America’s Farm Families Face Economic Uncertainty

By Jeff Blair, President & CEO of GreenPoint Ag 

America’s food system and our farm families are navigating one of the most unpredictable economic environments in recent memory. From labor shortages and rising input costs to trade disruptions and a delayed Farm Bill, the pressures on rural producers are mounting. And the consequences are showing up in our balance sheets, putting at risk the viability of farming as both a business and a way of life. 

Here in Arkansas and across the southern U.S., where agriculture is not just an industry but a way of life, farmers and ag retailer operations like the one I lead are living this uncertainty every day. 

As president and CEO of GreenPoint Ag, I know firsthand how policy decisions in Washington ripple across America’s farm country. Headquartered in Decatur, Alabama, GreenPoint Ag is a leading agronomy retailer that serves farmers and member cooperatives across 10 states. Here in Arkansas, we have 16 locations, 176 team members, and a 400,000-square-foot distribution center owned by one of our parent companies, WinField United, which serves the entire Southeast. 

Our mission is straightforward: help farmers succeed. That means more than selling seed, crop nutrients, or crop protection products. It means offering seed treatment, field scouting, custom applications, and cutting-edge ag technology services that help producers maximize profitability while conserving their land and water. Farming is already hard work—long hours, unpredictable weather, and unrelenting dedication to planting, protecting, and harvesting a crop. Our role is to make sure farmers have the tools to turn that work into thriving operations that sustain families and communities. 

But even the most innovative tools can’t overcome the strain of rising costs, global uncertainty, and legislative gridlock. When input prices spike, when export markets falter, or when Congress fails to provide long-term farm policy certainty, Arkansas producers feel it immediately—in their fields, in their finances, and on their Main Streets. 

This is not a distant threat—farm bankruptcies are already rising. That poses a growing risk not just to individual operations, but to the vitality of small towns, the security of our national food supply, and the strength of our economy. 

Our farmers need certainty, and they need an economic and policy environment that supports their profitability. 

We must first get out of the immediate crisis. Congressional leaders must prioritize passing an economic assistance package to assist U.S. farmers struggling to make ends meet. Policymakers can then utilize the time provided by the recent Farm Bill extension to develop a new, five-year Farm Bill next year so farmers have the certainty they need to plan for the future. 

Any delay to these solutions comes at a time when farmers are already under strain. Labor availability remains a top concern. Farmers have raised wages and offered year-round work but still can’t fill essential roles. Immigration reform is part of the solution—but so is ensuring that our policies reflect the year-round, technical nature of modern agriculture. 

Trade uncertainty is another drag on farmer livelihoods. Over the past few decades, farmers and agribusinesses have worked hard to build relationships and cultivate markets overseas that are essential to the survival of U.S. agriculture. 

Today, one in three rows of corn, one in four rows of soybeans, nearly 20% of dairy, and more than a quarter of pork produced in America is exported. For Arkansas—a national leader in rice, poultry, soybeans, and cotton—global disruptions are not abstract threats. They strike at the very foundation of farm income and rural economies. 

Agriculture is central to Arkansas’s prosperity. Our farmers contribute billions of dollars to the state’s economy every year. Poultry and eggs, rice, soybeans, and cotton anchor our exports, while agriculture as a whole employs one in six Arkansans. Farming is not just a rural concern—it puts food on our tables, fuels our cars, clothes our families, and supports communities from Jonesboro to Pine Bluff. 

These pressures hit farmers twice: once when buying inputs, then again when selling into volatile global markets. That’s a recipe for red ink, not resiliency. 

We need trade policies that reward—not punish—American producers. We need immigration solutions that reflect the realities of modern agriculture. We must ensure that farmers across the U.S. have the confidence to plan, invest, and hire without fear of sudden disruption. 

The good news is that Arkansas has champions in Congress who understand these stakes. Rep. Rick Crawford, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, knows how critical it is to pass a strong Farm Bill. Sen. John Boozman, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, has been a tireless advocate for rural America. Their leadership is essential to ensuring Arkansas farmers have the certainty they need to plan, invest, and grow. 

Farming is about more than a crop or a season. A healthy crop means a successful farm. A successful farm means strong families. And strong families mean resilient communities that form the fabric of Arkansas. 

The future of family farming depends on common-sense solutions at home and strong trade relationships abroad. Recognizing the crisis we face isn’t enough. We need action—and we need it soon. 

Jeff Blair is President and CEO of GreenPoint Ag, which operates 100+ retail and wholesale locations across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Jeff has spent his career working alongside farmers to strengthen rural economies and ensure agriculture remains the foundation of America’s food, fuel, and fiber.