Farm & Agricultural News Headlines

A new study offers a potential financial boost for struggling farmers. Researcher Jake Stid, analyzing 25 years of California farm data, found that integrating small solar panel arrays onto parts of their land makes farmers more financially secure per acre. His research, published in Nature Sustainability, shows this a...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has identified easing restrictions for noncitizen farmworkers as a critical priority amid nationwide labor shortages. The Trump administration aims to finalize more lenient H-2A visa program guidelines before harvest season. President Trump recently indicated he may relax immigratio...

North Dakota's Department of Environmental Quality has opened public comments until June 2nd on Riverview Dairy's proposed 25,000-cow operation in Traill County. If approved, "Herberg Dairy" would become the state's largest dairy farm, requiring 700,000 gallons of water daily and producing 170,000 gallons of ...

Concerns about how tariffs will affect farmers have been ramping up through the month of April. Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha joined officials from five other states on Wednesday, warning that the new 10% tariffs on all imports has the potential to devastate farmers as countries retaliate. Blaha cautioned that th...

The North Dakota Senate approved a bill with a $30 million incentive funding package for large agricultural developments on Wednesday, including an emergency clause to make it effectively immediately after the governor signs it, instead of in August. The bill initially passed in late March, but went through reconsidera...

The USDA has terminated its $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, forcing Wisconsin organizations to cancel farmer contracts for sustainable practices. Secretary Brooke Rollins cited excessive administrative fees as the reason. The program has been rebranded as Advancing Markets for Producers...

Many farmers look for a fix-all, whether it is a product or practice, that can give them higher corn yields. Randy Hughes is a fourth generation corn and soybean grower in NE Nebraska, and has been experimenting with fertility for a while now. Hughes is now working with professionals at the national level. He has been ...

Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins will be in Fargo on Tuesday, April 22nd. Senator John Hoeven announced this on Wednesday, and Rollins is looking to get feedback from farmers and ranchers as work continues on the farm bill. She expects to learn about North Dakota's leadership in precision agriculture technology. Rol...

South Dakota farmers are planting into dry soil conditions, with the entire state in moderate to extreme drought as of April 1. Recent moisture has helped, but subsoil conditions remain concerning, with 83% of South Dakota, 66% of North Dakota, and 49% of Minnesota reporting short or very short moisture. South Dakota f...

North Dakota's Senate passed House Bill 1318 Monday with a 29-18 vote, providing legal shields for pesticide manufacturers. The bill sparked a small protest outside the Capitol building before the vote. The amended bill returns to the House for approval. The legislation prevents courts from removing properly labeled pr...

Minnesota approved a new speed limit for farm equipment Thursday. Governor Tim Walz signed Senate File 1360, increasing the speed limit for farm equipment to 35 miles per hour. The old law had varying speed limits, either 30 or 35 miles per hour depending on type of machine. This new law standardizes the speed limit, m...

Minnesota farm income plummeted to $21,964 in 2024-the lowest this century-according to University of Minnesota data released April 2025. Crop producers were hardest hit, with median income near zero after wet planting conditions followed by drought. Crop prices fell 20%, forcing farmers to deplete cash reserves. While...

President Trump indicated Thursday that farmers may petition to retain valued undocumented workers by having them leave and return legally. This is his first specific comment addressing agricultural labor amid deportation plans that threaten half the farm sector's workforce. "We're going to let them stay in for a ...

Kelly and DeAnna Lozensky transformed their North Dakota farm after struggling with input costs. Beginning in 2014, they gradually eliminated synthetic fertilizers, completely cutting them by 2019. The couple shifted from GMO corn and soybeans to crops requiring less fertility, including cereal grains, yellow mustard, ...

Cody Peterson, a North Dakota farmer, sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of the Interior on Tuesday, challenging their interpretation of a 1963 wetlands easement on his property. Peterson claims the agencies are now restricting 40% of his farmable land by incorrectly including wetlands that didn't e...

First proposed in 2021, Summit Carbon Solutions' $9 billion pipeline project has stalled in South Dakota after filing 156 eminent domain lawsuits against landowners, sparking fierce opposition. The company sued 232 property owners across three states to secure land for its 2,500-mile carbon capture pipeline connecting ...

EarthOptics has announced the launch of its new subscription-based program, Total Farm, for the 2025 growing season. Total Farm is designed to boost farm productivity and input efficiency, the program uses a combination of the GroundOwl sensor suite, soil biology test results, yield data, and satellite imagery to gener...

As spring nears, cattle producers are preparing for grazing season, but weather conditions across the United States are creating uncertainty. Some areas have benefited from winter moisture, but much of the Plains and Midwest are still grappling with drought or overly saturated soils. Experts stress that spring rain is ...

Farmers are growing increasingly concerned about trade policy and its potential impact on their operations, according to the latest Purdue Ag Economy Barometer survey. While optimism about the agricultural economy remains higher than in recent years, sentiment has slightly declined compared to the previous month. Purdu...

CNH Industrial has announced an immediate pause on farm equipment shipments from its North American and European factories, citing uncertainty over the impact of new tariffs set to take effect. While production and parts shipments will continue as usual, the company is temporarily halting deliveries to assess pricing i...