Latest News From U.S. Farm Report

Some farming operations have been ruined by PFAS, but there's still things the industry doesn't know, including how PFAS enters the food chain. John Phipps thinks the debate over PFAS may just be getting started.

Mortgage interest rates just hit a twenty-year high, topping 7%. High borrowing costs will slowly dampen farmer demand for acres as record land prices mean all but a few will have to borrow some to buy.

China's GDP growth could possibly drop lower than the U.S. this year. In fact, fewer and fewer sectors are healthy, and only then by direct government intervention.

In early 2022, a possible trucker shortage grabbed headlines, but John Phipps says even today, there isn't much hard data to substantiate that alarm.

John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it's a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.

Farm Bill discussions and debates don't pack as much drama for producers. According to JohnPhipps, there's an unspoken realization that the Farm Bill doesn’t have the same influence on the farm economy it once did.

The causal link between the Federal Reserve discount rate and inflation is obvious to all serious armchair economists, but calls for an impending recession in the U.S. are missing a few details. John Phipps explains.

In April 2017, Ray Starling, Special Assistant to the President for Ag, Trade and Food Assistance during the Trump administration, received some important news. What happened next helped change the course of history.

John Phipps has noticed more unsettling problems for the second-largest nation to the point that despite their skills and accomplishment, he thinks China is heading for trouble. He explains why in John's World.

John Phipps says Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a weather-dependent celebration. Gratitude doesn’t watch the 6-10 day forecast. John's annual Harvest of Thanks message is a good reminder for your heart and mind.

John Phipps stumbled across a graph from farmdocdaily showing expected net farm income this year. The good times in ag are something in which Phipps encourages farmers to be grateful and he explains why in John's World.

More people are noticing the multi-year drought in the West, but is it spreading? John Phipps combs through the data and maps to answer a viewer's question on U.S. Farm Report.

As the U.S. faces a declining cotton crop this year due to drought, will the U.S. lose cotton acres in the years to come? John Phipps thinks the answer depends on three factors: competition, climate, and clothing

Why is there resistance to new technologies like robotic milkers and other automation by dairy farmers, especially with the challenge in finding labor today? John Phipps provides insight in Customer Support.

Do tariffs fuel inflation? John Phipps's Customer Support segment explains why economists have struggled to come up with estimates of economic effects due to lingering COVID influence on world business.

Europe and the Netherlands have been dealing with an increasingly incendiary political situation pitting the country’s farmers against EU government plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030.

As the Western U.S. faces a megadrought, why can't the U.S. move water around the country like it's done with energy? John Phipps explores the physical and political hurdles potential water infrastructure would face.

Infuriating price increases are the topic of the day, and but like the 80’s, rising inflation is driven largely by energy and the price of oil. It's now less about the supply of oil, and more about refining capacity.

As countries close down operating nuclear power plants, John Phipps says it's clear the decision to overstate the minuscule risks- and assume greener power sources would be there to replace them -was wildly inaccurate.

What advantages or disadvantages are there to leasing farm equipment? John Phipps walks through the many pertinent factors to making this decision, including current red-hot used equipment values and interest rates.

Baxter Black was a familiar face on U.S. Farm Report. After joining the show as a regular commentator in 2009, his humor and poetry quickly drew interest from the audience as he became a fan favorite on the show. 

The zero-Covid strategy by the Chinese government is slowing their economy. In a rare admission, officials have lowered their GDP growth estimate, almost totally based on cities that aren’t working, especially ports.

Estimates of when new routes will be regular shipping lanes keep advancing. It looks like the long-awaited transpolar shipping route could be a real thing around 2050. John Phipps explains why and the possible impact

Some farmers are concerned about the possibility of losing farmland to energy projects like wind and solar. John Phipps points out some major misconceptions about the placement of solar projects.

John Phipps breaks down the 900 million acres of farmland in the U.S. by land use and answers a looming question about if the U.S. has enough farmland to feed America.

Inflation predictions were so wrong for so long, the real thing has flummoxed us entirely. The other problem with this abrupt price change is the number of things to blame.

Decision making changes during periods of inflation. If the historic inflation continues, knowing how inflation impacts decision making will help you make better choices, and your plans will be more likely to succeed.

John Phipps says positive or negative, any trade balance has dubious value, and only limited prediction power. Other than bragging rights, they mean little with no economic advantage for having a positive trade balance.

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, a recent U.S. Farm Report viewer asked about the U.S. and energy independence. John Phipps provides a reality check of the current situation when it comes to crude oil and petroleum.

The Right to Repair movement in agriculture is a popular cause with farmers, for various good and questionable reasons. As multiple states create Right to Repair rules, it looks like we may be watching the wrong battle.

John Phipps' observation about the attitudes and sentiments of heirs boil down to one main issue, as he says often, the conversation becomes a philosophical, or even religious controversy.

As U.S. consumer spending and excess savings are both on the rise, John Phipps says the pandemic stirred up the status quo, and now there's a key question economists are asking as the calendar flips to 2022.

While a good picture can be worth a thousand words, the models for photos during World Dairy Expo each year are a little different. Photojournalist Russ Hnatusko shares the glitz and the glamour of the perfect pose.

During the pandemic, companion animals were popular family additions. Pet ownership increased from 67-70% of households in one year, an all-time high. John Phipps explains why it could have lasting implications.

Since the introduction of specialty eggs, John Phipps says the market has defied supply and demand axioms, comprising of 30% of the egg market. With prices six times higher, it's proof shoppers will pay for preference.

AgriTalk and U.S. Farm Report broadcast from University of Wisconsin-Madison, digging into some of the unique programs, perspectives the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has to offer.