Noticing more fields left fallow/abandonded
Both locally and during work travel through the southeastern US, I'm noticing a lot more agricultural fields being left fallow/abandoned. Usually by this point in the season fields would at least be cleared and planted, but many have been left un-plowed.
I'm also seeing a shift in crops being grown. Definently a lot more fields are growing hay than usual.
Farmers trying to respond to tariffs? Farmers opting to not lease lands leading to more empty fields?
Three big things happened this past spring:
We came out of a year with bad (low) corn prices from the 24 harvest. Unfortunately a lot of farmers were already locked into seed they bought summer of 25 so they either grew in 25 or they went under at the end of 24.
Tariffs caused issues with prices for most grains and beans. Some farmers may not have wanted to risk this year.
(Probably the biggest) There was a large, wet period at the beginning of spring that had made many fields too soft for the equipment or too wet for the planned crop.