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Check out this Deere 7230R, available for rent on AgShared.com for $8000/month or best offer. Located in Shafter, California, but we have regional transportation available.

This is the time of year to rent out high horsepower tractors!

USDA’s latest numbers show that crop cash receipts have dropped over the past two years—marking the largest decline in recorded history. With that in mind, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins brought long-awaited news to farmers.

Speaking to a packed crowd at Commodity Classic on Sunday, Rollins shared details about the $30 billion economic and disaster aid package recently approved by Congress.

“Today, I’m proud to announce that this economic assistance program will be called the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, or ECAP,” Rollins said. “Our goal is simple—we want the process to be easy, transparent, and fast.”

Rollins assured farmers that USDA is working quickly, aiming to start distributing the first $10 billion in economic aid within weeks—well ahead of the 90-day deadline.

To receive assistance, farmers will just need to verify their information with the Farm Service Agency (FSA), sign the necessary paperwork, and return it to their local FSA Service Center.

At the same time, USDA is moving forward on rolling out the remaining $20 billion in disaster aid for weather-related losses while ensuring fair and transparent payment calculations.

While many news outlets have headlines about farmers being “targeted” and “hurt” by DOGE’s spending cuts at the USDA, here’s the truth: the cuts have been a small fraction of the overall attempts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse, and have targeted a suspiciously rich IT contract, unusually expensive Politico subscriptions, and DEI programs.

As of Monday, DOGE has identified more than 80 cuts at the USDA, totaling over $231 million in savings. This is part of the broader $55 billion reduction in government spending so far. That puts the USDA in fifth place for contract savings and tenth when looking at savings as a percentage of its budget, according to President Donald Trump’s efficiency commission, which has the backing of billionaire Elon Musk.

One of the largest single cuts at the USDA is $35 million for IT consulting. Additionally, at least $100 million in reductions are tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training and related programs. In an executive order issued in January, Trump described these programs as “forced illegal and immoral discrimination.”

Several other targeted USDA programs include gender equity initiatives funded by the Forest Service’s International Programs. “We will end identity politics, identity celebrations, and DEI at USDA—period,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told agency staff shortly after her confirmation.

Among the cuts, DOGE has also flagged $1.2 million in USDA spending on Politico news subscriptions, along with similar reductions for news outlet subscriptions at other agencies.

Across the federal government, DOGE has identified an estimated $55 billion in savings through contract and grant cancellations, staffing reductions, and other efficiency efforts as of Monday.

So when you hear media outlets reporting that farmers are targeted and hurt by these changes, take into consideration if your family farm really is feeling those cuts to an IT contract, DEI program, or someone else’s news subscription.

According to Barron’s, Deere stock may have hit its lowest point—and from here, the only way is up.

Deere’s fiscal first-quarter earnings and outlook for 2025 weren’t exactly thrilling, but there’s a silver lining: this could be the turning point for the tractor maker. On Thursday, Deere reported earnings of $3.19 per share on $6.8 billion in equipment sales. While that slightly beat Wall Street’s earnings expectations of $3.11 per share, sales fell short of the projected $7.7 billion, according to FactSet.

Not bad, but there’s a catch—a one-time tax benefit helped boost the numbers. Plus, earnings were down compared to last year, when Deere reported $6.23 per share on $10.5 billion in sales.

No surprises here—times have been tough in agriculture. U.S. net farm income was around $163 billion in 2024, down from $165 billion in 2023 and well below the record $228 billion in 2022, according to the USDA. With less income, farmers have had to cut back on big purchases like tractors and combines.

Still, investors are hoping for a turnaround. There’s reason for optimism—the USDA projects farm income will rise to $194 billion in 2025. That doesn’t mean Deere’s sales will instantly bounce back, though. First, the company and its dealers will need to work through higher-than-normal equipment inventories.

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