Investigate Midwest

The 2022 Census of Agriculture reveals most beginning farmers in the U.S. do not farm full-time, with 72% reporting a primary occupation other than farming. The average age of beginning farmers is 47.1, women account for 41% of beginning producers, and nearly half of their sales come from crops. Many balance farming with off-farm jobs due to challenges like land access and market pressures.

Researchers from the Environmental Working Group identified 15,309 livestock facilities in Iowa using aerial and satellite data, exceeding the state's database count by over 4,000. The state database excludes small operations not regulated by law, while the study includes all facilities with at least 50 animal units to assess manure-related environmental impacts. The analysis also found a 12.9% increase in large livestock facilities since 2019.

Oklahoma residents, including Pencia Truhan, are concerned about proposed data centers near their properties due to lack of transparency regarding water usage. A state law (Senate Bill 259) requires water-efficient cooling systems for data centers, but operators avoid water permits by purchasing water from municipal utilities, leaving usage untracked. Oklahoma has 55 listed data centers, none of which have applied for water permits.

In 2025, 145 of 453 U.S. farming counties experienced ICE arrests, the highest since 2018, as the Trump administration intensified immigration enforcement. A Michigan State University survey found 14% of California farmers reported worker losses due to ICE-related fears, though direct losses were minimal. The administration also expanded H-2A visa access for dairy farms to address labor concerns.

President Trump ordered federal agencies to identify and cancel contracts promoting 'gender ideology extremism' in 2025. The USDA found only about seven such contracts initially but later canceled additional funding, including a grant for 'food justice for trans people.' Critics questioned the USDA's limited findings, noting its historically conservative stance on gender and minority issues.

U.S. lawmakers are introducing legislation to override a Supreme Court ruling that limits consumer lawsuits against pesticide companies. The proposed amendment to FIFRA, called the People Over Poison Act, aims to restore the ability of individuals to sue companies for failing to warn about health risks. The ruling primarily benefits Bayer and Syngenta, which face numerous lawsuits over products like Roundup.

State and local governments provided over $500 million in tax subsidies to meat processing companies since 2006, with eight companies dominating U.S. meat production. Subsidies aimed to create 69,037 jobs across 805 deals, but employment in the industry declined from 118,000 to 71,000 between 2006 and 2023.

China has resumed purchasing U.S. soybeans under a trade agreement with the Trump administration, leading to a 57% increase in exports to China from January through March compared to the previous year. However, U.S. soybean exports to China remain below pre-trade war levels, with China accounting for less than 30% of U.S. soybean exports from September 2025 to March 2026. USDA data indicates China has committed to purchasing 25 million metric tons annually through 2028, but uncertainty persists about whether these targets will be met.

Rising energy costs accounted for over 60% of May’s 0.5% increase in U.S. consumer prices, with gasoline prices surging 7% monthly and 40.5% annually. Energy prices rose 23.5% over the past year, outpacing slower food price increases (3.1% annually), while disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about fertilizer supply chains.

Low U.S. cattle herd numbers, driven by drought, have led to concerns about beef packing plant closures. Tyson Foods recently shut down a Nebraska plant, causing job losses, and industry experts warn of further shutdowns due to declining cattle supplies and consolidated market control by four major companies.

The USDA eliminated a Biden-era initiative focused on increasing seed market competition, which included experts handling farmer complaints and consulting on antitrust issues. The department later announced a partnership with DOJ to address seed industry concentration, despite having fired the team just weeks earlier. The Trump administration previously approved mergers in the seed industry, now criticized for anticompetitive practices.

The US imports significant amounts of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus fertilizers, primarily from Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. Global events like the pandemic and the 2022 Ukraine invasion have disrupted supply chains, affecting prices and availability for American farmers.

Investigate Midwest has added two summer interns: Caspar Dowdy, a reporting intern focused on agriculture and environmental issues, and Paloma Sanchez-McGee, an audience engagement intern working on digital presence and outreach. Both interns are supported by the Gary Marx Journalism Fund and other programs, with Dowdy studying journalism and environmental science at the University of Missouri and Sanchez-McGee holding a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on whether lawsuits can be filed against pesticide makers over cancer claims. Studies show a geographic correlation between heavy pesticide use and higher cancer rates, and agrichemical companies like Bayer face thousands of lawsuits. The Trump administration and pesticide industry have pushed for liability shield laws, while advocacy groups challenge these efforts.

Three-fourths of Illinois counties have higher-than-average cancer rates and 25% more pesticide use than other state counties. Nationally, 60% of counties with the highest pesticide use also have elevated cancer rates, with similar patterns in Missouri, Iowa, and North Dakota. A 2024 study linked pesticides to cancer risks comparable to smoking, and Illinois lawmakers have proposed but failed to pass regulations on agrichemical use.

Bayer’s proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement is challenged as unconstitutional in a legal filing, alleging it violates due process by favoring lawyers with $675 million in fees while offering minimal compensation to cancer victims. Critics argue the deal allows Bayer to continue selling glyphosate-based herbicides without cancer warnings and binds future users to the settlement terms.

Bayer has agreed to suspend key provisions of its seed loyalty programs for seven years, as per an agreement with the Trump administration's Department of Justice (DOJ), which labeled the provisions as unfair and harmful to competition. The DOJ cited concerns that Bayer's incentives for resellers discouraged seeking cheaper alternatives, potentially raising prices for farmers. The agreement includes dropping the requirement for resellers to meet combined corn and soybean sales targets to receive discounts.

The person managing Donald Trump’s investment portfolio purchased John Deere stock multiple times since January, with the largest unsolicited trade valued between $15,001 and $50,000. Other trades included Apple and Nvidia, while Deere’s stock rose after Trump publicly highlighted its performance and attended an event with its CEO, John May.

Food prices rose 0.68% in April, the largest monthly increase since August 2022, driven by supply chain disruptions from the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and higher oil prices due to a conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Under the Biden administration, food inflation eased slightly, but it accelerated 3.16% since Trump took office, with Trump dismissing concerns about affordability.

Iowa State Sen. Catelin Drey, diagnosed with uterine cancer, highlighted Iowa's rising cancer rates, including the fastest-growing new cancer rate in the U.S. and elevated uterine cancer cases in Iowa County. The article links these trends to environmental factors like nitrates, pesticides, PFAS, and radon, common in Iowa due to factory farm manure and agricultural practices.