The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Samantha Ayoub reported that “the U.S. Courts report that 315 farm bankruptcies were filed in calendar year 2025, up 46% from 2024. While still down from recent highs, this is the second year in a row of increased filings.”
    • MoonMelon@lemmy.mlEnglish
      17·
      22 days ago

      They are chill, these headlines are never as devastating as they seem because farmers have a special class of bankruptcy that is designed to allow them to keep farming. Farmers in the USA, even non-corporate “family farms”, are much bigger and richer than many people think. The image of the struggling, poor, small family farm being the “norm” is promoted by the industry despite being outdated because it drives subsidies.

      I really like Sarah Taber’s videos on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xon9A5_4tQw

      • oscardejarjayes [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
        4·
        22 days ago

        The More Perfect Union video has a guy saying that 25-30% of local farmers in that area lost their farm.

        And why would so many farmers commit suicide if it wasn’t that bad? The More Perfect Union also talks about how they have one of the highest rate of suicides, and in that community 5 farmers out of a few hundred committed suicide in a single year.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl02K72QFS0

        Maybe it’s not as bad as media presents or whatever, but it’s not like it’s going great for farmers.

        • MoonMelon@lemmy.mlEnglish
          5·
          22 days ago

          Taber addresses this in her videos and her sources are linked in the description. I highly recommend watching a few then drawing your own conclusion vis-à-vis something like More Perfect Union.

          The TLDW on the suicide rate is that it sounds terrible when comparing occupations, but when compared with the cohort that mostly represents farmers, ie “rural, white men over 40 who own guns”, the rate isn’t exceptional. It’s a terrible statistic but it doesn’t say as much about farming as it does about mental health in general in the USA.

          Regarding the economics, it’s terrible for everyone but farmers get a lot of attention because of how important the image of farmers is to Americans. That said, both personal and farm bankruptcies are still below pre-pandemic levels. Arkansas picked here because of the MPU video, but it’s pretty much the same story nationwide.

          I agree with the MPU video that the farming economy is super broken, over-consolidated, and warped, but that kind of goes for every industry. Perversely enough, farmers make more income under Democrat administrations, but they make less in subsidies. So they tend to vote R. Taber actually ran for agricultural commissioner for her state as a Democrat but lost to the Republican incumbent.