Less than a week after announcing plans to recall and hire hundreds of employees across the Midwest, “John Deere announced plans to close two Iowa manufacturing plants in the next few years and move production to other cities, in a news release from the company on Wednesday.”
Rural America
John Deere Hiring, Recalling 675 Workers in the Midwest
“John Deere says it ‘anticipates’ it will hire more than 400 people across its factories and will call back more than 275 to its Waterloo, Iowa, operations in the coming months, which would bring total callbacks since 2024 to about 1,000 employees.”
Screwworm Confirmed in Arizona as Infestations Increase in October
New World screwworm was found in Arizona for the first time, as cases of the deadly parasite threatening the US cattle herd spread west into a third state. The spread of the parasitic fly has increased this month. There have been a total of 74 cases of screwworm in the US since the outbreak began.
US Farm Bankruptcies Up 19% Through Three Quarters of 2026
According to federal court data, 292 Chapter 12 (farm bankruptcy) cases have been filed so far in 2026, nearly 19 percent more than the 246 filed during the first three quarters of 2025. In the third quarter alone, 91 Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings were recorded nationwide.
Third US-Mexico Border Crossing Set to Reopen to Livestock Imports
The port of entry at Columbus, N.M., will be the third crossing reopened for imports of Mexican cattle as of Oct. 26, the USDA said Monday, in spite of last week’s confirmation of two new cases of New World screwworm infestation in southwestern New Mexico.
Judge Says USDA Reorganization Likely Violates Congressional Directive
The Agriculture Department has been ordered to halt its reorganization and relocation efforts by a federal judge who said the department had likely violated a congressional directive prohibiting it from spending money on the plan.
Judge Extends Pause on USDA Employee Relocations
A federal judge in California extended last week a temporary pause in USDA employee relocations until Oct. 13 as he considers a preliminary injunction that would stop USDA indefinitely from enforcing employee relocations. He also said it was “significant” that Congress included a provision in a fiscal 2026 spending package that blocked the Agriculture Department from reorganizing without approval from the House and Senate appropriations committees.
More Farmer Aid Unlikely Until After Midterm Elections
Republicans want to lump in about $11 billion in direct farm aid with a forthcoming defense spending package. But even if that measure clears Congress, there would be a delay before checks hit farmers’ bank accounts, likely around spring of 2027. That might come too late to save some farmers’ businesses after a brutal harvest season amid record-breaking diesel prices.
USDA to Reopen New Mexico Border Port to Cattle
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Wednesday that the Department of Agriculture is preparing to reopen the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, port of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. The agency said that operations will start slowly with an initial limit of 750 head of cattle per day.
Judge Considering Temporary Pause to USDA Reorganization
A federal judge in San Francisco is considering a temporary pause of the Agriculture Department’s imminent plans to relocate employees across the country. He said an administrative stay “doesn’t say anything about the merits” of the case, but would give him more time to “adjudicate this properly.”
Farmers Struggling to Get Services from Depleted USDA Workforce
Across the country, farmers and rural residents describe struggling to obtain the basic services the Agriculture Department is meant to offer, including loans and grants, technical assistance and financing for housing and utilities.
Cattle Producers, Lawmakers Condemn Trump’s New Beef Import Plan
President Donald Trump said on Friday he will temporarily ease beef tariffs to help lower prices, although U.S. cattle producers warned the move would hurt efforts to rebuild herds and economists said it would have little effect on prices.
Corn Futures Above $5 for First Time in 18 Months
Corn futures topped the $5-a-bushel mark for the first time in 18 months as weaker-than-expected US crop tour results add to global supply concerns for the staple grain.
Inflation-Adjusted Midwest Farmland Values Fall Most Since 2016
When adjusted for inflation, values in the Federal Reserve’s Seventh District fell 3.7% year over year in the second quarter of 2026 — the steepest real decline in a decade — even as demand from data centers and solar farms helped prop up prices.
Tractor Sales Fall in July Amid Continued Ag Economy Pressure
U.S. tractor sales were down 10.9%, while combine sales fell 5.3% year-over-year in July 2026, according to sales data the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) released this week.
Tyson to Close or Sell Three Beef Facilities Amid Cattle Shortage
Tyson Foods said on Thursday it will close or sell three of its beef plant and packaging operation sites, further shrinking its beef footprint as a historic U.S. cattle shortage deepens losses for the largest U.S. meatpacker.
USDA Reports Largest-Ever Combined Corn & Soy Planted Acreage
USDA found an additional 1.4 million planted acres for both the corn and soybean crops to increase the corn crop slightly and boost the soybean crop to the largest in U.S. history. The combined planted acreage of the corn and soybean crops is now 183.5 million acres, more than 3 million acres higher than the previous combined crop record.
Texas Screwworm Sterile Fly Facility to Open 7 Months Ahead of Schedule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a post on X on Monday that a Texas facility to breed sterile flies to combat screwworm will open ahead of schedule in spring 2027. Previously, the agency said the plant would open at the end of next year.
Senate Farm Bill Fails, Ag Committee to Vote Again in September
Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said he will reconvene committee members in September to vote again on his farm bill package after it failed to advance Thursday.
USDA Providing 60-Day Extension to Pay Crop Insurance Premiums
Farmers will get a two-month reprieve on their crop insurance premiums this year and USDA will also reinstate prevented planting buy-up coverage as well, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday.