Farm Economy
The semi arrived in October 2005 to take our 100 dairy cows. With them went decades of 5 a.m. alarms, my father’s identity and a way of life that defined our family.
From fragile Wisconsin ground to deep Illinois prairie, Andy Benson and Ryan Frieders are adapting their soil-management practices to keep inputs working effectively, yields improving and their respective farms on course for a brighter future.
Increasing numbers of corn and soybean growers are looking for lower-cost inputs to preserve and protect yields.
After a $100,000 loss and rising weed resistance, Matt Griggs says he knew he had to make some big changes. His tough decisions helped the 144-year-old farm survive and prosper.
As the U.S. dairy industry races toward fewer than 20,000 farms by decade’s end, the economics of overhead, the psychology of scale and the power dynamics of vertical integration are rewriting the rules of who survives — and who thrives.
The federal farm safety net was designed to offset losses. But some farmers and economists argue it has become a profit enhancer, raising questions about land values, competition and the future of agriculture.
The farm economy is at a crossroads. High costs and negative margins are driving record government payments, but economists say innovation, lower costs and new demand are key to restoring profitability.
Analysis of 2023–2025 prices found U.S. growers paid more for nearly every seed and crop protection category examined.