How a farmer is coping with rising costs and uncertainty over farm bill safety nets

By Wailin Wong

Published March 19, 2025 at 5:48 PM EDT

Crop prices are at historic lows, fertilizer costs are rising, cuts to federal agencies have created uncertainty over farm bill safety nets, and the current trade war is negatively affecting exports.

Wailin Wong

Wailin Wong is a long-time business and economics journalist who's reported from a Chilean mountaintop, an embalming fluid factory and lots of places in between. She is a host of The Indicator from Planet Money. Previously, she launched and co-hosted two branded podcasts for a software company and covered tech and startups for the Chicago Tribune. Wailin started her career as a correspondent for Dow Jones 瓜神appwires in Buenos Aires. In her spare time, she plays violin in one of the oldest community orchestras in the U.S.

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