U.S. Farm Report

At just 12 years old, Lexi Anderson was diagnosed with a rare heart disease. After a successful heart transplant in early 2024, she is back to showing dairy cattle and playing sports. Read how her determination — and a life-saving donor — gave her a second chance.

In the heart of California’s Central Valley, generations of farm families are facing a new kind of crisis: what farmers argue is a man-made drought. It’s mounting water regulations that could determine whether the most fertile farmland in the nation survives.

The Farm Journal September Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor makes it clear: Working capital is thinning, export markets are shaky and long-term crop margins could get ugly. But for now, one thing is still keeping its strength: Americans’ appetite for beef.

With most input prices still record or near-record high, farmers in parts of the country have seen eroding balance sheets for four straight years. Now the concern is more farmers will be forced out of farming this year, unless they see some type of market or government intervention.

A growing crisis is silently unfolding in agriculture. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. With mounting financial stress, that number could be on the rise this year.

Fifty-three percent of agricultural economists surveyed in the July Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor say the row crops side of agriculture is currently in a recession, which is down from the 72% who responded that way in May.

With 259 farm bankruptcies filed between April 2024 and March 2025, it’s clear the financial stress on farms is only growing more severe this year. But there’s been another troubling trend happening in the midst of the downturn.

According to Machinery Pete, the price of used high-horsepower tractors fell between 18% and 23% from 2023/24 levels, while regional auctions report used equipment values fell by as much as 40%. So far in 2025, used equipment values found footing, a trend on the verge of reversing due to growing strains in the farm economy.

Despite USDA’s strong corn condition ratings, more agronomists and farmers are reporting pollination problems from what’s being called ‘overly tight tassel wrap,’ an issue that can’t be seen until you walk into your fields.

As big yield estimates are being thrown around so early, it’s stoking an intense debate. However, that’s not stopping the trade chatter. With talk of a new national corn yield record, it’s pressuring prices, with many farmers staring at cash corn with a $3 handle.