farm profits

More farmers are opting to repair old tractors, combines and other machinery instead of buying new upgrades. A tough farm economy and historically-high equipment prices are at least partly to blame.

When Congress allowed Affordable Care Act tax credits to lapse, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of Americans — especially self-employed farmers and ranchers. That added cost is multiplying the stress on their already stretched balance sheets.

At issue is 122 miles of railroad track called the Towner Line that shortens the number of miles agricultural products must travel to go west from western Kansas and eastern Colorado, the lawsuit said.

Corn and soybean growers have seen several years of low commodity prices and increased costs for supplies like fertilizer and fuel. That has many farmers worried about whether they'll turn a profit this year and drawn some comparisons to a dark time in American agriculture.

In the heart of Colorado wheat country, only about half the typical precipitation has fallen this year, forcing farmers to make hard choices

If farmers responded to fertilizer cost spikes by reducing application, the result could be lower yields of corn or soybeans.

A state Senate committee said the effort to control “neonics” was too far, too fast despite the governor’s support

Farm aid promised last December is still months away from being paid out to fruit and vegetable growers. But industry groups say it won't be enough to get them through tough market conditions.

Growers worry the bill, backed by the governor, will add bureaucracy and cut yields and profits. Advocacy groups say neonicotinoids are being used as an insurance policy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to send "bridge" payments to farmers who grow soybeans, cotton and other crops before March. Commodity groups and economists say the aid brings relief to farmers and their lenders, but they need long-term solutions.