> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.readtangle.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The $8 billion farmer relief package. - URL: https://www.readtangle.com/8-billion-dollar-farmer-relief-package/ - Published: 2026-10-27T15:58:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-27T15:58:39.000Z - Description: Plus, looking back on the Cuban Missile Crisis. - Author: Isaac Wood - Tags: Farmer bailout, Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Harvest Fuel Relief Program, Iran war, Gas prices, Diesel, This day in history, USDA, Commodity Credit Corporation, Staff concurrence Happy Tuesday, I’m **Contributing Editor Isaac Wood** — or as the Tangle team calls me, “IB,” or as Tangle commenters have called me, “Isaac 2.” I just came off a weekend visit from my parents, and I’m getting geared up for a Knoxville concert with my wife tomorrow night. Suffice it to say, I’m having a great week. But I do have to gas up for the two-hour drive, which won’t be the best part of my day. I can only imagine the diesel bills racking up for farmers this harvest season. Today, we’re covering the **$8 billion aid package** going to farmers. Then a rewind to the **Cuban missile crisis** and an, um, creative way to **test soil health**. It’s a **13-minute read**. Too busy to read? Push play instead! ![Too busy to read? Push play instead!](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/93/4a939b47-6a19-4b38-a13c-89d5a0f0d6dd/content/images/2026/07/podcast@2x.png) [Listen to the newsletter Monday – Friday.](https://www.readtangle.com/tangle-podcast/) New episodes drop at 4pm ET. Ari Weitzman, Isaac Saul, Will Kaback, Audrey Moorehead, Carina Pacheco, Russell Nystrom, and Bailey Saul edited or contributed to today’s newsletter. ### Get your brand in front of Tangle readers. Do you own a business or work for a brand you think Tangle readers would love? We work with businesses of all sizes to connect their brands with more than 500,000 politically diverse, highly engaged readers. Some of our best advertising partners have come directly from this community, and we’d love to explore how we can help your business connect with our audience, too. Want more info on how to bring your brand to Tangle? [Click here](https://www.readtangle.com/advertise-with-tangle/) to learn more about the available opportunities. Reach out to start a conversation about the opportunities available. ### Quick hits. 1. The Justice Department charged former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey with allegedly sharing sensitive national defense information in 2016\. Comey denied any wrongdoing. ([The charges](https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/doj-charges-comey-for-third-time/?ref=readtangle.com)) Separately, a federal judge found that the Justice Department unlawfully fired former New York federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, James Comey’s daughter, and ordered that she receive back pay for time she was unemployed. ([The ruling](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/26/maurene-comey-firing-unlawful-trump.html?ref=readtangle.com)) 2. A federal appeals court panel declined a Trump administration request to force California to not accept mail-in ballots from roughly 20,000 voters the Justice Department believes are noncitizens. A separate trial court hearing on the request is scheduled for Tuesday. ([The case](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6173747-appeals-court-denies-emergency-election-stay/?ref=readtangle.com)) 3. President Donald Trump said his administration will distribute $1 million to anyone who reports voter fraud in the 2026 midterms leading to an arrest and conviction. ([The offer](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6173577-trump-voter-fraud-reward-announcement/?ref=readtangle.com)) 4. The U.S. military is reportedly preparing to restart major operations against Iran within 96 hours if President Trump orders resumed attacks. ([The report](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/26/politics/us-iran-strike-plans-trump?ref=readtangle.com)) 5. Israel is holding its first elections since the October 7, 2023 attacks, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to retain his position. ([The vote](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahus-political-survival-line-israel-votes-2026-10-27/?ref=readtangle.com)) Separately, Flávio Bolsonaro said he will drop his effort to annul Brazil’s presidential election. ([The update](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/26/brazilian-challenger-effectively-concedes-defeat-day-after-election/?ref=readtangle.com)) Today’s partner ****7 Things Frugal People Never Spend Money On** You’ve already cut the obvious stuff. You make coffee at home. You bring lunch instead of buying it. You’ve survived years of financial advice that basically boils down to “have you tried not enjoying anything?” And yet, the monthly bills keep showing up undeterred. Today’s partner pulled together a list of [seven specific things](https://partners.thepennyhoarder.com/frugal-people-sdyn/?aff%5Fid=409&utm%5Fsource=tangle&aff%5Fsub3=frugal-people) frugal people skip entirely — concrete habits, not vague willpower advice. Worth five minutes if you want a little more room in your budget. [Read the guide ](https://partners.thepennyhoarder.com/frugal-people-sdyn/?aff%5Fid=409&utm%5Fsource=tangle&aff%5Fsub3=frugal-people) ### Today’s topic. The farm aid package. On Monday, October 19, President Donald Trump [announced](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/10/19/trump-administration-announces-8-billion-harvest-fuel-relief-program?ref=readtangle.com) the Harvest Fuel Relief Program (HFR), an $8 billion program to support farmers during a spike in diesel costs. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will disburse the funds as one-time payments based on a formula that projects farmers’ needed aid, with the first payments potentially going out by the end of the year. **Back up:** Energy prices in the U.S. have [risen](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-farmer-harvest-fuel-relief-aid/?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Farmers%20have%20faced,to%20AAA%20data.) substantially since the war in Iran began in February, and diesel prices hit a record-high of $6.53 a gallon in September. Many farmers use diesel-powered agricultural machinery; they also face protracted financial challenges preceding the Iran war. In December 2025, the Trump administration [announced](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/12/08/trump-administration-announces-12-billion-farmer-bridge-payments-american-farmers-impacted-unfair?ref=readtangle.com) a $12 billion aid program to support farmers “in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.” The USDA payments are [authorized](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/10/19/trump-administration-announces-8-billion-harvest-fuel-relief-program?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Similar%20to%20the,yields%20and%20prices.) under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a government corporation within USDA. The CCC may borrow from the Treasury and private organizations to [finance](https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/resources-small-and-mid-sized-farmers/commodity-credit-corporation?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=to%20the%20Board-,Financing,-CCC%20has%20an) its programs, and it may accrue up to $30 billion in funding at a time. The HFR aid will be determined based on farmers’ “modeled losses” during the 2026 crop year, including Economic Research Service cost of production estimates and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates yields and prices. Farm subsidies vary annually, but the federal government [typically provides](https://usafacts.org/articles/the-new-8-billion-farm-aid-package-explained/?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=How%20much%20support%20does%20the%20government%20provide%20to%20farmers%3F) billions of dollars in support. In 2025, the government made $27.9 billion in direct payments to farmers, up from $10.3 billion in 2024\. Furthermore, annual government payments as a share of total net farm income have ranged from 7.0% to 40.5% in the 21st century. Factoring in the $8 billion in additional aid, payments to farmers in 2026 could near 2020’s record high of $56.7 billion (in 2025 dollars). The Trump administration indicated that payments will begin after the midterm elections, but the exact timing is uncertain. “It’s ​going to be close to the end of the year, would be my guess,” USDA official ⁠Richard Fordyce [said](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/trump-administrations-8-billion-diesel-aid-farmers-will-arrive-after-election-2026-10-23/?ref=readtangle.com). “We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us to be really dialed in on a specific number. We believe that the $8 billion is close.” Below are views from the left and right on the program, followed by Contributing Editor Isaac Wood’s take. | What the left is saying. Many on the left view the aid as a weak attempt to mitigate damage done by Trump’s policies.Some say the one-time payments won’t help much.Others suggest Trump’s missteps could be a political opportunity for Democrats. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | **In The Guardian, Steven Greenhouse argued** [**“Trump has been a disaster for rural America.”**](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/26/donald-trump-policy-disaster-rural-america?ref=readtangle.com) “Since Trump won farm country handily in 2024, many rural voters in Kansas, Iowa and elsewhere have soured on him because the price of diesel fuel, a key input for farming, has soared by nearly 70%, because farm bankruptcies have surged and because Trump’s trade wars have significantly reduced agricultural exports,” Greenhouse wrote. “When he plunged the US into the Iran war and his many trade wars, he showed little concern about what those decisions might mean for rural America.” “Little wonder that a recent KFF/AP poll found that roughly six in 10 rural voters disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, while about half believe the economy is in worse shape than when Trump returned to office,” Greenhouse said. “\[Trump’s Harvest Fuel Relief Program seems\] like a desperate, last-ditch effort to rescue Kansas’s incumbent Republican senator, Roger Marshall.” **In AlterNet, Nick Hilden said** [**“basic math reveals the flaw in Trump’s billion-dollar farm bribe.”**](https://www.alternet.org/trump-diesel-farm-bailout/?ref=readtangle.com) “The math on this bailout looks worse the more you break it down,” Hilden wrote. “Based on the latest national average of diesel prices — roughly $6.32 per AAA — that $4,250 buys about 672 gallons. Diesel fuels a wide variety of farm transport and equipment, but if you take a mid-sized tractor doing basic plowing as an example — which uses around six gallons per hour (though a large tractor doing heavy work can use upwards of 16, so the lower number is being generous) — that results in 112 hours of operation, for one machine, doing modest work. “For larger equipment doing heavy work, that $4,250 translates into around 40 hours of operation, but the war has kept diesel prices elevated for eight months, with no sign of ending anytime soon,” Hilden said. “Considering that U.S. farms use an average of three tractors each — along with plenty of other diesel-hungry machinery — it’s clear that Trump’s big bailout is just a drop in the bucket.” **In MS NOW, Ed Gresser wrote** [**“Trump’s policies are hammering farmers.”**](https://www.ms.now/opinion/rural-voters-farm-bankruptices-midterms?ref=readtangle.com) “The Trump administration’s tariff hikes raised costs. The president slapped import taxes as high as 50% on a range of products including hoes and plows, barbed wire, screws, wood, pesticides, irrigation equipment and harvesters. As a result, just about everything farmers do — from putting up a fence to spraying for weeds and bugs to harvesting crops — costs more,” Gresser said. “This spring came Trump’s decision to launch a war with Iran. The consequent halt to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz first spiked global fertilizer prices — up 20% from when the president was inaugurated — and then hit diesel fuel even harder.” “The administration’s response has been a series of Band-Aids, with improvised emergency aid packages… But as rising bankruptcies show, these measures haven’t healed the wounds the administration’s policies have inflicted,” Gresser wrote. “The Republican Party’s hold on politics in rural America has shaped policy, government and law for 20 years. Trump’s decision to upend the farm economy has shaken it.” | What the right is saying. Some on the right suggest Trump is trying to paper over bad policy with handouts. Others say farmers’ struggles highlight the need for greater U.S. energy independence.Still others question the funding mechanism that allows for these payments. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | **The Washington Post editorial board wrote** [**“farmers need free markets, not free money.”**](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/10/20/best-farm-subsidy-is-free-market/?ref=readtangle.com) “Farmers face real hardships,” the board said. “Diesel prices per gallon have risen about 75% and trade disruptions from the Iran war have boosted fertilizer prices. Pointless trade wars and tariffs have reduced foreign markets where American farmers can sell their crops and have raised prices for equipment. Ranchers have also voiced frustration at the chilling effect immigration raids have had on the meatpacking workforce. “Instead of rolling back those disruptive policies, the president is dangling money… Once government starts compensating industries whenever inputs become unexpectedly expensive, there is no principled stopping point,” the board wrote. “Bailouts socialize losses while leaving profits private. No one is going to ask farmers to pay this money back when crop prices rise and fuel prices fall.” **In the American Thinker, Cole Ellison argued** [**“temporarily higher prices at the gas pump must not deter America from defeating Iran.”**](https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/10/swallow-the-medicine-rebuild-the-nation/?ref=readtangle.com) “When the dollar amount \[of the Iran war\] rolls over on the pump, it hits truck drivers, tradesmen, farmers, and families trying to get by,” Ellison wrote. “Still, there is a difference between suffering for something worthwhile and suffering in vain… I do not want an endless war. I also do not want my children to deal with this conflict because we neglected to resolve it. Above all, I want to teach them that America does not abandon every difficult situation the moment it becomes expensive or inconvenient.” “This crisis should serve as a wake-up call. We should not have to look at the price of diesel and realize that a hostile government can reach into the pockets of American families. We should not be so dependent on foreign supply chains that a conflict overseas threatens our ability to build, produce, and defend ourselves,” Ellison said. “America must be strong enough to confront its enemies abroad and strong enough to stand on its own at home.” **In National Review, John R. Puri said** [**“Trump pays off farmers by decree, yet again.”**](https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trump-pays-off-farmers-by-decree-yet-again/?ref=readtangle.com) “With the new program, farmers are set to receive a record-high $55 billion in direct federal payments in 2026, including $14 billion in commodity-support programs and almost $30 billion in ad-hoc disaster relief,” Puri wrote. “Why even bother asking Congress in the first place? Under an archaic New Deal entity called the Commodity Credit Corporation, the president can borrow up to $30 billion from the Treasury to finance farm payments, and Congress is obligated by law to replenish the account’s ‘losses,’ meaning deliberate handouts, ex post facto. The result is a nearly unrestricted slush fund for agricultural bailouts and payoffs.” “Congress should reform or abolish the slush fund and retake exclusive control of farm subsidies, of course, but it won’t. Why put your vote on spending decisions with price tags and trade-offs when the president can make those calls for you?” Puri asked. “This is no way to govern in a republic, where power is *supposed* to be exercised by the people’s elected representatives. Legislators have surrendered their constitutional duty to control the fisc, and Americans, in the end, will foot the bill.” | My take. Isaac Wood Contributing Editor ![Isaac Wood](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/93/4a939b47-6a19-4b38-a13c-89d5a0f0d6dd/content/images/2026/07/IBWheadshot_2026-1.jpg) | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | The aid package is clearly a short-term solution to much deeper problems. We should support farmers, but this isn’t the way to do it. There’s no easy fix to the underlying issues, but we can do better than band-aid fixes. | | **Reminder:** This is where we share a personal opinion. If you have feedback, criticism or compliments, leave a comment or reply to this email. | A couple of things about this bailout are transparent. First, the motivation: High gas prices make farming more expensive and drive up grocery costs, so President Trump is worried about Republicans losing midterm votes from disgruntled farmers in Midwestern swing states and food-eaters everywhere. Diesel prices are hitting record highs, and the food we eat — or at least that I eat — requires farmers to use a lot of diesel fuel. As of 2023, diesel technology [powers](https://enginetechforum.org/press-releases/posts/powering-americas-farms-into-the-future?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Diesel%20technology%20powers%20more%20than%20two%2Dthirds%20of%20all%20farm%20equipment%2C%20transports%2090%25%20of%20agricultural%20products%2C%20and%20pumps%20one%2Dfifth%20of%20water%20dedicated%20to%20agriculture%20in%20this%20country.) more than two thirds of all farming equipment and is used to transport 90% of agricultural products. Vehicles, machinery, and fuel account for over 10% of farmers’ input costs. More than likely, the food you eat tonight made it to your table because of diesel fuel — for better or for worse. And this year, that dependence comes with a [high cost](https://www.fb.org/intel/markets/hormuz-price-shocks-outpace-higher-crop-prices?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Similarly%2C%20fuel%20expenses%2C%20including%20diesel%2C%20are%20projected%20to%20reach%20a%20record%20%2422%20billion%20this%20year%2C%20up%2029%25%20or%20%245%20billion%20from%202025.). Second, the bailout is transparently a band-aid fix, one that immediately covers the short-term cost of fuel for farmers feeling the strain of diesel prices. Band-aids do good work in this world. When it comes to bailouts, though, I’m worried that federal ag policy uses them to cover up deep gashes in America’s agriculture sector. In this specific case, the $8 billion is meant to address high fuel costs from the Iran War, rather than fixing that problem by ending the war. Trump’s critics are correct that tariffs and the war have exacerbated a range of issues in the agricultural sector, but bailouts like this one obscure other, foundational problems too. Last year, the Trump administration [rolled out](https://www.readtangle.com/the-12-billion-farm-bailout/) a $12 billion farm bailout for “American Farmers Impacted by Unfair Market Disruptions,” which followed a $10 billion [bailout](https://www.agriculture.com/farmers-to-get-usd10-billion-in-economic-assistance-8765678?ref=readtangle.com) at the end of the Biden administration. The USDA reported that between 2016 and 2024, the two presidents [distributed](https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=4050&ref=readtangle.com) over $232 billion in direct payments to farmers. That’s a lot of money. These bailouts ignore market signals and fail to address the breadth of underlying problems in agriculture. It’s like a little league team whose shortstop happens to be the coach’s son. Sometimes the coach’s kid is the best option, but other times they’re not. Repeated errors — missed ground balls or overthrows to first base — reveal when a player shouldn’t be in that position. But if that kid’s dad is the coach, then those signals can be conveniently ignored. Bailouts are like that. Something isn’t going right, but when problems arise — when farmers can’t afford their operating costs — the government ignores the signals by covering the costs of fuel. I’ve never tried to make a living off of sorghum or wheat in a bad energy market; I’ve never plowed a field or even tended a garden. I know from friends and books that harvest season is incredibly difficult. Long days and sleepless nights. I can only imagine the relief that many farmers felt in their bones when they found out they might get some help paying for gas, and that relief is good. But if this type of payment is perpetuating more foundational problems, then it’s only delaying more grief into the future. Most other farmers’ organizations that give a “thank you” also mention the need for long-term solutions. Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), said, “The need for repeated emergency aid is a clear sign that the farm safety net is failing family farmers. We need to provide long-term certainty and investment in diversifying our fuel sources with renewable options, not a cycle of ad hoc relief.” Several [organizations](https://www.fb.org/news-release/farm-bureau-appreciates-8-billion-in-harvest-fuel-relief-for-farmers?ref=readtangle.com) [call](https://www.ncga.com/stay-informed/media/in-the-news/article/2026/10/corn-growers-react-to-harvest-fuel-relief-announcement-say-farm-economy-requires-long-term-solutions?ref=readtangle.com) for de-regulating the use of E15, a fuel that contains 15% ethanol rather than the typical 10% ethanol. Of course they do; ethanol depends on corn production. But NFU is right that the need for repeated relief points to underlying problems. As Jesse Allen from Agriculture of America [put it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uWuAYyF3TpQ&ra=m&ref=readtangle.com), “\[This bailout\] will probably keep some operators in business who’ve overleveraged themselves past the point of no return.” To be blunt, a lot of individual farmers make decisions that lead to bad and brittle systems. Farming families know which practices are good, but they also know what the government wants them to do. Since the 1970s — when Agriculture Secretary [Earl Butz](https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/the-butz-stops-here/?ref=readtangle.com) was saying “get big or get out” — the federal government has been subsidizing inefficient market practices and questionable agricultural decisions. As Managing Editor Ari Weitzman [wrote](https://www.readtangle.com/the-12-billion-farm-bailout/) last year, subsidies incentivize farmers to plant and grow row crops and to squeeze as much output as possible, bringing huge yields in corn and soy. “But that oversaturates the global market to the point that soybeans now cost more to grow than they do to buy, a boon for the buyers’ market dominated by a small number of companies, requiring taxpayer subsidies to keep individual farmers afloat,” he said. Government payments have [grown](https://usafacts.org/articles/the-new-8-billion-farm-aid-package-explained/?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Net%20farm%20income%20and%20government%20payments%2C%201913%E2%80%932025%2C%20adjusted%20to%202025%20dollars) from $2.5 billion in 1949 to $27.9 billion in 2025 (adjusted to 2025 dollars), encouraging practices that increase overall yield but decrease the amount of profit made per yield. That becomes an endless cycle driving the need for more yield higher and higher and higher. Altogether, the whole system encourages agricultural practices that are bad for [soil health](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376521787%5FEffect%5Fof%5FMono%5FCropping%5Fon%5FSoil%5FHealth%5Fand%5FFertility%5FManagement%5Ffor%5FSustainable%5FAgriculture%5FPractices%5FA?ref=readtangle.com), bad for the [American diet](https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/primer-agriculture-subsidies-and-their-influence-on-the-composition-of-u-s-food-supply-and-consumption/?ref=readtangle.com), and bad for farmers — the cycle perpetually makes it harder to stay profitable. It’s a big, complicated mess with no easy fix. But bailouts aren’t a fix at all. At this point, I can think of two options to address the industry’s underlying issues: One, build a long-term plan for removing subsidies in a way that doesn’t blow up the current system and leave farmers without livelihoods and people without food. Two, continue utilizing subsidies but enact reform so that the subsidies incentivize more efficient and healthier practices. But Trump isn’t doing either of these things. He isn’t adhering to any guiding principles about how market control can boost affordability, nor is he adhering to the free-market principle that says markets will balance themselves out if they’re left to their own devices. So what principle guided this decision? It’s simple: the band-aid principle. Trump’s public-opinion Spidey-sense is blaring “EMERGENCY,” so he pulls the nearest lever. His erratic behavior added costs to farmers’ ledgers, and he wants to fix it. The federal government has sent farmers bailouts before, so why not try it again? But almost by definition, short-term fixes can’t account for agriculture’s complex challenges. The agricultural industry is built on a faulty foundation of subsidies, and the current process — bailout, high prices, bailout, high prices — obscures those faults and further weakens the foundation. | Staff concurrence. Ari Weitzman Managing Editor ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/93/4a939b47-6a19-4b38-a13c-89d5a0f0d6dd/content/images/2025/05/Ari.jpg) | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | I agree with Isaac’s overall points about this issue: Trump is putting a band-aid over self-inflicted wounds. Diesel costs are spiking because of the Iran war (just as costs spiked last year because of tariff disruptions), and this band-aid won’t address those issues. However, I’d say the issue here is deeper than we can even see: As Americans, we are completely disconnected from our food systems and have no sensitivity to the problems that threaten them. Even this issue won’t impact your grocery costs that much. As [I discussed](https://www.readtangle.com/the-12-billion-farm-bailout/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C,disease%2C%20and%20obesity.) last December, a lot of what farmers grow doesn’t become your food — only about [a quarter](https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/695?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Measured%20by%20calories%2C%20the%20U.S.%20allocated%2027%25%20to%20food%20compared%20to%20a%20global%20average%20of%2055%25) of all the calories we grow become human food ([a lot](https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/US-Net-Farm-Income-Projected-to-Fall-in-2026?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=Animal%20cash%20receipts%20would%20account%20for%2053.2%25%20of%20total%20U.S.%20cash%20receipts%20with%20the%20rest%20coming%20from%20crop%20receipts.) becomes animal feed), and much of that gets exported. Nearly half of crop receipts are corn and soy, and only 10% of those foods become domestic foodstuffs. Meanwhile, diesel accounts for [3.3% of input costs](https://enginetechforum.org/press-releases/posts/powering-americas-farms-into-the-future?ref=readtangle.com#:~:text=with%20fuel%20ranking%20tenth%20at%203.3%25.%20The%20most%20expensive%20input%20was%20chemicals%20and%20fertilizers) across the agricultural sector, which is heavily weighted by corn and soy, while most produce ([like spinach](https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/oaeb/pdf/EM8927.pdf?ref=readtangle.com)) is even less reliant. Diesel will certainly impact prices because of its role in transportation, but that’s true of any good. Long story short: You’re not really going to feel increased fuel costs in your grocery prices too much, relative to baseline inflation. And you won’t feel the temporary relief farmers are getting in this $8 billion bailout, either. In fact, you’re not going to feel the issues impacting most farmers at all — because most of what our agricultural system grows isn’t your food. We grow commodities in search of a use. That’s a problem. I’d actually say it’s THE problem here that has to be addressed from the ground up. So when Isaac talks about the deep gashes this bailout is addressing, I’d say that’s underselling it. Until we completely rework our agricultural system to help farmers grow food, we’re putting band-aids on a cancer patient. | **Take the survey:** Do you think this aid program will help farmers? [Let us know](https://interrobang.vercel.app/survey/b934efc4-08b9-4db0-80e0-91aa6b19a8e8?ref=readtangle.com). *Disagree? That*’*s okay. Our opinion is just one of many. Write in and let us know why, and we*’*ll consider publishing your feedback.* ### This day in history. ![Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin meet with President John F. Kennedy on October 18, 1962](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/93/4a939b47-6a19-4b38-a13c-89d5a0f0d6dd/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-62e45950-b373-4755-98a2-952c2d35ecf3.png) Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin meet with President John F. Kennedy on October 18, 1962 | Dino Brugioni, [National Security Archive](https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/cuban-missile-crisis-photo-collection?ref=readtangle.com), George Washington University On October 14, 1962, [pictures](https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis?ref=readtangle.com) taken by a U.S. U-2 aircraft showed sites for medium- and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles under construction in Cuba. The photographs were cause for major alarm in President John F. Kennedy’s administration, as they followed the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and Kennedy’s warnings to Cuba and the Soviet Union against placing weapons on the island. The discovery marked the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Some of Kennedy’s advisers wanted the U.S. to carry out strikes against the missile sites and invade the island nation, while others urged a diplomatic approach. Ultimately, Kennedy decided upon a naval “quarantine” of Cuba, and on October 22 he sent a letter to U.S.S.R. Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanding that the missile sites be dismantled and weapons removed from Cuba. Then, in a public address, Kennedy informed the American people of the discovery of the sites and his decisions. On October 24, Khrushchev condemned the quarantine and refused to turn back Soviet ships en route to Cuba. Nevertheless, some ships did not reach the quarantine line, and those that did were searched by the U.S. military and allowed to proceed when no weapons were found. Later, ABC News correspondent John Scali reached out to the Kennedy administration and informed them that he’d been approached with a possible backchannel deal to end the conflict: The Soviets would remove their weapons if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba. As U.S. staff assessed the offer, Kennedy received a message from Khrushchev presenting a similar deal. On October 27, Kennedy received another message from Khrushchev stipulating that the U.S. remove its Jupiter missiles from Turkey as part of the deal; the same day, a U-2 was shot down over Cuba. Still, Kennedy responded to Khrushchev’s initial message, sending the Soviet Union a proposal for the removal of its missiles and a guarantee that the U.S. would not invade Cuba. Privately, Attorney General Robert Kennedy told the Soviet ambassador that the U.S. would also remove its missiles from Turkey. The following day, Khrushchev publicly agreed to the deal, bringing the crisis to an end and avoiding a potential nuclear war. Today’s partner ****7 Things Frugal People Never Spend Money On** You brew coffee at home. You’ve canceled three streaming services and made peace with canceling more. You’ve heard every lecture about lattes and “small habits.” And somehow your bills still look like they’ve unionized against you. ****Today’s partner** built a [practical guide](https://partners.thepennyhoarder.com/frugal-people-sdyn/?aff%5Fid=409&utm%5Fsource=tangle&aff%5Fsub3=frugal-people) to cutting recurring costs — no misery required. [Check out the guide ](https://partners.thepennyhoarder.com/frugal-people-sdyn/?aff%5Fid=409&utm%5Fsource=tangle&aff%5Fsub3=frugal-people) ### The extras. - **One year ago today** we covered [the East Wing demolition](https://www.readtangle.com/trump-demolishes-east-wing-white-house-ballroom/). - **The most clicked link in our last regular newsletter** was Isaac’s [Friday edition on corruption in the second Trump administration](https://www.readtangle.com/the-corruption-is-still-the-story/). - **Nothing to do with politics:** [A transfixing, interactive rendering of the universe](https://www.youreyesinspace.com/?ref=readtangle.com). - **Our last survey:** 3,417 readers responded to our survey on the Justice Department’s lawsuit in Alaska’s Senate election, with 83% saying they think Daniel J. Sullivan (unaffiliated) is an insincere candidate but oppose the suit. “Are we supposed to disqualify him because of his name? Sure, it’s shenanigans. But it’s legal and I would hate to live in the world created by federal interference in state elections,” one respondent said. “This is another log on the fire for those who increasingly mistrust the electoral process,” said another. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/93/4a939b47-6a19-4b38-a13c-89d5a0f0d6dd/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-4f25abb7-aecd-4def-8264-e7eb08c3cd05.png) ### Have a nice day. In 2021, Swiss researchers were looking for a way to measure soil health. They came up with a cheap — and unusual — approach, asking farmers and volunteers to bury pairs of underpants and wait two months before digging them up and sending samples to the University of Zurich lab. Healthy soil decomposes the cotton at a higher rate. The more holes in a pair of underpants, the better the soil. Five years later, this August, the researchers published their findings: Lawns had the slowest decomposition rates, private gardens had the fastest, and agricultural fields and meadows ranked in between. “This project demonstrates that underpants can serve as a simple and easy-to-interpret tool, providing informative insights into the state of soils,” the researchers wrote. [Good Good Good has the story](https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/new-study-bury-underwear-soil-health?ref=readtangle.com).