US Farm Country Faces Growing Challenges
Officials and Senator warn of costs, labor, and policy risks Former senior officials from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), along with a leading Republican senator, have issued a stark warning about the growing challenges facing Americaβs farm country, saying rural communities are under mounting economic and structural pressure that could reshape the nationβs food system. In a series of public remarks and policy discussions, the officials highlighted rising production costs, labor shortages, climate stress, and uncertainty over federal support programs as major threats to farmers and rural livelihoods. They cautioned that without coordinated action, the strain on farm country…