Pete’s Picks of the Week: Tract or, Planter and Strip-Till Tool

Shell Rock, Iowa, farmer Jeff Reints started planting corn on April 8 — the earliest ever on his farm. He got 50% of his corn and soybeans in the ground before 3 inches of rain parked the planters.

The number of new family farm bankruptcies in 2024 jumped to 216 from a near 20-year low of 139. Filings have continued to increase this year, with 82 cases in the first three months, nearly double for the same period a year ago.

After several years of volatility for U.S. growers, industrial hemp prices and acres appear to be stabilizing or even rising modestly, according to the 2025 National Hemp Report.

The administration created a “top 10 list” that includes the fishing industry, agricultural land deforestation in Brazil that impacts beef and soy production and Mexican avocados produced on illegally deforested lands.