Lauren Sturgeon Bailey

Farm Bill negotiations face election-year pressure as Congress weighs unresolved policy fights and rural America seeks economic relief.

The partial government shutdown continues. A Senate DHS funding deal exists, but the House hasn’t considered it. While defense spending rises, DHS agencies remain unfunded, disrupting core services (including airport screening). In some good news, the EPA issued E15 summertime waivers starting May 1 and eliminated the diesel exhaust fluid sensor requirement. In Congress, the 2026 Farm Bill could move to the House floor by the end of April and a new farm aid package is gaining momentum.

Despite rising fears, artificial intelligence is unlikely to spark a jobs apocalypse for recent college graduates.

Lower fertility rates, declining labor force participation, and lower net immigration are combining to squeeze labor supply. With the labor supply in rural America set to get tighter, technology – most obviously AI and robotics – will likely be at the core of any strategy to address the oncoming labor squeeze.

CoBank’s Q1 2025 Quarterly report examines the economic forces shaping rural America, highlighting key shifts across agriculture, energy, communications, and financial markets as the year begins.

While the U.S. economy continues to outperform earlier expectations — delivering solid growth, low unemployment and moderating inflation — the rural economic outlook is less certain

CoBank’s Q3 2024 Quarterly report analyzes key economic trends shaping rural industries, highlighting shifts in energy, agriculture, communications, and financial markets heading into 2025.