Farmers are struggling to make critical decisions ahead of the spring thaw, as billions of dollars in promised payments remain frozen by the Trump administration.

U.S. stocks plummeted on Friday on poor economic news. Consumer confidence weakened to the lowest level since November 2023, even as long-run inflation expectations rose to the highest since 1995. The services purchasing managers’ index fell into contractionary territory and January home sales contracted by more than expected.

In an effort to cut America's debt, the Trump administration has set out to freeze spending for dozens of federal departments and programs. As a result, Iowa farmers have been put in a precarious position.