The number of farm banks has declined since the 1990s, but lending continues to grow.

(Chart courtesy of the American Bankers Association)

Banks held $199 billion in outstanding agricultural loans in 2023, about 38% of total agricultural lending, according to an analysis by the American Bankers...

A record-setting warm winter has put fruit in the Midwest’s top-producing state (Michigan) at risk. 

Farmers would face an increased federal tax liability of billions of dollars following the expiration of Trump-era tax breaks in 2025, said USDA economists. The biggest impact, estimated at a combined $4.5 billion, would come from reduced income tax rates on individuals, an increased standard...

Dairy farmers in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico are grappling with quite a mystery illness. Something is causing milk production to nosedive, and veterinarians and state officials can’t pinpoint what it is. In affected cowherds, the issue impacts nearly 10% of the animals, causing reduced feed...

A group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Biden administration asking them to start negotiating new trade agreements. Senate Ag Committee Ranking Member John Boozman from Arkansas says agriculture has historically had more exports than imports, but that wasn’t true last year. “This year, the...

Around the world, many pets and working animals are microchipped. It’s a simple process: A tiny transponder with an identification number is enclosed in a rice-grain-sized cylinder and injected under the skin, so that if an animal is lost it can be identified.

Paul Neiffer, The Farm CPA, details some of the Biden administration's 2025 budget plans and how they could affect farmers if approved. Of the provisions, only one would potentially help farmers, he says.

John Deere recently introduced their largest tractor yet with the announcement of the new 9RX at the 2024 Commodity Classic in Houston, Texas. “The high horsepower, four-track tractor has been redesigned to help farmers eliminate passes in the field, reduce soil compaction, and increase...

The core inflation rate doesn't include food because the prices change so often. Despite the recent slowdown in the rise of food prices, many consumers believe high food inflation will persist for a year to come, said Purdue researchers. Republicans were far more likely than Democrats to predict...

Almond consumption reduced muscle soreness and improved muscle performance in a test. The study demonstrated improved muscle recovery after exercise in a research group of mildly overweight men and women, according to a study funded by the Almond Board of California.

Eating continues to cost more even as overall inflation has eased from the blistering pace consumers endured throughout much of 2022 and 2023. Prices at restaurants and other eateries were up 5.1% in January 2024 compared with January 2023, while grocery costs increased 1.2% during the same period,...

USDA’s final “Product of USA” rule allows the voluntary “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” label claim to be used on meat, poultry and egg products only when they are derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered and processed in the United States. The rule will prohibit misleading U.S. origin...

Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, testified before a House panel, asserting that it is premature to expect interest rate cuts in the near future. Powell emphasized the need for greater confidence in controlling inflation before considering any rate reductions, cautioning that premature or...

A recent Purdue University poll revealed that over half of large U.S. farmers have been offered at least $1,000 an acre to lease their farmland for solar panels instead of crops. This marks a significant increase from previous years. Interest in leasing land for solar energy development remains...

China continues to ramp up its purchases of feed grain around the globe with even more expected in the coming weeks. Bloomberg recently reported China has purchased more than 20 cargoes of feed grain in just the past two weeks, which totals 1.2 million tons of grain.