Federal

From Progressive Farmer Farmers heading into 2026 are facing what congressional agriculture leaders repeatedly described as a “perfect storm” — high input costs, weak commodity prices, labor shortages and lingering trade disruptions. But top lawmakers from both parties say there is renewed urgency to complete some unfinished farm-bill work and potentially tackle agricultural labor reform. Read the rest of the ... Read More »

On Dec. 1, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. As announced earlier this month by President Trump and Secretary Rollins, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers in 2026. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments. ... Read More »

From agriculture.com Last week the USDA officially announced $12 billion in bridge assistance for U.S. farmers to offset economic losses associated with low prices, high production costs, and trade disputes for the 2025 crop year. We provide estimates of what the bridge assistance payment rates could be for the larger acreage row crops, and incorporate the payment estimates for corn and ... Read More »

The Inland Ports and Navigation Group (IPNG) opposes emergency motions filed by the National Wildlife Federation and the State of Oregon (plaintiffs) that seek to require increased spill and significantly alter reservoir operations at eight dams on the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers. In its response filed with the U.S. District Court of Oregon, IPNG explained that the science shows ... Read More »

The National Association of Wheat Growers has put together an information sheet on the Trump administration’s Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program specific to wheat farmers. The one-time, $12 billion FBA is intended to help producers through market disruptions and elevated input costs until the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) goes into effect next fall. Row crops will receive $11 billion, ... Read More »

On Dec. 1o, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $1 billion pilot program to help producers adopt regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity while strengthening America’s food supply. Administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, this new pilot delivers a streamlined, outcome-based conservation model, empowering producers to plan and implement whole-farm ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The USDA will distribute $11 billion to growers of 20 crops by the end of February to offset expected 2025 losses, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. The USDA plans to later distribute $1 billion to farmers of specialty crops such as apples, cherries, hops and pears. The agency needs more time to study economic losses for ... Read More »

On Dec. 8, U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced $12 billon in one time bridge payments to U.S. farmers who have been impacted my market disruptions and increased input costs this year. “Wheat growers have endured another year of market adversity and rising input costs. NAWG is ... Read More »

From U.S. Wheat Associates The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) conducted a public hearing on Dec. 3, 2025, regarding the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA). The hearing comes as part of the first six-year joint review of the agreement, set for July 1, 2026. Witnesses representing a wide swath ... Read More »

From farms.com Scientists from the University of California-Davis have developed a new wheat variety that can help create its own natural fertilizer. This research uses a unique approach to support nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, helping farmers reduce fertilizer expenses and lowering pollution. The findings were published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »