farming

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

Oklahoma soybean farmers are navigating a cascade of financial pressures: trade war fallout that cut China's soybean purchases by 78%, fertilizer prices driven up by tariffs and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and fuel costs up more than 50%. Government assistance has helped, but margins remain deeply negative.

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

Kansas farmers have faced significant challenges due to the Trump administration’s tariffs, which drove up equipment costs and caused crop prices to fall. The Kansas Farmer’s Union says the tariffs contributed to the closure of hundreds of farms and added stress to an already unpredictable industry.

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.