Farm Leaders Push for Fair Policies

Nov 07, 2025
By Farms.com

Farm Bureau outlines strategies to strengthen rural economies

Farmers across America—from Mississippi cotton fields to Washington apple orchards—are facing uncertainty as rising input costs, unstable market access, and weak commodity prices threaten profitability. Many now rely on off-farm income to make ends meet, eroding the stability of rural communities.

U.S. agriculture remains vital, supporting nearly one in five American jobs and contributing over $6 trillion to the economy. To rebuild stability, Farm Bureau leaders propose long-term solutions focused on fairness, predictability, and growth.

Fair and Enforceable Trade Agreements are crucial as exports represent one-fifth of U.S. farm output. Enforcing existing deals like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and securing new ones will ensure steady demand and fair competition.

Policy Support for Biofuels helps merge energy security and farm growth. Year-round E15 sales could raise corn demand by 2.4 billion bushels annually. Clear tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel would also boost use of farm-based feedstocks.

Restoring Whole Milk in Schools would not only benefit student nutrition but also increase dairy demand, supporting thousands of farmers nationwide.

Protecting Interstate Commerce ensures uniform standards for food production, preventing costly state-by-state regulations that harm small producers and increase prices.

Investigating Input Market Imbalances can address soaring fertilizer, seed, and equipment costs by enforcing transparency and competition in pricing.

Prioritizing American-Grown Produce in federal programs can redirect millions into local farms, strengthening domestic food security and reducing dependence on imports.

“Keeping farmers in business is essential to America’s strength,” said AFBF’s John Newton.

Photo Credit: american-farm-bureau-federation

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.