TURFGRASS INDUSTRY NEWS
“Green industry professionals are on the front lines of environmental stewardship,” said Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “Te Clean Air Calculator allows them to quantify their contributions in real, measurable ways — and communicate the value of well-maintained green spaces to clients, communities and stakeholders.” With an interactive map, users can trace the boundaries of any property — be it a residential lawn, schoolyard, park, sports field, golf course, or sod farm—and instantly receive a Clean Air Score. Tis score reveals how much carbon is captured, how much air pollution is filtered out and how much oxygen is generated, all in comparison to the surrounding areas. For professionals overseeing multiple properties or expansive landscapes, the calculator serves as an essential resource for educating clients, sustainability reporting, and community outreach. It also offers a powerful way to emphasize the vital role of natural grass and healthy landscapes in both urban and suburban settings. Te calculator can be accessed at:
https://projectevergreen.com/clean- air-calculator/.
Another Sign of Trouble in the Ag Economy: Farm Bankruptcies Are on the Rise Te following is excerpted from an article by Tyne Morgan, April 22, 2025 – in Te Daily Scoop It’s no secret there’s trouble in the ag economy. As AgWeb reported in March, the Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor found 62 percent of ag economists think the row crop side of agriculture is currently in a recession, and 85 percent think the situation will accelerate consolidation on farms and among agribusinesses. Tis article can be found at:
https://www.agweb.com/ search?q=Farm+bankruptcies
$10 Billion in ECAP Money to Farmers More help is on the way, if not already on the farm. Tat’s because the American Relief Act of 2025, which was passed by Congress late last year, authorized the $10 billion for ECAP payments to help offset losses growers incurred during the 2024 crop year. Tose payments are being dispersed now, and farmers have until August to sign up. According to Joe Glauber, former USDA chief economist and a current emeritus fellow with the International Food Policy Research Institute, direct payments have helped farmers. But the threat of farm bankruptcies, and the reality of financial pain if markets don’t improve, is still there. “Remember, we are getting a ton of money put into the sector this year from the bill that was passed by Congress in December,” Glauber told “AgriTalk’s” Chip Flory. “So that’s $31 billion coming in with $10 billion of that going out to farmers as direct income support to offset low margins. So, I don’t think we’ll see a lot of farms going out of business. But certainly, if these short, tight margins persist for a long time, then that’s going to affect people.” Rural Bankers Show Concern According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the number of farm loans at risk of defaulting is the highest it’s been since 2020 as demand for non-real-estate farm loans has surged while repayment rates dropped. Te Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago serves the Seventh Federal Reserve District, which includes Iowa, and most of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Ag lenders are also concerned. Te most recent Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) shows for the 19th
time in the past 20 months, the RMI
Bloomberg Law’s Alex Wolf and Skye Witley recently reported that family farm bankruptcies had already increased by 55 percent last year compared to 2023. And there’s no sign of that slowing down, as Wolf and Witley report bankruptcies are trending even higher this year. Tat’s as farmers continue to grapple with depressed agricultural commodity prices and high input costs. “And while much of the industrywide distress predates his second stint in the White House, (President Donald) Trump has quickly nudged more farmers closer to the brink of going under and created turbulence for producers trying to make ends meet,” Wolf and Witley reported. “Unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal program cuts, and frozen Agriculture Department funding are now part of the discussions farmers are having as they seek financial help.”
sank below the 50.0 growth reading in April. Tis specific index surveys bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy. While tariffs and Trump’s focus on trade are causing uncertainty, Ernie Goss, MacAllister chair in regional economics at Creighton University, says ag lenders are actually supportive of Trump’s tough stance on trade. “Te economic outlook for 2025 farm income remains weak, according to bank CEOs. Despite the negative fallout from tariffs, 75 percent of bankers support the tariffs on China, and 79.2 percent back the 90- day pause on other tariffs,” Goss told “AgriTalk’s” Chip Flory. “I’m an economist and we economists, we’re not very keen on tariffs and trade restrictions. Nonetheless, the bankers, three out of the four bankers are supportive of what the president’s doing there, and I would argue that the farmers are on the president’s side as well.” Is the Ag Industry Ripe for Consolidation? Another reality for U.S. agriculture, while most farms in the U.S. are small family farms, that sector doesn’t represent the majority of farm production today. USDA ERS data shows while 88 percent of U.S. farms are considered “small family farms,” those farms only represent 18.7 percent of the total U.S. value of farm production. On the other hand, while 3.4 percent of U.S. farms are “large-scale family farms,” that sector represents 51.8 percent of the total value of U.S. farm production.
ctor TPI Turf News July/August 2025 89 9
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