A Promise Worth Keeping: Restoring Certainty to America’s Farmers

By John Newton

When we talk with farmers across the country, from cotton fields in Mississippi and cornfields in Iowa to apple orchards in Washington, the theme is the same: uncertainty. The past few years have tested even the most seasoned farmers. Facing rising input costs, unpredictable market access and many other challenges, farmers and ranchers are working harder while margins grow thinner.

The United States has long prided itself on being able to feed itself and much of the world. But today, that foundation is fracturing. Persistent cost pressures from labor, inputs, energy and overregulation have steadily eroded farm margins, while weak commodity prices and uneven global competition have strained family finances. With razor-thin margins on the farm, more and more farm families rely on off-farm income. Across the countryside, farms that once anchored rural economies are evaluating how and if they can survive another growing year with immense uncertainty.