Farmers' share of consumer food spending dollar shrinks to 5.8 cents

Despite planting, growing and harvesting most foundational food in the United States, American farmers only glean a tiny amount of consumer food spending, reports Faith Parum of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Department of Agriculture data from 2024 estimates show that "farmers and ranchers received a combined 5.8 cents of every food dollar, down slightly from 5.9 cents in 2023."

The 5.8 cents in profits are divided by sectors. Parum explains, "Crop producers saw their share decline from 2.9 to 2.5 cents, while livestock producers experienced a modest increase from 3 to 3.3 cents." But overall, the trends show that farmers' share of consumer food dollars has decreased over time. In contrast, the largest share of each consumer dollar is spent on food processing and food service.

The shrinking income underscores why increases in agricultural input costs, such as higher fuel or fertilizer prices, can quickly erode farm income and strain farmers already burdened by low commodity prices.

When it comes to food-at-home purchases, farmer and rancher profits gained a "0.5% increase year over year," Parum explains. "In 2024, the farm share of the food-at-home dollar was 18.5 cents, up slightly from 18.4 cents in 2023."

Products that require little processing produce bigger profit margins. Parum reports, "Fresh eggs returned 69.1 cents per dollar to farmers in 2024, up from 65.2 cents in 2023. Beef rose from 49.8 cents to 52.2 cents, and fresh milk increased from 48.1 cents to 50.8 cents."

The overall picture of farming income spotlights the realities of modern food production and distribution, where "most of the economic value is created after products leave the farm," Parum writes.

Report: Food and agriculture sector will contribute $10.4 trillion to U.S. economy in 2026

The U.S. food and agriculture industries will produce $10.4 trillion for the economy in 2026, backing 48.7 million jobs, reports Feed & Grain staff.

Despite rising inflation and global trade pressures, the sector makes up almost 20% of the national economy, increasing profits by $894 billion each year, according to data from the Feeding the Economy report.

Food manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector in the country, from two million farms and ranches to 200,000 food manufacturing, processing and storage facilities. It also includes more than one million restaurants and foodservice establishments, and 200,000 retail food stores.

The economic impact of the food and agriculture sector in each state. (Interactive map via Feeding the Economy, Click here to choose your state.)

Some of the highlights from the report show the food and agriculture sector generating:

• More than $177.3 billion worth of exports
• More than $3 trillion in workers' wages
• 6.5% growth in direct employment over the last decade
• 4% yearly rise in wages and 13% rise over the last decade, surpassing inflation
• $1.35 trillion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments, increasing 7% each year

Many rural communities rely on food and agriculture revenue as the backbone of their local economy, with wages reinvested to support local housing, healthcare, education, small businesses and infrastructure, reports Feeding the Economy. “From farm to factory and truck to table, food and agriculture's impact sustains jobs, powers commerce, and strengthens communities across America."

Opinion: Goat could be added to American diets as a mild, versatile lean protein

Graphic by Adam Dixon, Offrange

Goat is one of the most internationally consumed types of animal meat, but Americans seem to have skipped goat on the menu. And while there's a list of reasons why Americans are much more likely to eat beef often and goat never, that may be changing, reports Laurel Miller for Offrange. "Goat is increasingly finding favor amongst white consumers in the U.S., primarily those seeking a lean, high-protein or more sustainable meat source."

Part of the reason many Americans don't eat caprine is their uninformed ideas about what goat meat tastes like. Miller explains, "Many Americans avoid goat because of the widespread perceptions that the meat is rank, gamy, or tough." While goat, like other meats, has a distinct flavor, in many cultures, their meat is considered a delicacy.

Brian Palmer, a goat farmer in Salinas, California, told Miller, "There is an understated goat aroma and flavor. But fresh, high-quality goat meat is approachable." Miller adds, "He prefers ethnic recipes like curries or braises that take that flavor into account."

In an age where beef prices are soaring, it might be time for goat meat to emerge as a competitor. Miller writes, "It’s lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol than chicken, pork, beef, and lamb, and, at 27.1 grams of protein per 100 gram serving, falls just behind conventional beef, which is 28.6 grams per serving."

Right now, the U.S. goat meat sector is small, but growing. Miller adds, "Consumer demand and accessibility vary by region, but even with a ready customer base, the numbers aren’t sufficient to galvanize government and other agencies to fund research."

But raising goats is cheaper, easier, and better for the soil than raising cows or sheep. "Goats are low-impact, non-selective browsers, meaning they eat diverse vegetation, including plants that sheep and cows can’t or won’t eat, like noxious weeds," Miller writes. "Because they’re small and nimble, goats can access areas other species can’t, and they’re well-suited to land that won’t support cattle or crops."

What's on your holiday table? Americans weigh in on Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.

When it comes to holiday traditions, many Americans see special foods and meals as part of the season's delights. Agriculture researchers at the University of Illinois wanted to know if the last few years of food cost increases, inflation woes and recent tariff wars in the U.S. have changed the way Americans set their holiday tables this year. Their lightly edited discoveries are shared below.

University of Illinois graph, data from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, Nov. 2025

Thanksgiving marks the first of several major feasts across the country. The main attraction? Food! More precisely, for many Americans, it means eating turkey. "Of those respondents who typically celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal, the most commonly reported protein source was turkey. A whopping 86.5% of those who celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal said they planned to serve turkey," Maria Kalaitzandonakes, Jonathan Coppess and Brenna Ellison write.

Christmas dinner fare has changed throughout American history; in fact, colonial Americans considered eating turkey a luxury, and many families opted for goose, duck or rabbit. Even with inflation and tariffs, 2025 offers more options for sumptuous Christmas meals. The researchers add, "Of those respondents who typically celebrate Christmas with a meal, turkey (47.9%), pork (47.5%), and beef (39.9%) were the most common protein sources. . . . 22.8% said they planned to serve fish or seafood, 11.1% said they planned to serve lamb."

University of Illinois graph, data from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, Nov. 2025

Of course, price matters: Sixty-nine percent of respondents said they expect food prices to affect their meal plans. Researchers asked consumers to share their strategies for reducing food costs. "The two most commonly reported strategies were shopping for deals on ingredients (45.5%) and shopping ahead of time to spread out ingredient costs (42.1%)."

Rural families will be impacted by pause in SNAP benefits due to federal government shutdown

Roughly 41 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits.
(Photo by Aaron Doucett, Unsplash)

Due to the federal government shutdown, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will cease soon, and the Trump administration has not made any plans to find money to keep the program running. 

“The pause in food stamp benefits that will hit Saturday, November 1 will disproportionately hurt rural families,” Sarah Melotte and Tim Marema reported for The Daily Yonder.

Food pantries are preparing for a surge in people who cannot afford groceries without SNAP. 

“Rural families top the list of groups that will be affected by the freeze in SNAP benefits. The Daily Yonder found that 13.7% of rural households receive SNAP benefits, compared to 11.4% of metropolitan households,” Melotte and Marema wrote. 

Additionally, SNAP benefits mostly go to households with children, a trend that can be seen in both urban and rural counties.

“Twenty-five Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday to force it to resume food stamps payments,” Julianna Bragg reported for Axios.

Opinion: Annual harvests in Ohio turned into a 'mess' by trade wars, low prices and sky-high input costs

China hasn't purchased a single soybean from
the U.S. in 2025. (Adobe Stock photo)

 

Despite better weather and decent crop production, many American farmers face extreme financial distress due to tariffs, sinking commodity prices and the lack of trade with China. 

For row crop farmers in Ohio, the tariffs and expenses have turned their annual harvest time into a "mess" riddled with financial loss and insecurity, writes Marilou Johanek in her opinion for the Ohio Capital Journal.

"Some growers have called the fallout from President Donald Trump's chaotic trade war, and the reciprocal tariffs it provoked, a 'farmageddon' that could ruin what made rural America great," Johanek explains.

While some U.S. farmers were not surprised that China's response to American tariffs was to snub U.S. soybeans, the pain is being felt by farmers nationwide, including those who don't trade with China. Johanek explains, "Farmers felt the same creeping despair with the tariff debacle of 2018 when Trump first slapped punitive tariffs on crucial exporters of American crops."

Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs, who left the GOP after 2018 tariffs caused China to increase its farming trade with South America, told Johanek, "We’re back in the same situation, but only worse. In the major commodities, corn, wheat, soybeans, sorghum, rice, cotton, prices are below the cost of production, so there’s built-in loss."

Beyond too few trading partners, farmers face soaring input costs. Johanek writes, "Senseless tariffs on fertilizer, steel, aluminum, and lumber just sent the cost of doing business through the roof. . . . Trump tariffs are especially painful for family farms that make up about 87% of all farms in Ohio."

Farmers and the agricultural industry impact job and business sectors throughout the U.S. and contribute roughly $9.5 trillion, or nearly 20%, to the national economy.

Report: Farmers and agricultural leaders put the brakes on part of national 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda

In its initial report, the national "Make America Healthy Again" commission advocated for changes to U.S. food production and dietary guidance while criticizing "lobbying efforts by American corporations to shape policy," report Jesse Newman, Liz Essley Whyte and Josh Dawsey of The Wall Street Journal. But the commission has since "held talks with scores of leaders from the food and agriculture industries."

Farm groups criticized MAHA's first report for not giving
them a voice. (Adobe Stock photo)

When the commission released its follow-up plan last week, it left "nutrition experts and consumer advocacy and watchdog groups, lamenting its lack of emphasis on regulatory action," the Journal reports. MAHA supporters worry that the commission's initial agenda, led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has curtailed its mission to appease corporate leadership.

By comparison, agricultural and industry groups were glad their input was included. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, told the Journal, "We appreciate the commission’s willingness to meet with farmers across the country, hear our concerns and develop smart solutions."

When the MAHA commission released its first report, "It questioned the health effects of glyphosate. . .a widely used farm pesticide," according to the Journal article. "It scrutinized ultraprocessed foods over some 15 pages."

The report then faced backlash from agricultural leaders and farmers who balked at the "report’s contents and a lack of engagement from the administration during its writing," the Journal reports. Before its follow-up strategy was released, the commission "sought input from farmers, food makers and retailers."

In an effort to juggle agricultural leadership and MAHA supporters, the commission said it aimed to give both sides a seat at the table. According to the article, "The White House used broad language in the latest MAHA report to leave the door open to take sharper or more lenient action in the future."

U.S. consumers battle with ongoing high prices by foregoing splurges and focusing on money-saving strategies

Americans are worried about stubbornly high
grocery prices. (Adobe Stock photo)

Frustrated with continuously high food and staple pricing, many U.S. consumers are combating grocery store costs with money-saving tactics and spending reductions. "Consumer spending stagnated in the first half of this year, according to federal data issued last week, and the CEOs of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Kroger and Procter & Gamble, among others, are telling investors that their customers are more strapped — or appear to feel that way," report Katherine Hamilton and Natasha Khan of The Wall Street Journal. 

Eyeing an uncertain job market, ongoing inflation and anticipated tariffs, shoppers are opting to spend their dollars on "essentials and forego the extras," the Journal reports. "P&G, which sells daily-use items such as Tide, Charmin and Pantene, said it is noticing signs of slower spending across essential products, too."

Low-income and higher-income shoppers have pulled back on spending sprees to focus on making their budgets stretch further. "Americans are using up the goods in their pantry and seeking value by buying in bulk to economize or purchasing smaller packs to spend less," Hamilton and Khan explain. "At Kroger, shoppers are making more trips to the store but putting less in their carts. They are also clipping coupons again. . ."

The cost of living and worries over being able to afford it has become a common theme for many Americans. "A May poll of consumer sentiment conducted by consulting firm McKinsey found most people planned to adjust their spending in response to tariffs," Hamilton and Khan write. "Rising prices was the top concern of those surveyed, far outweighing issues such as immigration, international conflict and political polarization."

Food banks are already stretched thin, and changes to SNAP benefits are likely to leave some Americans hungry

Food banks have already been impacted by USDA cuts.
(Photo by Aaron Doucett, Unsplash)

With food prices continuing to climb higher than overall inflation, many Americans have turned to food banks to make ends meet. But food pantry organizers say they are already strapped by increasing needs and fear that when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, changes start pinching people's budgets, pantries won't have enough food to meet the demand. 

Food bank shortages are likely to become more common for rural pantries because they rely more heavily on Department of Agriculture programs and have fewer private donors to lean on for assistance.

"Food banks across the country were already straining under rising demand. Now, they worry many more Americans will go hungry," reports Dan Frosch of The Wall Street Journal. "Some food banks and pantries are pushing for more state, local and private funding. Others are considering cutting back services and the amount of food they can distribute."

Food pantry leaders "say the SNAP reductions included in the new budget bill will strain resources by pushing more people whose benefits have either been cut or reduced toward pantries to get food," Frosch reports. "Republicans say changes to the SNAP program will ensure people receiving the benefits are working, as required."

Changes that have already gone into effect significantly shift age and work requirements to receive benefits. The new budget "expands work requirements for SNAP, raising the upper age limit for able-bodied adults from 54 to 64, meaning those people will typically have to work for 80 hours a month to qualify for food benefits," Frosch writes. Individuals caring for children 14-17 will now have to work to qualify for SNAP. 

Just as pandemic-era aid tapered off throughout the U.S., food inflation began to spike, which led to more people relying on food pantries. While most food banks were able to meet their community's needs, they now have to contend with cuts. Frosch explains, "Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture canceled millions of pounds of shipments to food banks that were part of its emergency food-assistance program for low-income people." 

A USDA spokesperson told the Journal that regular food deliveries had continued, but "food banks say they are already feeling the impacts of federal cuts," Frosch adds. "For Sarah Aragón, the head of programming for Roadrunner Food Bank, New Mexico’s largest charitable food operation, that has meant losing more than seven million pounds of food she had been counting on."

Some pantries are planning to make cuts if needs overwhelm their supply, but others already run out of food sometimes. Aragón, from Roadrunner Food Bank, told Frosch, "When we have to tell people that we have no more left, the look on their faces when they walk away is like, ‘What am I going to do now?' I don’t have an answer.” 

As international grain sales dry up, Kansas farmers also face the loss of Food for Peace and other programs

Congressman Bob Dole of Kansas, standing, was a dedicated advocate for
the Food for Peace Act. (University of Kansas, Dole Archives photo)

Rich rivers of wheat have grown on the Kansas high plains for nearly 200 years. In 1953, a Kansas farmer believed he could help ease Cold War tensions by providing some of his surplus grain to a hungry world. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, another Kansan, endorsed the idea and created a program to support it.

"Food for Peace has sent sacks of grain stamped 'From the American People' to more than four billion people in 150 countries around the world," reports Elizabeth Williamson of The New York Times. "Now it is effectively dead."

In February, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, ended the program when he cut the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had administered it. Williamson writes. "Kansas’s Republican lawmakers tried to save it but failed to persuade President Donald Trump, who last month proposed cutting the entire 2026 budget for Food for Peace as well as another food aid program dear to Kansans, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program," which began in 2003.

With Food for Peace fading, many Kansas farmers are hurting. "It was the latest blow to farmers, particularly in Kansas, where about 80% of those on the high plains voted for Trump and agriculture makes up almost half of the state’s economy," Williamson explains. Instead of a more competitive market for their crops, which Trump campaigned on, Kansas farmers are sitting on grain and facing tariffs that have choked off import sales.

The Pawnee County Co-op in Larned, Kan., is "owned by its farmers, and is one of the biggest brokers of high plains wheat. Before Trump took office in January, the co-op sold half its grain abroad, to European, Asian and African buyers," Willaimson adds. "Now the co-op’s foreign sales are 'zero,' said Kim Barnes, its chief financial officer. . . .The co-op was stuck with 1.5 million bushels of grain sorghum after Trump started his tariff war with China."

Tom Giessel, a retired farmer, is disappointed with this administration. He told Williamson, "These people really don’t know the story of Food for Peace and the roots of it. . . . Farmers shipping grain to where people were hungry — that we did these kinds of things is really what made America great.”

Quick hits: Timely 'Star Wars' series; U.S.A.-made shoes; modern Appalachian cooking; incarcerated firefighters

The Star Wars franchise might begin and end in "a galaxy far, far away," but its newest series 'Andor' serves up some close-to-home conflicts. "Migrant farm workers sweating visa status amid amped-up immigration enforcement. Aggressive strip mining of the land without consideration of local communities.  … Rising disregard for due process and human rights," writes Adam B. Giorgi for The Daily Yonder. "Various installments in the franchise have been associated with or said to draw inspiration from then-contemporary concerns, including the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But it’s arguably never been more timely or effective than it is in 'Andor.'"

Keen moved part of its production back to the U.S.
(Keen photo via BBC North America)

High tariffs are one tool the Trump administration has put in place to try to stimulate American manufacturing growth, but even as those costs hit the U.S. market, the question remains, "How can the U.S. reinvent its manufacturing sector in today's global economy?" While U.S. factories look different now than they did in the 1970s, it can be done. Family-owned Keen Footwear located outside of Louisville, Ky., is showing the way, reports Michelle Fleury of BBC North America. "With just 24 employees on site, the factory relies heavily on automation — sophisticated robots that fuse soles and trim materials — underscoring a transformation in how goods are made today."

If it feels like life needs a reset or even an "undo" button, heading outside may be the answer. "Nature can save us from a world gone mad," writes Dana Milbank of The Washington Post. "I hiked the Appalachian Trail, and it fixed my brain. … I wandered happily along the trail spotting the colors of the forest in spring: the red columbine, the lavender wild geranium, the lacy maple-leaf viburnum. … I found myself talking back to the birds that seemed to be following us."

Pharmacist Jan Brandenburg shares her
Appalachian roots in her new cookbook.

Sometimes sharing recipes from home is the best way to showcase what your region is all about. For Jan Brandenburg of Kentucky, home is Appalachia, where she learned to love cooking, baking and science. "Today, after nearly 40 years as a practicing pharmacist, Brandenburg has published The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia, a tribute to her Eastern Kentucky roots and a vibrant exploration of how food — like medicine — can nourish, heal and connect," report Dana Cox and Rosa Mejia-Cruz for UKnow. "Brandenburg often finds herself offering guidance to patients … not just on medications, but on food choices, too. And she's just as happy to share recipes."

Seeing and smelling my mom's homemade yeast rolls rising in a warm oven, getting a nose-full of Grandma's mildewy basement where I used to fetch canned tomatoes, hearing the old Gordon Lightfoot song my dad played until everyone had it memorized. Those are all distinct experiences with memories and feelings attached to them. According to social psychologist and researcher Chelsea Reid, that feeling — nostalgia — is good for us. Reid explains in her story for The Conversation, that "sentimental longing for treasured moments in our personal pasts is linked to our well-being and feelings of connection with others … triggered by sensory stimuli such as music, scents and foods, nostalgia has the power to mentally transport us back in time."

A line of ARC-supported firefighters head off to battle a blaze. 
(ARC photo via Civil Eats)

When people think of firefighters, they don't also think about prisoners, but that's what some firefighters are, and just like non-incarcerated firefighters, they need care, too. "As hurricane-force winds caused wildfires to raze entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, more than 7,500 firefighters risked their lives. … Among them were an estimated 1,100 inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation," reports Nadra Nittle of Civil Eats. "Sam Lewis of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition discusses why good meals, better pay, and post-release support could transform the future for incarcerated firefighters — and why society should see their humanity."

Honeybee hives are collapsing; here's how everyone can help pollinators thrive again

Unlike yellow jackets and hornets, honeybees' faces are often described as "fuzzy" or "hairy."
In general, they are more interested in flowers than stinging people. (Adobe Stock photo)

Honeybee colonies are collapsing due to a multitude of natural and human-made threats: "Parasites, loss of habitat, climate change and pesticides threaten to wipe out as much as 70% or more of the nation’s honeybee colonies this year, potentially the most devastating loss that the nation has ever seen," reports Ivan Penn of The New York Times. "Though most people fear the winged, golden insects with their fierce stingers, honeybees play a pivotal role in [crop] production." The items below offer some ideas of what farmers, gardeners and average Americans can do to help honey bees thrive once again.

Few animals are more dear to farmers and gardeners than bees. They bumble about humming in the key of C, ensuring crops grow. To help them get their work done, producers can create pollination-friendly pastures. "A buffet of native flowers and vegetables will attract bees, but they’ll also appreciate a place for shelter and nesting," reports Jodi Henke of Successful Farming. "Seventy percent of bees nest in the ground, and others burrow into twigs and old beetle tunnels. You can also provide shelter by building a bee box."

One of the most beneficial things people can do for bees is plant trees. "A tree provides much more forage than any patch of flowers ever could," reports Hilary Kearney of Keeping Backyard Bees. "Honeybees need millions of flowers to feed their colony. Individual foragers prefer to collect from a single type of flower and so, they favor plants that can provide large amounts of blooms or gardens where single varieties are planted in groupings. Now, imagine what a mature tree can offer compared to what a 10′ X 10′ pollinator garden offers. . ."

Farming includes crops and herds, but how about adding some hives? "More than 100 U.S. crops depend on assistance from pollinators. A free program is available and offers a chance to help," reports Alex Gray of Successful Farming. "The Seed a Legacy program was started to bring life back to pollinator habitats. This program enables landowners to make use out of the unproductive parts of their land, turning ditches and field corners into habitats for pollinators."

Protecting bees from chemicals is a key way to support their populations. "Synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and other agrochemicals can harm bees. By minimizing their use, we help maintain healthy bee and other pollinator populations, contribute to biodiversity, balance ecosystems, and mitigate downstream impacts on wildlife and human health," The Bee Conservancy reports. For farmers who use insecticide, reading all of an application's directions and spraying in the early morning or late evening when bees are less active can help minimize bee exposure.

Enjoying bees and supporting efforts to keep their hives thriving can be as simple as purchasing honey from a local beekeeper or donating funds to apiary science research. Once local honey is in your cupboard, a plethora of sweet or savory recipes can be explored, including honey-infused foods, barbecue sauces, whipped butters, biscuits, and simple syrups for cocktails and mocktails. Honey can also be a soothing addition to apple cider, tea and hot toddies.

When humans look out for bees, it's more than looking out for our food supply, science is still exploring the uniquely beneficial properties of honey. For example, honey can be used to protect and heal minor burns. "Studies in animal models have demonstrated that honey leads to faster healing and reduced inflammation than controls in infection-free superficial burns and full-thickness wounds and in wounds experimentally infected with Staphylococcus aureus," researcher M. Subrahmanyam writes in the Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters. "Honey is cheap, non-toxic, and non-allergenic, it does not stick to the wound, and it provides a moist environment conducive to rapid burn healing."

U.S. food bank system is in distress: 'The urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated'

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada delivers fresh food to seniors,
including those in rural communities. (KFF Health photo)

Slapped with funding cuts and spiking demand, food banks are limping forward without a clear idea of how to fill the gaping hole federal resources used to fill. The financial cuts are especially hard on rural food banks that may lack access to food donations from multiple businesses and grocery stores.

"Food bank managers across the country say their supplies have been strained by rising demand since the Covid pandemic-era emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits ended two years ago and steepening food prices," reports Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez of KFF Health News. "Now, they say, demand is compounded by recent cuts in federal funding to food distribution programs that supply staple food items to pantries nationwide."

The deep cuts began in March when the Department of Agriculture lopped off $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which purchases food from U.S. farmers and distributes it to food banks across the country. Rodriguez writes, "The program has supplied more than 20% of the distributions by Feeding America, a nonprofit that serves a network of over 200 food banks and 60,000 meal programs."

Additional demand paired with waning resources "is especially problematic for rural communities, where the federal program might cover 50% or more of food supplied to those in need, said Vince Hall, chief government relations officer of Feeding America," Rodriguez explains. The EFAP was a lifeline for rural residents facing food insecurity, but that safety net is gone. Hall told Rodriguez, “The urgency of this crisis cannot be overstated."

Local food banks are also grappling with a second $500 million cut from the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which aimed to help governments and schools purchase fresh food and produce from local growers.

Reductions to SNAP benefits, such as those currently being considered by lawmakers, could mean some Americans will go hungry. "A proposed budget resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April would require $1.7 trillion in net funding cuts, and anti-hunger advocates fear SNAP could be a target," Rodriguez reports. "More people living in rural parts of the country rely on SNAP than people in urban areas because of higher poverty rates, so they would be disproportionately affected."

U.S. farmers already had big worries. New tariffs, USDA cuts and funding freezes have hit them 'on all fronts.'

U.S. soybean farmers have yet to regain market share
with China after Trump's first-term tariffs. (A.S. photo)

 

U.S. farmers are getting squeezed from all sides by U.S. tariffs, crackdowns on undocumented workers and changes at the Department of Agriculture. Many of the new administration's policies have put farmers' livelihoods on the chopping block. Some farmers admit the pressure cooker of change and uncertain financial outlook is pushing them to reconsider their support for President Trump's policies and the actions of his appointed officials.

Before the new administration began making dramatic policy changes and cuts, farmers were "already struggling with low prices, high expenses and unpredictable — and at times, destructive— weather," reports Kristina Peterson of The Wall Street Journal. "But now, farmers — traditionally a key block of support for Trump — are also contending with USDA and foreign-aid funding that is frozen or in limbo," plus deportations "in an already tight agricultural-labor market" and the possibility of "another crippling trade war."

Jim Hartman is a military veteran turned North Carolina honey bee farmer who has already lost roughly $100,000 in expected farm revenue from USDA program cuts. The lifelong Republican voter told Peterson, “Stuff like this is pushing me left."

Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer in Magnolia, Ky., told Peterson, "“It’s hitting us on all fronts. You’re talking about the potential of a flat-out crisis in rural America and the farm economy.”

A recent AgWeb poll shows that a majority of farmers do not approve of Trump's current use of tariffs. "Just over half of farmers, 54%, said they didn’t support Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool, according to a poll of nearly 3,000 farmers," Peterson reports. "Farmers accustomed to dealing with uncertainty from the weather and the markets said the federal government, which spends tens of billions of dollars to support them each year, is usually a force helping them offset that instability."

Trump's enthusiasm for using and increasing tariffs "has many in rural America nervous," Peterson writes. "Trump’s first trade war led to more than $27 billion in losses of agricultural export. In response, China started importing more soybeans from Brazil, and U.S. soybean farmers have yet to regain their market share."

Hartman believes USDA changes will cut his yearly predicted revenue in half. He told Peterson, "This has fallen on the backs of small farmers. . . . The people Trump's appointed and the way they’re going about things, it’s not OK."

Mexican produce suppliers and U.S. grocers tap dance around tariffs to keep aisles stocked and prices steady

Trade with Mexico keeps fresh produce on American
grocery store shelves. (Adobe Stock photo)

Supermarket produce aisles are suffering from a bad case of tariff whiplash, leaving suppliers juggling orders to avoid levies and grocers searching for ways to hold costs down. "Companies that import and distribute tomatoes, broccoli and other fruits and vegetables are canceling orders and sometimes replacing them within days," reports Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "Supermarkets and retailers are monitoring consumers’ tolerance for higher prices. . . and considering bigger changes in their supply chains."

The Trump administration's see-saw approach to tariffs is "becoming a day-to-day factor for businesses that rely on cross-border commerce," Thomas writes. "American consumers expect to see fresh produce in stores year-round, and for avocados, broccoli, peppers and mangos, that means buying from Mexico and South American countries."

Despite the scale of Mexican produce sales to the United States -- worth roughly $20 billion annually -- suppliers operate with razor-thin profits, which leaves "little room for sellers to absorb higher costs without passing them along to customers," Thomas explains. "That leaves retailers and suppliers to determine whether consumers can stomach still-higher prices after inflation fatigue has eroded sales at supermarkets and restaurants over the past year."

To hold prices steady, grocers are reworking their supply chains. "Grocery giant Kroger said it is attempting to shift its purchasing of produce and other products to avoid the Trump administration’s tariffs, and ward off further price increases in its stores," Thomas reports. California grocer, Dynasty Farms is "considering moving its broccoli production to the U.S., where the company operates farms from California’s Salinas Valley to Scottsdale, Ariz."

USDA says Covid era is 'over' and cuts $1 billion program connecting schools, food banks and local farmers

Awarded USDA LFS funds for 2025 were canceled.
(Adobe Stock photo)

The Department of Agriculture has cut $1 billion in pandemic-era funding that helped schools and food banks purchase fresh food from local farmers. "About $660 million went to schools and childcare centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program," reports Annie Ma of The Associated Press. "A separate program provided money to food banks."

The USDA explained the cuts as a move away from pandemic-era programs that "no longer support the agency’s priorities," Ma explains. "A USDA spokesperson said in a statement, 'The Covid era is over — USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality.'"

Regardless of why the funding has been cut, schools, children and farmers will now do with less. "The cuts will hurt school districts with 'chronically underfunded' school meal budgets, said Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association," Ma writes. Gleave told Ma, “In addition to losing the benefits for our kids, this loss of funds is a huge blow to community farmers and ranchers."

With student lunch money drastically cut, some school districts will have to scramble to feed hungry students. Beyond that problem, the USDA's new priorities have left some teachers and administrators frustrated and disappointed. Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts state’s education secretary, told AP, "There’s a clear misalignment around what is important and what matters. We are seeing this cut of the LFS program as a first step towards deeper cuts.”

Some Washington lawmakers have proposed restricting free school meals. Ma reports, "Proposed spending cuts to fund Republican’s tax bill include raising the poverty level needed for schools to provide universal free meals without an application," Ma adds. "Restricting eligibility for food assistance programs and requiring income verification for free or reduced-price school meals, two proposals for cutting costs, would also likely cut out eligible families from accessing food."

A whirlwind of policy changes and funding cuts have left rural America on shaky ground: 'Billions are at stake.'

As USDA funds are frozen, U.S. farmers face uncertainty
and possible big financial losses. (Adobe Stock photo)

A whirlwind of policy changes from the Trump Administration has left many people in rural America unprepared to navigate agricultural spending cuts that target farming income and investments.

"Billions of dollars in funding are at stake," report Linda Qiu and Julie Creswell of The New York Times. "One executive order targets. . . money for farmers to conserve soil and water and to complete energy projects. Other directives touch on grants to states and producers. Another temporarily left hundreds of millions of dollars worth of food and supplies sitting in ports and has stopped future purchases of grains and goods."

The loss of income and promised funds from the Department of Agriculture puts farmers and farming communities in a "potentially precarious position," the Times reports. "Even as courts have halted many of the orders, rural communities are reeling from the effects, setting off confusion and panic among one of President Trump’s core constituencies."

Once inaugurated, Trump "ordered an indefinite pause on funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. . . . Though a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze the funds, it is unclear when and whether it will follow suit," Qiu and Creswell explain."Asked if it would release the money, the USDA did not directly respond, saying only that it had ordered 'a comprehensive review' of its contracts, work and personnel.'"

When farmer pocketbooks took a hit from Trump's first-term tariff wars, the administration tapped the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation and sent checks to farmers to cover losses. That isn't happening now. "Trump has also paused payments made by the CCC," Qiu and Creswell add. "It is unclear how much of the funding has been frozen."

When U.S. farmers overwhelmingly voted for Trump, it's unlikely they thought his policy changes could force some farms into bankruptcy -- but that could happen. The Times reports, "If funds remain frozen, that could affect more than 25,000 conservation contracts worth $1.8 billion funded by the climate change law, potentially involving thousands of farmers nationwide."

Quick hits: Super Bowl food line-up; heavy metal plants; immigration explained; changing U.S. geographical names

Buffalo chicken dip sweeps the Midwest and much of the South. (Coffeeness map via Mental Floss)

Super Bowl game parties are all about sporting fun served with delightful spreads of game-night food. "The Super Bowl is more than the championship game for professional football teams in the U.S. Super Bowl Sunday is the country’s 'second-largest food consumption day' (right after Thanksgiving)," reports CaLea Johnson for Mental Floss. "But which foods and desserts do Americans love most for the event?" Researchers mapped the answers state-by-state.

With China in control of much of the world's critical minerals and recently restricting exports to the U.S., that's causing “Western scientists and companies to embark on increasingly novel ways to develop alternative sources,” reports Jon Emont of The Wall Street Journal. One relatively inexpensive idea is to harvest plants grown in mineral-rich soil and purify them into nickel concentrate, which can create stainless steel and other metals.

Americans are waking up to all-time-high coffee prices.
(Coffeeness photo)

Some may blame President Donald Trump’s 25% tariff threat on Colombian products for the jump in coffee prices; however, coffee costs began climbing long before the Trump-Petro dustup. “Coffee futures have been elevated since 2011 as bad weather has plagued key coffee-growing regions like Brazil and Colombia," reports Vanessa Yurkevich of CNN. "And the region’s next crop isn’t expected to produce a bigger yield. . . . With or without a threatened tariff, coffee prices are high and will likely continue rising.”

How the new administration is addressing illegal immigration to the U.S. is hashed over by news media multiple times a day. However, the discussions toss around a lot of terms many Americans may not fully understand. Two scholars of immigration "who closely follow public discussions about immigration policy, trends and terminology" help de-mystify immigration terms, write Ernesto Castañeda and Daniel Jenks for The Conversation. "Understanding the many different immigration terms – some technical, some not – can help people better understand immigration news. While not an exhaustive list, there are 10 important terms to know."

Mt. McKinley is the tallest mountain in the world from base-to-peak on land, measuring 18,000 ft.
(Photo by Bryson Beaver, Unsplash)

When President Donald Trump ordered the name of North America’s tallest peak to be "changed from Denali back to Mount McKinley in honor of the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley, he put the spotlight on the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. . . . A little-known panel made up of officials from several federal agencies that has been in existence since 1890," reports Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press. Under the Trump administration, the board "will have new members, but the makeup will be the same with representatives from several agencies ranging from the Interior and Commerce departments to the Post Office and the Library of Congress. Even the CIA plays a role when the board considers place names beyond U.S. borders."

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in December set off a maelstrom of emotion from Americans sick of dealing with the U.S. health care system. The shooting compelled many U.S. physicians to speak out about what they think are the systemic issues with U.S. health care companies. Their video discussion by The Wall Street Journal is shared here.

Less for more: Grocery prices have increased 25% since 2019, according to an NPR analysis

Grocery prices have increased 23% since 2019. (Unsplash photo)

Two hundred dollars on groceries used to mean you could eat very well. Now, going to the grocery store seems to come with a punch to your bank account at the checkout counter.

Over the past six years, NPR’s Alina Selyukh has been tracking Walmart’s prices to analyze just how much the cost os groceries has increased.

“Compared to 2019, prices on my list, on average, rose 25%... And that's not far from federal inflation data: Cumulatively, U.S. prices are up 23% since 2019,” according to Selyukh, who attributed the majority of price increases to issues related to COVID. “The pandemic shifts were seismic.”

While a Walmart representative wrote in a statement to NPR that the company is “committed to providing an Every Day Low Price experience both in stores and online," it has had to keep up with increases in shipping and manufacturing costs leading to a higher total at the checkout counter, wrote Selyukh and NPR's Juweek Adolphe.

Shipping cost increases led to more expensive fertilizer and paper for packaging, for example. Also, “U.S. companies are paying higher import fees — and passing some of that cost on to shoppers,” Selyukh and Apolphe wrote.

Not only are the items in the shopping cart growing more expensive, but Selyukh and Apolphe have noticed reductions in the quantity of some items. “Tide liquid laundry detergent now comes in a smaller container — 84 ounces instead of 100 ounces — but costs $1 more,” they wrote.

An FDA proposed rule would force food manufacturers to add a 'nutritional info box' to the front of their packaging

The 'nutritional info box' would focus on saturated
fat, sodium and added sugars.

Warning labels for grocery items with salt, added sugar or saturated fat may become the federal government's newest tool aimed at educating U.S. consumers about their grocery choices. "Under a new rule proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, food manufacturers would be required to put new labels on the front of packages flagging key nutrition information," reports Jesse Newman of The Wall Street Journal. The current administration believes bold labeling could help Americans make healthier food choices.

Most packaged foods sold in the U.S. already have nutritional information on the back or side of the box. "The new labels, dubbed a 'nutrition info box,' would go on the front of packages," Newman explains. The box would flag foods as "high, medium or low in salt, added sugar and saturated fat, which the FDA has warned can lead to chronic diseases when consumed in excess."

Most food companies oppose labeling foods with warnings, "The Consumer Brands Association, which represents big food manufacturers, said the rule doesn’t reflect the latest research," Newman reports. "The group said studies show the most effective labels include calories and nutrients to encourage, along with nutrients to limit."

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is the incoming Trump administration's prospective next head of U.S. health policy, "has been outspoken about his view that U.S. food companies are partly to blame for sickening Americans," Newman writes. "Consumer advocacy groups and public health organizations cheered the rule." Some groups hope the Trump administration will support more specific labeling, which is used in Chile and Mexico.

The FDA is accepting public comments on its proposal until May 16. Newman adds, "If the rule is finalized after that, food manufacturers would be required to add the new labels to most packaged food products three to four years after it takes effect."

Food industry groups warned they could sue to overturn labeling mandates. Newman adds, "Such labels, they said, could threaten First Amendment rights — because companies could consider them a form of forced speech — and only Congress has the authority to require them."