Farm Economy

Agriculture’s mechanization is reflected in the numbers: In Michigan’s St. Clair and Sanilac counties, the size of farms has grown, while the number of farmers has decreased.

Farmers looking for any sign of an economic bright spot for 2017 learned of a modest one yesterday. Net farm income is expected to inch up a slight 3% over 2016 and reach $63.2 billion this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS) November Farm Income Report. The small improvement is the first farmers have seen in the last several years but is still less than half the amount farmers saw in 2013, when net farm income reached a record $129 billion.

Low commodity prices cause decreased land values, tighter balance sheets and a high level of stress for producers across the country.

After a five-plus year extended run of exceedingly strong used values, auction prices began to fall in late spring, specifically on one- to four-year-old used four-wheel drive tractors.

What were the biggest news events and market moves this year? Read over these posts from AgWeb.com bloggers to see.

The year-over-year gain in agricultural land values in the third quarter of 2011 for the Seventh Federal Reserve District was the largest in just three decades.

Makers of agriculture equipment report sharp sales increases.

Farmers showed up at the polls for Trump. Now they want him to do the same for them on NAFTA.

Pacific Nations Get TPP Framework to Salvage a Deal Trump Quit

Keystone Pipeline Gets Crucial Clearance to Cross Nebraska