The Census of Agriculture provides a wealth of data on the state of the industry. Economists with NASS recently took a look at farm topology, peeling back the layers of each operation.
“The farm topology sort of slices this up by looking at what’s called the gross cash farm income. Under value production, that farm produces many, many dollars in value production. But the part that comes back to the farmer is just the fee he receives. Cash farm income and the farm topology just count the part that the farmer gets for his fee. Value production counts everything that came off the farm,” said Joseph Parsons.
Economists uncovered that producers on small farms tend to be new to the profession and have served in the military, and they also likely rely on off-farm work to get by. They also discovered that farming has become a retirement plan, with many new small farmers over the age of 65.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shared a behind-the-scenes look at the journey as part of what’s being called the “Great American Egg Road Trip.”
April 01, 2026 12:09 PM
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The memorandum of understanding (MOU) builds on the USDA’s Grazing Action Plan and is designed to improve coordination, streamline permitting, and strengthen partnerships with ranchers who rely on public lands.
April 01, 2026 10:41 AM
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Corn and sorghum exports remain strong; soybean demand lags.
April 01, 2026 10:23 AM
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Secretary Rollins is signaling a possible reopening of the southern border to Mexican feeder cattle as officials work to manage the threat of the New World Screwworm.
March 31, 2026 03:27 PM
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Building on the USDA’s recently released Grazing Action Plan, the agreement formalizes collaboration between the USDA, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management to ensure more efficient, transparent, and responsive grazing management across federal lands.
USDA’s Quarterly Grain Stocks report shows increased supplies across all major commodities, with corn, soybeans, and wheat stocks all rising compared to a year ago. Lewis Williamson with HTS Commodities discusses producer and market sentiment ahead of the key report.
March 31, 2026 12:17 PM
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