Based on the most recent condition ratings for corn and soybeans reported by USDA, there are clear “winners,” or states with the highest rated crops, and “losers,” or states with the lowest rated crops.
Three top soybean-growing states reported that more than 80% of their crop was in good or excellent shape, but one of them dominated. USDA reported that 92% of Louisiana’s soybean crop was in good/excellent condition.
Read MoreThe Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to conserve farmland for future generations while providing habitat for wildlife, reducing soil erosion, and improving water quality. Regular maintenance on CRP acres is needed to ensure the acreage continues to provide conservation benefits and remains in compliance with the CRP contract.
Read MoreAccording to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of last Sunday all of the Louisiana soybean crop was blooming, which is also the five year average for this time of year. 94-percent was setting pods, same for the five year average. That crop was rated 8 percent fair, 90 percent good and two percent excellent.
Read MoreFrom 2018 – 2022, U.S. farms where most of the ownership lies outside the producer’s household or relatives (nonfamily farms) operate more land than family farms, across all production scales (small, medium, or large). Nonfamily farm operations accounted for 13.4% of total production value during that period even though they make up only 2% of farms in the US.
Read MoreMyth: I am too old to be considered a beginning farmer or rancher. False—In fact, there is no age limit or age requirement to be considered a beginning farmer!
• According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 61% of beginning farmers and ranchers are between the ages of 35 – 64 with an average age of 47.
Read MoreThe American Relief Act, 2025, provides disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024.
The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) will be administered in two stages. Producers can receive payments in both stages, if applicable, and for one or both years, depending on losses.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to provide feedback on the Department’s reorganization plan, as outlined in the Secretary’s memorandum issued on July 24, 2025.
Read MoreGovernment Executive's Eric Katz reported that "the Agriculture Department is confident its push to move more employees out of Washington and into five new hubs around the country will retain most staff and large-scale layoffs will not be necessary, a top official told lawmakers on Wednesday."
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced loan interest rates for August 2025, which are effective Aug. 1, 2025. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices they use.
Read MoreThere were 94.2 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of July 1, 2025, according to the Cattle report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This is the first July cattle inventory report since July 2023.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, July 23, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a confirmation hearing for Richard Fordyce, the nominee to serve as Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area.
Fordyce, a Missouri farmer and former Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is widely respected across the agriculture community for his leadership and hands-on experience in farm policy and conservation.
Read MoreHazardous heat has impacted millions of residents in the Plains, Southeast, and Midwest regions this week after a heat dome formed from the Gulf Coast to the Plains on July 22. The sweltering conditions pushed into the Midwest between July 23-24, and are expected to impact the Northeast by July 25. High humidity from the weather pattern is raising overnight temperatures in the area, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses for residents. The oppressive heat is expected to linger in the Plains and Southeast through next week.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refocusing its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry.
Over the last four years, USDA’s workforce grew by 8%, and employees’ salaries increased by 14.5% - including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them.
Read MoreHay! Sign up for Grassland CRP to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices on your working lands. The sign-up runs through Aug. 8, 2025.
The Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is part of CRP, a federally funded voluntary program that contracts with agricultural producers so that environmentally sensitive agricultural land is not farmed, but instead used for conservation benefits.
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