Did Iowa’s largest beginning farmer tax credit create more farms?
Iowa’s Beginning Farmer Tax Credit was expected to expand farmland leasing, but a new study found little evidence it created more farms statewide.
As family farms decline, more Michigan farmers try to preserve their land
Farmers in the region are facing decisions about how to best keep land in production as land values rise, climate change threatens operations, and a younger generation chooses not to farm.
USDA wants to revive the cotton industry. Experts aren’t sure that’s possible.
The ‘Great American Cotton Plan’ has support from industry leaders, lawmakers and MAHA. As another wave of Trump’s tariffs hit cotton producers, experts ask: Can the plan overcome decades of unsustainable practices, supply chain erosion and Brazil’s growing lead?
Trump drone tariffs target a technology still used unevenly across US farms
USDA data from 2023 show that drones lag behind other precision agriculture technologies and are used more often by larger farmers. New tariffs on imported drones could reshape the market for a tool farmers use to inspect, map, and spray crops.
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Pesticide use and cancer risk rise together across America’s heartland
America’s farmers and farmworkers, their families and neighbors, are being diagnosed with cancer at rates higher than the national average. A growing body of research indicates that pesticides are partly to blame.
pesticides and cancer
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Illinois, Midwest saw large reduction in conservation staff in 2025, study shows
The cuts to Natural Resources Conservation Service staff and other direct, producer support staff stemmed from department reorganizations and workforce cuts in the USDA under President Trump.
Milk production is up despite decades-long decline in US dairy farms
Industry consolidation continues to push smaller dairy farms out of business.
Report: Big Food companies regularly sue to stop or slow down public health policies
The newsroom Lighthouse Reports, along with several partners around the globe, found food companies have sued more than 200 times in the past 15 years as governments have tried to rein in unhealthy ingredients in people’s diets.
Illinois farmers saw nation’s biggest jump in seasonal planting diesel costs, analysis finds
Farmers nationwide paid nearly two-thirds more for diesel during the 2026 planting season than in 2025, adding roughly $1.4 billion in fuel costs, according to a congressional analysis.
US beef exports decrease, while imports increase under Trump
USDA projections show imports rising through 2027 as a shrinking cattle herd forces the US to buy more beef abroad. But some ranchers say the policy betrays President Trump’s America First agenda and does little to lower prices for American consumers.
Illinois led the US in direct, producer support staff losses, report says
Farm Service Agency staff help producers navigate financial aid and disasters. They also give producers a voice through advisory boards.
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data harvest
Most of America’s beginning farmers don’t farm full time.
Beginning farmers are often described as the future of American agriculture. But the 2022 Census of Agriculture shows they are…
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Iowans share life lessons at Investigate Midwest event
You’re invited to an evening of live storytelling featuring powerful, personal stories from five Iowa men with backgrounds in journalism, education, comedy, and the arts.
Iowa immigrants fear the Trump administration’s move toward mass deportation
The spread of misinformation has fueled anxiety and alarm within Iowa’s Latino immigrant community. It is estimated that the state is home to more than 52,000 undocumented immigrants.
Midwest farmers advocate for steady policies amid trade challenges
Recent trade policies have imposed tariffs to boost U.S. production, but Midwest agriculture has suffered, losing ground to competitors like Brazil in soybeans and pork. Farmers urge the new administration to prioritize free trade and stable agreements.
