Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 3h

"On a daily basis, Sec Rollins continues to blow sunshine up my pant legs that we farmers are a national security interest -- which we are -- and that we're on the precipice of a golden age of agriculture. That may be, but farmers have to deal with the here and now" www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...

A Farmer Vents and High-Level Blame: Frustration Over Ag Economy Boiling Over in Social Media and White House

There is anger in the countryside among farmers who are facing their third straight year of negative returns on their crops, but also overwhelmingly support President Trump. Farmers are coping with lo...

www.dtnpf.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 3h

It's not only trade fights w China affecting ag.

"Among the top 12 corn-producing states, storage is figured to be short by 1.4 billion bushels versus last year's surplus of 361 million where elevators will rely more on bunkers and emergency storage like ground piles."
www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...

Grain Storage Crunch Looms as Record Harvest Challenges Farmers, Elevators

Farmers and elevators brace for tight grain storage as record grain harvest overwhelms capacity, potentially pushing storage fees higher.

www.dtnpf.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 20h

How bad does it need to get before we try to address the root causes creating a cycle of farm bailouts for a fragile farm economy?

“You might compensate (for) losses this year, but if trading partners see you as an unreliable supplier, they’ll go elsewhere.”
fortune.com/2025/10/08/t...

Trump’s former USDA chief economist warns the shutdown makes the president’s $15 billion farmer bailout a fantasy: 'You can’t just flip a switch' | Fortune

“How to fund this bailout is very complicated, and different than it was in 2018,” said Joe Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during Trump’s first term.

fortune.com

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Politico @politico.com · 2d

The shutdown is already impacting delivery of nutrition aid to low-income moms and babies.

Trump officials said tariff revenue would fund WIC until the government reopens, but the money hasn’t started flowing yet.

States left in the dark on food aid despite Trump’s promise of tariff funds

The shutdown is already interrupting benefits for low-income moms and babies — and agencies don’t know when the next check is coming.

www.politico.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 2d

This piece by @ucs.org does a great job explaining the over-production problem in US ag that pushes prices paid to farmers down. There would be multiple benefits - for farmers and the climate - if we produced less corn. And had the #FarmBill reforms to support it. blog.ucs.org/kathryn-ande...

Why Planting Too Much Corn Hurts Farmers—and the Environment

US agriculture encourages farmers to plant too much corn, which drives prices down and increases pollution that harms our water and climate.

blog.ucs.org

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 2d

The limits of voluntary corporate climate commitments exposed once again as Nestle backtracks. How much good publicity and/or money did they raise associated with their broken promise? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Nestle Bows Out of Initiative to Reduce Dairy’s Climate Impact

The food giant has left the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from herds of cattle.

www.bloomberg.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 2d

Two of the biggest players in the highly concentrated beef sector settle price-fixing charges, after consumers accused Tyson and Cargill of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply. www.producer.com/daily/tyson-...

Tyson, Cargill to pay $88 million to consumers in U.S. beef price-fixing lawsuit | The Western Producer

Tyson Foods and Cargill have agreed to pay a combined $87.5 million (C$122.1 million) to settle a federal lawsuit brought by consumers who accused the companies of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef pric...

www.producer.com

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Anne Schechinger @anneschech.bsky.social · 3d

New @ewgofficial.bsky.social analysis released today from me and @albine14.bsky.social. We found that just under 15 million cropland acres across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are used for continuous corn, representing 20% of the total harvested cropland. 1/4 www.ewg.org/research/fer...

Fertilizing ‘continuous corn’ drives major source of farm greenhouse gases, but conservation can help

Millions of acres in four major Corn Belt states are used to grow "continuous corn” on the same fields year after year, requiring significant use of

www.ewg.org

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Civil Eats @civileats.com · 4d

We looked into the backgrounds of the most prominent individuals currently working on food and agriculture within federal agencies.

What follows is the first full accounting of those individuals’ past and present links to corporations.

The Industry Ties Within Trump’s Food and Ag Leadership

Many of the president’s top officials at USDA, EPA, HHS, and FDA have connections to chemical, agribusiness, or fossil fuel interests.

buff.ly

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 5d

Let's hope New Mexico doesn't repeat the mistakes of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and rig the climate accounting to favor factory farm gas - www.wastedive.com/news/new-mex...

New Mexico begins debating clean fuels program; plus RNG news from Vanguard, Ameresco

Stakeholders are weighing in on how the country’s fourth state clean fuels program will be shaped. As in other states, environmental groups are hoping to nix a policy that benefits renewable natural g...

www.wastedive.com

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Minneapolis Fed @minneapolisfed.bsky.social · 5d

Where and how much are tariffs showing up in consumer prices? Daily retail price data analyzed by Harvard Business School Pricing Lab give a more detailed view than government statistics. @jeffhorwich.bsky.social breaks down the data with economist and Pricing Lab co-founder Alberto Cavallo.

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 5d

The Trump Admin's trade fights are lowering crop prices, but so are low Mississippi River levels affecting exports. Barges need to lighten loads to get through. Fourth year in a row this has happened - a predicted #climate risk. farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2025/10/low-...

Low Mississippi River Levels to Again Disrupt Harvest Shipping - Farm Policy News

Water levels in parts of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers are likely to reach critically low stages soon, forcing shippers to light-load harvest-season grain barges for the fourth year in a row.

farmpolicynews.illinois.edu

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 5d

Finally caught up on this. Truly enjoyable ride knocking down Balmer and his apologists + forestry carbon offset company (and now foundation/nonprofit) acting as a money laundering tool to violate NBA salary cap. NBA/Balmer's crisis comms people sleeping?

Pablo Torre @pablo.show · 12d

Hello. A special Monday drop: youtu.be/Ab7k09CI9qI?...

Kawhi's Agent Pushed Aspiration to Pay Up. The Feds Closed In. Ballmer Made a Quiet Donation. | PTFO

YouTube video by PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT

youtu.be

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Bryce Oates @bryceoates.bsky.social · 8d

Trump's USDA is Engaging in Partisan Politics. That is a Threat to us All, and Could/Should Be Illegal.

The USDA website has been a mess all year. Now they've crossed the line.

open.substack.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 8d

"The preliminary class action settlement disclosed on Wednesday is the largest in more than seven years of antitrust litigation by the consumers against pork producers" www.nbcnews.com/business/con...

Tyson Foods to pay $85 million in largest pork price-fixing settlement

Dozens of supermarket chains, including Kroger; restaurant chains, including McDonald’s; food producers; and food distributors have also sued over pork prices.

www.nbcnews.com

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) @nsac-sustainableag.bsky.social · 9d

🗞️The government shutdown is hurting farmers nationwide. Vital USDA services (loans, disaster aid, conservation funding, & food safety) are halted or at risk. Congress & the President must act now. Farmers can’t wait! Read NSAC's press comment:
sustainableagriculture.net/blog/comment...

Comment: NSAC Laments Government Shutdown as It Harms Farmers, Halts Progress

NSAC responded to the October 2025 government shutdown, warning that it threatens vital USDA services such as farm loans, disaster aid, and food safety inspections. NSAC urged Congress and the Preside...

sustainableagriculture.net

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 9d

I assume so - not seeing anything in regen plans about pesticide reductions and potatoes.

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 9d

I raise a few questions about McDonald's commitment to regen ag here. @nsac-sustainableag.bsky.social puts this initiative in context, including major cuts to #USDA staff managing programs that could help farmers. Great reporting by @clairek.bsky.social www.foodandpower.net/latest/mcdon...

How McDonald’s Latest Regenerative Beef Investment Falls Short — Food & Power

RFK Jr. praised McDonald’s $200M donation as the Trump administration cuts USDA staff that support rangeland conservation. Rather than fund short-term projects, advocates want McDonald’s to pay ranche...

www.foodandpower.net

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy @iatp.bsky.social · 10d

While a U.S. government shutdown looms, Congress has once again failed to pass a new Farm Bill, jeopardizing crucial programs that farmers and rural communities depend on. Read our statement: www.iatp.org/2018-farm-bi...

As Congress fails to pass a new Farm Bill, its expiration leaves farmers and rural communities in the dark

MINNEAPOLIS—In response to the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill on September 30 — and no new Farm Bill to take its place — the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) has issued the followin...

www.iatp.org

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Angie Rupchock-Schafer @angrschafer.bsky.social · 11d

It was a total blast running into the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy @iatp.bsky.social at #FarmAid in Minneapolis!

Even better!? Learning about all their #FarmToSchool work in the Homegrown Village 🌱

www.iatp.org/farm-school-... @farmaid.org

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Nick Levendofsky @nickblev.bsky.social · 11d

newrepublic.com/post/201064/...

Camerawoman Captures Scott Bessent’s Texts, Exposing White House Panic

Why we all need screen protectors, feat. Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Farm Aid @farmaid.org · 11d

Minnesota farmer Hannah Bernhardt explains how seeing other young farmers using sustainable agriculture practices inspires her to stay on the land growing for the future. Moses Momanyi talks about creating co-ops to grow and sell food together:

Young Minnesota Farmers Explain How They're Hopeful for the Future of Farming

Minnesota farmer Hannah Bernhardt grew up on a farm during the devastating 1980s Farm Crisis. She explains how decades later, seeing other young farmers using sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices inspires her to stay on the land growing for the future. Moses Momanyi and Lonah Onyancha spe

youtu.be

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 13d

A drop in land values has played a role in past farm crises.

"Overall, the report showed a 12-month drop of 2.2% in farmland values across the state." www.americanfarmlandowner.com/post/new-rep...

New Report Shows Small Dip in Iowa Farmland Values

Farmland values in Iowa decreased slightly over the past six months, according to the latest Land Trends and Values Survey released by the REALTORS® Land Institute – Iowa Chapter. The report, which re...

www.americanfarmlandowner.com

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Ben Lilliston @benlilliston.bsky.social · 15d

It seems clear that one of the goals of the Trump Admin is to dismantle large parts of the USDA. This will make it harder for farmers to access programs, including conservation programs that protect water, soil, and the climate. sustainableagriculture.net/blog/usda-st...

USDA Staffing Crisis: Conservation Staff Losses Will Further Undermine Services to Farmers and Ranchers

USDA is facing a proposed reorganization that, if implemented, would deepen the staffing crisis already set in motion by past efforts to dismantle key divisions, including the Natural Resources Conser...

sustainableagriculture.net

Reposted by Ben Lilliston

Oliver Ward @oliward.bsky.social · 15d

Trump's comments today on directing some tariff revenues to farmers begs the question: "how?" 1/4

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