For many farmers and ranchers, 2026 feels like a year when the numbers simply do not work the way they used to. The newly released Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn: 2026 Update, developed by the Southern Extension Economics Committee and other agricultural experts with support from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, provides an important message: American agriculture is experiencing significant financial pressure, but today’s conditions are not yet comparable to the farm crisis of the 1980s. That distinction matters. This is a time for action, not panic.

Over the past several seasons, many Farmer Veterans have built real momentum through local and regional markets. Farm-to-school contracts have expanded, food hubs have grown, institutions leaned into regional sourcing, and consumers actively sought out products with a story and a face behind them.