About 7 years ago

02/13/2017 - Midnight Reads – The Next American Farm Bust Is Upon Us

The Next American Farm Bust Is Upon Us
– The Wall Street Journal
Across the heartland, a multiyear slump in prices for corn, wheat and other farm commodities brought on by a glut of grain world-wide is pushing many farmers further into debt. Some are shutting down, raising concerns that the next few years could bring the biggest wave of farm closures since the 1980s. Soon there will be fewer than two million farms in America for the first time since pioneers moved westward after the Louisiana Purchase.

California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers
– The New York Times
Farmers in the country’s top agricultural state are concerned about how potential deportations, enhanced border security and the specter of a national E-Verify program (which checks work authorizations) under President Trump could impact their ability to harvest their crops. The labor shortages that have plagued the industry have led many farmers to rely on undocumented immigrants, but innovations in machinery hold the potential to ease farmers’ labor woes.

A First in Decades, More Businesses Are Closing Than Opening in Most Metro Areas
– Governing
The little growth that is occurring is confined to a relatively few regions. See how your area compares.

Trump’s Labor Pick Loves Burgers, Bikinis, and Free Markets
– Bloomberg
Bloomberg explores the business philosophy and practice of Andrew Puzder and contends that if Puzder set out to make his career an audition for a role in the Trump administration, he couldn’t have done much better.