Slightly fewer farms: There were 2.012 million farms covering 895.3 million acres in the United States in 2021, a drop of 6,950 farms and 1.3 million acres from the previous year. The numbers are based on the definition that a farm produces and sells, or could produce and sell, $1,000 a year in agricultural products. (USDA)
Rep. Hagedorn dies: Second-term Minnesota Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, has died of cancer, and his widow, Jennifer Carnahan, the former state Republican chair, is mentioned as a possible candidate in the special election to fill the seat. (KARE-TV)
Impaired Iowa water: More than half of the rivers and 67 percent of the lakes and reservoirs assessed by the state environmental agency have impaired water quality. The Sierra Club blamed large-scale livestock farms. (Cedar Rapids Gazette)
Missteps on debts: The USDA sent, and then countermanded, letters warning Black farmers of potential foreclosure on debts that were eligible for forgiveness through a program that is tied up in court. (New York Times)
Livestock price reporting: The short-term funding bill approved by Congress included funding to keep in operation the USDA’s mandatory livestock price reporting system, while lawmakers work on a multi-year reauthorization. (Brownfield)