Honey bees play a critical role in agricultural production, however commercial beekeepers face substantial costs and uncertainty. A representative operation cannot cover total costs and requires government payments to cover cash costs. This highlights the economic impact colony losses and health maintenance have on beekeeping operations. Continuing issues with colony health suggest uncertainty in the economic sustainability of the industry in the long-term.

Most long-term leases held by foreign persons are for wind and solar projects, covering 6.3 million acres, or about 0.7 percent of U.S. land in farms. In most counties the share is under 1 percent, and nearly all of these acres are associated with investors from Canada and Western Europe. Because the landowner retains title and AFIDA reports acreage as a whole parcel, lease acres are best viewed separately from ownership when assessing foreign holdings of U.S. agricultural land. 

Survey results in this article show that although many rural households now have access to broadband service, the existing infrastructure often falls short of meeting evolving household and business needs. Agriculture has distinct broadband needs that extend beyond residential service requirements, and both must be addressed as rural communities continue to develop. Reliable, high-quality broadband is increasingly important to the competitiveness of production agriculture.

Agricultural loan balances at U.S. commercial banks increased in the second quarter of 2026, with gains in both farm real estate and non-real estate loans. At agricultural banks, farm loan…