Ben Lilliston
@benlilliston.bsky.social
Tracking the intersection of trade, climate and farm policy. @iatp.bsky.social
New from USDA on economics of dairy - fewer, bigger farms.
From 2000 to 2024, "Total economic costs, which include opportunity costs such as unpaid labor and land, were covered by the average dairy farm in only 4 years." ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/...
From 2000 to 2024, "Total economic costs, which include opportunity costs such as unpaid labor and land, were covered by the average dairy farm in only 4 years." ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/...
Fewer Farms, More Milk: The Changing Structure and Costs of U.S. Dairy Farming | Economic Research Service
U.S. milk production has increased over the past 20 years, while the number of dairy farms has decreased. Larger farms, on average, produce milk at lower costs per unit, reflecting efficiencies gained...
ers.usda.gov
February 18, 2026 at 5:27 PM
New from USDA on economics of dairy - fewer, bigger farms.
From 2000 to 2024, "Total economic costs, which include opportunity costs such as unpaid labor and land, were covered by the average dairy farm in only 4 years." ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/...
From 2000 to 2024, "Total economic costs, which include opportunity costs such as unpaid labor and land, were covered by the average dairy farm in only 4 years." ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/...
UFCW on Trump Admin/USDA decision to increase line speeds in meat/poultry processing: “Today’s move risks taking us back to the days of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, where terrible working conditions in meatpacking plants left workers sick and injured at alarming rates"
www.ufcw.org/press-releas...
www.ufcw.org/press-releas...
UFCW Blasts USDA’s Proposed Line Speed Rule - The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents hundreds of thousands of meatpacking and food processing workers, released a statement con...
www.ufcw.org
February 18, 2026 at 5:07 PM
UFCW on Trump Admin/USDA decision to increase line speeds in meat/poultry processing: “Today’s move risks taking us back to the days of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, where terrible working conditions in meatpacking plants left workers sick and injured at alarming rates"
www.ufcw.org/press-releas...
www.ufcw.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
1/ Today's Farm Policy News Summary covers how "the number of U.S. #farms shrank by 15,000 in 2025, bringing the total to 1.865 million, USDA said (last week) in its Land in Farms report." "This continues a long-lasting trend of declining farm numbers."
farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2026/02/numb...
farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2026/02/numb...
February 17, 2026 at 2:07 PM
1/ Today's Farm Policy News Summary covers how "the number of U.S. #farms shrank by 15,000 in 2025, bringing the total to 1.865 million, USDA said (last week) in its Land in Farms report." "This continues a long-lasting trend of declining farm numbers."
farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2026/02/numb...
farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2026/02/numb...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
"This [Farm Bill] draft perpetuates the status quo that enriches and empowers corporate agribusiness. The result is an accelerating farm crisis that continues to hollow out rural communities across the US.”
Read more: shorturl.at/cC6vl
🪡2/2
We're in DC this week 4 our spring fly-in. Stay tuned!
Read more: shorturl.at/cC6vl
🪡2/2
We're in DC this week 4 our spring fly-in. Stay tuned!
February 17, 2026 at 1:29 PM
"This [Farm Bill] draft perpetuates the status quo that enriches and empowers corporate agribusiness. The result is an accelerating farm crisis that continues to hollow out rural communities across the US.”
Read more: shorturl.at/cC6vl
🪡2/2
We're in DC this week 4 our spring fly-in. Stay tuned!
Read more: shorturl.at/cC6vl
🪡2/2
We're in DC this week 4 our spring fly-in. Stay tuned!
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Last Friday, the House Agriculture Committee released a draft Farm Bill. In the face of a farm crisis, this bill keeps in place a brittle, fragile status quo that has brought us to this point. Read our full statement here: www.iatp.org/iatp-comment...
The New Farm Bill: In the face of farm crisis, this bill offers status quo and empty promises
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has released the following statement from Michael Happ, Program Associate for Climate and Rural Communities, in response to the Farm, Food, and National ...
www.iatp.org
February 16, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Last Friday, the House Agriculture Committee released a draft Farm Bill. In the face of a farm crisis, this bill keeps in place a brittle, fragile status quo that has brought us to this point. Read our full statement here: www.iatp.org/iatp-comment...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Are you paying more for groceries because of s secret and illegal deal between Pepsi and Walmart? Yes. And it's probably a much larger problem than that. vist.ly/4rrne @stacyfmitchell.bsky.social @moreperfectunion.bsky.social
More Perfect Union Goes Deep on the Pepsi and Walmart Conspiracy
A More Perfect Union documentary explains a Pepsi/Walmart price discrimination scheme as exposed by an FTC lawsuit unsealed by ILSR
ilsr.org
February 16, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Are you paying more for groceries because of s secret and illegal deal between Pepsi and Walmart? Yes. And it's probably a much larger problem than that. vist.ly/4rrne @stacyfmitchell.bsky.social @moreperfectunion.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
To offset transportation emissions, California is paying hog farms in North Carolina to turn manure into renewable gas. Although six NC farms are selling carbon credits to the other side of the country, the operations’ permits already have civil rights complaints against them.
California Pays Farms to Make Biogas from Hog Waste in North Carolina, Where Locals Say It’s Fueling Pollution - Inside Climate News
Last year, six hog farms in the state were the first to get funding from California’s program to offset its emissions from transportation fuels. The operations’ permits already have civil rights compl...
insideclimatenews.org
February 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
To offset transportation emissions, California is paying hog farms in North Carolina to turn manure into renewable gas. Although six NC farms are selling carbon credits to the other side of the country, the operations’ permits already have civil rights complaints against them.
Trump's perfect storm for ag economy: hurt exports, diminish USDA, attack labor.
“What we’re hearing from the farmers is the workers are going to decide to go to another state. There’s jobs out there. You don’t have to come to Minnesota.” www.startribune.com/minnesota-fa...
“What we’re hearing from the farmers is the workers are going to decide to go to another state. There’s jobs out there. You don’t have to come to Minnesota.” www.startribune.com/minnesota-fa...
Minnesota farms face labor shortage as workers fear federal immigration action
Agriculture leaders say some farms might not survive the season since migrant workers might avoid the state.
www.startribune.com
February 16, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Trump's perfect storm for ag economy: hurt exports, diminish USDA, attack labor.
“What we’re hearing from the farmers is the workers are going to decide to go to another state. There’s jobs out there. You don’t have to come to Minnesota.” www.startribune.com/minnesota-fa...
“What we’re hearing from the farmers is the workers are going to decide to go to another state. There’s jobs out there. You don’t have to come to Minnesota.” www.startribune.com/minnesota-fa...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Nearly a decade has passed since the last Farm Bill was written and approved by Congress. Will we ever have one again — and why does it matter?
New from Claire Carlson:
ambrook.com/offrange/leg...
New from Claire Carlson:
ambrook.com/offrange/leg...
Farming Without a Farm Bill
Farm Bills run in five-year increments, but it’s been almost five years since we had one in place. Will we ever have one again — and why does it matter?
ambrook.com
February 14, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Nearly a decade has passed since the last Farm Bill was written and approved by Congress. Will we ever have one again — and why does it matter?
New from Claire Carlson:
ambrook.com/offrange/leg...
New from Claire Carlson:
ambrook.com/offrange/leg...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
This happened multiple times while I was in the car with observers. In one case, agents led an observer to her own home. When they drove away, she continued following them. Minutes later, more agents showed up at her house and banged on the door. Her wife, terrified, pretended she wasn't home.
February 14, 2026 at 10:22 PM
This happened multiple times while I was in the car with observers. In one case, agents led an observer to her own home. When they drove away, she continued following them. Minutes later, more agents showed up at her house and banged on the door. Her wife, terrified, pretended she wasn't home.
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Vows of accountability and collecting potential evidence are vital at this moment.
The Illinois Accountability Commission is gathering precisely the kind of evidence that will hold ICE and the Trump Administration responsible.
Democratic AGs stress importance of citizen-generated evidence in challenging ICE • Stateline
Cellphone video has emerged as a powerful rebuttal to the Trump administration’s version of immigration enforcement incidents.
stateline.org
February 14, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Vows of accountability and collecting potential evidence are vital at this moment.
How far can ICE/DHS go to intimidate people trying to protect their community? Nearly 100 people submitted sworn statements in this case, but could have included many more.
ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:23 PM
How far can ICE/DHS go to intimidate people trying to protect their community? Nearly 100 people submitted sworn statements in this case, but could have included many more.
ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
This visualization of daily activity of ICE is unreal.
February 13, 2026 at 9:26 PM
This visualization of daily activity of ICE is unreal.
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
“They were hellbent on not allowing anybody to help him until he was dead,” she said. “I was right there, and they — all of them — made the decision to deny me access to give him the best possible chance of survival.”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “I was literally begging the agent who was holding me back to let me do CPR,” she told The Intercept.
The Woman Alex Pretti Was Killed Trying to Defend Is an EMT. Federal Agents Stopped Her From Giving First Aid.
One of the women Alex Pretti was killed trying to defend is an EMT. Federal agents stopped her from giving him first aid.
interc.pt
February 13, 2026 at 7:14 PM
“They were hellbent on not allowing anybody to help him until he was dead,” she said. “I was right there, and they — all of them — made the decision to deny me access to give him the best possible chance of survival.”
Corn growers want DOJ investigation of fertilizer cartel, but.
"Just days after the TCPA sent its letter, Abigail Slater, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, was ousted from her job." www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...
"Just days after the TCPA sent its letter, Abigail Slater, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, was ousted from her job." www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...
After USDA Criticism, Corn Growers Press Attorney General on Fertilizer 'Duopoly'
Corn farmers from both Iowa and Texas are calling on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to spell out what the Justice Department is doing to examine the fertilizer industry. Their efforts come after USDA...
www.dtnpf.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Corn growers want DOJ investigation of fertilizer cartel, but.
"Just days after the TCPA sent its letter, Abigail Slater, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, was ousted from her job." www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...
"Just days after the TCPA sent its letter, Abigail Slater, the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, was ousted from her job." www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/...
US India trade "deal" apparently is a very fluid situation.
"the US removed a reference to pulses — a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas — and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods."
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
"the US removed a reference to pulses — a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas — and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods."
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
US Changes India Trade Deal Statement, Sparking Confusion
The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups.
www.bloomberg.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
US India trade "deal" apparently is a very fluid situation.
"the US removed a reference to pulses — a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas — and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods."
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
"the US removed a reference to pulses — a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas — and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods."
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Greater Minnesota, too: ‘Not the same town anymore:’ ICE surge hit businesses in Worthington, where 1 in 3 are immigrants minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/13/n...
‘Not the same town anymore:’ ICE surge hit businesses in Worthington, where 1 in 3 are immigrants • Minnesota Reformer
WORTHINGTON — Typically about 10 to 15 cars and their new owners drive off the lot each month at Los Partners Auto Sales in Worthington, a small city in southwest Minnesota where roughly one in three ...
minnesotareformer.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Greater Minnesota, too: ‘Not the same town anymore:’ ICE surge hit businesses in Worthington, where 1 in 3 are immigrants minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/13/n...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
Yesterday upwards of 300 million people across India held a national strike.
Numerous unions and farmers' groups flooded the streets, shutting down large segments of the economy.
One of the key demands was a withdrawal from the trade deal struck with the Trump administration.
Numerous unions and farmers' groups flooded the streets, shutting down large segments of the economy.
One of the key demands was a withdrawal from the trade deal struck with the Trump administration.
February 13, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Yesterday upwards of 300 million people across India held a national strike.
Numerous unions and farmers' groups flooded the streets, shutting down large segments of the economy.
One of the key demands was a withdrawal from the trade deal struck with the Trump administration.
Numerous unions and farmers' groups flooded the streets, shutting down large segments of the economy.
One of the key demands was a withdrawal from the trade deal struck with the Trump administration.
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
How not to do it: Germany has spent decades investing in biogas - what lessons for Ireland, Poland, Spain & other MS? Op-ed by Sophie Scherger @iatp.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/learning-fro...
#EnergyTransition #Biogas #Germany
@seobirdlife.bsky.social @nabu.de @foeeurope.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/learning-fro...
#EnergyTransition #Biogas #Germany
@seobirdlife.bsky.social @nabu.de @foeeurope.bsky.social
Learning from Germany’s Decades of Public Biogas Support | Agricultural and Rural Convention
Ireland, Spain and Poland are among a number of Member States now looking to biogas to support the transition to sustainable energy systems. But is investing in biogas infrastructure a beneficial use ...
www.arc2020.eu
February 13, 2026 at 12:50 PM
How not to do it: Germany has spent decades investing in biogas - what lessons for Ireland, Poland, Spain & other MS? Op-ed by Sophie Scherger @iatp.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/learning-fro...
#EnergyTransition #Biogas #Germany
@seobirdlife.bsky.social @nabu.de @foeeurope.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/learning-fro...
#EnergyTransition #Biogas #Germany
@seobirdlife.bsky.social @nabu.de @foeeurope.bsky.social
The lying is endemic to ICE/DHS culture, from top to bottom.
The victim's lawyer: “The identity of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
The victim's lawyer: “The identity of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Prosecutor Says Federal Officials Gave Wrong Information About ICE Shooting
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:51 PM
The lying is endemic to ICE/DHS culture, from top to bottom.
The victim's lawyer: “The identity of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
The victim's lawyer: “The identity of the ICE agent should be made public and he should be charged for his crime.”
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Cargill certainly holds close a lot of data/info about food markets.
The closure was meant to “better align” the company's portfolio with “current customer demand” and future investments - www.startribune.com/cargill-grou...
The closure was meant to “better align” the company's portfolio with “current customer demand” and future investments - www.startribune.com/cargill-grou...
Cargill to close Wisconsin beef plant, lay off 221 workers
The Minnetonka-based agriculture giant is shuttering a ground meat-processing facility in Milwaukee to ‘better align’ its portfolio.
www.startribune.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Cargill certainly holds close a lot of data/info about food markets.
The closure was meant to “better align” the company's portfolio with “current customer demand” and future investments - www.startribune.com/cargill-grou...
The closure was meant to “better align” the company's portfolio with “current customer demand” and future investments - www.startribune.com/cargill-grou...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
IATP was proud to join NSAC’s lobby day in Washington, DC yesterday, calling on Congress to take real action to address the farm crisis, fund conservation & local food programs, and support sustainable, long-term solutions to keep farmers on the land. sustainableagriculture.net/blog/release...
February 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
IATP was proud to join NSAC’s lobby day in Washington, DC yesterday, calling on Congress to take real action to address the farm crisis, fund conservation & local food programs, and support sustainable, long-term solutions to keep farmers on the land. sustainableagriculture.net/blog/release...
Reposted by Ben Lilliston
And now Gail Slater, the chief antitrust enforcer at DOJ, has just resigned, a prelude to this settlement happening. Slater was cut out of the negotiations with MAGA lobbyists on the Live Nation case.
DOJ is just a corrupt shell at this point.
DOJ is just a corrupt shell at this point.
Tired: Getting mad at Pam Bondi for high school theater-level theatrics at a hearing
Wired: Getting mad at Pam Bondi for letting the Ticketmaster monopoly continue and settling the case that would break it up.
From me:
prospect.org/2026/02/12/t...
Wired: Getting mad at Pam Bondi for letting the Ticketmaster monopoly continue and settling the case that would break it up.
From me:
prospect.org/2026/02/12/t...
Trump Justice Department Poised to Preserve Ticketmaster Monopoly - The American Prospect
Settlement talks on a monopolization case against Live Nation are under way, with Kellyanne Conway and other MAGA lobbyists seeking a sweetheart deal.
prospect.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:16 PM
And now Gail Slater, the chief antitrust enforcer at DOJ, has just resigned, a prelude to this settlement happening. Slater was cut out of the negotiations with MAGA lobbyists on the Live Nation case.
DOJ is just a corrupt shell at this point.
DOJ is just a corrupt shell at this point.
Farms & food processing feeling ICE attacks.
"the federal immigration effort has swept up many agricultural workers with no criminal record, often deploying tactics that advocates, lawyers and judges say push the limits of probable cause and due process" investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/11/t...
"the federal immigration effort has swept up many agricultural workers with no criminal record, often deploying tactics that advocates, lawyers and judges say push the limits of probable cause and due process" investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/11/t...
Trump’s DHS is pushing the boundaries of probable cause and due process to fuel a farm labor crisis - Investigate Midwest
By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest Before sunrise in northeastern Oregon in early August, seven farmworkers filed into an aging Ford Econoline van. As they headed toward one of the state’s economic en...
investigatemidwest.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Farms & food processing feeling ICE attacks.
"the federal immigration effort has swept up many agricultural workers with no criminal record, often deploying tactics that advocates, lawyers and judges say push the limits of probable cause and due process" investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/11/t...
"the federal immigration effort has swept up many agricultural workers with no criminal record, often deploying tactics that advocates, lawyers and judges say push the limits of probable cause and due process" investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/11/t...
From a water quality and climate perspective, the overapplication of nitrogen fertilizer is a top challenge.
"Every year, US farmers apply between 30 and 50 percent more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than their crops can actually absorb" www.ucs.org/resources/le... Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes
"Every year, US farmers apply between 30 and 50 percent more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than their crops can actually absorb" www.ucs.org/resources/le... Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes
Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes
US farmers apply far more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than their crops can actually absorb, harming people, ecosystems, and the climate.
www.ucs.org
February 12, 2026 at 1:43 PM
From a water quality and climate perspective, the overapplication of nitrogen fertilizer is a top challenge.
"Every year, US farmers apply between 30 and 50 percent more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than their crops can actually absorb" www.ucs.org/resources/le... Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes
"Every year, US farmers apply between 30 and 50 percent more synthetic nitrogen fertilizer than their crops can actually absorb" www.ucs.org/resources/le... Less Fertilizer, Better Outcomes