Agricultural Equipment Operators

Last email from USDA staffer

Note: Below is the last email sent by FSA employee from their usda email account. No, I am not the author. Just sharing. “Dear North Carolina Agricultural Partners, I am reaching out with a heavy heart. As of February 13, 2025, I have been terminated from my position as the only Outreach Coordinator for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in North Carolina. This decision is part of the current administration's new direction for the federal workforce—many of whom, like me, have dedicated their careers to serving the public and supporting those who feed America. I had the privilege of working with some of you directly, others I supported indirectly, and many of you were on my list to aid in the near future. It saddens me that I will no longer be able to provide the outreach, education, and connections you rely on to access USDA programs. When I enlisted into the U.S. Army at the age of 17, I made a commitment to serve our country and had hoped to continue that sentiment by ensuring farmers and producers have the resources they need to thrive. That mission has now been cut short for me - not because of performance or lack of need, but due to an arbitrary policy decision that will ultimately effect America's support system for farmers. I will say with confidence that in the short time I’ve worked with FSA, the dedication, compassion, and commitment to our farmers—the backbone of our country—surpasses much of what I’ve seen in my career and is an absolute testament to each and every one of you. It’s the people like you that remind me why I signed up to serve in the first place. I want to be clear—this decision did not come from the North Carolina Farm Service Agency. The leadership and staff at North Carolina FSA have been phenomenal to work with, and they remain committed to serving the state’s farmers and producers. My Termination was bypassed at the state level and came directly from the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area under the current administration’s direction. This makes it even more disappointing because it was done without regard for the relationships that have been built and the work that still needs to be done for North Carolina’s agricultural community. What This Means for North Carolina's Farmers & Producers With my departure, North Carolina no longer has a dedicated USDA FSA Outreach Coordinator. This means fewer resources, connections, and opportunities for small farmers and producers who need guidance in navigating programs designed to help them succeed. At a time when the agricultural community is already facing extreme economic and environmental hardships. The administration's policies are already harming America's farmers: Cuts to key farm assistance programs that once provided financial relief to struggling producers. Delays and freezes in federal loans and grants were on which many North Carolina farmers depended. The shutdown of critical agricultural research at land-grant universities that helped develop better seeds, equipment, and global market access. Sever freezes and extreme weather conditions that have devastated crops, while emergency aid remains uncertain. These issues aren't just affecting North Carolina; they are part of a nationwide policy that will affect the entire American agricultural system. Please refer to the official Executive Orders that have been signed for further context. While I may no longer be in this position, I urge you to stay engaged and advocate for the resources that our community deserves. Lastly, the challenges ahead require all American farmers to work together, remain informed, and support each other. Thank you for your partnership and dedication. Sincerely, Dedicated Public Servant and U.S. Army Veteran [name redacted] State Outreach Coordinator USDA Farm Service Agency NC State Office”

Trump’s Cruelty Toward Hungry Children Cannot Be Ignored

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/07/usaid-emergency-food-incinerate-trump/683532/ If you’re sick of watching Trump treat kids’ hunger like a punchline while pretending cruelty is leadership, join us at r/politicalsham. We call out the fraud, the waste, and the shameless neglect every single day. The truth doesn’t burn — it feeds. Trump’s attitude toward hungry children is not leadership, it is cruelty. A president’s job is to protect and uplift the vulnerable, not to sneer at them or waste resources that could put food on the table. Families across America struggle to keep their kids fed, and instead of meeting that challenge with compassion, Trump meets it with arrogance. This is not about politics, it is about basic human decency. Burning food while children go without is not strength. It is weakness, cruelty, and moral bankruptcy. No child should suffer because of one man’s ego and indifference.

ICE raids on Californian farms risk US food supply, economists warn

Most economists and politicians acknowledge that many of America's agricultural workers are in the country illegally, but say a sharp reduction in their numbers could have devastating impacts on the food supply chain and farm-belt economies. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said an estimated 80 percent of farmworkers in the U.S. were foreign-born, with nearly half of them in the country illegally. Losing them will cause price hikes for consumers, he said. "This is bad for supply chains, bad for the agricultural industry," Holtz-Eakin said. Over a third of U.S. vegetables and over three-quarters of the country's fruits and nuts are grown in California, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The state's farms and ranches generated nearly $60 billion in agricultural sales in 2023

Alarm as Florida Republicans move to fill deported workers’ jobs with children: ‘It’s insane, right?’

"Beneath the smugness of Ron DeSantis, at Florida leading the nation in immigration enforcement lies something of a conundrum: how to fill the essential jobs of the scores of immigrant workers targeted for deportation. The answer, according to Florida lawmakers, is the state’s schoolchildren, who as young as 14 could soon be allowed to work overnight shifts without a break – even on school nights." [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/29/florida-republicans-immigrant-jobs-child-labor](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/29/florida-republicans-immigrant-jobs-child-labor) Good times in the US of A. I wonder if Ron's children will be working overnight to harvest produce?

Last letter from an FSA stafffer

“Dear North Carolina Agricultural Partners, I am reaching out with a heavy heart. As of February 13, 2025, I have been terminated from my position as the only Outreach Coordinator for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in North Carolina. This decision is part of the current administration's new direction for the federal workforce—many of whom, like me, have dedicated their careers to serving the public and supporting those who feed America. I had the privilege of working with some of you directly, others I supported indirectly, and many of you were on my list to aid in the near future. It saddens me that I will no longer be able to provide the outreach, education, and connections you rely on to access USDA programs. When I enlisted into the U.S. Army at the age of 17, I made a commitment to serve our country and had hoped to continue that sentiment by ensuring farmers and producers have the resources they need to thrive. That mission has now been cut short for me - not because of performance or lack of need, but due to an arbitrary policy decision that will ultimately effect America's support system for farmers. I will say with confidence that in the short time I’ve worked with FSA, the dedication, compassion, and commitment to our farmers—the backbone of our country—surpasses much of what I’ve seen in my career and is an absolute testament to each and every one of you. It’s the people like you that remind me why I signed up to serve in the first place. I want to be clear—this decision did not come from the North Carolina Farm Service Agency. The leadership and staff at North Carolina FSA have been phenomenal to work with, and they remain committed to serving the state’s farmers and producers. My Termination was bypassed at the state level and came directly from the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Mission Area under the current administration’s direction. This makes it even more disappointing because it was done without regard for the relationships that have been built and the work that still needs to be done for North Carolina’s agricultural community. What This Means for North Carolina's Farmers & Producers With my departure, North Carolina no longer has a dedicated USDA FSA Outreach Coordinator. This means fewer resources, connections, and opportunities for small farmers and producers who need guidance in navigating programs designed to help them succeed. At a time when the agricultural community is already facing extreme economic and environmental hardships. The administration's policies are already harming America's farmers: Cuts to key farm assistance programs that once provided financial relief to struggling producers. Delays and freezes in federal loans and grants were on which many North Carolina farmers depended. The shutdown of critical agricultural research at land-grant universities that helped develop better seeds, equipment, and global market access. Sever freezes and extreme weather conditions that have devastated crops, while emergency aid remains uncertain. These issues aren't just affecting North Carolina; they are part of a nationwide policy that will affect the entire American agricultural system. Please refer to the official Executive Orders that have been signed for further context. While I may no longer be in this position, I urge you to stay engaged and advocate for the resources that our community deserves. Lastly, the challenges ahead require all American farmers to work together, remain informed, and support each other. Thank you for your partnership and dedication. Sincerely, Dedicated Public Servant and U.S. Army Veteran State Outreach Coordinator USDA Farm Service Agency NC State Office”

Farm Services Agency getting hit by Federal firings

FSA workers are being terminated without cause as a result of their Administration's directives. I've already heard accounts of promised FSA Grant money being rescinded after farmers completed agreed upon work. This is going to hurt farmers. Letter from an affected FSA worker here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrepperIntel/s/ozdCjEQWoL Please call your representatives in Congress and tell them how these actions are impacting their constituency. This administration is killing farmers.

Vance and AcreTrader

I just heard about JD Vance's investment in AcreTrader. Doesn't this seem like a huge conflict of interest? It's like he's betting farms will fail. He certainly benefits from it. https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/32430-jd-vance-funded-acretrader-here-s-why-that-matters

Flock size is too damn high!

U.S. layer flock sizes are absurd. Bird flu at any of these megafarms/factories causes price increases and shortages. It's plausible that a couple of bad months could wipe out half (or more) of U.S. egg production for 6+ months. - 124 out of 125 million (99.3%) of culled layer hens in the U.S. were on only 102 factory egg facilities, in flocks >100,000. Avg: 1,200,000 birds/farm. 2 flocks were >5,000,000 birds. (2022.02-2025.03) - The U.S. has 347 egg factories that house 293 million out of 389 million hens (75%). Avg: 840,000/farm. - Feb 2022: 5,350,000 birds were culled from a single egg "farm" in Iowa. Mar 2023: another Iowa farm, with 5,010,000 birds, was culled. - 54 egg farms, each with >1,000,000 birds, have been culled. - 90% of U.S. laying hens are owned by 50 companies. 50% are owned by 10 companies. - The U.S. produces 110 billion eggs per year. - U.S. egg prices have more than tripled. Current: $5.90/dzn (2025.02); $1.79 (2021.12; 2-months prior to first reported bird flu on a U.S. table egg farm) - *Consumer Welfare Standard*: >As long as an economist can argue that prices *may* go down as a result of a merger, a company’s accumulation of market power and the disappearance of its competitors doesn’t matter... It’s one main reason why economic power is more concentrated today than at any other point since [America's last Guilded Age and the robber baron era (1865-1902)]. ("*Barons*", Chapter 3) Sources: - [2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture, table 30](https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/st99_1_030_031.pdf) (pdf) - [Confirmed HPAI Detections, Commercial and Backyard Flocks](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks) (USDA, APHIS) - [USDA Reported H5N1 Bird Flu Detections in Poultry](https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/data-map-commercial.html) (CDC) - [Poultry - Production and Value Summary 2023](https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/m039k491c/b2775j31b/9k4213149/plva0424.pdf) (USDA, 2024, pdf) - ["The 52 largest US egg producers in 2025"](https://www.eggindustry-digital.com/eggindustry/library/item/january_2025/4242200/) ("Egg Industry" magazine, 2025 Jan) - [Avg Price: Dozen Eggs](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000708111), Grade A, Large, U.S. City Average [APU0000708111] (U.S. BLS, FRED) - [Egg Markets Overview](https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov/viewReport/3725) (USDA, AMS, weekly report) ([2025.03.14](https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov/filerepo/sites/default/files/3725/2025-03-14/1221508/ams_3725_00067.pdf), pdf) **Recommended Reading:** - "*Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry*" (Frerick, 2024) - "*The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business*" (Leonard, 2014) - "*The CAFO Reader: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories*" (Imhoff, 2010) - "*The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide*" (Imhoff, 2019) (library genesis, anna's archive)

ELI5. I have a degree in ag, but I work on an adjacent sector. I see questions on here like "what should we grow now?".. what is stopping you from growing the things we import from SA? Like tomatoes, cucumbers etc? I really am curious not trying to be an asshole

What are good Ag Companies to work for after graduation?

I am a 21 (F) and will be graduating this upcoming May in Agribusiness, I also have a minor in plant and soil science and have a certificate in engineering technology as well. What companies or government agencies would y’all recommend or what fields should I specifically look for? I am looking mores towards Texas but am willing to relocate as well

Ag careers that don’t involve crazy hours?

Hi all, Pretty much the title. I’m passionate about ag but I’m sick of the schedules, wondering if there’s anywhere for me to go in the industry. I did farm management/mixed agronomy for 7 1/2 years - 4 1/2 on a cattle ranch/row cropping operation, 3 on a much smaller scale forestry products operation. Loved the work, hated the hours, still managed mostly. I left that life to go to school, took a retail job at a garden center, somehow ended up in a management position and I’m back at long hours trying to meet sales goals. I now have my degree (agronomy/crop science) and I’m job hunting, but every place I’ve interviewed at is giving me the same thing, long hours, okay pay, no balance. I’m honestly so sick of it, I recently had a little girl and she’s the light of my life, and it sickens me thinking that I may miss her entire life by working. Is there any career in ag or adjacent to ag that won’t have me working crazy long hours? Anything that would be available to me? Just looking to see what’s out there, would love to hear from farmers, agronomists, researchers, anyone and everyone with any ideas. Thanks in advance!

Do you think working in farming is worth your time financially? Is your earning potential better allocated to other fields and just using a farm as an emotionally attached store of capital?

The US used to have a lot of smaller farmers and many folks supported a family on one farm income. Now there are couple thousand acre farms that dont even support one family member. Do you think jts worth it to spend a lot of time “working the farm?” Entire quarter sections can be planted jn a few hours and harvested in a few hours. Feel like most of the money is in 1) owning the capital behind these farms and equipment and getting it to snowball 2) developing the technology in seeds and machinery that makes this happen as well as owning the patents/stocks related to these advances. I guess when it comes to physical work on the farm- the only activity really worth time is the $100 an hour trade jobs related to plumbing, electrical, and mechanical but that pales in comparison to the returns on capital needed to make a farm go round. Guess what im asking is- is it worth it to forego a solid career off the farm as a tradie, doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer to farm full time?

What are some great ag colleges that focus on experiential learning?

Hi all. I have a son in high school who lives and breathes 4H stuff. It has been his singular focus for the last 7 years. His specific interest is cattle and he absolutely wants a career in livestock/ranching, though i dont think he has any idea what specific niche. This is not a world i know anything about. My wife and I work in completely different industries. Ive started to browse colleges that might be a good fit, though I feel like im fumbling about blindly. So far we have sent away for material from the University of Wyoming, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and South Dakota State. We are in CA, and closer to home there is Cal Poly SLO and Fresno State. He would do best at a school that focuses a lot on experiential, hands on learning. Anyone have any suggestions of schools we should check out? Thanks!

Education Farm - where to begin?

Hi Reddit!  I’m looking for some guidance and figured this may be a good place to start.  Here’s the deal: I’m looking into opening a farm for students with special needs or those that need therapy in the central Ohio area. I’d like to have some livestock (donkeys, alpacas, chickens, goats) and “prairie” space with native species, with all things education in mind. I would hope students could learn life skills, interact with nature, and explore the variety of careers that don’t involve sitting in front of a computer. I have some students in 4-H programs, but some that cannot afford it, and I know there are many others in surrounding districts that could use this experience or “outdoor classroom” one day a week.   This would operate as a non-profit. Obviously, we would need barn space, prairie land, ADA bathrooms/accessibility.  I know there are grants and USDA money out there, but I have no idea where to begin. Currently, I’m a middle school intervention specialist  (a.k.a. special eduction teacher) in a nearby rural district and I’ve held this dream for a long time. I feel like now’s the time to figure this out. *(Or maybe this is the worst time…?)* Should add: this would not be limited to students M-F. I would love to incorporate workshops for adults (young and old) and maintain a limited staff of volunteers.  Any advice on where to begin? 

Career Options

Im 23M from Northern Michigan looking for a career in agriculture. Currently I’m working in Juvenile detention. I’ve tried going to college twice for things that I just wasn’t passionate about and had some health issues come up. Regardless, I ended up flunking out of college twice. After doing some self reflection I’ve come to realize that I’m passionate about animals. There’s nothing that gets me more excited than working with, handling, or knowing about animals. I’m wondering if this is something that is worth getting a degree in? I worked on a Dairy farm for about 3 yrs, and I lived on a hobby farm with Goats, chickens, and rabbits for about 6 yrs, along with doing 4h. Any help is greatly appreciated. TYIA Edit: Let’s say I wanted to start my own farm/ranch, what would be the rough start up cost?