FARMER VOICES
Listen to
the people
who feed us.
Amplifying the voices of American farmers and ranchers confronting rising costs, shrinking margins, and uncertain markets.
CHRIS GIBBS
/ OHIO FARMER
"It's time for our legislators to start treating us as the national security interest we are by taking back control of both tariff and trade policy."
Stories from the land
PAM JOHNSON /
RETIRED IOWA FARMER;PAST PRESIDENT, NCGA
"Ag leaders have spent decades building trading relationships and markets around the world.We want to get back in the game."
“I’m a fourth-generation farmer, but I’m scared my kids won’t be the fifth.”
SHELBY WATSON-HAMPTON,
Southern Maryland farmer
Farm Progress, “Maryland ag industry’s fatal flaw: Nobody can afford to enter it,” October 31, 2025.
VOICES IN PRINT
THE FARM CRISIS,
IN THEIR WORDS
“The farmer’s kind of painted in the corner.”
Doug Bartek
Nebraska farmer; Chairman, Nebraska Soybean Association
Midwest soybean farmers are squeezed further by tariffs and Iran war, April 2026, Associated Press
“I hit three home runs this year on rice, corn and soybeans, and we still came up short.”
Scott Matthews
Arkansas rice, soybean and corn farmer
How are farmers navigating the ag crisis while planning for 2026?, November 2025, Farm Progress
“This year, it’s all about what crop is going to lose the least amount of money.”
Eric Kroupa
Central South Dakota corn, soybean, wheat and cattle farmer
More Corn Acres, Less Soybeans Projected in 2025, February 2025, American Ag Network
“If you're borrowing money to survive, you can only do that so long.”
Craig Myhre
Wisconsin corn and soybean farmer
As 2025 ends, farmers are still reeling from the shake up of markets and federal programs, December 2025, Harvest Public Media / KCUR
“The farm economy is getting tougher by the hour.”
Sean Arians
Illinois farmer; NCGA Vice President of Sustainable Production
The 4-alarm fire in farm country, September 2025, Farm Progress
“This is a five-alarm fire for our industry.”
Caleb Ragland
Kentucky farmer; President, American Soybean Association
US soybean farmers caught in Trump's trade battle with China, September 2025, Associated Press
“With this bridge payment, we’ll be able to farm another year.”
Cordt Holub
Iowa farmer
Trump is giving farmers $12B in aid. They've been hit hard by his trade war with China, December 2025, Associated Press
“It’s a massive cost for farmers that are already barely, barely getting by.”
Blake Gendebien
New York dairy farmer
Diesel prices squeeze US farmers ‘barely getting by’ amid tariffs and drought, May 2026, The Guardian
“There is really no profit right now.”
Rodney Bushmeyer
Illinois farmer; Bushmeyer Farms
‘It’s not sustainable’: US farmers reeling as Iran war pushes fertilizer costs up, March 2026, The Guardian
“We’re struggling right now to see a profit.”
Fred Yoder
Ohio corn and soybean farmer
Farmers navigate low grain prices, high costs in challenging 2025 season, August 2025, Farm Progress
“Payments aren't a long-term fix to this issue.”
Ethan Zoerb
Nebraska corn farmer
Farmers Talk Crop Health, Harvest and Profitability, August 2025, DTN
“Inputs are kind of structured in a $7 market, and we're in a $3 to $4 market.”
Matt Frostic
Michigan farmer; Board Member, National Corn Growers Association
Farm Groups: Markets Needed to Boost Demand While Aid Payments Are a 'Band-Aid', August 2025, DTN
“The financial stress is real.”
Tyler Stafslien
North Dakota farmer
Trump considers farmer bailout as tariffs disrupt market, October 2025, PBS NewsHour
“We’ve definitely had trouble finding ways to reduce cost, finding the best market for our crops and trying to make all that work.”
J.R. Roesner
Southwest Indiana farmer
How farmers can make smart decisions in an uncertain time, March 2025, AgriNews
“Without change in the trajectory of the farm economy, I worry many of us will fall short.”
Alisha Schwertner
Third-generation Texas farmer and rancher; Runnels County Farm Bureau board member
New trade deals, farm bill needed to strengthen ag economy, March 2025, Texas Agriculture
“Every bushel of crop that’s being produced is produced at a loss, and that can only be sustainable for a certain amount of time.”
Paul Penner
Kansas farmer
Farmers face mounting losses amid low prices and rising production costs, October 2025, Brownfield Ag News
“Prices are still struggling for corn and beans somewhat.”
Ray Gaesser
Southwest Iowa farmer
Farmers weigh input costs and grain prices heading into winter, November 2025, Brownfield Ag News
“If you can’t find a way to make a living at it, then you can’t keep farming.”
Mike Langseth
North Dakota farmer; multigenerational family farm operator
As the next generation takes over the family farm, a tough economy brings new challenges, August 2026, Harvest Public Media / KCUR
“Everything we do is managing risk, and there’s a cost to that.”
Pat Mullooly
Sixth-generation Wisconsin farmer
Farmers are struggling to turn a profit. How does it compare to the farm crisis in the ’80s?, July 2026, Wisconsin Public Radio / Harvest Public Media
“Really the best thing farmers would like to see is just a place to sell our commodities at a price that we can make money at.”
Brady Holst
Illinois corn, soybean and wheat farmer
American farmers are hurting. Trump’s trade war is making it worse, October 2025, NPR
