AAEA Blog

Members in the News: September 8, 2026

2026-09-08T14:20:09.384-05:00

Ian Sheldon, The Ohio State University

“Tariffs And The Economy”
By: NYT - August 11, 2026
“Pending Canada Tariffs Could Ripple Through Ohio Auto Industry”
By: Spectrum News – August 27, 2026
“How Will a Trade War with Canada Affect Ohio?”
By: Ohio Capital Journal – August 28, 2026
“New Canadian Dairy Tariffs Highlight Long-Running USMCA Market Access Dispute”
By: Brownfield – August 5, 2026

Rabail Chandio, Iowa State University

“Farm Acres Reap More in Sales Than in Crops”

By: NYT – August 24, 2026

“Traditionally, the value of farmland was mostly based on the profitability of its crop production. Now many owners treat farmland as a separate asset, she said, divorced from the crops grown on it, instead of a farm input, like seeds and fertilizer.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: NYT

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Empowering Women in India Economically also Improves their Mental Health”

By: Basis Point Insight – September 3, 2026

“It is reasonable to think that the economic empowerment of Indian women might have a positive impact on their mental health. This is because greater access to resources and property can attenuate financial stress and vulnerability, while stronger bargaining power can enhance women’s voice and social standing within the household. These sort of changes may foster greater self-esteem, independence, and life satisfaction, while reducing feelings of insecurity and psychological distress. However, if this kind of thinking is to form the basis for policy, then we need credible evidence demonstrating the nexus between economic empowerment and improved mental health.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, North Carolina State University

“Policy and Automation Are Key Solutions to Ag Labor Shortages”

By: Morning Ag Clips – August 31, 2026

“Labor is a top issue for farmers, large and small. Given the rising costs and political bottlenecks surrounding immigration and guest workers, further automation of routine, physically demanding tasks could be the answer for American farmers.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Morning Ag Clips or Global Agriculture

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“The Fight Over Food Prices Won’t End Soon”
By: Bloomberg – September 4, 2026
“US Diesel Prices Hit a Record High, Pushing Up Transportation Costs for a Long List of Goods”
By: The Associated Press – September 4, 2026
“A ‘sleeper Issue' in Red States This Fall: Diesel Prices”
By: Politico – September 1, 2026

James Mitchell, University of Arkansas
Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University

“Beef Packers Adjusting to Low Cattle Inventory - High Plains Journal”

By: High Plains Journal – August 28, 2026

“It is difficult for an outsider to assess Tyson’s situation… These decisions should help by bringing Tyson’s packing capacity in line with cattle numbers, but I don’t think closing plants or reducing shifts alone is the answer. Some other strategic decisions are likely forthcoming.”

“I am not surprised that we have seen additional closures and adjustments. It is widely recognized that the packing sector has too much physical capacity (nationally).”

(Continued...)
Read more on: High Plains Journal

William Ridley, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“U.S.-Canada Tariffs Add Pressure to Farmers' Thin Margins”

By: Iowa PBS – August 28, 2026

The U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50% on roughly $20 billion in Canadian imports after trade negotiations broke down. Canada responded with tariffs on U.S. goods, including dairy products and agricultural equipment. Economist William Ridley says farmers may feel the greatest effects through higher input costs.

(Continued...)
Read more on: Iowa PBS

Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis

“With Shoppers Wary of Illness, Farmers Destroy Millions of Heads of Lettuce”

By: Press Democrat – August 29, 2026

“It is unclear how long customers will avoid leafy greens, given how fast information travels on social media and a larger lack of trust in institutions.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Press Democrat

Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

“Trump Wants To 'Allow' Cattle Farmers To Process Their Own Beef. Are We Sure This Is A Good Idea?!”

By: Huff Post – August 26, 2026

“Nearly all meat produced in the U.S. is processed off the farm. Processors vary in size, with the largest firms controlling a commanding share of the market.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Huff Post

Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute

“What’s Driving the Financial Crisis on Minnesota Farms?”

By: Minn Post – August 31, 2026

“The tariffs had mixed effects on U.S. agricultural exports, with exports to China and Canada falling partly because of retaliatory tariffs and consumer reactions. Soybean farmers were particularly hard hit by the U.S. tariff actions. China implemented retaliatory tariffs against a wide range of U.S. agricultural products in February 2025 following U.S. imposition of so-called fentanyl tariffs against China.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Minn Post

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Members in the News: August 31, 2026

2026-08-31T13:42:19.019-05:00

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“NDSU Ag Trade Monitor Honored”

By: RRFN – August 17, 2026

“The North Dakota State University Agricultural Trade Monitor has earned the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Bruce Gardner Memorial Prize for Applied Policy Analysis. The award recognizes the Monitor, a monthly publication providing data-driven analysis of agricultural trade patterns and policy developments. NDSU Farmers Union Endowed Professor of Agribusiness and Applied Economics Sandro Steinbach and NDSU Associate Professor Shawn Arita accepted the award.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: RRFN

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“As California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging, Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More For Stuff”

By: Cal Matters – August 20, 2026

“Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating… Retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away. It will not happen overnight and it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Cal Matters

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“An Evolving Tariff Strategy”

By: RRFN – August 24, 2026

“In many ways taking account the industry concerns that have been raised various groups, from the American Farm Bureau through American Soybean Association, and NCGA, who had voiced many concerns given that production costs were already high and that these tariffs we’re going toa make con production costs even higher.” The Trump Administration didn’t remove tariffs completely but started granting exemptions. “Unfortunately, machinery didn’t find the same luck. That one, because it is lumped in with these steel and aluminum, they are fairly high.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: RRFN

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Shrimpers Are the Latest Group Seeking Protection From Washington”

By: The Economist – August 27, 2027

“Even if tariffs do remain, they are unlikely to solve the economics of shrimping. “Tariffs may buy time but won’t make the industry competitive or make the underlying issues go away.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Economist

Yangxuan Liu, University of Georgia

“OBBBA Levels the Playing Field for Different Farm Business Structures for USDA Payment Limitations”

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 20, 2026

“Authors Yangxuan Liu and Michael R Langemeier write in Southern Ag Today: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) changes how U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) payment limitations apply to different farm business structures. On June 2, 2026, USDA released the final rule (link) explaining how this provision will be administered beginning with the 2026 program year.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report Or Georgia Cotton Commission, Farms.com

Brian Whitacre, Oklahoma State University

“AI Use is Growing in Healthcare. An Oklahoma Researcher Found Rural Hospitals Are Slow to Adopt It”

By: KGOU – August 19, 2026

“The takeaway message from our paper is that the gap is real – the urban-rural gap is real… Urban and rural hospitals adopt predictive AI for different reasons. Rural facilities are less likely than urban ones to use it for clinical decision-making or treatment recommendations, but equally likely to apply AI to billing and other operational tasks.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KGOU

Mckenzie Boyce, Oklahoma State University

“Data Centers Bring Opportunities and Challenges to Rural Oklahoma”

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 19, 2026

“Growing demand for data centers across the country is creating a need for additional locations, and rural communities can offer one important resource: available land. As we see data center development or the demand for data center development increasing across the country, these data centers need additional places to locate.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report

Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

“Will Trump's Latest Beef Plan Make Your Hamburger Cheaper? Not Much, Experts Say”

By: NPR – August 28. 2026

“An additional 300,000 metric tons of ground beef would represent about a 2% increase in the domestic beef supply. "So when we look big picture, it maybe isn't as big of a number as you might think when you first see it outright.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: NPR

William Ridley, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Canada Retaliatory Tariffs Set To Impact $20 Billion of American Goods”

By : Courthouse News Service – August 29, 2026

“They’re not just casting out a wide net; they’re going after products that are exported from politically sensitive or battleground states. I think the goal here is to impose pressure or impose pain from a political angle of attack.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Courthouse News Service

Eric Belasco, Montana State University

“The U.S. Faces a “Historic” Cattle Shortage as the Size of the U.S. Herd Shrinks to the Smallest Since 1951”

By: Economic Collapse Report - August 20, 2026

“The biggest thing has been drought. Years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Economic Collapse Report

Success Okafor, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

“Processing, Pastures Show Huge Mismatch”
By: Agri-View – August 19, 2026
“Wisconsin Meat Processing Deserts Limit Growth For Livestock Producers”
By: Brownfield – August 21, 2026

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

“The Bottom Line: Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever”

By: Agri News Pub – August 24, 2026

“Long-term profitability will depend less on producing a good crop and more on earning a profitable price for it. That’s an important shift because it tells us where producers think profitability will be won or lost in the years ahead,”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Agri News Pub

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University

“Economists Don’t Expect Reopening the US to Mexican Cattle Imports to Reduce High Beef Prices”

By: The Wyoming Truth – August 24, 2026

“The potential effect on beef prices from the smaller supply of cattle was lessened because the U.S. beef industry is more efficient and has been able to get more meat from each animal than in past years.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Wyoming Truth

Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute

“What’s Driving the Financial Crisis on Minnesota Farms?”

By: Twin Cities Business – August 25, 2026

(Continued...)
Read more on: Twin Cities Business

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Members in the News: August 24, 2026

2026-08-24T12:33:21.288-05:00

Kristin Kiesel, University of California, Davis

“Why Are Berries Everywhere, in Every Season? Driscoll’s”

By: NYT – July 8, 2026

“Driscoll’s has changed the paradigm of modern agriculture and produce marketing...A strawberry was a strawberry. Now a strawberry is a brand. And only a huge operation like Driscoll’s can supply market giants like Costco and Walmart with the premium produce that many consumers are willing to pay for, even as their grocery bills rise."

(Continued...)
Read more on: NYT

Bingyan Dai, Cornell University

“Popular Grocery Staple Could Take Hit as California Faces Major Supply Vulnerability”

By: Fox News – August 18, 2026

"California remains central to the nation's fresh fruit and vegetable supply, including broccoli. At the same time, drought events in California have become more frequent in recent years, affecting fresh broccoli production and reliable access for American consumers."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fox News

Eric Belasco, Montana State University

“A Historic Shortage Is Squeezing an American Dinner Staple and Relief Could Be Years Away”

By: Fox Business – August 16, 2026

"The biggest thing has been drought… years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fox Business or NY Post

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Op-ed: Zohran Mamdani’s Promise and the Reality of Supermarket”
By: Vital City – August 19, 2026
“As Midterms Near, Grocery Prices Remain Top of Mind for Many Americans”
By: ABC News – August 20, 2026

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“India’s Employment Gains Mask a Missing Middle and Low Productivity”

By: Basis Point Insight – August 17, 2026

“India’s employment debate is no longer simply about how many jobs the economy can create. It is equally about the quality of those jobs, the skills they demand, the wages they offer and whether they enable workers to move into more productive activities.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

Joana Colussi, Purdue University

“Growing Pains: Farmers Thinking Twice Before Expanding Operation”

By: Agrinews – August 16, 2026

“Results from the Purdue-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer show a clear divide among producers… Producers who expect their farms to grow generally reported a stronger sentiment than those who don’t expect to grow.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Agrinews

Mckenzie Boyce, Oklahoma State University
Brian Whitacre, Oklahoma State University

“Will Data Centers Pay Off For Oklahoma Communities? It Depends”

By: KOSU – August 17, 2026

“We've started to explore some of the different ways that communities may benefit from data centers in order to provide more information to communities evaluating some of these different economic considerations for them to make a decision.”

“You know, you think about it, for a lot of rural communities that have really been struggling to improve their school systems or attract people, these are helpful payments.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: KOSU

Akwasi Agyeman Britwum, Bank of Africa Ghana Ltd

“Tantalus or Triumph? Ghana and the Harvest of Economic Recovery”
By: My Joy Online – August 17, 2026
“Elixir or Placebo? Microeconomics as the litmus test for Ghana’s Macroeconomic Recovery”
By: My Joy Online – January 19, 2026

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University
Josh Maples, Mississippi State University

“Meatpacking Plants Close as U.S. Cattle Herds Shrink to A Nearly 75-Year Low”

By: Marketplace – August 18, 2026

“It’s 86.2 million, to be exact… That makes meatpackers’ operating costs jump. You can only do that for so long before some business adjustment is going to be made, whether that is shrinking the number of shifts, not running on Saturdays, maybe eventually closing a facility.”

“The lack of these facilities could get us into a spot where we run out of capacity pretty quick. The cattle sector is incredibly cyclical. We go through periods of declining supplies and then increasing supplies. Inevitably, Maples said, the national cattle herd will get bigger again.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Marketplace

Christopher Wolf, Cornell University

“As Whey Gains, Will Dairy’s Footprint Follow?”

By: Sentient Media – August 20, 2026

“Some dairy producers are also looking at “nutritional and genetic methods to increase the protein content of milk. The protein craze is likely to increase incentives for more protein per unit of milk produced.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Sentient Media

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Members in the News: August 17, 2026

2026-08-17T13:28:00.000-05:00

Akwasi Agyeman Britwum, Bank of Africa Ghana Ltd

“Protector or Predator? How Anti-Immigrant Violence is Undermining South Africa’s Economic Recovery”
By: My Joy Online – June 15, 2026
“Guardian or Casualty? How BoG Paid the Price for Economic Stabilisation”
By: My Joy Online – May 11, 2026

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee
Charles Martinez, University of Tennessee

“Soaring US Beef Prices Likely to Rise Further Thanks to Trade Tensions and Disease Outbreaks”

By: The Conversation – June 16, 2026

“The cost of beef, having spiked since early 2025, is coming under even more pressure. The most recent is the screwworm outbreak that hit cattle in Mexico and has now spread to the United States, where the cattle herd has already fallen to levels not seen since the 1950s, due in part to drought.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Conversation

Tong Wang, South Dakota State University

“Many Farmers Using Drones Question Whether They’re Worth It”

By: Ag Daily – August 10, 2026

“Unmanned aerial vehicles are more widely adopted for imagery than for input application in the U.S. because the former became commercially available at an earlier date. Application-drone use was nearly nonexistent five to 10 years ago, with most adoption occurring in just the last three years… Higher education equips farmers with more knowledge, skills and resources to effectively learn and interpret the output of complex technologies such as UAV for decision-making.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ag Daily

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“Examining Kroger's Plan to Purchase Giant Eagle”

By: WOSU – August 11, 2026

(Continued...)
Read more on: WOSU

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Inflation Eases in July as Gasoline and Grocery Prices Fall”
By: NPR – August 12, 2026
“Latest Inflation Report May Give the Fed More Time for Its Control Effort”
By: NPR – August 13, 2026
“Democratic Party Divide, Lettuce in Saving you Green, and Colombia Rescue Efforts”
By: NPR – August 13, 2026

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Does it Make Sense to Tax International Trade?”
By: Basis Point Insight – August 13, 2026
“How Has Remote Work Affected American Cities?”
By: Rochester Business Journal – August 14, 2026

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“US Sugar Market ‘Turbulent,’ Global Market Doesn’t Make Sense”
By: The Fence Post – August 13, 2026
“U.S. Sugarbeet Acreage Drops to Lowest Level in Decades on Weather and Economic Concerns”
By: Ag Week – August 11, 2026
“United States Threatens to Retain Part of Brazil's Sugar Quota”
By: CNN Brasil – August 11, 2026

Shon Ferguson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

“Global Food Prices Reach 3-Year Peak: Heatwaves, Black Sea Conflict and Biofuel Demand to Blame”

By: Upday – August 11, 2026

“Experts warn that heatwaves in France and Spain will likely push food prices even higher this autumn. Shon Ferguson, an associate professor of economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, noted that repeated heatwaves during spring and summer negatively affected wheat and corn production in France. Reduced grain harvests threaten to increase meat prices as well.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Upday

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

“Ag Economy Barometer Survey Shows Sentiment Gap Between Livestock and Crop Producers”
By: Brownfield – August10, 2026
“Why Commodity Prices Are Farmers’ Top Long-Term Threat”
By: Capital Press – August 11, 2026

Christopher Boyer, University of Tennessee
Aaron Smith, University of Tennessee
Eunchun Park, University of Arkansas

“Controlling Wild Pigs Can Work If It’s a Group Effort”

By: The Conversation – August 13, 2206

“The federal government is injecting millions of dollars into efforts to combat feral hogs – and it’s considering spending even more in the coming years. The problem has grown for decades, but our research has found that a recently revived federal effort offers the potential for bringing the hogs under control.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Conversation

Amy Hagerman, Oklahoma State University

“Understanding the Farm Bill Debate: Key Differences Between House and Senate Proposals”

By: Oklahoma Farm Report – August 14, 2026

“The ongoing discussions surrounding the United States Farm Bill remain a critical focus for agricultural producers across the nation. In a detailed conversation, Farm Director KC Sheperd spoke with Dr. Amy Hagerman from Oklahoma State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics to break down the latest developments in federal policy. They examined the comparison between the House and Senate proposals, analyzing key areas of overlap, significant differences, and what the overall process means for producers on the ground.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Oklahoma Farm Report

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Members in the News: August 10, 2026

2026-08-10T13:16:18.028-05:00

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“Trump Said Grocery Prices Are 'Way Down' — This Fact-Check Is A Rude Awakening”

By: Huff Post – August 5, 2026

“Food prices going down almost never happens… But it’s worth reiterating that they are going up both faster than normal and faster than they did last year.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Huff Post

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“List of Companies Slashing Prices as White House Takes Credit”

By: Newsweek – August 7, 2026

“There is no public evidence establishing that the cuts were caused by the president beyond the White House’s own claim… The fact that most of these announcements never mention him is very telling.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Newsweek

Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University
Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
Rwit Chakravorty, North Dakota State University
Matthew Gammans, North Dakota State University
Jiyeon Kim, North Dakota State University
Wuit Yi Lwin, North Dakota State University
Ming Wang, North Dakota State University

“NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor Wins National Policy Award”

By: North Dakota Ag Connection – August 4, 2026

"The Bruce Gardner Award is especially meaningful because it recognizes policy analysis that is grounded in economic theory and useful to decision-makers," Steinbach said. "The NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor was built to provide timely, research-driven insight on global agricultural trade at a moment when producers, agribusinesses, and policymakers need clear, data-informed analysis."

(Continued...)
Read more on: North Dakota Ag Connection

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University

“Experts Evaluate Alarming State Of U.S. Sugar Economy”

By: Sugar Producer – August 5, 2026

“Dr. Shawn Arita, one of the leading authors on that paper, said that his team "put together a rigorous and objective economic study looking at the effects of this influx of tier-2 imports on our U.S. sugar producers. We did find that it does significantly depress U.S. sugar prices."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Sugar Producer or Agriculture of America, Market Talk

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

“Crunching the Numbers: There’s More to Organic Farm Production Than Profit”
By: Agripub News - August 3, 2026
“Farmer Sentiment Rebounds in the Latest Ag Economy Barometer Survey”
By: Brownfield – August 4, 2026

Nicole Olynk Widmar, Purdue University

“The Cyclospora Outbreak Is Driving Shoppers to Farmers Markets. Experts Say They’re Not Necessarily Safer”

By: INC – August 4, 2026

“The shift doesn’t surprise experts. “We don’t think much about food safety in the U.S. relative to many other food systems and places; now many of us are thinking about it, and that is disruptive and mentally costly to many people.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: INC

Sarah Low, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Study Shows Health Rsks Higher for Rural Residents”

By: Farms.com – August 6, 2026

“We can combine those biomarkers with socioeconomic information and survey questions like age, education and if they are a veteran or not.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farms.com

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Members in the News: August 3, 2026

2026-08-03T15:32:04.737-05:00

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“Forget Gasoline: Why the Price Surge in This Under the-Radar Fuel is the Real Threat to the U.S. Economy”

By: Market Watch – July 18, 2026

“Our growing and harvesting sectors are very, very energy intensive, and they get hit hard when energy costs go up… People already have seen some price impacts from higher energy costs — as well as higher costs for fertilizer, whose inputs also largely come from the Middle East.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Market Watch

Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University
David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Buying Less, Trading Down: High Grocery Prices Will Hurt Produce Growers”

By: Capital Press – July 29, 2026

“The shift toward processed food is challenging but farms and other businesses can adapt and take advantage of the change in consumer habits. Substitutions happen and this presents opportunities.”

“When budgets are tight, food is one area where households have some flexibility, so consumers adjust at the margins. They switch to store brands, trade down from fresh to canned or frozen and prioritize who gets what.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Capital Press

David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Taylor Farms Produce Is Sold Everywhere, Making Outbreak Difficult to Escape”
By: Bloomberg – July 24, 2026
“How Michigan Became the Epicenter of the Cyclosporiasis Outbreak”
By: Crains Detroit – July 24, 2026

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Simpler Applications Can Lift Welfare Benefit Uptake”

By: Basis Point Insight – August 1, 2026

“Governments in India face a recurring problem: many eligible citizens do not claim benefits that could materially improve their welfare. New research offers a rigorous and intuitive explanation. The application process itself can become the barrier.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

Michael Langemeier, Purdue University

“Impact of Leverage on Rates of Return of Crop Farms”

By: Successful Farming – July 27, 2026

“Increasing financial leverage will increase expected returns as long the marginal returns from the use of loans exceed the cost of borrowing. In favorable economic times, higher leverage can improve financial performance and stimulate farm growth. However, in unfavorable economic times, leverage can cause business performance to deteriorate rapidly. Thus, higher leverage may increase expected returns and financial risk. Given this risk/return relationship, what is the optimal level of farm debt?”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Successful Farming

Gregory Ibendahl, Kansas State University

“Rising fuel costs cause concern for Cortez Transportation”

By: WIBW – July 26, 2026

“The fluctuating fuel costs don’t come as much of a surprise… Gas prices react very strongly to what the oil price does, there’s hardly any delay at all to where we get the most usually before you start seeing something happen. So this jumping around in gas prices to me is not unusual because we see the oil price doing the same thing.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: WIBW

Bradley Lubben, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

“Economist Warns of Growing Uncertainty in Ag Policy”

By: Brownfield Ag News – July 27, 2026

“While there’ve been necessary updates to the farm safety net, it doesn’t address larger issues. The future directions of the ag economy and drivers on the policy front – those are the things that aren’t in the farm bill that have the most significant questions ahead.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield Ag News

Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Volatile Fertilizer Market Could Change How Farmers Buy Inputs”

By: Brownfield Ag News – July 28, 2026

“There could be dramatic swings between now and spring. Spreading out the input decisions just like you would for spreading out sales, is a good thing and more important now than a year ago.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield Ag News

Hope Michelson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“How AI Can Unlock Africa’s AfCFTA Potential”

By: News Central TV – July 28, 2026

“Uninsured risks continue to affect farmers’ willingness to invest in improved farming methods and technologies. And there’s a lot of uninsured risk… when farmers lack protection such as crop insurance, they become less willing to invest in inputs and techniques that could improve productivity.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: News Central TV

Elizabeth Canales Medina, Mississippi State University

“From Price Spikes To a Cyclospora Outbreak: Lettuce is Hitting Some Restaurants Hard”

By: Fast Company – July 30, 2026

“Unusually hot weather in Arizona early in the year caused crops to mature too early. That caused big supply gaps until California production began in late April. Fuel costs, which increased after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran and Iran blocked most oil tankers from leaving the Persian Gulf, have also been an issue. Lettuce is especially perishable and requires energy for cooling from the time it’s picked to the time it’s sold. The cold chain needs to be maintained. Cooling and transporting it is very important.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Fast Company

Lee Schulz, Ever.Ag

“U.S. Hog Inventory Edges Lower in June”

By: High Plains Journal – July 31, 2026

“Market hog inventories by weight category provide an indication of anticipated slaughter levels during the six months following June 1. All four USDA market hog inventory estimates were below the average pre-report expectations.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: High Plains Journal

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Members in the News: July 27, 2026

2026-07-27T08:26:41.388-05:00

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Climate Policy Needs Carbon Pricing, Not Just Green Subsidies”

By: Basis Point Insight - July 20, 2026

“Fighting climate change is difficult because it is a global problem that requires coordinated action across countries, industries, and individuals with differing interests and priorities. The benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are often long-term and widely shared, while the costs of mitigation are immediate and concentrated on specific sectors and communities.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point Insight

Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, Cornell University

“Heat Stress Hits Dairy Quality as Well as Quantity, Study Finds”

By: Sentient Media – July 20, 2026

“This matters to the dairy industry because farmers get paid not by the overall weight or volume, but are instead priced using a formula that takes those nutritional components into account. As climate change increases the intensity and duration of heat events, industrial dairies with more capital tend to be better equipped to handle the added strain on their margins.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Sentient Media

Simon Somogyi, Texas A&M University
Yong Liu, Texas A&M University
Weifang Liang, Texas A&M University

“Expect Stable Meat Prices This Summer”

By: National Hog Farmer – July 21, 2026

“Now with New World screwworm, that’s going to cause issues that we haven’t seen yet. We could see higher prices without those historically steady imports from Mexico.”

(Continued...)
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Brian Roe, The Ohio State University

“Weight Loss Drugs Are Leading to Less Spending at Ohio Restaurants, OSU Study Finds”

By: WOSU – July 23, 2026

“We found that consumers, once they started the medication, were cutting back in terms of their dine-out experience. We found, for example, about $37 less spending per week on dining out among current users of the drugs than those who were former users of the drug. And most of them said that their spending went down by more than 10% after they started their medication.”

(Continued...)
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Taejun Mo, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Self-Driving Trucks Could Upend America’s Freight Economy”

By: Earth.com – July 23, 2026

“Self-driving technology has great potential to rewrite the economic geography of the U.S., which in and of itself will create new winners and losers… If a certain geographic area were a major transportation hub in the days before autonomous trucking, it’s possible that it would not be a major hub in the future.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Earth.com

Becca Weir, Pennsylvania State University
Barry Ward, The Ohio State University

“Financial Health of American Farms Strained' By Many Factors”

By: Allied News – June 23, 2026

"It's challenging to make high-level generalizations about the farm economy because each region and agricultural sector faces different challenges. Our current market conditions could change quickly with adverse weather during the remaining crop production season or an intensified livestock disease outbreak. At the moment, the overall financial health of American farms is strained."

“The biggest risks often come from weather or climate patterns. We look at the last 100 years; margin and profitability have always been central in farmers' minds, and part of that has to do with weather, especially in crop production and indirectly, livestock production.”

(Continued...)
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Members in the News: July 20, 2026

2026-07-20T14:24:51.039-05:00

Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“The Hidden Cost: Why Carbon Taxes Are Unpopular”

By: Basis Point Insight – July 14, 2026

“Economists generally favour carbon taxes because they are a relatively efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By putting a price on carbon, a carbon tax forces firms and consumers to account for the environmental damages associated with fossil fuel use. In theory, this leads to lower emissions at the lowest overall cost to society.”

(Continued...)
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Richard Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“Traditional Supermarkets Are Struggling. Kroger Hopes its Giant Eagle Merger Will Help”

By: Marketplace – July 16, 2026

”That's a format that has been losing ground for quite some time in the food retail landscape in the U.S., and at a pretty dramatic rate.”

(Continued...)
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Carl Zulauf, The Ohio State University
Henrique Monaco, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Minding Ag's Business Blog”

By: Progressive Farmer DNT – July 14, 2026

“Market losses are more common than market profits in the U.S. field-crop sector… In stretches when farmers were profitable, the safety net increased cumulative returns by 70% in the period from 2007-2013 and 41% in 2021 and 2022. The authors argue this represents a fundamental shift in the role of the safety net, which they describe as "supercharging profits" rather than simply protecting against losses.”

(Continued...)
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Elizabeth Canales Medina, Mississippi State University

“A Perfect Storm of Factors is Driving Up US Produce Prices, But Shoppers Can Still Save”

By: The Conversation – July 16, 2026

“From tomatoes and berries to lettuce and peppers, shoppers are feeling sticker shock in the produce aisle. Recent headlines have focused in particular on soaring tomato prices. They spiked by roughly one-fifth from June 2025 to June 2026, according to consumer price data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

(Continued...)
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David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Could the Cyclospora Outbreak Affect Grocery Prices?”

By: News Nation – July 17, 2026

“A drop in demand for fresh produce, for example, could lead to localized price declines or discounts for specific products. Because these goods are highly perishable, even modest demand shifts can move prices quickly.”

(Continued...)
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Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

“A Labor Lockout in Rural Colorado Has a Town Asking: How Do We Survive?”

By: The Denver Post – July 19, 2026

“Things like this can cause regional issues, such as producers seeing increased costs and headaches, but for the industry as a whole, it’s not an end-of-the-world scenario,”

(Continued...)
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Members in the News: July 13, 2026

2026-07-13T13:32:39.827-05:00

Zachariah Rutledge, Michigan State University

“Economists on the Labor Trends That Will Define the Future of U.S. Fresh Produce”

By: The Packer – July 6, 2026

“Based on USDA data, the average operating cost for labor is about 38% for fruit and 29% for vegetables.”

(Continued...)
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Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, North Carolina State University

“TPS Decision Could Reshape Ag Labor Market”

By: Politico – June 29, 2026

“The Supreme Court ruling is likely to further stress the labor supply at meatpacking plants across the country. Meatpackers can’t easily access the H-2A visa program for year-round work like meatpacking. “Research has shown that, even in periods of high unemployment, Americans prefer to pass on physically demanding jobs at meatpacking plants.”

(Continued...)
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David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Did Walmart Roll Back Prices Because of Trump? They Won’t Say”

By: USA Today – July 8, 2026

“The Walmart price reductions looks less like a turning point on food inflation and more like an aggressive summer promotion. Big retailers spotlight 'backyard barbecue' staples like meat, corn, soda, chips because they're highly visible and shape how shoppers feel about prices in general."

(Continued...)
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Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
Sandro Steinbach, North Dakota State University

“Kansas Farmers Suffer From Tariffs and Closing of Strait of Hormuz, Ag Experts Say”
By: Yahoo! Finance – July 7, 2026
“The Meat Industry’s Tireless Effort to Keep Live Pigs in Coffins”
By: The American Prospect – July 7, 2026

Natalie Loduca, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Scott Swinton, Michigan State University

“How Farmers Respond to Climate-Related Risk”

Bu: Agrinews – July 5, 2026

“Crop yields depend not only on weather conditions, but also on the producer’s management decisions. We wanted to better understand how farmers perceive uncertainty under changing climate conditions.”

(Continued...)
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Christopher Barrett, Cornell University

“Fertilizer Shortage Raises Concerns Across Global Agriculture”

By: Farms.com – July 6, 2026

“Despite these challenges, experts believe consumers are unlikely to experience major increases in food prices. Consumers are going to see higher food prices come September to January, once harvests start coming in, and the few months thereafter. Very little of that is going to be directly attributable to fertilizer."

(Continued...)
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Bradley Rickard, Cornell University

“A California Farmer Is Giving Away Tons of Nectarines That He's Not Allowed to Sell”

By: Food Manufacturing – July 7, 2026

“Fruit patents are becoming increasingly common. A patent allows a breeder to collect a royalty from the fruit trees it sells, the fruit that the trees produce, or both.”

(Continued...)
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Amelia Finaret, Allegheny College

“5 Grocery Items That Will Cost More This Summer”

By: AARP – July 7, 2026

“Whole wheat bread prices are up 8 percent over last year. Drought conditions in wheat-growing regions of the U.S. have strained supply to the point where America’s wheat production is at its lowest since 1970.”

(Continued...)
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Jeffrey Dorfman, North Carolina State University
Ricky Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

“U.S.-Iran Conflict Puts Food Prices at Growing Risk”

By: Kansas City Star – July 10, 2026

Fossil fuels used in farming and distribution account for between 15% and 30% of the cost of produce at the retail level.”

“An FMI-The Food Industry Association briefing that even an immediate resolution to the conflict would not prevent grocery inflation from climbing well above the historical average for the remainder of 2026.”

(Continued...)
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Members in the News: July 6, 2026

2026-07-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

Zachariah Rutledge, Michigan State University
David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Dairy Farm Labor Shortages, Adaptation Strategies and Preferences for Workforce Policy Options”

By: Farms.com – June 30, 2026

“Labor shortages are increasingly prevalent in the agricultural sector. Dairy farms face a unique challenge because production requires a year-round workforce, yet most current American visa programs are primarily designed for producers with seasonal employment needs.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farms.com

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
Ming Wang, North Dakota State University
Joseph Glauber, International Food Policy Research Institute

“How Fertilizer Policies Could Exacerbate Hormuz Price Shocks”

By: Global Agriculture – May 26, 2026

“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, 2026, put roughly one-third of global seaborne fertilizer trade at risk. Suddenly, production across the broader Persian Gulf region had no clear ocean exit.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Global Agriculture

Shawn Arita, North Dakota State University
Nick Paulson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“Land Line: Riverview, Lobe Rangers, Fertilizer & War, Climate’s Double Indemnity, Colin Cureton’s Ag Legacy, Grazing & Birds, Roundup’s SCOTUS Support, Farm Bill”

By: Land Stewardship Project – June 26, 2026

“A full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will eventually cause fertilizer prices to fall, but they will remain above their prewar levels for years to come”

“Actions the Trump administration is considering, such as not renewing a trade deal with Canada, would drastically reduce the supply of some fertilizers.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Land Stewardship Project

Joana Colussi, Purdue University

“‘A Real Farm Crisis’: Illinois Farm Bankruptcies Rise For 3rd Straight Year”

By: WJBC – June 29, 2026

“Overhead costs represent the largest cost component on the U.S. farm, accounting for nearly one-half of total costs during the 2020-24 period. Eighty percent of the farmers in the Midwest, they rent the land.”

(Continued...)
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Tim Delbridge, Oregon State University

“OSU Ag Economist: Early Season Cherry Prices Concerning”

By: Capital Press – June 29, 2026

“The pricing picture for sweet cherries is concerning at this point in the season. We may see prices come back up at the end of the season.”

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Bradley Lubben, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

“USDA Forecast Shows Rising Costs For Corn, Soybeans, Sorghum and Wheat”

By: Brownfield Ag News – June 29, 2026

“Inflation has been the biggest factor since the COVID-19 pandemic. We have continued to be at the higher levels along with trade and global security shocks that have amped up certain markets. Right now, we’re just dealing with higher production costs.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield Ag News

Hunter Biram, University of Arkansas

“U.S. Rice Acreage Falls to Lowest Since the 1970s As Cotton Acres Increase”

By: Brownfield Ag News – June 30, 2026

“I’ve had people ask me questions about the sustainability in the long term viability of the rice industry… The ripple effects of the rice production declines are being felt in Arkansas, the largest rice producing state in the country.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Brownfield Ag News

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee

“China Resumes US Soybean Purchases Under Trade Deal With Trump, But Future For Farmers Remains ‘Daunting’”

By: Europe Says – July 3, 2026

“Exports to China from January through March were up 57% compared to last year, USDA data shows. That’s explained by an increase in sales to China during the off-season in response to the trade agreement… But if we look at the accumulated total for the actual marketing year, going back to September, exports to China are still lagging what we did in years past.”

(Continued...)
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Christopher Barrett, Cornell University

“How a Fertilizer Shortage Caused by the Iran War Could Affect U.S. Food Prices”

By: NPR – July 3, 2026

"Consumers are going to see higher food prices come September to January, once harvests start coming in, and the few months thereafter. Very little of that is going to be directly attributable to fertilizer."

(Continued...)
Read more on: NPR

Jaime Luke, Michigan State University

“Why Beef Prices Keep Climbing”

By: Marketplace – June 22, 2026

“The USDA predicts beef prices will go up another 10% in 2026 — much faster than the rate of inflation. High demand and low supply makes for a perfect storm. Right now we have a historically low number of beef cows in the country.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Marketplace

Bingyan Dai, Cornell University

“East Coast Broccoli Lowers Costs and Risks From California Drought”

By: Morning Ag Clips – July 1, 2026

“We do think our model can be generalized to other crops, which face similar issues and increasing challenges from drought and water scarcity when production is concentrated in one state… Demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, and especially broccoli, most of which is grown in California, has been growing nationally while water scarcity in the West has also increased.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Morning Ag Clips

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