Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Farmworkers are making — and enforcing — the strongest heat protection rules in the country

Feb 29, 2024
Farms that participate in the Fair Food Program ensure workers have access to things like shade and water. In return, they're first in line to sell to big buyers.
Farms participating in the Fair Food Program ensure farmworkers receive certain heat protections, including access to shaded areas and water.
Photo Courtesy of Eva Marie Uzcategui for The Washington Post

America's farmers are getting older

Feb 20, 2024
The average age of farmers is increasing as young aspiring farmers face financial barrier to starting up.
Things like a shortage of child care, rural housing and the burden of student loans could be keeping younger people back from farming.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The trend of small farmers selling to big ag companies continues

Feb 14, 2024
And, diversity is still a challenge in the agricultural industry. According to the census, 95 percent of American farmers are white and on average, are just over 58 years old.
Federal crop insurance, subsidies and lending practices favor large operations, says Phil Howard, a professor of food and agriculture at Michigan State University.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Hundreds of food brands linked to hidden prisoner workforce, AP reports

The Associated Press uncovered a workforce of prisoners producing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural products and goods by popular food brands.
Nationwide, U.S. prisoners produce hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural products and goods sold on the open market, AP reporters found. Above, a man walks through part of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a maximum security prison with its own farm.
Giles Clarke/Getty Images

The farm bill is caught up in gridlock ... again

Jan 24, 2024
The current bill, which funds everything from crop insurance to nutrition programs, was set to expire back in September. Congress gave itself a yearlong extension to negotiate an update — but it could take even longer than that.
If Congress doesn't negotiate a new farm bill in the next few months, there may not be a new one until 2025.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has been a COP28 priority

Dec 11, 2023
There’s been more than $3 billion pledged toward making global food systems more resilient in the face of climate change.
Food supply sustainability has been a focus at the U.N.'s climate conference, COP28.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Federal Crop Insurance Program draws bipartisan criticism

Nov 17, 2023
Some farmers say their business models depend on the crop insurance and getting rid of the program would drive up food prices.
Mark, left, and Denny Wilson are co-owners of Wilson-Legacy Farms in Delaware. They say crop insurance is an important part of managing and stabilizing farm costs.
Maya Marchel Hoff/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

How a delayed farm bill would affect the agriculture sector

Nov 10, 2023
If an extension or replacement bill isn't passed by the new year, there could be major consequences for farmers and consumers.
The farm bill was last updated in 2018. It's more expensive to grow food now, but the legislation doesn't reflect those changes.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Another year, another record harvest for this Iowa farmer

Oct 31, 2023
"I thought I'm gonna have so much income," said April Hemmes. "But all my inputs were all that much higher."
April Hemmes on her farm in 2019. This year, she had a record soybean harvest despite a drought earlier in the year.
Ben Hethcoat/Marketplace

Why U.S. agricultural exports are down almost 20% from last year

Sep 29, 2023
In August, agricultural exports were about 20% lower than the same time a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. That's because export volumes have fallen, and ag prices are coming off of recent highs.
"We have soybean exports down, corn exports are down, wheat exports are down," said Naomi Blohm, senior market advisor with Total Farm Marketing.
Scott Olson/Getty Images