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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 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.

Finding child care is tough for farming families. The next farm bill could help.

Jan 11, 2024
Most day care centers cater to parents with 9-to-5 jobs. New funding could help child care facilities expand their offerings.

Native agricultural coalition takes up priorities for the next farm bill

Dec 6, 2021
Tribal agricultural leaders say they would like to see more lending to agricultural producers and more autonomous control over federal funds.
Native farmers and ranchers haven’t had equal access to federal support, one expert said. Above, corn and soybeans grow in Iowa.
Scott Olson via Getty Images

Farmer aid agreement removes obstacle to federal shutdown negotiations

Sep 22, 2020
The GOP wanted increased funds for aid programs to farmers, but opponents said similar aid has gone to big corporations at the expense of smaller farms in the past.
People living in rural areas are feeling the squeeze of higher diesel prices because they often drive longer distances and use diesel-reliant equipment.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Congress closes in on a final farm bill

Dec 12, 2018
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have reached a bipartisan agreement on a nearly $900 billion bill. To get there, House Republicans backed off demands to increase work requirements for people receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill could come up for a vote this week. 

Food aid need shifts from cities to countryside

Sep 24, 2018
Since the late 1970s, lawmakers have placed the SNAP nutrition program into the farm package hoping to get both urban and rural support. But that thinking might be outdated.
Small-town grocery stores like this one in southwest Iowa get 10 percent to 25 percent of their sales from federal food aid called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University.
Peggy Lowe/KCUR

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Trump administration details aid for farmers hurt by tariffs

Aug 27, 2018
The Trump administration announced details today of a $12 billion aid package for farmers hurt by the trade war. Retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other countries have hit soybean producers especially hard, with prices falling about $2 a bushel this summer. The aid package includes help for soybean, wheat and corn farmers, and dairy […]
Farmer Terry Davidson walks through his soy fields July 6, 2018, in Harvard, Illinois.
NOVA SAFO/AFP/Getty Images

Georgia has looked at what it takes to train some food stamp recipients to meet work requirements

Jul 30, 2018
The House version of the proposed federal farm bill would require parents with children over 6 years old to fulfill a 20-hour work or training requirement to receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. That means nationwide 3 million more people would suddenly need job training. The conundrum, said […]

Senate committee takes a crack at a bipartisan farm bill today

Jun 13, 2018
While this version is less partisan than previous ones, safety net programs are still a hurdle