm economy. . . . The average 2024 farm operating income ratio was negative for the first time in 30 years, and well below the five-year average of 18.2%."

Action from policy officials and Congress could help corn farmers access improved markets and better prices. Spangler explains, "Congress needs to pass the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025, which would remove an outdated provision in the Clean Air Act that restricts summertime fuel sales with 15% ethanol blends, or E15."

Soybean farmers also need robust market development since China is purchasing its soybeans from South America. Spangler notes, "The only deal to come out of last week’s U.S.-China trade talks involved TikTok, not soybeans."

While the Trump Administration and the Department of Agriculture may have plans to send farmers bailout checks, Spangler points out that this approach isn't a long-term solution. She writes, "Another bailout just produces money that flows through the farmer’s hands and back to landowners, input suppliers and equipment companies. Nobody has to lower prices when farmers can afford it."

Spangler believes farmers need to demand action from the Trump Administration and the USDA that fixes the E15 issue, passes a Farm Bill and secures trade partners. She adds, "Farmers need to make money. But they need to do it by selling crops — not by cashing another government check."

Ag roundup: Screwworm update; Prop 12 egg suit; zoning officials close15-year-old's bait shop; disaster aid opens

Screwworm concerns closed U.S.-Mexico livestock trading 
again. (Meredith Corp. photo via Successful Farming)

Continuing its uphill battle to prevent screwworms from re-entering the U.S., the Department of Agriculture suspended its plan to "gradually resume imports through four further ports in the coming months," reports Oliver Ward of Successful Farming. "The announcement came just two days after USDA reopened a single port of entry for Mexican livestock in Douglas, Arizona."

Chickens and eggs are back in the news as the Trump administration files suit against California over its Proposition 12 egg rules that require cage-free housing for egg-laying hens. The suit claims the state's restrictions "violate the federal Egg Products Inspection Act, which it said trumps state egg regulations," reports Philip Gruber of Lancaster Farming. "California law raises egg prices for consumers by preventing farmers across the country from using standard agricultural practices that would help keep prices down, President Donald Trump’s administration said in a July 9 filing."

Max McKinney and his bait stand that officials have
now closed. (Photo by Foss Farms via Farm Journal)

At 15 years old, Max McKinney was already an entrepreneur running his own bait and snack shop until zealous county officials shut him down. McKinney’s 6’x15’ shop "was deemed a zoning violation by Washburn County, Wis., officials," reports Chris Bennett for Farm Journal. "After snapping photographs of the stand as proof of McKinney’s assault on county code, zoning officials issued a cease-and-desist letter, ordering closure under penalty of daily fines." Read how the McKinney family responded here. McKinney's bait shop isn't the only one to get zapped by rule-strapping officials.

Farmers with crops battered by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for USDA aid payments. "The program, referred to as the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, will be administered in two stages," reports Lydia Johnson of Successful Farming. "The first application stage begins this week for producers with eligible crop losses caused by hurricanes, wildfires and other weather events who received assistance under crop insurance or the non-insured crop disaster assistance program. The second stage will begin in the fall for producers with eligible shallow or uncovered losses."

A Kansas district will open its ag-focused center in a remodeled grade school 
that was closed years ago. (USD 269 photo via The Daily Yonder)

After years of declining student enrollment, the Palco-Damar-Zurich school district (Unified School District 269) in western Kansas found a way to harness its farming history and grow again. "About a dozen new students have signed on, drawn by a new Ag-Focused School model and the opening of USD 269’s Northwest Kansas Agriculture Education Center program," reports Lane Wendell Fischer of The Daily Yonder. "Their vision is to provide some form of agriculture education from preschool through high school. At the elementary levels, students will be engaged in ag-related activities, lessons, and will even roll up their sleeves to do some chores."

Few people are more obsessed with the weather than farmers. While American farmers have a myriad of tools to use, many rely on the U.S. Drought Monitor to measure critical rainfall information. But the Drought Monitor also informs scientists, academics, water management experts and regular citizens about national rainfall across time. Below are examples of July Drought Monitor maps, where the difference of a year can be easily compared. 

 

Republicans in Congress work to save $1.8 billion in U.S.-grown food aid from the USAID graveyard

Closure of some U.S. food-aid programs
could hurt farmers. (Adobe Stock photo)

Republicans are working to rescue the Food for Peace program from the USAID-closing abyss by moving its oversight to the Department of Agriculture.

"Congressional Republicans from farm states are trying to save a $1.8 billion U.S. food-aid program that purchases U.S.-grown food and is administered by USAID, which has been largely closed by the Trump administration," reports Kristina Peterson of The Wall Street Journal.

The GOP group introduced legislation to save the 70-year-old program that works to combat international hunger by "transferring it to the USDA, which currently funds it but doesn’t run it," Peterson explains. "The bill marks a rare effort from Republicans to defend a federal program targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency." 

The White House hasn’t commented on the bill and "is watching to see how much support there is for it," Peterson adds. "Farm groups, which have worried about the impact of pausing federal funding that flows to farmers, backed the legislation."

The USDA already manages some foreign-aid programs, such as the McGovern-Dole program, which "send U.S.-grown food to schoolchildren in low-income countries," Peterson reports. The USDA hasn't confirmed if its programs will remain open.