From sea to shining sea, each state in the United States exports food and agricultural products. These U.S. exports continue to strengthen the rural economy by bringing in billions of dollars in revenues and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. Each year, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) opens and preserves access to foreign markets, protecting and expanding U.S. export opportunities.

A delegation of commodity importers from China on Monday signed agreements to buy billions of dollars’ worth of agricultural goods, mostly soybeans, during a ceremony in Iowa, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) said on Tuesday. The agreements, signed at the China-U.S. Sustainable Agricultural Trade Forum, were the first such bulk signings since 2017 between top soybean importer Beijing and the U.S., the world’s second-largest supplier of the oilseed. The deals also included corn, sorghum and wheat, the U.S. Soybean Export Council said.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are pleased that U.S. wheat growers now have the opportunity to increase global food assistance and expand export market access under new USDA funding programs announced Oct. 24, 2023. USW and NAWG thank Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for releasing the new funds that will directly benefit U.S. wheat farmers and their overseas customers.

Jumping into a farmer’s tractor is one way Rich Bupp tries to make the transition to regenerative agriculture easier. Farmers employing regenerative agriculture concentrate on improving soil health through crop rotations and less tillage. “Because I have a background in no-till, farmers starting to incorporate it will hire me to run the no-till planter so I can set it up and adjust it so it is performing in those conditions,” he said. Soil health and remediation, water management and mechanical systems are Bupp’s specialties.

Devin Fielding held up a photograph of his children when he explained why he farms, as well as the golden opportunity he sees in the University of Idaho-led Innovative Agricultural and Marketing Partnership (IAMP) program, formerly known as Climate-Smart Commodities for Idaho. The Shelley farmer and rancher acknowledged he has a dirty job requiring long hours, slim profit margins, uncertainty and risk. But Fielding recognizes farming instills a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation of natural resources, and he’s vested in making certain his kids also have the chance to work the land and learn farming values.

Research by four Cal Poly San Luis Obispo agriculture communication students found that suicide rates in agriculture are five times higher than the national average — and shockingly, even double the rate for military veterans. Among the reasons: net farm income worries (the leading cause), social isolation among farmers, pesticide-induced issues, and the ever-present stigma related to mental health issues in this country.

A year ago growers were seeing high prices as a result of the Black Sea conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as the war tightened supplies on fertilizer precursors and finished products on the global market. Drought, pricing, and supply chain issues made growers less likely to put on any additional fertilizer. While not perfect, some of these factors have improved from last fall.