Ideas. Stories. Community.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Donate during KSJD's Spring Fund Drive and you could win a Super73 E-Bike! Click here to donate NOW.

U.S. Farm economy

  • Colorado passes a right-to-repair agricultural equipment law, how high inflation is affecting farmers and ranchers, and drought conditions continue to expand in the Four Corners Region and beyond.
  • U.S. farm exports are set to decrease by 8% this year, climatologists are suggesting that the U.S. will see a shift from La Nina to El Nino conditions this summer, almost one-third of winter wheat acreage could be abandoned this year, prices for beef for grilling will be higher this summer, and a new business is using mini and micro burros to serve drinks at parties and other events.
  • Drought in the Southwest sees big improvement, farmland prices remain stagnant, and cattle producers are optimistic about building herds back after recent setbacks.
  • Farmers in the Great Plains may abandon 85% of their wheat acres, the shift of land from agricultural production to urban uses could impact future food security, and the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a California law banning the sale of pork from pigs that were raised in tightly confined spaces was lawful.
  • A breakdown of what appropriations will be included in the new Farm Bill, the USDA boosts farm loan relief for producers, and Colorado State University is selected to run one of 12 regional food business centers as part of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program.
  • New USDA grant funding is available for meat and poultry producers, Southwest Colorado Meat and Livestock Day scheduled on May 11th, the shifting landscape of farm sizes and subsidies, and solar "farms" innovate to better serve rural communities.
  • The beginning of the 2023 water year is off to a good start, reservoirs in the southwest will see some filling but may still be below average this year, calving season has been rough due to cold and wet spring weather, farm bankruptcies are going down, and census data show that the nation’s rural population grew slightly last year.
  • Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to affect poultry in the U.S., farmers, agriculture groups, and climate advocates ask Congress to do more to address climate change in the next farm bill, Brazil is set to export more corn than the United States in 2023, and ag products with labels stating “Product of the USA", are often misleading.
  • The USDA projects U.S. agricultural exports will decline while imports will increase, egg prices could fall dramatically this year if avian influenza stays in check, urban and agricultural interests bring up questions about Colorado River Basin water management, and a new USDA report shows that overall farmland is declining across the country while large farm consolidation is on the rise.
  • More bees are needed to help pollinate almond trees in California, the USDA reports that farm outputs have tripled over the past 70 years while labor and land use have fallen, ranch-trained horses remain valuable assets on larger ranches, and tire manufacturer Goodyear begins using soybean oil in some new tires.