Kansas farmers

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.

In April 2026, Kansas exported $91.3 million of products to China, the third largest country behind Mexico and Canada, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an economic data-gathering organization.

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

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.