Cover crop use in the Corn Belt remains low, despite significant public and private investment in efforts to support adoption. The US Department of Agriculture alone invests $6.5 billion annually into conservation programs, many of which focus entirely on support payments rather than technical support. Our results suggest that demonstration farm networks, led by real farmers trialing practices on their working farms, are an effective tool to share information with conservation-curious producers.

Program enrollment decisions for the ARC and PLC programs were made in March of 2025. However, the One Big Beautiful Bill, which was not passed and signed into law until July, resulted in farmers receiving the higher of the PLC or ARC payments for 2025. Total ARC/PLC payments for 2025 are currently projected at more than $13.5 billion with nearly $3.2 billion, or 24%, of those payments due to receiving the maximum payment rather than the payment of the program elected for 2025.

The EPA’s recent Renewable Fuel Standard decisions will drive substantial increases in biomass-based diesel production and feedstock demand over 2026-2027, but the full impact is heavily backloaded to 2027. Total feedstock demand will increase 19% in 2026 and 48% in 2027 relative to 2023-2025. For domestic feedstock, the increases are even more dramatic: 63% in 2026 and 113% in 2027. This back-loading means 2027 is the critical year when production approaches full capacity utilization.

In 2024, total noncapital living expenses of 1,354 farm families enrolled in the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association averaged $96,114–or about $8,000 a month for each family. This average was about 1% lower than in 2023. Another $6,548 was used to buy capital items such as the personal share of the family automobile, furniture, and household equipment. The grand total for living expenses averaged $102,662 for 2024 compared with $105,862 for 2023, or a $3,200 decrease per family.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Learning Resources, Inc., v. Trump (Case No. 24-1287). The case asks whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes the President to impose tariffs on countries based on national security or other threats to the United States. In this article, we explore the legislative history of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Is Sub Saharan Africa soy import demand significant, or at least potentially significant? The answer is yes. Using the soybean equivalent import metric, Africa imported a soybean equivalent of 2.1 billion bushels on average per year for the period 2010-2022. That equals the production of about 40 million acres, about 47% of US plantings. Most of that value results from palm oil imports (64%). Soybean oil, meal, and grain imports amount to 21%, 8%, and 7%, respectively.

Tyson Foods, America’s largest meat supplier, is planning to close one of its largest beef-processing plants in Nebraska at a time when a cattle shortage in the U.S. squeezes meatpacking…

President Donald Trump on Thursday removed his 40% tariffs on Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits that were imposed in July to punish Brazil over the prosecution…

Agricultural lenders surveyed in the new 2025 ABA/Farmer Mac Agricultural Lender Survey expect only 52% of U.S. farm borrowers will be profitable this year, signaling a sharp decline from recent…