Farming

After the loan repayment assistance program was scrapped, the USDA is having trouble regaining the trust of Black farmers.

It takes a "that's farming, buddy!" attitude — and crop insurance helps, too.

Chinese officials have pushed for young entrepreneurs to return and revitalize the countryside, but the task is complex.

Farm auctions — a marketplace for knickknacks, farm land and everything in between — are often also social gathering spaces for rural communities. That’s changing as more auctions go online.

The Burchams own an orchard in Firebaugh, California. Like other pistachio farmers, they're grappling with a changing climate.

"Prices have stayed strong," reports Keith Alverson, a South Dakota farmer whose financial management includes trading grain electronically.

Some farmers use methods that reduce carbon and raise crops more sustainably. They hope for support in the next federal farm bill.

Advocates for everything from nutrition programs to tribal food sovereignty to climate and sustainability initiatives will be keeping an eye on the bill next year.

The USDA anticipates high commodity prices and other factors will push U.S. farm income up nearly 14% for 2022 over last year.

Inflation is driving up the cost of things like fertilizer, which drives up the cost of growing hay and feeding horses.