Current conditions are sending ripples through the ag economy.
MSN found when harvest is complete this year, nearly 150,000 farms will close. Looking back to the 1950s, more than 60 percent of all U.S. farms have stopped producing, with the number of acres dropping by more than 320 million.
Leaders at American Farmers and Ranchers say everytime the ag economy hits one of these cycles, more family farms begin to disappear.
Related Stories
Beef industry groups seem to agree — market-based pricing, not federal intervention, best supports rancher livelihoods and long-term beef supply stability.
Harvest Pace, Logistics, and Input Costs Drive Fall Decisions
Bioethanol is becoming a global standard. For growers, that boom comes as drops in Mississippi River levels and in soybean demand occur in tandem, leaving barge space for corn and wheat.
The government shutdown has touched nearly every sector of the ag industry since it began, and now impacts are spilling over into dairy.
Southern farms are deepening online engagement for cost savings and market access, while higher-cost precision technologies face renewed scrutiny amid tight budgets.
Global trade teams and summit discussions highlight expanding opportunities for U.S. corn and ethanol exports as nations explore renewable fuel options and reduced-carbon energy pathways.
