Dan Wright, President | Arkansas Farm Bureau
As we near harvest time across Arkansas, I know many of you are running on faith, fumes and a whole lot of grit.
It’s been one of those years where the highs and lows of agriculture have felt like a roller coaster ride. You’ve held your breath as market reports came in. You’ve squeezed every penny out of your inputs. You’ve stood in the gap between hope and hard reality.
Row-crop farmers, in particular, have felt the sting this year. Prices have stayed low while input costs like diesel, fertilizer and labor just keep climbing. We’ve operated most of the past two years without a completed farm bill, and that insecurity has weighed heavily on everyone. For far too long, outdated reference prices have left many farmers at a disadvantage, unable to make the math work.
But here’s some good news: while we don’t yet have the full farm bill across the finish line, significant progress has been made. Thanks to what’s being called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” we’ve seen long-overdue updates to those reference prices. This is an important step in helping farmers stay viable and competitive.
It’s not everything we need, and it’s not done yet, but it’s a step forward, and I thank God for that.
Now, while row-crop farmers have struggled, our livestock producers have seen some relief. From January through July, live cattle prices stayed strong. It’s been a welcome break in a sector that has also carried its share of challenges over the past few years.
But make no mistake: Whether you’re growing soybeans or raising calves, this year has taken a toll.
So what is Farm Bureau doing?
We haven’t sat still. Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation stepped up early, advocating for a pause in the farm bill and calling for reconciliation efforts that could help our producers right now — not two years from now. In collaboration with surrounding Southern states, we worked with the American Farm Bureau to make this happen.
At Arkansas Farm Bureau, we’ve leaned into our mission of advocacy with everything we’ve got by sending a group of producers to Washington, D.C., in June. They sat down with both Senate and House Agriculture Committee chairs as well as our other members of Congress to lay it all on the table. They expressed what Arkansas farmers are facing, what we need and why time matters.
We’ve also made sure the next generation of agriculture has had a seat at the table. Our Young Farmers & Ranchers group also made its way to Washington to meet with lawmakers.
We’ll keep doing the work. I also want to speak to the personal side of this: Policy and prices matter, but people matter more.
Lately, I’ve heard more folks say, “I’m tired.” Not just physically, but deep down — soul-weary tired. If that’s you, I want you to know: You’re not weak. You’re not failing. You’re human.
And Scripture speaks right to that feeling: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28.
Not rest as in quitting. Not rest as in throwing in the towel. But rest for your soul.
Farming is full of waiting — on the rain, on the market, on the farm bill. But the kind of rest Jesus talks about isn’t about circumstances; it’s about surrendering the stress and trusting that even when things are beyond our control, God is still working behind the scenes.
That kind of faith is what got our grandparents through the Dust Bowl. It’s what saw families through wars and droughts and floods. And it’s what’s going to carry us through this time. Washington may stall. Prices may fall. But God does not fail.
You’re not alone in this. Not now. Not ever.
At Arkansas Farm Bureau, we’re walking with you. Advocating for you. Praying for you. And reminding you that you are more than the markets, more than the yield, more than a statistic.
So as we step into harvest season, let’s keep our heads high and our hearts steady. Let’s support one another. Rest when we can. And let’s lean on the truth that the Lord of the harvest is faithful.
Better days are ahead. And in the meantime, we’ll keep showing up for each other, for Arkansas and for the future of agriculture.