Joshua Baethge

Dallas

Policy Editor at Farm Progress

Policy Editor- Farm Progress. Writer of other things across the land. News junkie. Music lover. Aspiring world traveler

Articles

Trump administration to ease farm worker immigration rules

1 week ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge |Todd Fitchette

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said easing restrictions for noncitizen farmworkers is a top priority, as labor shortages continue to strain farmers across the U.S. Changes to the H-2A visa program and new legal pathways could offer relief soon. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Trump administration is working to finalize more lenient guidelines for noncitizen farmworkers by harvest season. She said it’s an issue she’s had many long conversations with the president about over the years.
Trump tariff pause spares farmers, China faces 125% duties

2 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge

President Trump’s tariff policy shift brings a 90-day pause for most nations, but China isn’t on the list. As ag exports hang in the balance, farmers worry about escalating trade wars and higher equipment costs. President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs became the law of the land the morning of April 9. By the afternoon, however, he changed course, announcing a 90-day pause on higher duties he imposed across the world.
Trump tariffs worry farmers as trade tensions rise

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge

“Liberation Day” has come and gone, but the hangover effects of President Trump’s new tariff policy continue to reverberate. Across the agriculture word, reactions ranged from cautious optimism to outright contempt. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall warned tariffs will take a toll on American farmers. In a Wednesday AFBF press release, Duvall noted more than 20% of farm income comes from exports. Farmers also depend on imported supplies like fertilizer and specialized tools.
Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs worry U.S. farmers

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge |Andy Castillo

Explore how Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs impact U.S. farmers, global trade relations and the economy as experts warn of potential long-term consequences
Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs worry U.S. farmers

3 weeks ago | feedstuffs.com | Joshua Baethge |Andy Castillo

Time will tell how history remembers April 2, 2025. According to President Donald Trump, people will look back on the day he’s dubbed “Liberation Day” and remember it as the moment American industry was “reborn” and its destiny “reclaimed.” Despite warnings from economists of higher inflation and damaged international relations, Trump believes tariffs will in time make the nation “good and wealthy.”Beginning at midnight April 3, his theory will be put to the test.
Farmers await tariff impact

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge

President Trump is expected to announce a slew of new tariffs Wednesday afternoon. He’s dubbed the occasion Liberation Day, but farmers and the rest of the world remain in the dark about what exactly it will mean for them. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump has finalized his tariff decisions but would not reveal them until Wednesday afternoon.
What does latest USDA funding release mean for farmers?

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge

This week Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced USDA is releasing more previously obligated funding that was paused during the early days of the Trump administration. But the announcement comes with a catch. Rollins says impacted recipients now have 30 days to review and voluntarily revise their project plans to align with a Trump executive order. The president issued the order, titled “Unleashing American Energy,” on his first day back in office.
EPA to redefine Waters of the U.S. rules, ease farmer burdens

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Joshua Baethge

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced this week he intends to redefine the definition of “Waters of the United States.” In a March 12 announcement, he says his agency wants clean water for all Americans supported by clear and consistent rules for all states, farmers and small businesses. “The previous Administration’s definition of ‘Waters of the United States’ placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business,” Zeldin says.
Groups applaud Congressional action on animal health

1 month ago | beefmagazine.com | Joshua Baethge

Bipartisan bill would amend Animal Health Protection Act. Getty/iStockphoto/Jackie NixThe National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and National Pork Producers Council announced their support for legislation introduced in the House and Senate to amend the Animal Health Protection Act. The Foreign Animal Disease Prevention Surveillance and Rapid Response Act of 2023 would provide additional funding for three farm bill programs established in 2018.
Supreme Court narrows WOTUS definition

1 month ago | beefmagazine.com | Joshua Baethge

Sackett case ruling deals major blow to EPA's regulatory authority. The Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision Thursday that will significantly curtail the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate certain bodies of water. In a decision that was technically unanimous, the Court ruled in favor of an Idaho landowner in the long-running Sackett vs. EPA case. The Clean Water Act of 1972 gave EPA the authority to regulate navigable waters in the United States.