Over the last two years, Federal crop insurance premium subsidies have been raised far more by procedures outside the Farm Bill than inside the Farm Bill. Two USDA administrative actions raised the premium subsidy rate for ECO insurance to 80%. They conservatively are estimated to raise Federal premium subsidies by $13.2 billion over 10 FYs. This case study illustrates how the Federal budget process can be circumvented, calling into question its fiscal integrity and usefulness.

Incomes on Illinois grain farms in 2024 were lower than in any other year since the early 1990s. In this article, we compare three primary uses of funds to the sum of farm and non-farm income. Two major uses of income – machinery and building purchases and family living withdrawals – have exceeded historical levels relative to farm income. Non-farm income remains an important source of stability for many Illinois farms, buffering the large swings in farm income.

US federally subsidized crop insurance has monetized field crop production risk into a multi-billion dollar income flow to farmers. Monetized value has grown with higher market value of production, higher premium subsidies, higher coverage levels, and, recently, higher use of area add-up insurance. Monetization will continue as the 2025 Farm Bill has raised premium subsidies for nearly all insurance products including an 80% subsidy for 95% coverage ECO area add-up insurance.

A previous article discussed crop machinery cost and investment (Langemeier, 2025).  Crop machinery cost is computed by summing economic depreciation, interest, property taxes, insurance, repairs, fuel and lubricants, and custom…

The holiday season is in full swing. In this article, we discuss how US consumers say they’re setting their holiday tables this year, using results from the 15th wave of the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, conducted in November 2025. We find that 69% of respondents who typically celebrate a winter holiday meal expect food prices to affect their plans. We also find that demand for many holiday favorites (e.g., turkey) remains strong.

This third and final article about Africa as a potential export market for US soybeans discusses four specific country examples – Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania – touching on their imports of soy and soy products, logistics infrastructure, and existing policies on genetically modified soybean imports. The African market presents a very complex landscape. While it is large, diverse, and growing rapidly, there exists great uncertainty and demand for soybeans is just beginning to emerge.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that farming equipment has gotten too expensive and his administration would help tractor companies by removing some environmental rules that affect them.

The Agriculture Department will complete a reorganization of more than half the current D.C.-based staff to five regional hubs across the U.S. by the end of 2026, Deputy Agriculture Secretary…

President Donald Trump’s administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to take up Bayer’s bid to curtail thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Tuesday that the Trump administration will announce a ‘bridge payment’ for farmers next week that is designed to provide short-term relief while longer trade…