Kansas farmers

Kansas utility regulators are weighing the benefits and costs of approving construction of a $493 million transmission line that would travel through four southwest counties.

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.

The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts shrunk U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies that inspect produce, provide conservation resources and collect data on crops and livestock. It's creating longer wait times for farmers seeking federal services and programs, people working in agriculture say.

Farmers across the central U.S. have navigated a myriad of challenges this year, including low crop prices and federal funding cuts.

A new documentary profiles ranchers in Greenwood County, Kansas, including a young couple trying to make a go of it as ranchers and small business owners in rural Kansas.

Kansas hemp growers and processors say the new, stricter federal law could derail the entire industry. The state has grown to one of the top five hemp producing states in the country.

Some Midwestern soybean farmers are selling their beans to be crushed and turned into soybean meal and oil. But economists say domestic processing won't be enough to offset the drop in Chinese demand.

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.

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.