This is the voice of our farmers. With help from ChatGPT and Deep Research… References available upon request.
Farmers across America are facing a convergence of challenges – from global trade disputes and dwindling government support to extreme weather and rising costs. Below are ten pressing questions on farmers’ minds today, each framed in their own words. We highlight how these concerns play out across different farming sectors and regions, and explain why these issues are so urgent now, with supporting data and recent events.
1. “Will trade wars and tariffs ever ease up so I can get a fair price for my crops and livestock?”
Context: International trade tensions are hitting farmers’ bottom lines hard. Many U.S. farmers depend on export markets for commodities like soybeans, corn, pork, and fruit. Ongoing tariffs and retaliatory trade wars (especially with major buyers like China) have reduced demand for U.S. products, driving down prices. In the Midwest, for example, “global clashes and trade wars hammered” the farm economy.
Grain farmers have seen overseas buyers turn to competitors (e.g. China importing more soy from Brazil), leaving U.S. crops piling up at lower prices. Northwestern apple and cherry growers, similarly, have struggled with tariffs limiting their access to Asian markets. Farmers worry that they must either absorb losses or charge more domestically – a tough proposition in a glutted market.
Until trade disputes are resolved or new trade agreements open up markets, this question remains top of mind. The shared theme across regions is a plea for stable market access: Midwestern grain farmers, Southern cotton growers, and Western fruit exporters alike are asking when they will see relief from tariff-driven market pain and a restoration of competitive export opportunities.
2. “Is the government going to step up with support – will we get a new Farm Bill or any safety net to keep us afloat?”
Context: Farmers nationwide are anxious about the status of federal support programs. The U.S. Farm Bill, which authorizes crop subsidies, conservation programs, crop insurance, and more, is overdue for renewal. “Despite Congress approving a year-long extension, the farm bill once again expired without renewal,” notes the American Farm. (No, the 2018 Farm Bill has not been renewed yet. It was extended through September 30, 2025, with a one-year extension.)
This uncertainty comes after several years of extraordinary aid (like trade war payments in 2019 and pandemic relief in 2020) that have now lapsed. In 2023 and 2024, farm incomes fell sharply from record highs in 2022 once those ad-hoc payments dried up.
Farmers are asking if and when lawmakers will pass a new Farm Bill to address today’s challenges. Row-crop farmers in the Midwest want assurance that commodity price supports and crop insurance will continue. Ranchers and dairy farmers wonder if disaster programs will be funded to help with drought or milk price collapses. Smaller organic and specialty crop farmers are looking for support in the bill for local marketing and organic cost-share programs. The shared theme is concern over “reduced federal financial support” – without a robust Farm Bill or emergency aid, many fear they won’t withstand the current headwinds. Farm groups have been lobbying hard, emphasizing that the farm bill is “too important to kick down the road.”
3. “How can I stay profitable when the prices I get for crops and milk are so low?”
Context: Farmers are grappling with a squeeze between falling prices for what they sell and rising costs to produce it. Grain and oilseed prices have dropped significantly from last year – for instance, corn fell to about $4.25/bushel and soybeans to $11.30/bushel by mid-2024, a sharp decline year over year. This is partly due to a bumper harvest and “heightened global competition and weakening demand”, which “has depressed commodity prices and limited producer returns.”
Many farmers fear a prolonged slump similar to 2015–2019 when farm incomes stayed weak. In the Midwest, corn and soybean growers are asking how they’ll pay the bills with corn under $5 and soybeans nearly $3 below last year’s price. In the Northeast, dairy farmers voice the same worry: milk prices have been volatile and often below breakeven for small dairies. Out West, almond and walnut growers face oversupply and low prices, and organic crop farmers have seen premiums shrink (net returns for organic grains plunged to record lows around just $42/acre). The situation is so severe that U.S. farm bankruptcies jumped in early 2025, driven by “lower prices paid for row crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat” on top of high costs. Across regions and farm types, the shared theme is profitability: farmers are asking what they can do to improve the prices they receive – whether through finding new markets, adding value, or simply waiting and praying for better market conditions.
