Farm economy

Many ag industry and farm worker advocacy groups had high hopes that farm labor reform would make it through Congress last year. Now the future is murky.

High prices for products like eggs and grain are expected to lead to a record windfall for farmers this year, overcoming drought, bird flu and costly inputs. But the profit margin is thinner for small producers and those hit hard by dry conditions.

As climate change threatens the Great Plains, bison may be a key to creating resilient prairies. Plus, a look at the Farm Bill, a $500 billion plan that sets policy on everything from crop insurance to food benefits.

Farmers explore and demo the latest technology in agriculture at the Farm Progress Show each year. But challenges like high input prices this year weigh into the decisions farmers are making about buying new things.

Across the Midwest, farmland prices have risen sharply from last year, in part because of high commodity prices and a global food shortage. The highly competitive market, which often includes investors, can make it difficult for young farmers to grow their businesses.

The Inflation Reduction Act repeals and replaces part of the American Rescue Plan Act that earmarked $4 billion in debt relief for farmers of color.

Farmers can use far less chemical fertilizer — which can be expensive and harmful to the environment — and maintain high crop yields, according to a new study.

Temperatures topped 104 degrees in the state's top cattle county. In widely seen video footage, rows of carcasses are shown lined up along the edge of a field.

The University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute is projecting a trip to the grocery store will cost 5% more in 2022 compared to last year.

The fertilizer applied to corn, soybean and hay fields are up to twice as much as they were a year ago, and it’s creating uncertainty as farmers approach planting season.

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture report found the percentage of farms that are small and family owned remained unchanged from 2011 to 2020, holding steady at 89% of all farms.

Fulk Farms has been owned by the same family since 1889, and has sold Christmas trees since the early 1990s. In the last two years, this farm and others in the region have faced new holiday challenges.